Project Description
Ziemia: McGolrick Park Restoration
| Project Lead: | North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, formerly Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn |
|---|---|
| Project Partners: | Eckford Street Studios; McGolrick Park Neighborhood Alliance; P.S. 110 The Monitor; P.S. 34 Oliver H. Perry; Cottonwood NYC’s Agile Learning Center; St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish; Park Church Co-Op; Greenpoint Islamic Center; Polish Cultural Institute New York; Polish Consulate General; and Offices of New York State Assembly Member Joseph Lentol, NYC Council Member Stephen Levin, and U.S. Congress Member Carolyn Maloney |
| Project Location: | Monsignor McGolrick Park |
| 2018 GCEF Grant: | $30,000 |
| 2018 Matching Contribution: | $3,900 |
| TOTAL INVESTMENT: | $33,900 |
| 2018 Project Completed: | July 2019 |
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In 2018, through a competitive process, North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (NBPA) was awarded $30,000 in GCEF funding (and provided $3,900 in matching funding) to restore two sections of garden in Monsignor McGolrick Park along the Russell Street border of the park. Restoration efforts included installing over 350 native plants in an enclosed meadow area and conducting ongoing maintenance (e.g. trash pickup and leaf removal.) Planning for the renovation of an adjacent, 1,500-square-foot woodland area of the park was also conducted.
In conjunction with these efforts, the project conducted community outreach through four family-friendly, art workshops on Greenpoint’s ecological history as a wilderness area, as well as engaged in ongoing dialogue with the community about the context and benefits of the meadow and woodland floor areas through website posts, social media and in-person interactions. The meadow also became the temporary home for the public art sculpture (not funded by GCEF) entitled “Ziemia,” which is the Polish word for earth.
PROJECT ACCOMPLISMENTS
- Revitalized an area of Monsignor McGolrick Park by planting 350 native plants
- Created a plan for the repair of a 1,500-square-foot woodland area in the park
- Engaged in park maintenance including ongoing trash pickup and leaf removal
- Held 4 environmentally educational art workshops in collaboration with Eckford Street Studios
- Engaged in ongoing dialogue with the community about the context and benefits of the project’s park restoration via website posts, social media, and in-person interactions on site
