Get to Know New Staff: Winter 2025
Get to know the new staff members that have recently joined the Prospect Park Alliance team! Read below to learn more about Christine, John, Allison and Aidan keep an eye out to say hello to them throughout the park.
Christine Cieslak, Park Naturalist
What is something you like to do in your free time?
I will never turn down the chance to go birding, which overlaps with some of the work I do here at the park. If I am not leading a nature walk, I am out documenting species and photographing my observations.
Do you have a favorite song/band/musician or movie/tv show or book?
I am not good with favorites, but I appreciate this city for so many opportunities to hear live music. I recently saw a band I really enjoy called Florist.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I’m looking forward to continuing to explore the park with visitors!
Do you have any favorite places or activities you like to do in Prospect Park?
I have walked many laps around the lake birding and ran many more on the paths and trails for marathon training. There are plenty of interesting patches, but I am biased toward the Boathouse. I feel most in tune with the comings and goings of the wildlife in this area and I appreciate the architectural details around the Lullwater bridge.
John Feigelson, Manager of Institutional Giving
What is something you like to do in your free time?
I love to cook and bake and try to see at least three new movies every month.
Do you have a favorite song/band/musician or movie/tv show or book?
Dune is one of my favorite books, and the movies are great adaptations (part 3 when?)
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I’m most looking forward to working for the benefit of my Brooklyn community and getting to know all the like-minded folks looking to do the same at the Alliance.
Do you have any favorite places or activities you like to do in Prospect Park?
I’ve run the Park Drive more times than I can count, but truly nothing beats a Saturday spent on the Long Meadow.
Allison Pasbjerg, Park Naturalist
What is something you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to draw and read.
Do you have a favorite song/band/musician or movie/tv show or book?
My favorite TV show is Severance—I am super excited about the new season, since it’s been so long!
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I am most looking forward to getting to share my love of nature with people who visit Prospect Park and the Audubon Center and getting to explore more of the park on nature walks.
Do you have any favorite places or activities you like to do in Prospect Park?
My favorite thing to do in Prospect Park so far is to birdwatch!
Aidan McBride, Tree Care Technician
What is something you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I like to explore natural areas, whether through hiking or backpacking, and just be present and attentive to the nature around me.
Do you have a favorite song/band/musician or movie/tv show or book?
I have too many to count but I think my favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and my favorite artists at the moment are Rage Against the Machine and Sinead O’Conner.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I am most looking forward to learning everything I can about the trees within the park and how to best care for them!
Do you have any favorite places or activities you like to do in Prospect Park?
I am looking forward to hanging out on the lawns come spring and summer after work and on the weekends.
