This summer, a celebration of urban forestry took place within the magnificent urban environs of New York City.

 

Hosted by New York State Urban Forestry Council and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the 33rd Annual ReLeaf Conference was hosted by Manhattan University in NYC from July 15-17, 2026. The theme: “Caring for Trees in a Changing City. Attendees enjoyed inspiring presentations, lively conversation, opportunities to connect with colleagues…and the chance to explore some of the city’s finest forested oases.

Arborists learned how to adapt to meet current and future challenges, heard about grant projects and training programs that will move us toward our shared goal of greening our communities for the benefit of all.

The agenda kicked off with a welcome by New York’s State Forester/DEC Division of Lands and Forests Fiona Watt, who reminded the audience that “New York is the most forested state in the United States” and “has given more funding to urban forestry than ever before.” She scanned the room, saying, “The youth and freshness of you guys is really great.” She reminded participants that “fighting climate change remains DEC’s north star,” and emphasized that “we represent you.”

Lori Brockelbank, President of the NYSUFC Board, also offered a welcome, saying, “I love hearing everybody’s stories! What are you working on?”

Keynote speaker Marguerite Holloway, Director of Science and Environmental Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, offered remarks that were both pointed and poetic.

She told attendees about spending six years researching her book Take to the Trees: A Story of Hope, Science, and Self-Discovery in America’s Imperiled Forest, in order to write about “what it’s like coming into your world.”

She spoke about peoples’ shared passion for trees, and about learning to climb with the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop. She described participants perched together up in the branches of a European beech, saying that it was “very powerful to be so close to a tree.” A major theme was how crucial trees are to remediating climate change. “Trees tell the story of human impact,” Holloway said.

Breakout sessions followed. Ben Osborne and Ducep Moreno of NYC Parks described a successful “Climber Pruner Training Program” that helps city employees transition to tree jobs. Chris Borman, Liz Zink and Itai Jaffe spoke on the topic “From Canopy to Craft: Reimaging Urban Wood Waste as a City Resource.”

A panel convened to discuss “Urban Forest Plans for Changing Cities,” with a focus on NYC’s new Urban Forest Plan. Emily Nobel Maxwell of Nobel Cause Consulting stressed that “canopy data is also social data” and that “equity is crucial.” Julia Elfermann from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice talked of three goals: preserve tree canopy; plant more trees; cultivate stewards of the urban forest. One subgoal for stewardship, she emphasized, is expanding youth programs. Syracuse City Forester Steve Harris spoke about the evolution of the city’s master plan, released in 2020. Syracuse hired Davey Resource Group and “they looked under the hood” — followed by “a good robust process including public input and data analysis. “One of the things we know,” he said, “is where we want to plant trees. If you’re steadfast in that you’ll be successful.” The city is currently updating its tree ordinance and “creating a purpose-based planting plan that reflects city goals.”

During breaks, participants could survey items provided by regional ReLeaf groups.

It was a cheerful crowd.

Manhattan University students assisted.

Generous Conference sponsors included National Grid, Davey Resource Group, Daneeze Treez, Metro Hort Group, Natural Areas Conservancy, New York State Arborists, Rare Earth Nursery, Excelsior Urban Forestry and Local Nature Lab.

In the afternoon, attendees had their pick of field trips.

Some opted for a tour of Inwood Park with Tim Wenskus of DEC, and had an opportunity to immerse themselves in a grove of 200-year-old tulip trees.

A tour of 400-acre Woodlawn Cemetery was helmed by Elizabeth Hunter, Jonathan Clemente and Meg Ventrudo of Woodlawn, along with Herb Landmann of Davey Tree. Woodlawn is home to more than 6,000 trees and the final resting place of Gilded Age tycoons and jazz greats, suffragists and icons of the Harlem Renaissance.

Attendees could opt for a walk through nearby Van Cortlandt Park with John Kilcullen of NYC Parks, to see one of new York’s largest urban forests.

The group viewed a mammoth sycamore along with other NYC Great Trees, and prowled the shoreline of Van Cortlandt Lake.

Friday morning sessions included a presentation on advancing tree equity in the state by Becky Schwartz and Christina McLaughlin, both of American Forests.

The audience heard of case studies from Albany and Lancaster.

University of Connecticut professor Mayra Rodriguez Gonzalez spoke on “Growing Roots together: Participatory Action Research, Reciprocity, and Transformation in Urban Forestry.” She told the group, “when I get overwhelmed, I get involved in developing a youth program.” It’s important to remember: “it’s not only the ecological side, it’s the social side.”

In the same time slot there was a lively panel discussion of Community Reforestation (CoRe) grants. Brent Knapper, City of Kington Forester, offered, “Just because it’s green doesn’t mean it’s healthy,” while john Zeiger of New York Botanical Garden advised that “we have to be building a future forest…projects succeed or fail on maintenance.”

Since “most of our canopy is coming from existing trees,” he said, “it’s important to preserve them.”

A talk on “Preserving Trees During Construction in an Evolving City” illuminated some of the challenges of the process. Ariane Trani of NYC Parks said New York “has been protecting trees for decades, but new regulations gave the program teeth.”

A packed room had the opportunity to hear Georgia Silvera Seamans of Local Nature Lab deliver the closing presentation, on “The Arboreal Dimensions of Black New Yorkers.” She offered up some compelling history and focused on three tree champions: Harriet Tubman, Susannah Anthony Roberts and Hattie Carthan.

The first two involved themselves in the nurturing of fruit trees. Carthan, born in 1900, formed a group in 1967 to protect and plant trees on her block in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood. An 1886 magnolia she advocated for still exists, having received City landmark status in 1977.

All three women furnished inspiration befitting a tree conference taking place in the greatest city in the world — New York.