April 29, 2022

VILLAGE & TOWN OF OSSINING CELEBRATED ARBOR DAY 2022 with Ossining High School!

Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg was joined today by Town Board Member Elizabeth Feldman, Assistant Village Manager Maddi Zachacz, Village Project Manager Jaimie Hoffman, Ossining Recreation and Parks Superintendent Bill Garrison, Althema Goodson, representing Chair to the Westchester County Board of Legislature Catherine Borgia, Superintendent of Ossining Union Free School District Raymond Sanchez, and Green Ossining Committee Chair Suzie Ross, to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Arbor Day in the U.S. An American Hornbeam tree was planted along Highland Avenue at Ossining High School, students from Ms. de Guzman’s Chorus performed alongside student group Lunch Revue, and Ms. Danielle Jackson’s Interactive Ecology class assisted with the tree planting.

“Planting a tree is a symbol of hope for the future,” said Superintendent of Ossining Schools Dr. Raymond Sanchez. “The tree will benefit future generations.” 

"When the question was raised of where we should celebrate Arbor Day this year, we immediately knew we wanted to work with Ossining High School,” said Mayor Rika Levin. “With every year that passes, the importance of respecting and understanding the integral role of trees in our ecosystem grows more critical. Who better to impart that message to us than this generation?”

“Ossining’s community Arbor Day celebration started under one of my predecessors, Town Supervisor John Chervokas, and he always sought to involve Ossining students in this important day,” said Supervisor Dana Levenberg. “I am so inspired by our young advocates and the work they do to remind us why it is critical that we do everything in our power to protect and preserve our environment and natural resources – there is no Planet B. Planting a tree is one small step we can all take this Arbor Day to make our earth a little greener, so let’s get planting!”

The program at Ossining High School compliments another partnership to teach the younger generations about the importance of trees; the Ossining Public Library, in cooperation with Ossining Recreation & Parks, created a Story Stroll through Nelson Park, across the street from Park Early Childhood Center, which debuted on Earth Day (April 23^rd, 2022).

In 2021, the Village of Ossining celebrated their 2^nd year, but with an added acknowledgement—this is the first year the Village has applied for, and won, a “Growth Award” through the Arbor Day Foundation, in large part as a result of a tree planting project funded by the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. Eighty native-species trees were planted in Nelson and Nelson Sitting Parks in May 2021, adding significantly to the urban tree canopy in the Village and reducing the “heat island” effect in surrounding neighborhoods. During this process, the Village Parks Department members learned about the planting and care of young trees, and were able to share with the broader community (in English and in Spanish) how to do the same.

The Town of Ossining celebrates its 22^nd year recognized as a Tree City from the Arbor Day Foundation. The Town has received three grants from the Urban and Community Forestry Program, with the most recent being a tree maintenance grant for Louis Engel and Ryder Parks. The first phase of this project was completed in the spring at Louis Engel Park, and the Town is planning a tree planting project at this park for the fall. 

For decades, Ossining Village and Town have been local leaders in environmental initiatives, evidenced by close partnerships with Sustainable Westchester and Green Ossining, the combined Town-Village committee that advocates for local sustainability initiatives. Each community also boasts a robust and active environmental committee, chaired and run by appointed volunteers, who encourage the Village and Town government to raise the bar on local environmental actions via legislation, operations and capital work. The Town and Village work collaboratively on many of these projects, and most recently have established a joint municipal Task Force to begin the process of certification through the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)’s Climate Smart Communities program. Both communities are New York State Clean Energy Communities, have passed legislation limiting the usage of gas-powered leaf blowers, are converting fleet vehicles and landscaping equipment to electric-powered models, and participate in Westchester Power, an opt-out collaborative buying program for 100% renewable electric power. However, in recent years, both communities have begun to invest more heavily in urban forestry, tree and plant management than ever before, while working to educate the community about the harm caused by invasive species, all in furtherance of preserving Ossining’s precious natural resources. 2022’s Arbor Day Celebration, in partnership with the Ossining School District, is another way to get the message out to a new generation.

Arbor Day has been celebrated in the United States since the 1800s, when pioneer J. Sterling Morton and his wife planted an abundance of trees, shrubs, and flowers in their new home in the Nebraska Territory, sharing their passion for trees and agriculture with their neighbors. In 1872, exactly 150 years ago, Morton proposed a tree-planting holiday to the Nebraska State Board of Agricultural, and with that, Arbor Day was born.