Empowering Future Leaders in Brooklyn’s Backyard

If you’ve visited Prospect Park’s scenic woodlands this past spring and summer, stopped by the Boathouse for nature education activities or attended a community event at Lefferts Historic House, you’ve likely spotted the Prospect Park Alliance Woodlands Youth Crew and Park Youth Representatives in action helping Brooklyn’s Backyard thrive and engaging our community. These hardworking teams of teens have tackled restoration projects to sustain Brooklyn nature, delved into environmental education with youth and families and shared fascinating information about the park and its history with our community.

The Woodlands Youth Crew (WYC) is an essential part of the Alliance’s dedicated staff that works to restore and sustain Brooklyn’s last remaining upland forest. The program, which runs spring through fall, is team-based with a focus on collaboration. This beloved youth employment program provides teens with training, mentorship and professional experience in environmental conservation and park stewardship.

Led by Kevon Hines, the Alliance’s Woodlands Youth Crew Program Supervisor, the group expanded to 22 high school students this season. “The program is tailored for high school students, but if members wish to continue in college, they have the opportunity to become ‘near-peers’ and take on a mentorship role to help younger crew members become leaders in their work,” shares Kevon.

This year the crew is focused on critical ecological restoration in the Ambergill, a forested area that borders the park’s watercourse. They are removing invasive plants including English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) which crowd out native plants that are essential for a healthy forest; as well as stabilizing eroding hillsides, dispersing native plant seeds on the cleared forest floor and planting a rich palette of native trees, plants and shrubs. The team learned about the various ecosystems in park, environmental stewardship and worked alongside Alliance Arborist Malcolm Gore to gain new skills such as tree pruning.

“One of the most rewarding aspects has been seeing the before-and-after transformation of our sites,” shares crew member Aidan Garnero. “We’ve learned to work together as a team. Seeing the cleared out areas that we’d finished weeding is extremely satisfying, as we know it’s a result of our hard work and determination. It’s also very rewarding to know that clearing fields of invasive plants allows for native species to be planted in their place to keep the park healthy. We get to make Prospect Park a better place while enjoying our day to day and learning valuable skills along the way.”

While the improvements in the Ambergill are a clear testament to the team’s dedication and skill, the program’s success also lies in the personal and professional growth of the crew members. Having returned for his fourth year on the WYC, crew member Antonio Martinez reflects, “Being a leader in the Youth Crew helped me realize things that I never knew about myself since I first started in 9th grade. Going into my senior year of high school now, this program has increased my confidence and productivity. It’s helped me to be a leader amongst my peers. I will forever be grateful to the Woodlands Youth Crew.”

WYC members soil mixing at Gowanus Nursery on a site-visit to collaborate with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, where the team learned about street tree care.

The 2024 season also marks the 21st year of Prospect Park Alliance’s Park Youth Representative program where dedicated teens are in-action engaging our community in nature activities at the Audubon Center at the Boathouse and Brooklyn culture and history events at Lefferts Historic House.

Youth Representatives leading nature education activities at the Prospect Park Audubon Center (left) and supporting the opening reception for Ancestral Whispers at Lefferts Historic House (right)

The seven Park Youth Representatives participating in our nature programs were recruited from BASE High School, which specializes in environmental education, as well as Clara Barton High School just east of the park.

“These teens jumped into our programs with enthusiasm and willingness to take on new challenges, from leading nature exploration activities, assisting with summer camp programs, guiding nature walks and much more,” shares Audubon Center Public Programs Manager Camilla Wilson. “Each of the Youth Representatives has a strong and unique skill set, and their experience allows them to focus on their interests and strengths, as well as stretch themselves to take on new challenges.

Among the current crewmembers are Katt Blades, a returning PYR, who has always shown an aptitude in caring for the center’s animals and sharing this knowledge with our community. Breianna Lionel, known for her organizational skills, played a key role in data collection and analysis, helping to simplify the way data is collected at the center. Upon graduating high school, college-aged students can become Naturalists-in-Training and eventually a House Manager, overseeing the center during key programs and honing their skills engaging our Brooklyn community.

Four Youth Representatives from BASE High School also gained hands-on public programs experience at the Lefferts Historic House. “This summer, PYRs took on much of the daily museum operations, demonstrating their ability to adapt and lead in a dynamic environment. We could not do what we do without them,” says Lefferts Historic House Director Dylan Yeats. PYRs had the chance to lean into personal interests and identity in their work. “One of our PYRs, Soraya Serome, is talented in art and calligraphy so she helped create some of our exhibits and signage. Another PYR, Mordecai Dubois, is Trinidadian and helped with our sorrel-making workshops, adding his own personal touch to some of the recipes.”

The WYC and PYR programs not only equip youth with practical professional experience but also instill confidence, foster mentorship and support the next generation of leaders in parks and open spaces.

Learn more about Youth Employment Programs in Prospect Park.

Youth Employment Programs receive generous support from the Carol and Edmund Blake Foundation, the Gray Foundation, and New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.