Finding joy, curiosity, and connection in a place that feels both wild and welcoming.

This week on The Wild Idea, Bill and Anders sit down with Rashid Poulson and Bella Ciabattoni, the horticulture leaders at Brooklyn Bridge Park, to talk about one of New York City’s most surprising wild spaces. What was once a stretch of abandoned shipping piers has become 85 acres of thriving wetlands, meadows, and woodlands along the East River, offering both locals and visitors a chance to reconnect with nature in the heart of the city. Rashid and Bella share how their own paths led them into horticulture, from battling invasive plants to finding joy in native species, and how community advocacy made the park possible.

The conversation dives into what it takes to keep an urban waterfront alive with birdsong and tree canopy, from creative planting strategies to the value of having a dedicated team who knows the land season after season. They describe the sensory experience of walking through the park, where winding paths reveal wildflower fields, wetlands, and big views of the Manhattan skyline, all while volunteers, interns, and staff care for the landscapes that make it flourish. At its heart, the story of Brooklyn Bridge Park is about more than plants; it is about people finding joy, curiosity, and connection in a place that feels both wild and welcoming.

Today, we cover:

• Brooklyn Bridge Park’s beginnings – the story of how abandoned shipping piers became a blank canvas, and how community advocacy turned them into a public green space instead of high-rises.
• Building a living landscape – how the park’s design layered wetlands, meadows, ponds, and woodlands into just 1.3 miles of waterfront, and the challenges of sun, wind, and flood risk.
• From contractors to caretakers – why the park shifted to a dedicated horticulture team, how staff grew from seasonal gardeners into a full department, and the importance of building long-term familiarity with the land.
• Personal journeys into horticulture – Rashid and Bella share how their paths moved from engineering, invasive species work, and botanic garden internships to leading an urban ecology team.
• Nature in the city – the sensory experience of walking the park, from winding paths and quiet wetlands to wide open views of the harbor, all alive with birds, pollinators, and seasonal change.
• Community connections – how open design and volunteer programs bring people close to the gardens, and how curiosity, citizen science, and internships create new stewards for the future.
• A park for everyone – why Brooklyn Bridge Park has become both a neighborhood refuge and a destination, balancing playgrounds and sports fields with immersive wild spaces that invite discovery.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or at thewildidea.com.

Resources and mentions from today’s episode:

Links & Resources

• Brooklyn Bridge Park: Horticulture
• Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Environmental Education Center
• Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation
• Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy 

Brooklyn Bridge Park Socials

• LinkedIN
• Instagram
• TikTok 
• Facebook

Organizations, Coalitions & Campaigns

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden 
• Northeast Exotic Plant Management Team, National Park Service 
• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
• iNaturalist  
• eBird
• Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS) 

Places and Landmarks

• Brooklyn Heights
• DUMBO Brooklyn
• DUMBO Brooklyn on Instagram
• Squibb Park and Squibb Park Bridge
• East River
• Statue of Liberty
• Empire State Building
• Brooklyn-Queens Expressway 

Rashid Poulson is the Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where he leads a team dedicated to caring for one of New York City’s most vibrant waterfront landscapes. A Brooklyn native, Rashid first entered the field through the MillionTrees Training Program, gaining hands-on experience in arboriculture, urban landscape design, and ecological restoration. He joined Brooklyn Bridge Park in 2012 as a seasonal gardener and has since grown with the organization, serving as Gardener, Supervisor, and Deputy Director before stepping into his current role. Today, he oversees staff development, horticultural practices, and public engagement, while still keeping his boots on the ground in projects like the Pier 5 Berm. With more than a decade invested in the park, Rashid brings both deep knowledge and a personal connection to the evolving ecology of this urban refuge.

Bella Ciabattoni is the Deputy Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she helps guide the park’s ecological vision and leads a team dedicated to sustaining its diverse landscapes. She first joined the park in 2018 as a gardener on Pier 6, home to the expansive Flower Field, where she helped establish ecology-focused practices like spring cutbacks. Bella’s path into horticulture began at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s internship program in 2016, working closely with the Native Flora Garden and developing a deep commitment to public horticulture rooted in ecology. Before that, she worked in invasive species management with the National Park Service and other agencies across the eastern United States. Today, Bella brings that broad field experience to an urban setting, where she believes city parks can play a vital role in restoring habitat, supporting pollinators and birds, and connecting people with the wildness woven into their own neighborhoods

The Wild Idea is independently produced by Wild Idea Media. If you believe conversations like this matter, you can help us keep them going by subscribing, leaving a review, sharing the episode, or signing up for our newsletter at thewildidea.com. Together, we can protect what connects us.