Floyd Bennet Field

Overview

Airports are inadvertently providing habitat for grassland birds and Floyd Bennett Field (FBF) in Brooklyn is no exception. The habitat for grassland birds diminished as the shrubs and trees advanced across open grassy fields between the runways. A grassland restoration project was initiated in 1985, which reversed the natural succession in 140 acres of the Field. This grassland is being managed by the National Park Service and the New York City Audubon Society. The woody vegetation is suppressed by annual mowing of the grasslands. From early spring up to the mid-August mowing, the grasslands are full of wild flowers and grasses in hues of green, red, blue and yellow that change almost every week. These wild flowers also attract numerous butterflies, including the coral hairstreak.

Brooklyn Ecopolis
updated 03/2012 by Brooklyn Ecopolis