Re:New Volunteers Tackle Summer

Volunteers with Prospect Park Alliance’s Re:New Initiative have been hard at work all summer long to keep Brooklyn’s Backyard green and vibrant. The Re:New initiative was launched in May of 2021 as a way to serve our community and meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the surge of visitors and increased use of the park. Since the program’s inception, Prospect Park Alliance has seen enthusiastic engagement from community members looking to lend a hand in Brooklyn’s Backyard. So far in 2022 alone the team has completed 20 Re:New volunteer events with over 145 participants– an ever-increasing number with weekly events throughout the year.

For over two years, the Re:New Volunteer Corps has met weekly in different locations to help with a variety of essential projects to improve and sustain Brooklyn’s Backyard and make marked change across the park. Tyrell Ingram, Prospect Park Alliance’s Volunteer Services Program Coordinator, works closely with the Re:New initiative and shared just how essential the volunteer corps has been to the park this season. “Even during this especially hot summer season we’ve had, volunteers have completed so much in their work. These projects work towards a broad range of maintenance and restoration: the group helps maintain the Alliance’s donor trees by regularly applying mulch where needed, removing litter and invasives, edging paths, painting benches and containers and much more.”

A transformational recent Re:New project where volunteers focused on the Lincoln Road Playground to place sand in the sandbox, remove weeds, and collect litter to beautify the playground. 

Volunteers recently mulched paths on Lookout Hill, edged paths along center drive, and removed bags of litter from the area with the Re:New Corps.

Volunteers at a recent July Re:New Volunteer Corps Event where the team focused efforts around Parkside + Ocean Avenue. Volunteers painted, removed over 20 bags of weeds and 30 bags of trash.

Want to get involved? Join Prospect Park Alliance this Fall at an upcoming  Re:New Volunteer Event held every Tuesday afternoon through November 22 and Friday mornings through August 26.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities in Brooklyn’s Backyard and get involved.