Open Space Alliance For North Brooklyn Inc

THE NORTH BROOKLYN PARKS ALLIANCE'S MISSION IS TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE, ACCESSIBLE, AND VIBRANT PARK & OPEN SPACE SYSTEM IN NORTH BROOKLYN.

THE NORTH BROOKLYN PARKS ALLIANCE ADVANCED EFFORTS TO CREATE NEW PARKLAND IN BROOKLYN'S COMMUNITY BOARD 1, INCLUDING OPENING TO THE PUBLIC THE NEW "UNDER THE K BRIDGE PARK," FOR WHICH ENTERED INTO AGREEMENT WITH NYS DOT ON 9/1/20 AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN MAINTAINING AND OPERATING THE SPACE TO KEEP THIS NEW PARK CLEAN AND GARDENS ALIVE.DUE IN LARGE PART TO THE PANDEMIC, HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF THE PARK REMAINED CLOSED FROM LAST SEPTEMBER UNTIL JUNE 2021 - PREVENTING ANY REVENUE GENERATION THAT WAS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT TO THE PARK'S FINANCIAL MODEL, EVEN WHILE WE HIRED A MAINTENANCE TEAM AND PURCHASED GROUNDS SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THAT TIME. WE HOSTED A NUMBER OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS, SERVING THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS FROM ACROSS BROOKLYN, BEGINNING WITH A COMMUNITY OPENING CELEBRATION ON THE PARK'S FIRST WEEKEND, FOLLOWED BY THE INAUGURAL "REGGAE UNDER THE BRIDGE" MUSIC SERIES, AND WEEKLY VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS.IN ADDITION TO THE PARK PROGRAMMING AND MAINTENANCE AT THIS NEW PARK, THE ALLIANCE ALSO ACTS AS AN UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION FOR A NUMBER OF GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEER STEWARDS ACROSS CB1, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FRIENDS OF BUSHWICK INLET PARK, FRIENDS OF COOPER PARK, FRIENDS OF TRANSMITTER PARK, JAVA STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN, MCCARREN DOG ALLIES, AND GREENPOINT TREE CORPS. IN ADDITION TO PROGRAMMATIC COLLABORATIONS, WE PROVIDE A RANGE OF DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, FROM FISCAL SPONSORSHIP TO SUPPLY AND EQUIPMENT PURCHASES.WE ALSO SPEARHEADED THE CREATION OF THE NORTH BROOKLYN OPEN SPACE EQUITY COALITION, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF THE FOUR OLDEST NEIGHBORHOOD NONPROFITS -- EL PUENTE, NORTH BROOKLYN NEIGHBORS, NEWTOWN CREEKALLIANCE, AND US -- AND IS ANCHORED ON USING POLICY AND PLANNING TO RETHINK HOW PARKS AND OPEN SPACES ARE CREATED AND MANAGED IN NORTH BROOKLYN.GIVEN UNCERTAINTIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR SURROUNDING IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING, WE LAUNCHED A NUMBER OF DIGITAL PROGRAMS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC AND BE ABLE TO FEATURE THE WORK OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS. - OUR #ASKAGARDENER PROGRAM WAS A WEEKLY INSTAGRAM LIVE SERIES, WHICH APPROX 4,000 PEOPLE HAVE VIEWED, VIRTUALLY VISITED SPACES THROUGHOUT NORTH BROOKLYN AND ASKED THE MOST ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS IN THOSE SPACES TO GIVE US A TOUR, AS WELL AS WORKSHOPS AND SITE VISITS SHARING RESOURCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE GROUPS, LIKE LOCAL HARDWARE STORES, NATIVE PLANT NURSERIES, AND WORKSHOPS LIKE HOW TO TEST YOUR SOIL, HOW TO CARE FOR STREET TREES, HOW TO WINTERIZE YOUR GARDEN, ETC.- OUR SEVEN-PART ZOOM PANEL SERIES ON THE TOPIC OF THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SPACE PRODUCED A HALF DOZEN VIRTUAL PANELS THAT FEATURED ORIGINAL VIDEO AND A DEEP DIVE INTO A PARTICULAR PARK TOPIC. IN TOTAL, THE SERIES FEATURED FORTY GUEST SPEAKERS ON TOPICS SUCH AS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, CAPITAL PROCESSES, CLEAN AIR, OPEN STREETS, STEWARDSHIP, NATIVE HABITATS, AND A CANDIDATES FORUM. EACH SEGMENT HAS ROUGHLY 75-100 LIVE ATTENDEES, AND IS ARCHIVED ONLINE WITH HUNDREDS OF ADDITIONAL VIEWS.