Community Victory for Nature
Fort Hill Park is a surprising oasis of natural beauty, a sanctuary for many native species of plants and flowers, located in Staten Island.
It was first considered for park status in 1923, but the measure failed. Seventy five years later, in 1998, a neighborhood group formed to save this rare parcel of land from impending development. The effort paid off in 2003, when the land was purchased and dedicated by NYC Parks as a passive park. Since that incredible day, Fort Hill Park proudly stands as a community victory for nature!
Just a Walk from the Ferry
Located at the crest of the highest hill in St. George – the neighborhood where the Staten Island Ferry docks
Fort Hill Park is a 15-minute walk uphill from the ferry, past borough hall and the St. George Theater on Hyatt Street, then two blocks up Fort Place. At the top of a staircase built into a stone wall that retains the front of the park, you will find this rare – almost one acre – woodland.
Our Mission
The goal for Fort Hill Park has always been to preserve and enhance the unique character of this historic wooded hillside area.
Since the world wide pandemic, the objective has evolved into something more, to both restore the park to a healthier ecosystem by removing harmful invasive plants, replacing them with native species that support wild birds, insects, reptiles and mammals and to create a space that provides beauty for park visitors.
In the summer of 2020, Fort Hill Park won a $500.00 City Parks Foundation Grant to begin a butterfly garden in the top corner of the park. Visionary Parks Horticulture Manager, Yvette Castro, initiated the idea. Volunteers planted over 300 tulip, daffodil and crocus bulbs as well as many wildflower seeds and roots.
The following spring, the same grant funded an Earth Day event, and Greenbelt Native Plant Center, a division of NYC Parks, donated almost 100 native plants!
Contact Us!
Fort Hill Park is thriving from community participation, and growing awareness about the importance of native plants and healthy forests for human life. Reach out for information about volunteering or other ways to continue supporting the park’s transformation!