Forest Restoration in Prospect Park

Prospect Park Alliance, in partnership with Natural Areas Conservancy, Restores Three Important Woodland Landscapes in Brooklyn’s Backyard

In partnership with the Natural Areas Conservancy, Prospect Park Alliance is embarking on a multi-year effort to restore important woodland landscapes across the park, home to Brooklyn’s last remaining upland forest. This work is funded through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Community Reforestation (CoRe) grant program, which is establishing and expanding resilient forests in and around urban communities statewide.

With the help of volunteers, the Alliance’s team of Ecological Zone Gardeners will focus its work in three landscapes: Roosevelt Hill, a grassy knoll at the north end of the Long Meadow that features a large American elm planted by Scouts of America in 1919 in honor of Theodore Roosevelt; the Vale Woodlands, the three acres south of the Vale Restoration; and the Long Meadow Woods, a landscape on the western edge of the Long Meadow near Meadowport Arch. With this work, the Alliance will further expand the network of natural areas in the park.

This year, work kicked off on all three sites with the delicate process of erosion control, invasive plant removal and native plant protection. Once the sites are prepared, the Alliance will plant more than 2,000 trees, shrubs and groundcover, the three layers of a healthy forest. Plantings will take place in Fall 2027 at Roosevelt Hill, and will continue in Spring 2028 at the Long Meadow Woods and Fall 2028 in the Vale Woodlands.

Prospect Park Alliance’s landscape management team works to ensure our forest remains resilient and healthy; a task which has only become more challenging due to climate change and environmental threats. This grant provides an opportunity to fight back at a critical point for our woodlands by creating diverse, native forest habitats.

“Recent record-breaking weather events such as extreme heatwaves and droughts have demonstrated the urgent need to support our city’s woodlands, which provide natural cooling for the over 10 million visitors to Prospect Park each year. We thank the Natural Areas Conservancy and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for their partnership and support,” said Morgan Monaco, Prospect Park Alliance President.

Prospect Park’s forest and 30,000 trees are critical lifelines for the people, plants and wildlife that call Brooklyn home. Healthy forests improve air quality and provide natural cooling, carbon capture and stormwater absorption benefits, in addition to providing increased access to nature for the health and recreation of all New Yorkers. The CoRe grant is an instrumental part of ensuring that Prospect Park’s 350 acres of natural areas remain a place of healing and restoration for generations to come. 

Learn more about how the Alliance cares for natural areas in Prospect Park.