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.
Community Visioning Sessions: Lincoln Road and Third Street Playground Restorations
September 20, 2023
Help Prospect Park Alliance envision the future of the Lincoln Road and Third Street Playgrounds. Both playgrounds are being restored through $3 million each in funding from Borough President Antonio Reynoso and the City, respectively. Your survey responses will help inform the design of the restored playgrounds, which will go into reconstruction in 2025.
Earlier in the month, Prospect Park Alliance held a series of workshops to engage our community in envisioning the future of the Lincoln Road Playground and the Third Street Playground.
Lincoln Road Playground Community Visioning Sessions
In-Park Workshop
Tuesday, October 10, 3-6 pm
Third Street Playground
In-Park Workshop
Sunday, October 15, 10 am-2 pm
Third Street Playground
c. Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous
Monument to Honor Shirley Chisholm Moves Forward
August 17, 2023
A tribute to a hero is coming to Brooklyn’s Backyard! The design of the Shirley Chisholm monument, at the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to Prospect Park has been unanimously approved by the New York City Public Design Commission. The monument will pay homage to Brooklyn trailblazer Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination.
The monument to Chisholm and her profound legacy as a champion of Brooklyn and national icon of empowerment will greet park visitors at this gateway to the Flatbush community and beyond. The design by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous, “Our Destiny, Our Democracy,” was selected through an open design competition organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs, which invited community members to vote for their favorite design. The design, made of painted steel, patinated bronze and carved stone, features a monumental portrait of Chisholm patterned with images of plants native to Brooklyn and Barbados, where Chisholm spent ages five through nine, including Pride of Barbados, American Chestnut and Wild Geranium, juxtaposed with the nation’s Capitol Building. The stonework surrounding the monument includes a Chisholm quote and an outline of the House of Representatives seating plan, with a bronze plaque representing Chisholm’s seat.
“Depending upon your vantage point and approach to the Ocean Avenue entrance of Prospect Park, you can see Ms. Chisholm’s silhouette inextricably intertwined with the iconic dome of the U.S. Capitol building,” shared Williams and Jeyifous in The New York Times. “This trailblazing woman was not diminutive and this monument reflects how Chisholm’s collaborative ideals were larger than herself.” The monument will be the first permanent public artwork in Brooklyn dedicated to a woman in history and the first to celebrate a woman and Black hero in Prospect Park.
“This monument will introduce new generations to the legacy and contributions of this pioneering Brooklynite, and remind us all about the great things that grow from our community,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “When your history is not always acknowledged or celebrated it can feel debilitating. I can’t wait for this monument to stand as a beacon for all who enter Prospect Park to feel connected to her legacy and to feel that Prospect Park is a space for them.”
“This administration is committed to working to tell a more complete story surrounding the trailblazing women who have shaped our city, and we are ready to get more of these projects back underway,” said Laurie Cumbo, New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, to in The New York Times.
In addition to the monument, the Alliance is restoring the Ocean Avenue perimeter and Parkside Entrance to the park through $16.5 million in City funding, which will include new pedestrian pathways, historic lighting, street furniture, trees and plantings; a new protected bike lane; and, through funding from Council Member Rita Joseph, the restoration of the entrance’s historic pergola. The City also has allocated $6.75 million in funding from City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, former Council Member (and current Cultural Affairs Commissioner) Laurie Cumbo and the Brooklyn Delegation of the City Council, including Council Members Crystal Hudson, Rita Joseph and Shahana Hanif, to fund the Shirley Chisholm Welcome Center. This Prospect Park Alliance project will transform a historic building near the Parkside entrance that is currently used as a maintenance facility into a visitor center and restroom.
A conceptual rendering of the Shirley Chisholm monument by Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous.
Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit that sustains the park in partnership with the city, announced the successful conclusion of the public review process for the restoration of the Vale in the northeast corner of Prospect Park, with approval by the New York City Public Design Commission. This is the capstone of a multi-year outreach and design process which engaged thousands of local community members in reenvisioning this landscape. In 2021, former Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a historic $40 million allocation to restore the Vale, the largest single capital allocation in the city budget in the history of Prospect Park Alliance.
The Vale comprises eight acres in the heart of the northeast corner of Prospect Park. Through the community outreach and design process to gather public input for the landscape, the Alliance’s award-winning team of architects and landscape architects have designed a space for nature exploration, intergenerational gathering and quiet reflection.
“Prospect Park Alliance has an award-winning history of historic restoration and woodland preservation,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “This design is reflective of the talent of our team, the deep engagement with our community, and the future we hope to steward in Prospect Park. We are delighted to move forward bringing this vision into reality, and we thank the community members who contributed their feedback through this process, transforming an idea into a fully designed concept.”
Above: The restoration of the Children’s Pond will bring back historic details while improving the environment. c. Prospect Park Alliance. At top: A view of the Pollinator Meadow from the Arbor, part of the approved design for the Vale. c. Prospect Park Alliance
The Vale restoration transforms two key landscapes: the historic Children’s Pond (a decorative water feature) and a former Rose Garden, and also encompasses an additional 3 acres of woodland restoration that will continue an important pollinator corridor across the park. The restoration of the Children’s Pond will bring back historic details while improving the environment through new plantings and bird-friendly features. The former Rose Garden, which features three disused concrete basins, will be transformed into three connected landscapes that respect the park’s historic design while restoring the woodland landscape and adding new amenities, including: a pollinator garden and planted rustic arbor; a children’s natural exploration area; and a shady picnicking lawn next to a small pavilion with composting restrooms and a sheltered area for community use.
To shape the vision for the Vale, the Alliance collaborated with the public design consultants Hester Street and Grain Collective in an intensive, two-year community outreach process that began in 2017. The broad themes that emerged from public feedback were to preserve the woodland character of the space, provide opportunities for intergenerational play and enhance park amenities. In 2022, the Alliance returned to the community to share this vision prior to embarking on the design, soliciting feedback from park users and local groups. As a result of this feedback, the pavilion was scaled down and set further into the landscape; three additional acres of woodland restoration were incorporated to further strengthen wildlife habitat and extend the park’s pollinator corridor; and additional fencing was incorporated to ensure that the children’s natural exploration area does not spill over onto adjacent landscapes and woodland areas.
The resulting design was approved by surrounding community boards 8 and 9; the Prospect Park Community Committee, the Brooklyn Borough Board, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Public Design Commission. The design also received letters of support from I AM CARIBBEING, the Natural Areas Conservancy, the Park Slope Civic Council, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, the Prospect Lefferts Garden Neighborhood Association, the Brooklyn Borough President, and Council Members Shahana Hanif, Crystal Hudson and Rita Joseph.
A view of the planned Northeast Pavilion, part of the approved Vale Restoration design. c. Prospect Park Alliance
The project will conclude its design phase in Spring 2024, and will proceed through the NYC Parks capital guidelines, which includes a year for procurement and 12-18 months for construction, which is slated to begin in Spring 2025.
“An urban park really needs to balance these uses for humans, plants, birds and animals,” said Public Design Commissioner Isabel Castilla. “I have seen the evolution of this design through its many iterations in the past few months and I would say [the plan]…is a very thoughtful design that provides a space for people…and also creates boundaries so that nature can have its own space.”
The Natural Exploration Area in the Vale will include natural features that engage the imagination and the senses. c. Prospect Park Alliance
Notice a familiar face in the ranks of City & State’s 2023 Brooklyn Power 100 list? Prospect Park Alliance President and Park Administrator, Morgan Monaco has claimed a spot alongside Prospect Park Alliance Board Chair Iris Weinshall in the roundup of influential Brooklynites including community leaders, elected officials, cultural trailblazers and more.
“When Susan Donoghue left the Prospect Park Alliance to become New York City parks commissioner in February 2022, Iris Weinshall and the Alliance board looked to a longtime civil servant to run the 526-acre park. Morgan Monaco, Red Hook Initiative’s executive director, became the Alliance’s first Black leader. So far, Monaco has overseen a $40 million revitalization of the Vale, a redesign of the park’s interior loop to minimize conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists, and the renovation of Lefferts Historic House museum and an initiative to shift the museum’s focus to the indigenous and enslaved African people who lived and worked on the land.”
Did you know? The watercourse that flows through Prospect Park is a haven for fish, birds, turtles, frogs and plants. This August, we hope you’ll join us in being aPark Champion as we celebrate Waterways Appreciation Month.
Lend a Hand in Brooklyn’s Backyard All month long, Prospect Park Alliance has opportunities for you to lend a hand and support the park ecosystem. Join an upcoming Green + Go Kit or It’s My Park Day event to explore the park while tackling litter and helping with other greening opportunities throughout the park. Sign up to volunteer.
Enjoy Family-Friendly Waterway Exploration at Pop-Up Audubon
Visit the Prospect Park Audubon Center’s Pop-Up Audubon in August to enjoy a family-friendly waterway walk through the Ravine and learn about the many species of plants and animals that live alongside the park’s woodland waterfalls.
Fish Responsibly Fishing is permitted in the Prospect Park Lake, and we ask all who participate to be Park Champions and follow the essential rules:
To protect wildlife, no barbed hooks or lead fishing weights are allowed.
Fishing line entangles birds and other wildlife, which can result in injury or death. Discard fishing line fragments and hooks responsibly in marked fishing line bins or trash cans.
Explore 6 Tips on How to Care for the Lake with Every Visit
Wonder how you can help support the health of Brooklyn’s only Lake with each visit to the park? Check out 6 Lake stewardship tips, including carrying out litter, admiring animals from afar and more. Please remember that while the Lake is a cherished part of Brooklyn nature, it is not intended for swimming. Please take caution when near any waterbody and only swim at city pools and beaches where and when lifeguards are on duty.
Send a Loved One an Rx for Nature
Invite a loved one to join you for a visit to Prospect Park’s Watercourse and enjoy the health-boosting benefits of nature together. You and your Rx recipient will be entered to win a Prospect Park Alliance Family Supporter Level Membership so you can make the most of Brooklyn’s Backyard all year long!
Learn about the Park’s Watercourse Take a free, self-guided audio tour of Prospect Park’s watercourse—a marvel of nature, history and eco-innovation. Prospect Park’s watercourse is a natural wonder but also a feat of engineering: home to the borough’s only Lake, the park’s watercourse is fed by the New York City water supply. The free, self-guided audio tour provides a new perspective on the natural and human-made ecosystems found in Prospect Park, and its connection to New York City’s water supply.
City Approves Prospect Park Vale and Shirley Chisholm Monument Plans
July 28, 2023
Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit that sustains the park in partnership with the city, announced the New York City Public Design Commission approved plans for the restoration of the Vale in the northeast corner of Prospect Park and also the monument to Brooklyn trailblazer Shirley Chisholm at the Parkside and Ocean Avenue Entrance to Prospect Park.
Following a design competition and planning process, the City approved plans for a 32-foot-tall monument to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to serve in Congress, representing her childhood neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. Artists Olalekan B. Jeyifous and Amanda Williams’ winning design encompasses a 32-foot-tall painted steel and bronze silhouette of Chisholm intertwined with the U.S. Capitol Dome, incorporating decorative metalwork of plants native to Barbados, where she lived as a child. The stonework surrounding the monument will include a Chisholm quote and an outline of the House of Representatives seating plan, with a bronze plaque representing Chisholm’s seat.
“Depending upon your vantage point and approach to the Ocean Avenue entrance of Prospect Park, you can see Ms. Chisholm’s silhouette inextricably intertwined with the iconic dome of the U.S. Capitol building,” said Jeyifous and Williams. “This trailblazing woman was not diminutive and this monument reflects how Chisholm’s collaborative ideals were larger than herself.”
To complement the monument, the Alliance, through funding from the City Council, will create a Shirley Chisholm Welcome Center with information on the life of Shirley Chisholm, and visitor amenities including a restroom.
Prospect Park Vale Restoration
Vale Arbor and Pollinator Garden, Prospect Park Alliance
The Vale comprises eight acres in the heart of the northeast corner of Prospect Park. Through an intensive community outreach and design process, the Alliance’s award-winning team of architects and landscape architects have designed a space for nature exploration, intergenerational gathering and quiet reflection.
The Vale restoration transforms two key landscapes: the historic Children’s Pond and a former Rose Garden, and also encompasses an additional 3 acres of woodland restoration that will continue an important pollinator corridor across the park. The restoration of the Children’s Pond will bring back historic details while improving the environment through new plantings and bird-friendly features. The former Rose Garden, which features three disused concrete basins, will be transformed into three connected landscapes that respect the park’s historic design while restoring the woodland landscape and adding new amenities, including: a pollinator garden and planted rustic arbor; a children’s natural exploration area; and a shady picnicking lawn next to a small pavilion with composting restrooms and a sheltered area for community use.
The resulting design was approved by surrounding community boards 8 and 9; the Brooklyn Borough Board and the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Public Design Commission. The design also received letters of support from I AM CARIBBEING, the Natural Areas Conservancy, the Park Slope Civic Council, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, the Prospect Lefferts Garden Neighborhood Association and the Brooklyn Borough President and Council Members Shahana Hanif and Crystal Hudson.
“An urban park really needs to balance these uses for humans, plants, birds and animals,” said Public Design Commissioner Isabel Castilla. “I have seen the evolution of this design through its many iterations in the past few months and I would say [the plan]…is a very thoughtful design that provides a space for people…and also creates boundaries so that nature can have its own space.”
The Vale is slated to begin construction in 2025 and open to the public in 2026; the Shirley Chisholm Monument will be constructed in timing with the restoration of the Parkside and Ocean Avenues park entrance, which is slated to begin construction in 2024 and open to the public in 2025.
c. Vinata Ciputra
July is Wildlife Month!
July 12, 2023
Prospect Park Alliance’s Summer of Stewardship continues, and this July is Wildlife Month! Prospect Park’s 585 acres are a critical habitat for countless wildlife species who call the park home. This month, get to know these wonderful species and learn how you can #BeAParkChampion and help them thrive.
Get to Know Prospect Park’s Wildlife: Did you know that you can find over 250 species of birds in Prospect Park? Or ever wonder where the park’s chipmunks go in the winter? Learn about the park wildlife and test your knowledge with a quiz!
Volunteer in Prospect Park: The many species of wildlife that live throughout the park need a healthy park ecosystem to thrive. Join an upcoming Park Pitch-In, It’s My Park Day or Green + Go Kit event to help support the park’s mammals, reptiles, birds, pollinators and more.
Make Every Park Visit Count: Remember to admire wildlife from afar, carry out all that you bring with you into the park + keep dogs leashed outside of designated areas. These stewardship actions help make a difference with each and every visit and ensure that the beloved wildlife of Prospect Park stay safe and healthy.
Send an Rx for Nature: Be A Park Champion today, and share the health and wellness benefits of nature with someone you love by sending an Rx for Nature. Plus, you and your Rx recipient will be entered to win a family supporter level Alliance membership!
Prospect Park Alliance President Morgan Monaco and NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined elected officials, civic leaders and other community members to celebrate the restoration and reopening of Lefferts Historic House, Prospect Park’s 18th-century Flatbush farmhouse museum, which is jointly operated by the Alliance, the nonprofit that sustains the park, and the Historic House Trust.
Through $2.5 million in funding from the Speaker and Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council, Prospect Park Alliance undertook a major restoration of Lefferts Historic House. In timing with the restoration, the Alliance launched ReImagine Lefferts, an initiative funded through a Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation that is re-envisioning the mission and programming of the museum to explore the stories of resistance and resilience by the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans who were enslaved by the Lefferts family.
Lefferts Historic House is one of the most visited historic house museums in New York City, and features a working garden, historic artifacts, and indoor and outdoor exhibits.
Pinkster Celebration in Prospect Park at the Lefferts Historic House. c. Obed Obwoge
“Prospect Park Alliance is grateful to the City and the Mellon Foundation for providing us with the funding to restore and reinvent our historic house museum,” said Morgan Monaco, Prospect Park Alliance President and Park Administrator. “Through ReImagine Lefferts, we are engaging the public around the ongoing legacies of dispossession and enslavement in Brooklyn and beyond, and I’m honored to be ushering in this new era of recognition and celebration of the narratives and histories that have been ignored for centuries. I am looking forward to working with our partners to make the museum a place for healing and a forum for thoughtful dialogue for our community.”
“By exploring the realities of expropriation and enslavement, the restoration of the Lefferts Historic House opens up avenues for dialogue, reflection, and a deeper understanding of the uncomfortable truths embedded within this site’s history. Prospect Park Alliance and the Historic House Trust’s unwavering dedication to the restoration and revitalization of this iconic landmark strengthens our connection to the past, enriches our present, and shapes a more inclusive and culturally vibrant future for Prospect Park and beyond,” said Comptroller Brad Lander, who helped to advocate for funding for the restoration while serving in the New York City Council.
“Thanks to our partners at Prospect Park Alliance and Historic House Trust, Lefferts Historic House has undergone a tremendous renovation, while honoring its historic past,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “New Yorkers will benefit immensely from this preserved site and its greater mission, which through ReImagine Lefferts, places the stories of those previously untold on center stage. Visitors have so much to learn from our historic sites and how their legacies continue to impact and resonate with our world today.”
“In order to meaningfully address the legacy of slavery, and its indelible impact on our society, we must invest in opportunities to learn about our history,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “I’m proud to have secured significant funding to restore the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park. New Yorkers will now be able to visit the historic house museum to learn about the history of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose ancestral land Prospect Park is sited on, and the people who were enslaved by the Lefferts family. Our progress as a society is contingent upon us knowing our history, and I look forward to our continued work with the Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks to create more educational opportunities for all.”
“As one of the most visited historic house museums in our City, the story Lefferts Historic House tells is important. Now, the museum will tell the full story of our borough’s ugly and painful underbelly. This truth-telling begins the process of restoring dignity to the communities our city has long glazed over— our Indigenous and Black sisters and brothers who have never received proper acknowledgement or apology for the deep injustices inflicted upon them,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “I’m happy that the Lefferts Historic House is beginning this retelling of history and hope it will spark conversation over how we as a borough can continue to account for our past. Thank you to the Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks for making this reimagining possible.”
“Today, as we gather beneath the historic roof of Lefferts House, we celebrate the power of preservation and community,” said Council Member Rita Joseph. In this moment of restoration’s completion, let us honor the rich heritage of our past, embrace the beauty of our present, and build a future that cherishes our shared history and diverse traditions. Together, we create a tapestry of unity, resilience, and joy that will continue to inspire generations to come.”
“As Executive Director of the Historic House Trust of New York City and Director of Historic Houses at NYC Parks, I have the great privilege of working with community partners like Prospect Park Alliance who are doing groundbreaking work to shed light on previously undertold stories and accurately reflect the history and culture of our diverse city,” said Meredith Sorin Horsford, Executive Director, Historic House Trust. “The Historic House Trust and our 23 partner historic sites have an opportunity to focus on deepening our collective understanding of history. ReImagine Lefferts is an initiative that exemplifies the strength of community dialogue, and the impact of listening, engaging, and responding.”
In June, the Alliance will host Caribbean-American Heritage Month and Juneteenth celebrations, and will open for regular operating hours starting in July. Learn more about Lefferts events and programs.
Background on Restoration
Lefferts Historic House, which is almost 250 years old, was originally located just blocks from the Prospect Park on Flatbush Avenue (near Maple Street), and moved to its current site in 1918. After three centuries, and much wear and tear, the 1783 Dutch-American-style house was in need of critical restoration. Peeling paint and poor drainage had contributed to damage of the exterior wood shingles, windows, trim, columns and ornamental details. Gutters and rainwater leaders were displaced and not functionally draining. The cedar shingle roof was damaged and covered in moss, and the house’s three chimneys were crumbling. Structural elements of the porch and first floor were no longer able to support the load of visitors. Restoration included replacing the historic cedar-shingled roof, a meticulous process of craftsmanship due to the steep eaves of the roof (Lefferts is one of last remaining examples of an h-frame house with a gambrel roof); renovating the wood-shingled exterior, making structural improvements to the interior, replacing the house’s mechanical systems, and improving surrounding lighting and paths. The Alliance was recognized with a 2023 Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award for this restoration project, the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s highest honor for outstanding preservation.
“I want to congratulate Prospect Park Alliance on their work to restore the Lefferts Historic House not only as a point of important history, but also to ensure we tell the stories of Brooklyn’s – and America’s – indigenous and enslaved people more accurately and more completely,” said Congressman Dan Goldman. “Black and Indigenous history is American history, and they are Brooklyn’s history as well. I was excited to get a preview of this historic restoration last month and I look forward to visiting the site now that it is fully open to the public. Prospect Park is a national treasure and I am grateful for the important work of the Prospect Park Alliance.”
“The reopening of Lefferts Historic House marks a significant milestone and paves the way for dialogue, reflection, and a more inclusive future for Prospect Park and beyond,” said Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie. “The restoration efforts, coupled with the ReImagine Lefferts initiative, demonstrate Prospect Park Alliance’s commitment to honoring the stories of resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people and the enslaved Africans who called this part of Brooklyn home. I’m honored to represent Brooklyn’s Backyard in Albany and am proud of this collaboration that reflects the diversity and strength of our community.”
Work will continue on the house in the coming years thanks to Assembly Members Bobby Carroll and Brian Cunningham, who have allocated funding to restore the Lefferts grounds and make critical structural improvements to the house’s second floor.
“I am proud to dedicate $500,000 in capital funding from the New York State Assembly to help complete the restoration of the grounds at Lefferts Historic House Museum,” said Assembly Member Robert Carroll. “This vital restoration is critical to preserving an important part of Brooklyn’s history and to help tell the complete story of the Lefferts Historic House. That story unfortunately includes previously untold stories of dispossession and enslavement.”
“Prospect Park is the premiere outdoor space of Brooklyn, and the Lefferts Historic House is one of its defining features,” said Assembly Member Brian A. Cunningham. “The re-opening of this historical landmark in partnership with the launch of ReImagine Lefferts ensures a more accurate historical accounting of the Lefferts family legacy and illuminates untold stories of the relationship between the Lenapehoking people and early European Settlers. This project is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships that not only restore a piece of American history, but ensure it tells a more truthful, accurate story about our past, so that we may all learn how to create a more just, equitable future.”
Prospect Park Alliance has launched ReImagine Lefferts through a prestigious Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation. ReImagine Lefferts will re-envision the mission and programming of the museum to explore the stories of resistance and resilience by the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans who were enslaved by the Lefferts family. Through this initiative, the Alliance seeks to engage the public in thoughtful dialogue about the ongoing legacies of dispossession and enslavement in Brooklyn and beyond.
c. Mary Keehbauch
Sun Power for Parks
Walking through Brooklyn’s Backyard on any given day, it’s clear that creativity is key for the Prospect Park Alliance Landscape Management team. Their essential work to sustain the park’s natural areas has included an array of unlikely, environmentally friendly techniques that make use of everything from cardboard and piles of leaves to even sheets of plastic. In one technique called solarization, dedicated Alliance staff and volunteers use plastic and the power of the sun to ward off invasive plants that can outcompete native species that park wildlife depend upon.
The crew experimented with this approach this winter: tailoring their methods on an as needs basis, determining the plastic’s color and thickness through careful consideration of the location, terrain and targeted plants. “Solarization trials in full sun locations have been the most successful—particularly with two sections in the Vale Woodlands, an area restored by Prospect Park Alliance following Superstorm Sandy,” says Landscape Management Deputy Director Mary Keehbauch. “The biggest take away is that no one rule applies to every situation. Everything we do is site specific, and being creative and willing to try different methods is essential. Not all trials are successful, but we are committed to getting the best results possible.”
Before and After of a solarized area in the Prospect Park Vale, where the target species, Goutweed, is almost entirely gone thanks to the team’s implementation of this technique. Courtesy of Mary Keehbauch, Prospect Park Alliance
Each plastic has its specific use. Black plastic blocks light and heats the roots of an invasive plant once it has been cut down, and remains in place for at least full year; while clear plastic is used in shorter increments, in areas of direct sunlight to stop the plant’s growth, heat up the soil to destroy the roots, and rid the soil of any remaining seeds. The end result is soil that is ready to be planted with native, pollinator-friendly plants that will help Prospect Park’s ecosystem thrive. The solarization of a given area can span anywhere from two months to two or more years, and the team plans to build on its progress by assessing which approach is most successful in what conditions, implementing the technique in new areas of the park, assessing progress and monitoring results as this work continues.
The type of terrain, access to sun, and target species are all major factors in the Alliance’s work to refine its solarization technique for varying areas. Courtesy of Mary Keehbauch, Prospect Park Alliance.
Building on the successes seen in the Vale and beyond, the team has plans to use solarization to eradicate dense Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) near the Golden Stairs–located between 10th Avenue and 16th Street park entrance–with thick black plastic and to knock-out Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) near the 3rd Street Entrance with thin clear plastic. Following successful solarization, the Alliance will restore the areas with a wide range of native species, from beautiful spring ephemerals to strong healthy trees that will provide a haven in the park for generations to come. Asked how park goers can help the Alliance in these efforts to keep Brooklyn’s Backyard green, vibrant and healthy, Keehbauch shares a reminder that while these projects are eye-catching, and openings in the woodlands are tempting for discovery, it is important that everyone in the park respects the work being done and stays on the paved or wood chipped trails to keep the park healthy.
Prospect Park is essential to the health and wellbeing of millions of community members and is an essential habitat for hundreds of species of plants and wildlife. Right now, your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar towards our critical goal.
Lend a Hand in Brooklyn’s Backyard
