April 20, 2018 By Tara Law
The Forest Park Trust, a non-profit group that maintains Forest Park, will receive special conservation training as part of a plan by NYC Parks and The Natural Areas Conservancy to protect the city’s forests from climate change.
The Forest Park Trust will work with The Natural Areas Conservancy to collect data about forest health and to populate the green space with trees that are resistant to climate change. The training is worth about $10,000.
The Conservancy announced Monday that the grant is part of a 25-year “Forest Management Framework for New York City,” a strategic management plan to protect the city’s forests from the increased heat, droughts and rapid growth of invasive species caused by climate change.
The grant will provide the Forest Park Trust with scientific support, data tools, resources and management recommendations to improve the trust’s forest management and fundraising efforts. A grant was also provided to the Prospect Park Alliance in Brooklyn.
Although the urban landscape is more commonly associated with skyscrapers and cement, the city is home to 20,000 acres of wetlands and forests, including 7,300 acres of forested parkland, according to the Conservancy. Forest Park encompasses 543 acres, including 411 acres of oak and hickory forest.
The Conservancy argues that although the city’s parks are in good condition, with more than 85 percent healthy native trees, the parks require a major investment to protect them from climate change.
“The new Forest Management Framework represents a significant step forward in improved management and resources for our natural areas,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver. “It is my hope and expectation that this framework will not only inform forest management here in New York City, but in cities across the country and around the world.”
Funds for the grants were provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the New York Community Trust.