While it may be known as “the concrete jungle,” New York City has thousands of parks across its five boroughs, totaling more than 30,000 acres.
Stephanie Lucas ‘10 (CAHNR) has put her degree from the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture to good use working at one of these parks, Madison Square Park Conservancy, over the past 15 years.
The Madison Square Park Conservancy is just 6.2 acres squeezed into three blocks between 5th and Madison Avenues. It sees an average of 60,000 visitors per day.
“We do a lot with what we have,” Lucas says. “One of the benefits of New York is that there are people who are eager and passionate to support projects, particularly ones that provide beauty and interest to the surrounding neighborhood and community.”
Lucas, the director of park operations and horticulture, manages multiple accredited plant collections, park operations, and security.
A large part of the job, Lucas explains, is educating people about what they are doing in the park and why rules – like not climbing the trees – exist.
“There’s both an opportunity and challenge in communicating this work to people in the urban environment,” Lucas says. “New Yorkers are excited to be outside. The number of people we interact with on a daily basis who don’t typically have access to [green space] is a challenge.”
Lucas didn’t always plan to have a career in plant science. She started UConn in the pharmacy program. She soon realized the field wasn’t a fit for her.
“While I was trying to figure out what the next steps would be in my life, I saw the amazing greenhouses on [the Storrs] campus and talked with folks over there,” Lucas says. “Having gardened a lot in my childhood with my grandparents, I was really interested in the possibility of plant science and horticulture as a future career.”
Lucas credits her time at UConn with preparing her for the role she has now.
“Everything was really hands-on,” Lucas says. “You learn practical skills that you read about in theory, in textbooks, and then you immediately get to go out and apply things. Every single class had a portion of the job that I do now.”
When Lucas first moved to New York City after graduation, she worked as an “interiorscape” specialist for private clients. But she quickly realized she wanted to work outside and in the public sphere.
“Public spaces are amazing, and this is a great way to manage New York City’s backyard and have a long-term impact,” Lucas says.
The park has a nationally accredited witch hazel collection which includes Hamamelis virginiana. This species is a New York City native on which 68 varieties of caterpillar depend for food. Witch hazel also provides shelter and food for birds and attracts pollinators.
Madison Square Park Conservancy also contains an accredited arboretum. The arboretum includes 44 species of trees, including some that predate the space’s official designation as a public park in 1847.
Through her role, Lucas is involved in creating the latest edition of the city’s urban forestry plan. This involves completing a census of trees in the city and developing plans to increase canopy cover throughout New York.
Lucas is also the president of the Metro Hort Group. The community professional organization connects people working in industries like horticulture. The group advocates for better labor practices within the field, as well as organizing talks and their annual PLANT-O-RAMA trade show and career fair.
“It’s really exciting to see a community of gardeners in New York City [who are] really passionate about the field,” Lucas says.
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Fostering Sustainable Landscapes at the Urban-Rural Interface.
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