Marine Park Restoration
Partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the Natural Areas Conservancy, NYC Parks and Marine Park Alliance to improve city parkland in Brooklyn
MArine Park
Marine Park is the largest city-owned park in Brooklyn at 798 acres. Over half of the park is comprised of coastal forest, grasslands and salt marsh. The western side of the park (133 acres) contains important natural resources. Maritime Shrubland and Successional Maritime Forest habitat, dominated by sumacs, black cherry, bayberry and groundsel flourish in pockets and represent a unique forest type in New York City.
Other sections of the site, however, are dominated by invasive species such as black locust, Asiatic bittersweet, Phragmites, callery pear and mugwort. In addition, the area has no formal network of trails or access points.
New trail blazers
Trail Restoration
The Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC), in partnership with JBRPC, repaired and formalized the existing trail system through maintenance and native plantings. Since 2015, 7,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted to improve the trails, and restore natural areas dominated by invasive species.
Trail prior to restoration
Trail during restoration
Trail after restoration
NAC and JBRPC closed some of the unofficial trails in the park to improve both the ecology of the site and ease of navigation. The official trail system is now blazed to further improve navigation.
NYC Parks First Deputy Commissioner Liam Kavanagh, Emily Maxwell (TNC), Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams, Alex Zablocki (JBRPC) and Sarah Sharlop-Powers (NAC) cut the ribbon on the new trail at Marine Park
JBRPC continued restoration work at Marine Park with NYC Parks and the Marine Park Alliance in 2019, restoring greeting gardens along the oval at Marine Park, along with the main entrance to the park at Fillmore Avenue, and around Seba Playground. This work continued in 2020 and 2021.
Many thanks to NYC Parks, Parks’ gardeners, the UN Affiliated Olof Palme Peace Foundation International and volunteers who helped make this project a reality. JBRPC recognizes the support of Council Member Alan N. Maisel for providing funding to support these programs.