Along with showing their support and helping to accept Syracuse’s Tree City USA Award, a team from Onondaga Earth Corps (OEC) shared recent OEC achievements with the audience. From left to right: Syracuse City Arborist Stephen Harris, OEC Crew Leader Shadrach McKinney, Crew Leader Taveon Stenson, Program Coordinator Meqdad Ali (in front), Office Manager Yvonne Chu, OEC Founder Eli MacDonald, and Crew Leader Maurice Harris. Syracuse has been a Tree City USA for more than 29 years. Photos Courtesy NYSDEC

On March 21 in Albany, NYSDEC and community leaders celebrated the commitment of NYS Tree Cities, Tree Line Utilities, and Tree Campuses to our collective urban and community forest. Six New York communities became Tree Cities USA for the first time in 2018: Canton, Lakewood, Middletown, Niskayuna, Orangetown, and Sackets Harbor. To learn more about becoming a Tree City USA, Tree Line USA, or Tree Campus USA, see the Arbor Day Foundation website. The ceremony also honored the winner of the 2019 Arbor Day poster contest.

Fifth grader Julia Hou from Minnesauke Elementary on Long Island submitted the winning Arbor Day poster for 2019 on the theme of “Habitats for Bats.” NYSDEC State Urban Forestry Program Coordinator Gloria Van Duyne is at far right.

A closer look at Julia Hou’s “Habitats for Bats” illustration.

Niskayuna celebrated its first year (2018) as a Tree City USA. Town Supervisor Yasmine Syed accepted the award with a colleague.

Con Edison Senior Specialist Scott Marotta accepted the Tree Line USA recognition for the utility.

Cazenovia College students and environmental advocates accepted the Tree Campus USA award for their campus. From left is NYSDEC State Urban Forestry Program Coordinator Gloria Van Duyne, Megan Hansen, student with name not visible, and Olivia Vosburg.

Poughkeepsie received a special recognition for being the first and longest running (40 years) Tree City USA in New York State. Accepting was Ginny Hancock, Chair of the Poughkeepsie Shade Tree Commission.

NYC Parks Communications and Digital Media Coordinator for the Division of Forestry, Horticulture & Natural Resources Charles Cochran and DEC Region 2 Forester Timothy Wenskus accepted NYC’s Tree City USA recognition for 2018.

Ellen Rosano (center) and Monique Wahba accepted the Tree City USA award for the City of Colonie, a Tree City for about three years now.