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Gloria Van Duyne is New NYSDEC UCF Program Coordinator

Gloria Van Duyne recently became the new NYSDEC Urban and Community Forestry Program Director. We asked Gloria to share a little about herself, including her extensive experience within DEC.   

I was hired in 2005 by Mary Kramarchyk in DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program to develop web content and outreach materials. Most recently, I have been the DEC Division of Lands and Forests’ Web and Communications Coordinator, and I have authored several articles in DEC’s Conservationist magazine.

Before coming to DEC, I was the Executive Director at the Landis Arboretum in Esperance, NY. I’ve also worked for The Nature Conservancy in the Delaware Bayshore and for New York Parks and Conservation Association (precursor to Parks and Trails New York), and I’ve volunteered for a variety of organizations. I was the editor of the Taking Root newsletter the last few years it was in print.

I have a Master’s degree from Antioch New England in Natural Resource Management and Not-for-Profit Administration. 

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Sally Kellogg’s New Position with Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve

Sally and her boyfriend Jon live together on Long Island.

Sally Kellogg left her NYSDEC Urban Forestry Partnerships Coordinator position at the end of December. “I’m sad to be leaving my urban forestry family but excited for the next chapter in my life,” she says. Sally had worked in the department since July, 2012.

Sally and her boyfriend Jon purchased a home on Long Island in September, 2018. Last week, Sally started working for the Long Island South Shore Estuary program, which is administered by the Department of State. The program oversees the health of 75 miles of estuary coast, known as the South Shore Estuary Reserve, from the Queens/Nassau County line eastward about 75 miles to the Village of Southampton in Suffolk County.

Sally’s education at SUNY Stony Brook (class of 2012) prepared Sally well for this position: she majored in Environmental Science with concentrations in Marine Environment and Environmental Law. And of course, her years of experience in the DEC urban forestry program will also serve her well. “I know the skills I developed and partners I met while in the urban forestry program will translate to the new position,” Sally says. “I look forward to the new challenges and experiences.”

The Council is going to miss you dearly, Sally. You are very highly esteemed in this organization, and we wish you nothing but the best!

David Moore Finalist for ADF Trailblazer Award

David Moore on his way to a presentation to the Oakland City Council.

NYSUFC Past President David Moore is a finalist for an Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) Trailblazer Award, which recognizes an individual under the age of 35 who has demonstrated leadership in forestry, community forestry, research, or tree care during the past five years.

Our Council nominated David for this award, citing his many impressive accomplishments. ADF summarized some of the highlights from the nomination:

  • The title of Senior Tree Supervisor at the City of Oakland, California belies David Moore’s age and accomplishments. During his tenure at New York City Parks, David developed a sophisticated system of tree species selection that is a model for urban foresters across the country, and he served as co-chair of the MillionTreesNYC committee. He also served as president of the New York State Urban Forestry Council from 2015-17, where he was highly regarded for his organizational and leadership skills.

Early in 2018, David and his wife, graphic designer Leyla Moore, moved from NYC to Oakland after David accepted the position as Senior Tree Supervisor in the city’s public works department. He has been busy with the new position and with David and Leyla’s first baby, Shepard.

For 2019, ADF identified 25 finalists for six awards. The winners of ADF Awards will be announced prior to National Arbor Day on April 26, 2019. Since 1972, the Foundation has presented annual awards for work at the international, national, state, and community levels to recognize conservation efforts such as tree planting and care, Arbor Day celebrations, education, community projects, and roadside beautification.

Apply for 2019 Arbor Day Community Grants!

2019 Arbor Day Community Grant Notice

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The NYS Urban Forestry Council is pleased to announce available funding for small communities to have a 2019 Arbor Day tree planting event and to establish a community-based forestry program. This funding has been provided by the USDA Forest Service (and is NOT associated with the Arbor Day Foundation nor is part of the NYS DEC EPF community grants program).

Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to communities or non-profits (that work in partnership with communities) to celebrate Arbor Day 2019 by both planting a tree (or trees) … and forming a volunteer tree committee or tree board within the municipality. To be considered for a grant, please complete and return the application and requested documentation.

Besides planting trees, the intent of this grant is to help promote and establish a meaningful community forestry program. Communities that are currently a Tree City USA or those that have any component of the Tree City USA program, such as a tree ordinance, tree board, tree inventory or management plan are ineligible. Previous NYS Arbor Day Community Grant recipients are also ineligible. 

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Top Seven Blog Posts of 2018

In 2018, among our most-read blog posts were tributes to the Council’s beloved Pat Tobin and Brian Skinner, who passed on from this world, and to former NYSDEC Urban Forestry Program Coordinator Mary Kramarchyk, who left for a new career opportunity. Excluding those special tributes, the following were the most-read blog posts in 2018.

#1 Transplanting and a Deeper Look at “Fall Hazards”

Encore! Originally published on the blog in 2015, this post continues to be highly relevant to our blog readers. It was the most-read blog post in 2018 (more than 1600 views) AND in 2017 (more than 1400 views). Former NYC Director of Street Tree Planting Matt Stephens and NYSUFC Editor Michelle Sutton coauthored this story questioning commonly held beliefs about “fall hazards,” mostly as it applies to B&B trees, but they also discuss the interaction of the fall season with other production methods, like bare root. Nina Bassuk helped craft the section called “The Five Branches of Transplanting Success,” which will be of interest to anyone planting trees.

#2 Pyrus, We Have a Problem: National Perspective on the Runaway Callery Pear

Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana and its cultivars) is now a problem in parts of the country where we thought ourselves immune. Why are self-sterile cultivars of Callery pear producing fruit? One way it happens is when fertile pear understock sprouts, flowers, and produces viable pollen. Another: by the late 1990s, the introduction of new Callery pear cultivars beyond ‘Bradford’, cultivars like ‘Aristocrat’ and ‘Chanticleer’, led to an unexpected dilemma: in areas where large numbers of Callery pears were planted, the self-sterile cultivars starting pollinating one another. Then came the fruit, then came bird dispersion of the fruit … and “Pyrus, We Have a Problem.” 

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SMA Announces 2019 Urban Tree of the Year

American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) coping admirably well with the heat on the student union patio at Virginia Tech. Photo by Eric Wiseman

Each year, members of the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) vote for the SMA Urban Tree of the Year. Praise for this year’s winner, American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), came from fans in states as far-flung as Wisconsin, New York, Virginia, and Texas.

Here, we hear from the Council’s Dr. Nina Bassuk at Cornell and from her colleague, Dr. Eric Wiseman at Virginia Tech. You can see the full list of SMA Urban Trees of the Year going back to the program’s inception in 1996 here.  

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ReLeaf 2018 Conference Presentations Online

Weren’t able to attend ReLeaf at Rochester last summer? Or attended, but want to revisit content from these popular sessions? The links to the 2018 presentations are here: 

Remembering Brian Skinner

Brian at left with his children Melissa, Tracy, Kevin, and Brianne and six of his eight grandkids. Brian’s wife Diane took the photo.

If you haven’t had a chance to send in a reflection, editor Michelle will be happy to add it. Please send to editor@nysufc.org. 

There are two rich profiles of Brian on the blog that you might like to visit. A popular profile from 2014, and Brian’s reflections on his career from the time of his semi-retirement from National Grid. There’s also a post about Brian receiving the first-ever Heartwood Award for service to the Council. 

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