Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
Thanks to budget cuts, Prospect Park has announced that school programs at the Lefferts Historic House and the Audubon Center will be completely suspended in the coming school year. Brenda presents a good look at what these programs provide on A Year in the Park:
My passion for this piece of the park’s mission stems from years of similar work as a volunteer at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Like the Audubon guide at left, I’ve seen humbling magic take place between city kids and nature. Once, I lifted a turtle out of the pond and told a breathless semi-circle of middle-schoolers that they could touch it gently with one finger. Each one touched it, some reluctantly, most with a reverence befitting the climax of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” On their own, without a structured program, they would have sat on a bench and whined for lunch. Or never come at all…
Prospect Park Alliance spokesman Eugene Patron told the Prospect Heights Patch that the suspension may be temporary, and that access to the buildings will still be available for schools that want to visit. Additionally, the weekend, BASE high school, and Heart of Brooklyn BCAP summer programs will not be affected. But that’s a small consolation when you consider that more than 15,000 students participated in school programs at Lefferts House and the Audubon Center in 2010.
- Mary
Tags: Prospect Park
Posted in Kids |
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
Following up on her call for ideas on how to clean up Prospect Park, Marie from 66 Square Feet has arranged a litter cleanup of the Midwood area of the Park on Tuesday, May 10, at 9am. In coordination with the Park’s Natural Resources Crew, trash grabbers, garbage bags, and gloves will be provided.
It’s obviously difficult for some to make it out on a weekday, so if you’ve got a flexible schedule, please consider heading over for this event. Find out more details and RSVP at the 5/10 Litter Mob invite page.
Prospect Park Litter Mob
Tuesday, May 10, 9am
Prospect Park, the Midwood
Corner of East Drive and Center Drive (Nethermead Arches on map)
Email marieyviljoen at gmail dot com with any questions.
- Mary
Tags: Prospect Park, trash, volunteering
Posted in Community Event |
Monday, May 2nd, 2011
Photo by flatbushnelson from the Ditmas Park pool
Being a good person has never been easy and often requires one to give up bus seats, volunteer at soup kitchens, and build an incubator for orphaned squirrels out of a roommate’s bed. Put down beneficent roots with today’s Groupon: for $37, you can plant a commemorative tree in Prospect Park through the Prospect Park Alliance (a $75 value).
The deal is available here.
- Sarah
Tags: Prospect Park
Posted in Green |
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
Neighbor Bill Boyle is starting a running program in Prospect Park on April 25. The “Ditmas Park Dashers” group will be held on Monday and Thursday evenings from 7 PM until 8 PM. This 9-week, walk to run class will meet twice per week to help you get in shape and stay that way.
See more information about the program at the Ditmas Park Blog.
- Mary
Tags: Prospect Park, running
Posted in Health & Fitness |
Friday, April 8th, 2011
Here’s an interesting event in the park this Sunday, which is supposed to be a beautiful day. Leda Meredith has been leading this for a few years now, and it sounds like you can find a lot of edibles. Has anyone been on the tour?
Field Trip: Urban Foraging w/ Leda Meredith in Prospect Park
Sunday, April 10, 2011 – 9:45am – 12:30pm
Prospect Park across from Grand Army Plaza
877-334-9355
Free, healthy food from the park?
Yes!
You can find delicious wild edible plants and mushrooms right in the city’s parks. Take a guided tour of Prospect Park with forager, committed locavore and Brooklyn Botanic Garden instructor, Leda Meredith. Leda will teach us how to safely identify and harvest edibles in the urban terrain. Pack a lunch. At the end of the foraging walk, we will spend some time sitting in the shade while Leda takes Q&A and we taste treats made with wild edible ingredients.
Leda Meredith is the author of The Locavore’s Handbook: The Busy Person’s Guide to Eating Local on a Budget.
What to Bring: Please bring a bottle of water, a camera if you have one, baggies for samples, a notebook, pen, and labels to identify what you collect. If you want to stick around afterwards, bring a prepared lunch. Wear comfortable shoes!
Tickets: $18 Pay online or in person (advance registration required)
Weather notes: We will walk in sun or drizzle. Heavy downpour, we’ll reschedule.
Refund Policy: There are no refunds for no shows or cancellations made less than 24 hours.
- Mary
Tags: Prospect Park
Posted in Community Event |
Monday, March 28th, 2011
Lauren Collins, executive director of the Church Avenue BID and co-founder of the Windsor Terrace Alliance, sends over these photos from Saturday’s Hands Around the Lake event. She reports that a lot of people showed up, despite the cold! Click on any photos below (from left: State Senator Eric Adams, an 11-year-old speaker, and Cynthia King) to see them larger.
The Brooklyn Paper has its take on the event, saying “Flatbush resident Jake Gold summed things up this way: ‘Geese are part of this community. A giant killing of them is just messed up.’”
- Mary
Tags: Prospect Park
Posted in Community Event |
Friday, March 25th, 2011
H9Z4, aka Pierre, by carryboo.
Hands Around the Lake, an event to rally support for Prospect Park’s Canada geese, takes place tomorrow. Last summer, nearly 400 geese from the park were put to death in the name of airplane safety. But many neighbors and local politicians are hoping the city gives a new “Wildlife Management Plan” a chance to control the goose population before they commit another round of killings–though others oppose that management plan as well. Several speakers will be on hand to talk about the issues, starting at 1pm.
Hands Around the Lake
Saturday, March 26, 12:30pm
Prospect Park Lake
Enter at Vanderbilt Street & Prospect Park SW
- Mary
Tags: Prospect Park
Posted in Community Event |
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Want to focus less on winter, and more on the warm weather–and gardening–that lies ahead? Join Prospect Farm’s Tom Angotti from with Jesse Alter (Hunter) and Chris Kreussling (AKA Flatbush Gardener) on March 16 at Sycamore on Cortelyou Road as they discuss garden design.
- Mary
Tags: Prospect Park
Posted in Community Event |
Friday, January 28th, 2011
A fun way to enjoy all the now we’ve had (though they will be bringing snow makers, just in case), Winter Jam NYC returns to Prospect Park next weekend. Snowshoes and cross-country skis will be available to borrow, free snowboarding lessons (again, they’ll have equipment) for all ages will be provided, and there will be a “Pride of New York Winter Market” with free snack and refreshment samples. Also, there’s the fun Red Bull Butter Cup, where snowboarders can unleash tricks and compete for prizes (registration required).
Winter Jam NYC is presented by the NYC Parks Department, Prospect Park Alliance, and the Olympic Regional Development Authority.
Saturday, February 5
11am-4pm
The Nethermead in Prospect Park
Enter at Ocean Ave. & Lincoln Rd.
- Mary
Tags: Prospect Park, Winter Jam NYC
Posted in Community Event |
Friday, January 21st, 2011
It snowed just in time for Prospect Park’s Winter Hike on Sunday, led by the Urban Park Rangers:
Top of Prospect Park, Sunday, January 23, 2011, 1pm.
Learn about the Battle of Brooklyn while hiking to Prospect Park’s highest point. Once at the top, it’s an excellent spot to view raptors hunting birds of prey. Contact Number: (718) 421-2021
For details click here.
- Jole
Tags: Prospect Park
Posted in Community Event |
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
Kensington’s Viviane Arzoumanian was walking three dogs on January 2 in Prospect Park when her 5-year-old standard poodle Pasha dashed off after a bird across the frozen lake, then fell through the ice. Sadly, rescue efforts failed. In an interview with Prospect Heights Patch, she admits knowing that having the dogs off-leash was prohibited at that hour, and places no blame on the rescue workers, but she does express concern at the lack of preparedness for this sort of emergency:
Arzoumanian called 911, and after some confusion pinpointing her location in the park, a slew of rescue workers arrived.
But they didn’t have the proper equipment to go safely out onto the icy lake. They stood helplessly as the barking weakened, and then stopped, according to Arzoumanian.
Asked if she blamed the city for not preparing rescue workers better for the situation, Arzoumanian said no. But she does hope Pasha’s death will inspire Park officials to make some changes.
“It’s not like I’m mad at anybody. It’s just sort of shocking, on reflection, of how ill-prepared (for an ice rescue) the park is,” she said. She added, “I just would have liked more options available to try to save her.”
The Parks Department says that its personnel are trained in ice rescues, and that it will “consider any ideas Arzoumanian submitted in writing” about how to handle future emergencies better.
We’ve still got a lot of winter left, so please be mindful when you’re at the park with dogs and small children!
- Mary
Tags: dog, Prospect Park, safety
Posted in Animals, News |
Thursday, December 9th, 2010
From the press release:
Emily Lloyd has been chosen as successor to retiring Prospect Park Administrator and Prospect Park Alliance President, Tupper Thomas. Lloyd will assume the dual positions that Thomas has held since 1980 and 1987 respectively, beginning January 31, 2011. Lloyd’s years of public service make her a well known and respected figure in New York. She has served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and Commissioner of the Department of Sanitation, as well as an Executive Vice President at Columbia University and most recently Chief Operating Officer at Trinity Real Estate.[..]
Lloyd, a Brooklyn resident of over 25 years, is a frequent user of the 585-acre Park. As Park Administrator and Alliance President, she is looking forward to getting to better know the community of Park users.
Anything on your wish-list?
- Liena
Tags: announcements, Prospect Park
Posted in News |
