Ribbon Cut on New Fallkill Trail in Prospect Park
October 26, 2023
Prospect Park Alliance cut the ribbon on a new woodland trail in Prospect Park. Fallkill Trail (directions here), located in an area that has been behind fencing since 1995, will now invite park visitors to get a closer look at the scenic Fallkill Waterfall and experience the beauty and serenity of Prospect Park’s restored urban forest.
Prospect Park Alliance President, Morgan Monaco, the Alliance’s Landscape Management Team, dedicated volunteers and community members celebrated the opening of this path.
“We have monitored how people are engaging with the park and we adapt our uses to meet them where they are,” says Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “This new trail will invite visitors to explore a previously fenced area of the park and enjoy the beautifully restored landscape. The long-term health of our natural areas requires us to be champions and strong stewards of the park and I urge all who come to experience the park’s woodlands to stay on the designated trails, carry out all trash that you bring in, and always keep dogs on-leash to protect these delicate habitats.”
The new trail was created by Prospect Park Alliance staff and volunteers who have worked for the past year, removing invasive plants and planting native species to continue to strengthen this ecosystem, hauling logs, grading paths, and helping to formalize this trail. Through their efforts, Fallkill Trail is ready to welcome visitors into this robust forest landscape.
Prospect Park is home to 350 acres of natural areas, including meadows, forest and lake in the heart of Brooklyn—essential for the community and the plants and animals who rely on this green haven. For the past 30 years, these natural areas have been and continue to be the primary focus of Prospect Park Alliance’s work. The Alliance’s Landscape Management team works tirelessly to make the woodlands healthy and resilient to the challenges faced by an urban forest in the era of climate change. Through their management, Brooklynites will have a flourishing forest in their midst for generations to come.
The rustic nature of Prospect Park’s forest, woodlands and waterways are key to Prospect Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision for the park and his mission to offer a feeling of the Adirondacks in the heart of Brooklyn. The landscape surrounding Fallkill Falls was first restored by Prospect Park Alliance in the 1990’s and painstakingly reconstructed to Olmsted’s original vision and then surrounded by fencing to protect it from the impacts of foot traffic.
In recent years, the Fallkill area was often visited by fence-jumpers looking to get closer to the falls, resulting in trampling of the woodlands, litter and graffiti. By formalizing a mulched path and officially opening this area to the public, the Alliance aims to make this scenic area more accessible while encouraging stronger stewardship around Fallkill Falls including staying on the path, carrying out any litter, not picking bark or leaves from trees, and keeping dogs on-leash at all times in woodland areas.
