With deepest and most profound gratitude for all of you, I’m here to share that Andrea’s memorial tree and bench are now a part of Prospect Park’s beautiful human, animal, and plant ecosystem.

This tree and bench are a direct result of the generosity of so many of you, and I hope that many of you will visit or derive joy in knowing that this beautiful memorial exists. 

Andrea’s Tree Location: Andrea’s tree is planted along the lake near the Prospect Park entrance at the corner of Parkside Avenue and Ocean Avenue, right next to a gazebo, and looking out at Duck Island. The closest train is the Q at Parkside if you are traveling here by subway. See the exact tree location here: https://goo.gl/maps/RKyC8RVhjathJArAA. 

This is a spot that is very dear to Andrea, me, and many of Andrea’s friends and loved ones. It was our main entrance to Prospect Park whenever we took walks together, and where Andrea would meet to rendezvous with friends for walks and talks in the park. I’ve affectionately named the immediate area surrounding Andrea’s tree Bible’s Cove, and it’s a really special spot in the park. Currently there is a swan family with little fuzzy baby cygnets that visit the Cove every day.  

Andrea’s Tree Species: The location in the park determined the type of tree that would be planted, but I feel like we won the lottery with this Bald Cypress tree. A deciduous (needle dropping) conifer, it turns a beautiful orange in the fall – Andrea’s absolute favorite color! The tree was circa 5-7 years old when it was planted, and it’s quite a small tree now. But Bald Cypress trees grow up to be 50-70 feet tall, and can live for hundreds of years. Their unique root systems can live for 1,000 years, and anyone who knows and loves Andrea will understand this beautiful congruency between her life and the life of the Bald Cypress. 

Andrea’s Tree Care and Maintenance: For the first two years there will be a fence around Andrea’s tree tree to ensure that it can grow without disturbance. There is a specific Prospect Park Arborist who is devoted to just tending the memorial trees, and that person will take continual care of Andrea's tree along with all of the other Memorial trees in the park.  

Visitors are welcome to leave flowers and decorate the fence around the tree for the first 2 years, but should not decorate the tree itself just so it can grow to capacity. When you visit, you will see that Andrea’s beloved Esqueers have decorated the fence so beautifully with photos of Andrea.   

Andrea’s Bench: Andrea’s bench is located about 100 feet away from Andrea’s tree, and has a beautiful, unobstructed view of the lake and Duck Island. There is a small gold commemorative plaque, and the bench is painted a dark green - the color of most of the wooden benches in the park. 

Visiting and feeling like you’d want company? If folks are visiting from out of town and feel as though they would like a guide just send me an email at sueyacka@gmail.com and I’ll join you. I live just across the way.

With love and gratitude,
Sue