by Jacoba Coes
September kicks off Fall and with that, a desire to reflect on the summer, embrace the changes taking place, and dream about what the next season will bring. In Brookdale Park, the Conservancy is busy wrapping up projects, preparing for colder weather, and dreaming big about the future of our park.
The work of the Brookdale Park Conservancy is built 100% on volunteer efforts and funded by the gift of your donations. Quite frankly, we count on your support to do all our work. Our strong partnership with the Essex County Department of Parks helps us to drive our mission to preserve, enhance, and promote the park.
Let me take you through what we do. I'll start with the foundation of our trees and take you through the beauties of the Rose Garden, our various lovely native plant gardens, and into the future.
Did you know that much of the replacement of the Olmsted plantings lost to age, weather and disease, including trees, is funded through the Conservancy?
We have planted over 300 trees in the last 10 years alone. Our tree selection process is built on supporting biodiversity. We review which animals and plants are supported by each tree - selecting and locating each tree with care. Donations fund the trees which are tended by volunteers and the Master Gardener pruning team.
The Rose Garden, established in 1959, is home to 525 rose bushes with 145 varieties in its 25 beds.
It is entirely maintained by Master Gardeners of Essex County and Conservancy and community volunteers. Rose Garden costs are 100% funded by the Conservancy and Master Gardeners of Essex County.
The native gardens near the playground are designed, planted, maintained and paid for by the Conservancy. Our goal is to provide a beautiful habitat; so we’ve planted 880 plants in these gardens since 2022!
These gardens complement the Overlook and Pollinator Gardens, both are Environmental Steward and Master Gardener projects, that we help support as well with funds.
Our Pondside Habitat Restoration began in 2023 with Conservancy and community volunteers clearing invasive plants from the area. Since then we have re-established native habitat by planting 2,200 plants!
All were planted by hundreds of tireless volunteers with the plant and tool costs funded by your donations.
Our next project is a giant Wildflower Meadow. We hope to be able to turn that immense patch of invasive mugwort in the old pond basin into a vast native plant meadow garden.
We are in the beginning phases of this project, but our dream is BIG! Join our dream and help bring it to life by volunteering or donating the needed funds.
Finally, we also support learning about nature - providing leaders and materials for guided walks to learn about the trees, pollinator garden flora and fauna, and birds. Our expert guides include Cam Kanterman, NJ Naturalist; Jean Greeley, founder of the Pollinator Garden; and the Montclair Bird Club. Come join us at one (or all) of our events.
Isn’t it AMAZING what our Conservancy members, volunteers and donors do? Where our team goes - beauty truly follows.
We'd love to have you join us as a member! Through donations and volunteers, the Brookdale Park Conservancy keeps Brookdale Park beautiful, creates programming and events and supports community-building within the park.
Only your support can help us continue to bring you the park beauty you enjoy. Please become a member, volunteer or give a donation. Help us grow our organization by sharing this spotlight with your friends and neighbors, the more the merrier! Thank you!
A word from your BPC Spotlight Team
Three years ago we started these Spotlight Newsletters. Since then we’ve written about topics like park memories, nature's impact on your health, fireflies, soil, and of course native gardens. Our goal has always been to bring you topics that resonate for the park and with you. Going forward, rather than publishing monthly, we send issues on a more seasonal basis, when we have “something to say”.