By Katie Vasquez
At least once a week, Lisa Curtiss heads to Prospect Park, hoping to spot one of the many bird species that pass through.
“I’ve seen, I don’t know, 170 species of birds within about a 10-mile radius of my apartment,” said Curtiss, a member of the Brooklyn Bird Club.
One area of the park, known as the Vale of Cashmere, has become a hotspot for bird activity due to its layered habitat.
“Some birds are then going to be in the mid canopy looking for other things, and some birds are going to be way high up. And those are not interchangeable,” Curtiss said. “The bird that eats a worm cannot eat something that’s up. So that real layered habitat is super important.”
But recent construction has concerned some birdwatchers like Curtiss, who worry about losing these birds permanently.
“Over the last 50 or 60 years, we’ve lost over 25% of migrating birds, and I find that sort of shocking and really upsetting,” she said.
Fellow enthusiast Mary Beth Artz shares those concerns, especially as thousands of birds use the park as a pit stop during the spring migration.
“If they don’t have a place to stop and fuel and rest before they travel on, it’s going to be a big issue for these animals,” Artz said.
The Prospect Park Alliance says the $37.5 million project is the largest capital allocation to the Brooklyn park. It will transform the historic Children’s Pool and former Rose Garden.
Artz said she understands the need for renovation but hopes it will consider all living creatures.
“To bring it back to life is incredible for everyone,” she said. “But we also have to include not only the humans, but we have to think of the other creatures, species.”
Artz added that her faith guides her advocacy.
“God placed these animals for us on this planet. We need to take care of them. We need to be stewards so that we can continue to have these creations until the end of time,” she said.
The restoration project is expected to be completed in 2027.