A decades-long fight to reopen a park house, once a thriving community center in a working-class neighborhood, has taken on new urgency during the pandemic.

By Winnie Hu

The neighborhood speaks:

“It gets neglected,” said Alysha Lewis, a former chairwoman of the local community board. “The parks department really treats it like it’s a stepchild.”

Sandra Dupal, who owns a bakery, offered in 2017 to pay for a kiosk to sell sandwiches and snacks so that more people could enjoy the park. She never got an answer from park officials. “The park has untapped potential,” she said.

Reynaldo Belen, 20, who recently graduated from a high school across from the park, said it should be used to bring people together. “That could kind of stop some of the violence in the area,”

Spotted lanternfly adult (Lycorma delicatula) next to a standard 12-inch ruler

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula–SLF) is an invasive planthopper, first discovered in New York City in July 2020. While it can infest trees, it is not considered a widespread threat to our city’s forests. However, it is a significant threat to a wide range of agricultural crops including walnut, grapes, hops, apples, blueberries, and stone fruits. The Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is its preferred host tree and is required for its reproduction. SLF has the potential of damaging natural areas and becoming a nuisance in landscapes.

What does a spotted lanternfly infestation look like?

The spotted lanternfly does not typically kill trees, it infests. Although it can weaken a tree’s natural defenses (making it vulnerable to other pests and diseases), spotted lanternflies are mostly a threat to agricultural crops.

What is NYC Parks Doing About Spotted Lanternflies?

• Caring for infested trees will follow Parks’ Tree Risk Management program — pruning and removing trees as they pose a risk to the public.
• Parks is participating in an interagency work group with federal, state, and local agencies to coordinate surveying and treatment approaches.
• Parks is not currently considering widespread treatment due to uncertainty of the success of chemical treatments and the prohibitive cost; however, we may treat limited high-value trees at risk of infection if it is deemed necessary.

How You Can Help

• Harming our city’s wildlife is prohibited, but in an effort to slow the spread of this troublesome species, we are putting out a one-time call: if you see a spotted lanternfly, please squish and dispose of this invasive pest.
• You can help prevent the spread of spotted lanternflies by refraining from moving firewood, outdoor furniture, and other outdoor items that may contain SLF egg masses.

M’Finda Kalunga Garden is hosting its annual Juneteenth celebration this Sunday, June 26. There will be music and refreshments and thought-provoking discussion.

The people of City Relief (check out Josiah Haken’s podcast “Neighbors With No Doors” – listening to people who know something about homelessness. Teresa Gowan and many other volunteers are here every Thursday starting at around 11:30am.