Bibliography
Though some may not be cited in the preceding text, all of the works listed and annotated below were consulted in the development of this project.
Berenson, R. J. (2001). The complete illustrated guidebook to Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Silver Lining Books.
This book, available at the Internet Archive, provides detailed information about the history and features of Prospect Park, helpfully organized as a series of walking tours of the park.
Boudinot, J. (n.d.) How the last ice age shaped Flatbush. Flatbush history. https://www.flatbushhistory.com/articles/geology-of-Flatbush
This article explains the formation of the terminal moraine that runs through Prospect Park, and it concludes with a useful roundup of resources on the natural history of New York.
Brooklyn, N.Y. (1873). Annual reports of the Brooklyn Park Commissioners, 1861–1873. Brooklyn Park Commissioners.
This volume is available at the HathiTrust Digital Library.
Colley, D. P. (2013). Prospect Park: Olmsted & Vaux’s Brooklyn masterpiece. Princeton Architectural Press.
This book gives a detailed history of Prospect Park and includes dozens of full-color photographs.
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Mature and old growth forests. https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/old-growth-forests
This page gives a brief account of ongoing attempts to define old growth forest. It has been updated at least once since first consulted in February 2023.
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. (April 2023). Mature and old-growth forests: Definition, identification, and initial inventory on lands managed by the forest service and bureau of land management. https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/mature-and-old-growth-forests-tech.pdf
This report provides narrative frameworks and working definitions of old growth and mature forests. The narrative frameworks notably incorporate Indigenous perspectives.
Ingoglia, G. (2008). The tree book: For kids and their grown-ups. Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
This book is a guide to more than thirty common species of trees, many but not all native to Brooklyn or New York.
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.
Lancaster, C. (1967). Prospect Park handbook. Long Island University Press. https://www.echonyc.com/~parks/books/handbook.html
Written by the curator of Prospect Park and with an introduction by poet Marianne Moore, this handbook gives an overview of the history and features of Prospect Park.
Martin, D. (1995, April 9). Urban backyard to be revitalized. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/09/nyregion/urban-backyard-to-be-revitalized.html
This news article reports on A Landscape Management Plan for the Natural Areas of Prospect Park, characterized as a “multimillion-dollar, 25-year plan to restore the arboreal soul of Brooklyn.”
Martin, D. (1998, September 14). Prospect Park’s Ravine inching closer to the past. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/14/nyregion/prospect-park-s-ravine-inching-closer-to-past.html
This news article reports on the progress made after three years of work on restoring the Ravine.
McCully, B. (2007). City at the water’s edge: A natural history of New York. Rivergate Books, an imprint of Rutgers University Press. https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813540108
McCully, B. (2021, August). New York woodlands. New York nature. https://www.newyorknature.us/woodlands/
This page provides a brief natural history of New York forests, including an account of their degradation and restoration.
New-York Historical Society Museum & Library. (2011, June 24). Movers and shakers. https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/movers-and-shakers
New York Water Science Center. (2017, June 7). Long Island topography. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/new-york-water-science-center/science/long-island-topography
This page explains the defining landforms of Long Island: “(a) the two lines of hills that form the “backbone” and the “forks” of the island, (b) the gently sloping plain that extends southward from the hills, (c) the deeply eroded headlands along the north shore, and (d) the barrier beaches along the south shore.”
NYC Parks. (n.d.). Forests of New York City: Prospect Park. Official website of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/B073/highlights/12455
This page describes the forest in Prospect Park, placing it in its historical and ecological context.
Olmstead, Vaux & Co. (1866). Preliminary report to the commissioners for laying out a park in Brooklyn, New York. I. van Anden’s Print. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.59526
Paris, T. (2016, May 18). Meet your closest tree. Slow Nature Fast City. https://slownaturefastcity.com/2016/05/18/meet-your-closest-tree/
Paris, T. (2016, May 23). Discover the Prospect Park Ravine. Slow Nature Fast City. https://slownaturefastcity.com/2016/05/23/prospect-park-ravine/
Peet, L. H. (1906). Trees and shrubs of Prospect Park (3rd ed.). The Greenwich Printing Company. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.42454
This guide to the trees and shrubs growing in Prospect Park at the time provides maps, detailed descriptions, and photographs locating and identifying specific park trees.
Prospect Park Alliance. (n.d.) Prospect Park Alliance archives. https://www.prospectpark.org/learn-more/archives/
This page links to articles, image galleries, and slideshows on themes and events in the history of Prospect Park.
Prospect Park Alliance. (n.d.) Prospect Park’s Woodland ecosystem: A live stream. https://www.prospectpark.org/learn-more/what-we-do/sustaining-the-environment/prospect-parks-woodland-ecosystem-a-live-stream/
This post includes the video recording of an April 2020 presentation on the ecology of Prospect Park by forest ecologist Howard Goldstein.
Prospect Park Landscape Management Office. (1994). A landscape management plan for the natural areas of Prospect Park. Prospect Park Alliance.
Waldheim, C. (2014). Introduction: Landscape as architecture. Studies in the history of gardens & designed landscapes, 34(3), 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/14601176.2014.893140
