New Prospect Park Merch Celebrates 150th Birthday

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — Prospect Park-philes have another way to show their pride for Brooklyn's backyard with a new line of locally designed and produced merch.

Students from the Pratt Institute participated in a design competition to create the two original illustrations you see above. And the pieces were printed at Gowanus Print Lab.

The design on the right is a "bird tree." As the Prospect Park Alliance, the nonprofit that works with the city to maintain the park, explains:

A common pit stop for migratory birds in addition to its permanent residents, the park sees over 200 species of fowl pass through every year. Student Gang Lu commemorates the Park’s 150th with a typography based rendering of a feathered friend.

And the little guy on the left is, unfortunately, not a memorial to the notorious squirrel that terrorized park-goers for a brief stretch a July.

It is, in fact, only a roller-blading chipmunk. From the Alliance:

Did you know Prospect Park is home to one of the last populations of chipmunks in Brooklyn? Student Maria Garcia takes an overlooked critter and adds a healthy dose of whimsy to create this eye-catching children’s design. Available in Onesie and Toddler styles.

Anyone wanting to grab one of these shirts (they also come in onesies and toddler t-shirts) can do so online through Brooklyn Industries now and in-store at the Seventh Avenue Brooklyn Industries starting August 8. Some of the proceeds will go to the Prospect Park Alliance.