A destructive act of vandalism rocked Prospect Park Tuesday night, leaving the beloved greenspace littered with trash.
According to the Prospect Park Alliance, roughly 50 trash cans in the 586-acre lawn were overturned overnight, spurring a massive cleanup effort.
“I was told it was literally from one end of the park to the other,” said Alliance spokesperson Deborah Kirschner. “Literally every garbage can.”
Kirschner said the entire staff of the meadow’s nonprofit steward was out in force to pick up trash as early as 7 am, along with roughly 35 volunteers. By 10:30 am when Brooklyn Paper eyeballed the scene, most of the debris had been cleared away.
“We really appreciate and thank the community that has come out to support us, throughout this entire year,” Kirschner said.
Prospect Park Alliance was saddened by a significant act of vandalism in the park last evening. We thank our staff and community for coming out to help with the cleanup. Learn how you can get involved: https://t.co/oAmKM40AB2. pic.twitter.com/BBhAivg65M
— Prospect Park (@prospect_park) April 21, 2021
Photos show the Dog Beach, located near the park’s ballfields, covered in a blanket of trash. Kirschner said among the other most affected areas were the Boathouse and the Music Pagoda.
The Alliance, like many other greenspace stewards, has had an uphill battle throughout the pandemic. Despite seeing more use than ever from Brooklynites with a newfound appetite for open space, the nonprofit lost $3.2 million in revenue from March through June, had to lay off or furlow several staffers, and was unable to hire seasonal help during the summer to meet park demand.
The park is planning a volunteer cleanup this Earth Day, April 22. Volunteers can sign up at prospectpark.org/volunteer.
