There are many ways to contribute to Prospect Park—you can volunteer your time, donate or become a member of the Prospect Park Alliance, or even buy a ticket for a ride on the Park’s historic Carousel. The newest way to make a difference in Brooklyn’s Backyard? Plant an evergreen tree! 

This year, the Alliance has launched a commemorative evergreen tree program, allowing individuals to donate these hardy year-round species to the Park. Prospect Park is home to 30,000 trees of more than 150 species, the vast majority of which are deciduous, meaning that they lose all their leaves for part of the year. These deciduous species get plenty of attention for their flowers, fruits and fall foliage, but this new program shifts the focus to an oft-overlooked set of species.

“The Park needs evergreens for a variety of reasons,” says John Jordan, Director of Landscape Management at the Prospect Park Alliance. “They give winter interest and they provide habitat for a wide variety of species. Furthermore, many of the previous evergreen species planted in the Park (such as Austrian pines and Northern Hemlock) have been dying out, and we do not want to lose the evergreen presence.”

While Prospect Park Alliance arborists are still determining which species of evergreens will come to the Park, two that are likely to be included are the white pine (Pinus strobus), a native to eastern North America that can easily live to be 200 years old, and the American holly (Ilex opaca), whose berries attract a variety of songbirds. 

“The program is a great way to give back to the park and to help us maintain a diversity of tree species,” says Jordan. “A diverse forest is a healthy forest.”

Ready to gift the Park a commemorative evergreen? Take a look at a map of proposed locations, and contact us for more information.

This week, the Prospect Park Alliance welcomed back the herd of goats that are helping to restore woodlands in the Park’s northeast corner. The goats, which first came this past May, did such a great job chomping and chewing their way through the large number of weeds that had overtaken the area, that the Alliance sent them home to their farm in Rhinebeck, New York, until there was more for them to eat.

The first person to greet their arrival was Mary Keehbauch, the foreperson of the Alliance’s Natural Resources Crew, which oversees woodland restoration in the Park. “It is great to have the goats back to continue their important work,” said Mary. Sadly, the herd is returning a bit smaller, with Raptor and Skittles staying in Rhinebeck. “We will miss them, but their absence just reflects how productive the goats were in removing weeds during their first stay in the Park.”

What is it like to work with goats? According to Mary this earth-friendly approach has been a learning experience. “Each day the crew (which is also performing restoration work), first checks the goats, bringing them fresh water and herding them to the area that needs the most grazing. We secure them in the area having learned the hard way that the goats want to be where ever we happen to be working. They treat us as if we are an extension of their group. It’s sweet, really.” At the end of the day, the goats are returned to their overnight pen with fresh water and enough forage to last until the morning.  

Mary’s history with the Alliance, and the Park, goes back further than the goats. She began working at the Alliance nearly 10 years ago, starting with an internship with the Natural Resources Crew. This blossomed into playing a central role supervising the planting of the new landscape at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, as well as the White Levy Esplanade and Baier Music Island, which serve as wildlife habitat.

After a brief hiatus from the Park to serve as the horticultural supervisor at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Mary returned this year to lead the charge with the Park’s goats. Mary not only ensures that the goats are well cared for and the invasive plants removed, but also oversees the planting of native plant species to the area, which will create important habitat for wildlife, including the Park’s nearly 250 species of birds.

It’s a major challenge, but between Mary, her crew and the goats, removal of invasive species and the full reintroduction of native plants is an attainable goal. And Mary, who considers herself more of a conservationist than a horticulturalist, gets to live her dream. “I figured out a way to live in New York City but still play in the woods all day.”

Learn more about goats at Prospect Park.

As an arborist for the Prospect Park Alliance, Jared Kuhn gets one question a lot this time of year, “what do you do in the winter?” He can’t help but smile.

It’s a fair question. In the spring, many of the Park’s 30,000 trees return to life with new blooms and leaves. During the summer, they provide crucial shade for many a picnic. And in the fall, the Park’s 30,000 trees become awash with vibrant reds, oranges and yellows.

But while most trees are dormant in the winter, the Alliance’s two arborists, Jared Kuhn and Ryan Gellis, are still busy in the Park. “There’s no true off-season for us. In the winter, we are surveying the Park and removing dead limbs,” Jared explains. “This time of year, issues with trees are easier to spot. It helps us strategize our work for spring and summer.”

The lack of foliage actually allows Jared and Ryan to inspect trees more closely for potential detriments to the health of the trees. “We’re also able to do more structural pruning,” says Jared, “which trains young trees to grow stronger, and entails clipping away branches that could cause the tree to become weaker as it grows larger.”

A Pennsylvania native, Jared studied forestry at Penn State and then moved to Denver, where he worked for a residential tree care firm. But when his then-girlfriend moved to New York to attend FIT, Jared packed his bags and moved back east as well. The move turned out to be a good one. His girlfriend became his wife, and Jared secured a job with the Prospect Park Alliance.

Due to its climate and altitude, Brooklyn is able to support greater diversity of trees than Denver, which is much drier and sits a mile above sea level.  That means more varied tasks day in and day out. He enjoys the variety, and Jared considers himself very fortunate. “I work in the woods and I live in the greatest city in the world.”

Love Prospect Park’s trees? Learn more about our commemorative tree program.

The Prospect Park Alliance will receive $50,000 in funding from the New York City Council’s Greener NYC Initiative to support the Alliance’s Woodlands Youth Crew program. Speaker Mark-Viverito, Council Member Donovan Richards and the New York City Council awarded over $1 million dollars in funding to 26 organizations. The initiative supports environmentally friendly focused programs that encourage the improvement and conservation of New York City’s air, land, energy and open space.

Sue Donoghue, President of the Prospect Park Alliance, said, “Thanks to the City Council, this important funding will support the Prospect Park Alliance Woodlands Youth Crew, a unique initiative that employs local high school students to participate in Park restoration while learning about environmental preservation and future job opportunities. By countering erosion, removing invasive vegetation, and planting native plants, the Woodlands Youth Crew has given new life to some of the most damaged areas in Prospect Park.  Our thanks go to Speaker Mark-Viverito, Council Members Richards and Levine, and the entire City Council for their support.”

“New York City is committed to being a leader on environmentalism and sustainability on the city level,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “This initiative is part of the City Council’s ongoing commitment to making New York City greener and more environmentally friendly. Together we are moving in the right direction, and through the Greener NYC Initiative, we’re bringing every community across the city together to get there even faster.”

Check out our video to learn more about the Woodlands Youth Crew.

Janis Napoli, Prospect Park Alliance’s Horticultural Supervisor, is the Park’s flower guru. She oversees a team of four gardeners that care for its flowering plants. At first glance, Prospect Park seems to be dominated by trees and shrubs, but there are dozens of flowering plants throughout the landscape, including Park entrances and arches, and a few formal gardens, including Carmen’s Garden at the Litchfield Villa and the berms at Grand Army Plaza.

Janis has had a green thumb her whole life. She propagated plants as a teenager before earning a degree in Horticulture and a prestigious internship with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Upon completion of her internship, Janis was offered the rare opportunity to become an Assistant Gardener, where she learned a great deal of the skills that Prospect Park benefits from today.

Janis joined the Alliance as Horticulture Supervisor last year, and handles her monumental task with aplomb. With a very small crew, she is responsible for the health and beauty of the all of the Park’s flowering plants, which are spread over 585 acres. As spring approaches, the horticulture crew tends to hundreds of acres of landscapes, with flowering trees to prune, paths to clear and bulbs to plant.

Even before this work begins, every plot must be carefully inspected and assessed. Janis and her team have a lot to consider when creating public floral spaces, such as access to sunlight, flowering behavior and the environment. She even examines aerial photos to learn how landscapes receive sunlight and shade throughout the year, and observes how visitors interact with the space. 

“Areas that are open to the public or are in highly trafficked throughways generally host hardier plants,” Janis explained, “while those that are protected by fencing or thick underbrush allow for more delicate blooms.” 

One of Janis’ favorite destinations in the Park is Carmen’s Garden, and one of her favorite flowering plants is Edgeworthia, or paper bush, which glistens in the sunlight all winter and blooms gorgeous creamy yellow buds in the spring. You can see these blossoms later this spring near the 9th Street entrance of the Park. Check out our spring bloom guide for other great spots to see the horticulture team’s work in action.