Williamsburg's former Naval Cemetery becomes NYC's first internationally accredited botanic garden
It's easy to forget you're in an industrial part of Williamsburg until you hear the roar of the nearby Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
But tucked beside the highway is a 1.8-acre native plant meadow now recognized as New York City's first internationally accredited botanic garden.
The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative's Native Plant Sanctuary opened in 2016 at the former site of the Naval Cemetery, transforming an overgrown and abandoned lot into a green space filled with native plants and wildlife.
"I really do like to learn about the plants that are here and to interact with them," visitor Jules Montoya said.
The sanctuary marks its 10th anniversary in 2026. Hunter Armstrong, the executive director of the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, said the thriving ecosystem is an example of what can happen even in a heavily developed area.
"We created this native plant meadow, and it's thriving with wildlife. And so you wouldn't necessarily have assumed that would be possible next to an expressway in an industrial park and an environmental justice community," Armstrong said.
Armstrong said the sanctuary was accredited over the summer by Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the world's largest plant conservation network.
The designation makes it the first internationally accredited botanic garden in New York City, leaders said.
"I think it makes a very compelling story for returning parts of our very developed city back to nature," Armstrong said.
The land has a complicated history.
The site was once the cemetery of the Brooklyn Naval Hospital.
"It officially was designated as a cemetery plot in about 1838," said Avvah Rossi, director of horticulture for the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative. "The last burial was 1910."
Most of the bodies were relocated about a century ago, but historians believe human remains are still on the property.
"At least 500 bodies remain on site...the plants themselves are a memorial," Rossi said.
Today, the meadow is planted with native wildflowers designed to withstand flooding and survive without irrigation.
Brooklyn Greenway Initiative leaders hope the sanctuary can serve as a model for sustainable planting in other unused parcels across New York City.
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