Birch Trees by Emma Bomba
On Saturday, May 21, Supervisor Marybeth Majestic proclaimed the day as Arbor Day in Gardiner at a ceremony held outside Town Hall. This was Gardiner’s second annual Arbor Day event spearheaded by Kim Mayer of Climate Smart Gardiner (CSG). Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1872 and quickly achieved national recognition as concern for preservation and conservation of trees grew in response to the reduction of many woodlands to “tree-stump forests”. Now, Arbor Day is celebrated annually around the world to promote the planting, care, and conservation of trees.
Two other planting events were held on the same day. A Trees For Tribs (TFT) planting took place in Gardiner Park, located next to the transfer station. The TFT event, coordinated by Tara Hoey and Rebecca Carrucci of CSG and supported by grant assistance from NY DEC, planted 370 trees and shrubs to prevent erosion and to improve water quality of the Wallkill River. This was made possible with the help of over 60 volunteers, including students from Lenape Elementary School and Wallkill High School Science Club. At the Gardiner Library, Angela Sisson of The Wallkill Valley Pollinator Pathway Program, an initiative of the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, organized the First Annual Native Plant Sale and the installation of the library’s pollinator garden.
Mayer stated, “Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan listened to constituents” and awarded Gardiner a grant for the 2022 Arbor Day planting. Bloom Landscape Design and Fine Gardening, Rosedale Nursery, and Lowe’s provided services and supplies. The Gardiner Highway Department, supervised by Brian Stiscia, prepped the site along Main Street and planted the trees. Volunteer Tree Stewards, Simon Garcia and Sofia Carucci, will maintain and care for the trees. The entire Arbor Day celebration was a free and family-friendly event. There was music by The Tree Huggers, a musical group that writes and sings original songs “to inspire people to take action to save this earth”, a tree ID Scavenger Hunt, and artwork and poetry by Lenape Elementary School students inspired by trees. While all the student’s efforts were wonderful, for lack of space only one poem and one art piece are featured here.
TALL TREES: A poem by Emma Sebold
Tall trees waving in the sky
Rustling in the wind
Earth’s best friend
Eagles’ home
Swinging on branches