Urban Ecology Tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard with Turnstile Tours
Taught by Turnstile Tours
Turnstile Tours is a new company that highlights the ever-changing nature of New York City neighborhoods through conducting in-depth research, working with community partners, and seeking out new avenues to engage the public with the urban landscape. In addition to developing tours, we also work with partners to craft a variety of public programs and exhibits. For each of our projects, we partner with a community non-profit organization that works to keep neighborhoods vital and thriving, and at least 5% of all of our ticket sales goes towards supporting them. We are a New York State-registered benefit corporation, meaning that we are required to subject ourselves to an annual review of the performance of our social mission based on third party standards and post our findings on our website. We are so very grateful to the many people and institutions that have made this company possible. For more information, please contact us at info@turnstiletours.com
Discover the natural world in the midst a thriving urban industrial park on this bicycle and walking tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where we will explore New York City’s waterways, terrestrial ecosystems and urban farms. At the stunning 65,000-square-foot Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm, we will learn how they produce thousands of pounds of vegetables annually – as well as honey and eggs – and are a national leader in the development of rooftop and urban farming techniques.
Descending to the bank of the East River, we will visit an oyster restoration project led by students from the New York Harbor School and will discuss the improving health of the city’s waterways, and the challenges that remain. We will visit the historic Naval Hospital campus, where we will identify plants and trees, both local and exotic, that have sprung up on this largely undeveloped site, making it a haven for birds and insects. We will also discuss plans for a memorial park at the site that will become part of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. This tour will reveal that the natural world truly is all around us, even in the heart of the city.
You'll need to provide your own bicycle, safety helmets, and bike locks. A portion of this tour is walking, and you will need to lock your bike when we visit the rooftop farm. We'll meet at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and exact meeting instructions will be sent the day before the tour.
