'Milo's Garden' In Carroll Park Gets Certified As Wildlife Habitat

"Milo's Garden', a small blooming border in Carroll Park, was just certified as a wildlife habitat by the World Wildlife Federation thanks to Carroll Gardener Laura Shippey. For the last few years, Laura has lovingly tended to the patch at the corner of Smith and Carroll Streets as a volunteer for Friends Of Carroll Park, turning it into a wonderful butterfly garden, filled with native plants.

This spring, Laura applied to the World Wildlife Federation to have this little oasis considered as a wildlife habitat. In order to get certification, the garden needed the four major habitat elements needed for wildlife to thrive: food, water, cover and places to raise young. Three of the elements were already provided by the plantings. In order to satisfy the fourth element, water, Laura turned to Brooklyn Sculptor Adam Distenfeld of Brooklyn Rockwerks. Adam takes slabs of gneiss dating from the glacial period, unearthed locally during excavations, and recycles them into beautiful pieces of art. Adam made a special bird bath for Milo's Garden, which was installed in May.

The World Wildlife Federation just sent Laura a certification plaque, which is now proudly displayed on the gate to the garden.

Thanks, Laura, for your dedication to Carroll Park, to the community and to wildlife. I happily go out of my way to walk past Milo's Garden to admire the blooms.