The NYC Urban Field Station is pleased to announce an upcoming virtual lunchtime presentation with Avvah Rossi, Director of Horticulture and Greenway Stewardship at Brooklyn Greenway Initiative. Please join us on Wednesday, February 5th, 12:00 – 1:00pm Eastern. Teams video link below.
Please feel free to share with anyone who may be interested. If this invitation has been forwarded to you and you would like to be added to the Lunch & Learn mailing list, please email christine.doherty@parks.nyc.gov
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A Native Meadow Grows in Brooklyn, or, Life in a Cemetery: Brooklyn Greenway Initiative’s Naval Cemetery Landscape and Research Opportunities within its Urban Native Plant, Insect, Bird (and other wildlife) Habitat
Brooklyn Greenway Initiative built and maintains the Naval Cemetery Landscape (NCL) on the site of the former Naval Hospital Cemetery at the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a place for retreat and remembrance while honoring its rich layers of natural and cultural history. This site was designed as a native plant meadow and pollinator habitat, and many rare birds and insects can be seen here. With self-guided activities and free programs, visitors can learn about native plants, bees and insects and visitors are encouraged to bring their own binoculars to observe the bird species from the boardwalk.
NCL’s primary function is as a quiet contemplative memorial landscape where Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI) showcases and champions the potential impact of the Green in Greenways (cyclist and pedestrian corridors that ideally include separation from car lanes and green corridors of street trees, native plantings or both) and provides public programming that enhances connections to nature. The landscape is a connector and place of respite and grounding for community members and users of the adjacent Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. We strive to limit disruptions to both visitors and land (as a cemetery) and to wildlife (as a native pollinator habitat) and our programs are aimed at building skill sets for urban visitors with an emphasis on nature education and mental wellness activities emphasizing nature connection and observation.
The NCL is unique as a cemetery and pollinator habitat, and also as a landscape built, maintained and operated solely by the non-profit Brooklyn Greenway Initiative. Donations support our work at the landscape and our work advocating for the construction and maintenance of safe greenways. We are pursuing BGCI accreditation as a botanic garden that showcases native plants and educates visitors on native plant communities and their impact on humans and multifarious wildlife species–and BGI is actively looking to offer collaboration with researchers who would like to use the site and its flora in their research. As a forerunner in urban meadow implementation, we have much to share and opportunities to offer on the study and documentation of successful design, horticulture maintenance techniques, wildlife monitoring, and programming and visitor engagement for a native urban meadow.
Join us for a presentation from Director of Horticulture which will cover site design considerations, native bee and bird species found on site and their habitat considerations, as well as an overview of gardener-led presentations such as those on wildlife observed at the NCL (over 85 species of birds observed in one year), Seasonal Ecology and Microorganism walks, Avvah Rossi will speak about programming design and implementation for gardens designed to foster wildlife and increase visitors’ appreciation for biodiversity and its ecological and wellness benefits and how research could be implemented on site. Hear how a small native meadow managed with intention can have a big impact and learn how researchers can get involved.
NCL’s website: https://www.brooklyngreenway.org/naval-cemetery-landscape/
NCL’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navalcemeterylandscape/
Avvah Rossi
Avvah Rossi is the Director of Horticulture and Greenway Stewardship at Brooklyn Greenway Initiative-which includes management of BGI’s main site, the Naval Cemetery Landscape. She is a horticulturist and ISA-certified arborist with experience from many American botanical gardens, public parks and public estates. At Missouri Botanical Garden, she curated and cared for collections including the Balkans Rare and Endemic Plant Collection and the Boxwood (Buxus) collection and gardens, as well as working on the garden’s arborist crew. She has also managed a cut flower garden, succulent and Mediterranean collections, and a minifarm/vegetable garden and orchards in California, planning and overseeing over 7500 pounds in annual yield for the local food bank. From experience with effective horticultural management of multifarious green public spaces she has seen that a foundation of plant science and research-based approaches can help any level of gardener or visitor to gardens.
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