Tree Stewardship Training at CCE Dutchess County

TREE STEWARDSHIP TRAINING IN SEPT & OCT

CCE Dutchess County presents a comprehensive 35-hour training program to address all aspects of tree care and pest management. This course is especially suited for Green Industry Professionals, Municipal Employees, Street Tree Commissions, Utility Arborists, Community Volunteers and Master Gardener Volunteers, although all are welcome. Click here  for more information.

ReLeaf 2019 in Pictures, Part III

Saturday’s keynote speaker, Andrew Revkin (pictured here with his partner, Lisa) brought an international perspective and images in his talk, “Forest Lessons in a Changing Climate.” Revkin is a celebrated environmentalist and musician who, fortunately for us, lives in the Hudson Valley. 
Davey Resource Group Urban Forester/Project Developer Sophia Rodbell serves on the Council Board and volunteered at ReLeaf registration.
Just a mile or so from Mount Saint Mary College is the lovingly designed and coneflower-filled national historic site of the storied Balmville Tree, a cottonwood (Populus deltoides) that was 316 years old when it became too hazardous to the public to stand.

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ReLeaf 2019 in Pictures: Part II

Young people shone extra bright at the 2019 ReLeaf Conference, injecting energy and enthusiasm into the gathering.

After Onondaga Earth Corps (OEC) Director Greg Michel presented about the OEC mission and programming, OEC youth spoke about their experiences. Pictured here, Onondaga Earth Corps Crew Leader Tajuddin (Taj) shared from the heart about his connection to nature and concerns for the environment.
Young Adult Crew Member Jahkella is new to Onondaga Earth Corps and spoke about what she hopes to learn this season.

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ReLeaf 2019 in Pictures: Part I

Thank you, NYSDEC staff and Region 3 ReLeaf volunteers, for your hard work putting together a superb ReLeaf Conference.

Recent SUNY ESF grads Amandy Cruty (left) and Nafisa Tabassum are working as urban forestry technicians this summer with Syracuse City Arborist Steve Harris. They attended ReLeaf 2019 in the Hudson Valley, at Mount Saint Mary College.
Council Executive Secretary Liana Gooding (far right) addresses the Council Board just before the start of the conference. On average, 34 members serve on the Board and come from all nine DEC Regions of New York State.
SUNY ESF alum Lew Cutler came from Syracuse and retired doctor Kathy Gaffney came from Long Island to attend ReLeaf 2019. The conference theme was “Urban Forestry in a Rapidly Changing World,” referring in large part to the intersections of urban forestry and climate change.
Gloria Van Duyne is the NYSDEC Urban and Community Forestry Program Coordinator and facilitated and presented at ReLeaf 2019. She and her team worked with Region 3 volunteers to put on the conference.

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Celebrating Brian Skinner August 3 at 11 a.m. in Ithaca

Dear Council Members & Friends,

There will be a celebratory gathering and tree dedication on Saturday August 3rd, 2019 at 11 a.m. in the F.R. Newman Arboretum at Cornell to remember Brian Skinner. His family will be present and this will be a chance to share funny and cherished stories about Brian.
Brian chose his own memorial tree, a ‘Bonfire’ sugar maple. It’s located in the maple section of the Newman Arboretum. Please see the map below and note where the little yellow and white icon is –that’s where the gathering will take place.
For questions please contact Lori at  lori.brockelbank@davey.com
You can get information about the Arboretum, which is part of Cornell Botanic Gardens, at cornellbotanicgardens.org.

Introducing NYC Nature Map!

Together with NYC Parks, the Natural Areas Conservancy recently launched a NEW interactive web map featuring New York City’s 20,000+ acres of natural areas. 

Take me to the map! >

Named NYC Nature Map, this map identifies the locations of these forests and wetlands and provides detailed information about their size, current health, and improvement projects. Users can sort information by borough, council district, or park. This new resource provides an in-depth look into New York City nature and the actions that NYC Parks, the Natural Areas Conservancy, and other partners are taking to conserve and restore it.

Check out NYC Nature Map’s recent feature in Curbed!

“We’ve been sitting on this huge treasure trove of information but we have not to date had a way share that information,” says Sarah Charlop-Powers, Natural Areas Conservancy executive director. “We are really interested in having this as a resource for people who are nature enthusiasts and also for people who can utilize this information for planning and budgeting, and thinking about nature as part of our city’s infrastructure and how to make our city more livable.” Keep reading…

What is Buffalo Rain Check? A Pictorial Introduction

Students in a summer program test out the porosity of the porous pavement installed in the bike lane as part of Buffalo Rain Check’s Kenmore Avenue Green Streets Project.

In addition to public works departments, many cities find a driving force for urban forestry is the water and sewer agencies who are responsible for managing stormwater. Buffalo Sewer is one such entity who is fighting for more tree canopy cover throughout the City of Buffalo through its Rain Check program. In partnership with residents, businesses, developers, and local institutions, Buffalo Sewer is finding myriad ways to capture and absorb water in the City and its spaces, with environmental justice and equity as a main priority.

Here’s a pictorial highlighting some of the projects. You can also take a virtual tour of eight ambitious green infrastructure projects in Buffalo through the Rain Check site.

Located at the foot of West Ferry Street on the scenic Niagara River, Broderick Park is steeped in history, most notably as a major terminus of the Underground Railroad between the United States and Canada. The park pays tribute to the people who crossed the water from that point to freedom in Canada and is listed as a designated Network to Freedom site by the U.S. National Parks Service, a national network of historic places and educational or interpretive programs associated with the Underground Railroad. Recent renovations to the park include new entrance features, a small performance amphitheater, a waterfront promenade, new shelters, and revised parking facilities—all with the intent to uplift the space as a public memorial to the incredible local history of the Underground Railroad. The City of Buffalo recently invested over $1 million in a range of renovations to the park, including updated parking facilities with green infrastructure elements. By using porous pavement in the parking areas, the pavement surface keeps over 124,000 gallons of stormwater from entering sewers in a typical rainfall event, protecting local water quality. The porous pavement looks just like regular asphalt but allows water to drain through the paved surface into a recharge bed and infiltrate into the soils below the pavement.

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NYSDEC Offering Round 15 Grant Information Sessions in August & Sept

NYSDEC Urban and Community Forestry

Grant Information Sessions

The NYSDEC Urban and Community Forestry program is pleased to present information sessions in preparation for the Round 15 grant. Funding for urban forestry grants will be available from the Environmental Protection Fund for projects throughout the state.

The application for funding is expected to be available in Fall 2019. Project categories include planting, maintenance, tree inventories, forest management plans, and education programs.

To assist potential applicants, information sessions have been scheduled at the locations and times below. For more information or to let us know you will be attending, call DEC Urban and Community Forestry at 518-402-9428, email andrea.nieves@dec.ny.gov or sign up online at tinyurl.com/UCFGrantInfo. Space is limited. For all UCF upcoming activities: www.dec.ny.gov/lands/30859.html.

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Village of Cassadaga & Lily Dale Assembly’s First Arbor Day Celebration

Cassadaga and Lily Dale residents planting a ‘Red Sunset’ red maple (Acer rubrum) at Cassadaga ball fields. Cassadaga and Lily Dale are located about an hour southwest of Buffalo.

An Arbor Day grant of $1000 and instruction from Council Board Member Lori Brockelbank helped the Village of Cassadaga (pop. ~610) and Assembly of Lily Dale (pop. ~275) celebrate their first Arbor Day on Saturday May 18, 2019.

The family-friendly event started at the Cassadaga Library with crafts for kids, free saplings, refreshments, and Lori’s presentation. Among other things, she covered the benefits of trees; Right Plant, Right Place; tree planting and aftercare; and dealing with deer, beaver, and salt. She also talked about job opportunities in the urban forestry field, which piqued the interest of Cassadaga Job Corps youth. The group then headed out to plant trees.

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