City of Water Day: Special Highlights

Interview with Lisa Bloodgood, Director of Horticulture and Stewardship at North Brooklyn Parks Alliance

July 19, 2023 Lucien Clough

Lisa Bloodgood. Photo courtesy of North Brooklyn Parks Alliance

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EAGLE: Can you talk a bit about the events for City of Water Day?

BLOODGOOD: Oh, yes. In the new space we’ve created under the Kosciuszko Bridge, a broadly wheeled community of roller blades, scooters, skates, have adopted a section of the park. So we’re partnering with the Harold Hunter Foundation to engage that community in caring for the park. We’re weaving it into City of Water Day in a subtle way, but it’s the first in what we hope to be many opportunities to engage that community in stewardship and advocacy for that waterfront space and the connection upland to the water. This is why it’s City of Water Day.

EAGLE: The park to which you refer is called Under the K Bridge Park, right? So the direct connection is to the Newtown Creek, which flows off the East River.

BLOODGOOD: Yes, we are a city that’s surrounded by water and important historical estuaries, like the Newtown Creek. It gives a sense of place. Recognition of this connection to water is why we want to engage everyone in ways that are meaningful to them.

EAGLE: Ah, yes. So the wheelies work hard to maintain that park because they enjoy the use of that space so close to the Creek?

BLOODGOOD: Agreed, there are many job opportunities and careers involved with creating and maintaining these green spaces. They’re here for public enjoyment. There’s so many layers in why these spaces are here. I love using the metaphor of the estuary because we’re all connected by these waterways. Maybe you’re in Newtown Creek, maybe you’re in the Gowanus Canal, but we’re all connected by the waterways, the East River and the Hudson and the ocean and all over. I love that metaphor so much.

EAGLE: We will borrow that metaphor from you because that’s a great way of looking at it.