City of Forest Day 2024

Posted on Mar 9, 2024 | 0 comments


City of Forest Day 2024

The third annual City of Forest Day took place on Saturday, October 26th, 2024! Presented by Forest for All NYC in partnership with the Parks and Open Space Partners – NYC Coalition and NYC Parks, City of Forest Day is an annual day of activities across the city to raise awareness of the importance of the New York City urban forest, and the essential role New Yorkers play every day in caring for the “lungs” of our city.

City of Forest Day 2024 was a huge hit! We had a great time in Brooklyn with our Environmental Educator Christina McLaughlin leading a tree walk at the Evergreens Cemetery, a designated Level II arboretum. The weather was perfect for strolling through the grounds and learning about the many tree species that grace this unique green space. Citizen Pruners organized a pruner outing in Greenpoint using tools they checked out from the Greenpoint Library’s tool lending division, pruned several trees in the neighborhood. The group included pruners who’ve only had their license a few months and others who have been licensed for nearly a decade! It’s inspiring to see the Trees New York community taking the initiative to steward trees right in their neighborhoods.  We would like to thank the Brooklyn Greenpoint Library for organizing supplies and tools, and Council Member Lincoln Restler for sponsoring Citizen Pruner classes over the last few years in District 33.

In Queens, our Environmental Educator Sarah Balistreri created a self-guided tree walk on the 34th Avenue Open Street. One tree on each of the 26-block open street was labeled with interesting facts about the species, their ecological benefits, history, tree health, invasive species, and cultural connections to the trees. Over in Manhattan, our Arborist Sam Bishop joined our friends at the Carnegie Hill Neighbors Street Tree Care Committee for some street tree pruning and tulip planting in the tree beds. Together we cared for more than 20 trees in Carnegie Hill.

Thanks to support from our donors and The Nature Conservancy, Trees New York was able to provide supplies to event hosts in designated Environmental Justice Communities! We provided toolkits, 750 tulip and daffodil bulbs, and over 200 bags of mulch to organizations in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan. Stewarding the urban forest takes a village, and we are proud to support other community organizations as they lead tree stewardship in their neighborhoods.

To learn more about City of Forest Day 2024 and Forest for All NYC, listen to this short interview with WNYC host, Michael Hill, Trees New York’s Educational Educator, Sarah Balistreri, and Hannah Emple, Project Manager, with the Cities Team at The Nature Conservancy: https://wnyc-news.simplecast.com/episodes/the-trees-in-new-york-city-need-your-help

Many thanks to The Nature Conservancy, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and Prospect Park Alliance for their thoughtful leadership and support in planning City of Forest Day.