Programs
MillionTreesNYC Stewardship Corps
TreesNY is the Manhattan Stewardship Coordinator for the MillionTreesNYC Stewardship Corps Initiative. TreesNY holds volunteer tree bed care workshops and maintenance outings throughout Manhattan to ensure that newly planted trees receive the water and care needed to thrive in the urban environment. Participants learn tree care basics and receive toolkits to aid their stewardship efforts. Activities include tree bed clean up, weeding and mulching, cultivating soil, planting flowers and watering.
Since joining the MillionTreesNYC Stewardship Corp in 2009, TreesNY has held 26 volunteer stewardship events throughout Manhattan. As MillionTreesNYC Manhattan Stewardship Coordinator, TreesNY has worked with nearly 600 individuals and tended to about 500 trees.
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Citizen Pruner
Trees New York's Citizen Pruner Tree Care Course trains New Yorkers in tree care and pruning. The comprehensive curriculum covers street tree basics, street tree identification and street tree care. The course consists of eight hours of classroom training and four hours of hands-on experience in the field. The two-hour long classes meet once a week for four consecutive weeks, and for four hours of field training on a Saturday. Classes are held in the spring and fall of each year at 6 locations in all five boroughs. The course fee is $100 and includes a comprehensive manual and other materials.
Upon successful completion of a final exam, participants receive a license that certifies them to legally work on trees owned by the City of New York. This includes street trees and most park trees, excluding parks that have their own conservancies such as Central Park and Prospect Park. Certificates are issued by Trees New York and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. In New York City where there is limited money for tree maintenance but significant need, Citizen Pruners provide a tremendous benefit to our urban environment. Certification must be renewed every five years. Trees New York offers a renewal exam by email or regular mail at no additional charge.
Youth Environmental Literacy Programs
TreesNY’s Youth Environmental Literacy Programs engage students in hands-on activities as well as classroom studies that expand their knowledge of the environment while advancing their reading, language and investigative skills. The innovative curriculum emphasizes the benefits of urban trees and how youth can improve the health of NYC’s urban forest with a focus on community advocacy, tree biology, tree identification, invasive species identification and tree bed gardening.
TreesNY’s youth programs range from one to ten sessions for youth of all ages and include learning materials. Several New York State Learning Standards can be fulfilled by participating in our programs.
Trees Mean Business
In 2001, Trees New York conducted a study to analyze and document the economic impact of trees in commercial districts in New York City and New Jersey. The study measured the value that consumers place on green commercial sites. The study demonstrated that green infrastructure complements the economic vitality of commercial districts, while providing regional benefits that improve the quality of life for people living in the area. A healthy commercial district will influence merchants' decision to buy or rent commercial space, attract customers and encourage customers to stay longer and return.
TreesNY's Trees Mean Business Program assists Business Improvement Districts and Merchant Associations enhance their commercial district through tree-related projects.
TreesNY provides tree maintenance and stewardship workshops to volunteers, business owners, building managers and maintenance personnel.
Workshops are designed to provide the information and tools needed to effectively care for trees. Activities include: pruning dead and damaged tree limbs, planting flowers in tree beds, weeding and mulching, cultivating soil and watering.
TreesNY also provides consultation services ranging from site evaluations to streetscape improvement projects. Services include:
•Acquire permits
•Plant trees
•Plant flowers and bulbs
•Inventory existing trees
•Enlarge tree beds
•Install street furniture (bike racks, tree guards and planters)
Arborist Job Training
TreesNY’s Arborist Job Training Program provides underemployed and unemployed New Yorkers with vocational training, employment and microenterprise opportunities in the non-traditional career field of urban and community forestry. Since 1998, this program has had tremendous success in placing our trainees in entry level jobs with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, ConEdison, and nurseries and landscape companies throughout the metropolitan area. On the grounds of Battery Park, participants gain a competitive edge in the emerging green economy by developing highly specialized skills, including tree climbing with ropes and saddles and using power tools to prune trees.
Asian Longhorned Beetle
TreesNY has operated the Asian longhorned beetle/invasive species hotline since 1998. Thanks to grants by the US Forest Service, NYC residents can call 1-877-STOP ALB to report sightings or damage caused by ALB or other insect pests. Knowledgeable urban foresters analyze the caller’s report, and when deemed necessary, TreesNY forwards the information to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to schedule an inspection. Many ALB infestations have been identified and addressed through the hotline.
In addition to the ALB, the hemlock woolly adelgid and the emerald ash borer both pose a serious threat to NYC trees. Invasive species information is a major topic of the Citizen Pruner curriculum and TreesNY holds workshops on invasive pests for NYC community groups.
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