Programs
Citizen Pruner
TNY’s tree stewardship program is an extension of our signature Citizen Pruner Tree Care (CP) course, an intensive 12 hour program that trains volunteers to maintain street and park trees. TNY staff surveys the community and develops a work plan that guides the volunteers’ efforts. TNY provides customized professional supervision and support for the CP’s in publications, newsletters, phone, internet and field assistance. This approach optimizes the CP’s ability to maintain their neighborhood trees.
TNY is currently working in partnership with the Queens Parks Department to train Citizen Pruners. Volunteers accompany Parks Department personnel on special outings to care for Queens’ trees.
TNY also works with NYC Council members to care for trees in their districts. In 2007- 2008, Councilman Dan Garodnick sponsored stewardship training to plant and care for trees in Manhattan City Council District 4.
TNY, in partnership with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) is working in communities throughout the city that have low canopy cover and a high incidence of asthma and respiratory disease. Thanks to support by the New York Community Trust and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fifty-six (56) trees have been planted in East New York, Brooklyn, East Harlem, Manhattan, and in the Morrisania neighborhood in the Bronx. Local volunteers help plant the trees and are trained to care for them. In 2008 TNY will train youth groups in these high need communities in tree maintenance techniques. The program will continue through 2008/09.
- Citizen Pruner Forms
- Volunteer Work Form
- Registration Form
Youth Environmental Literacy Programs
Trees New York’s Youth Environmental Literacy Programs teach urban youth to protect, enhance and advocate for their neighborhood trees and environmental resources. Students participate in hands-on activities as well as classroom studies that expand their knowledge of the environment while advancing their reading, language and investigative skills.
TNY’s course curriculums are customized to accommodate students’ age and classroom schedules. Programs range from one to twelve sessions and include learning materials. Several New York State Learning Standards can be fulfilled by participating in our programs.
More Kids in the Woods
This summer, 18 high school students pioneered the Bronx Youth Urban Forestry Empowerment Program. This 7-week internship was created by TNY in partnership with the NYC Housing Authority, the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center and NYC’s Youth Services Employment Program. Funding was provided by the USDA Forest Service’s More Kids in the Woods grant program. The students conducted tree inventories using GPS technology, planted and stewarded trees in the South Bronx and took several field trips to parks and forests to increase their understanding of their local environment and related social issues through stewardship and advocacy activities.
Arborist Job Training
TNY’s successful Arborist Job Training Program, now in its 9th year, provides training for employment in the non-traditional career of urban and community forestry. Instruction for job training includes tree climbing with ropes and saddles and the use of power tools to prune trees. Our trainees have found jobs with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and private sector tree care firms in the metropolitan area. This program is made possible by support from the Greenacre Foundation.
In addition to our regular spring training program, TNY will train members of the Sustainable South Bronx’s Green Collar Jobs Program in 2008.
Asian Longhorned Beetle
TNY 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 damaged caused by ALB or other insect pests. Knowledgeable urban foresters analyze the caller’s report, and when deemed necessary, TNY 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 2007 the ALB was found on Prall’s Island, off the coast of Staten Island, soon after the ALB was spotted on Staten Island. TNY currently runs workshops about the beetle for residents of Staten Island.
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 TNY holds workshops on invasive pests for NYC community groups.
TNY is replacing trees removed due to ALB infestation on private property. A US Forest Service grant provided the funding that has made it possible for TNY to plant 295 trees lost to the ALB between 1999-2007. The program will continue through 2008.
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