Woodlands Youth Crew

Prospect Park is home to Brooklyn’s last remaining forest: 250 acres of natural beauty that is an important habitat for plants and wildlife, and contributes to the health and well-being of the Brooklyn community. The Prospect Park Alliance Woodlands Youth Crew provides local teens with paid, hands-on training, mentorship and professional experience in environmental conservation and park stewardship, while helping to sustain and restore this Brooklyn treasure. The program, which offers spring, summer and fall sessions, is team-based with a focus on collaboration, and is led by a dedicated Woodlands Youth Crew Manager.

Youth engage in a variety of projects, which can include trail maintenance and the creation of new rustic woodland pathways; planting native species of flora to create a thriving forest, and removing invasive weeds that impact the health of the woodlands and its waterways. Throughout the sessions, Woodlands Youth Crew members are able to see the areas they work on transform into healthier, more resilient ecosystems and, in turn, come to understand the importance of their individual contribution to the health and longevity of Prospect Park.

The Woodlands Youth Crew receives generous support from the Carol and Edmund Blake Foundation, the Gray Foundation, and New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.