Greenwich Tree Conservancy Executive Director, JoAnn Messina,seen here in 2015 beside a dying tree in the Island Beach parking lot, will be part of an upcoming panel discussion for homeowners about how to
properly maintain and preserve trees, especially when it comes to construction
GREENWICH —The Greenwich Tree Conservancy is offering a course in Tree Planting and Maintenance 101 for homeowners — and others — interested in landscaping.
The conservancy will hold a panel discussion from 9:30 to 11 a.m. April 2 at Sam Bridge Nursery, 437 North St. Billed as “Calling All Tree Owners,” the free event will be the first in a series that will focus on best practices for planting and maintaining trees.
“This is something that will be for everyone,” Miriam Mennin, publicity chairman for the Greenwich Tree Conservancy, said. “This first program is going to really focus on the homeowners but overall this series will also be for real estate professionals and anyone who owns property and it’s for people looking to do landscaping. There’s going to be a lot of useful information for everyone.”
The panel will cover how to protect trees during construction, tips for dealing with design and industry professionals, information on how to mulch and feed trees and how to set up the best irrigation for healthy trees. Also on the list: selecting the right kind of tree to that can withstand a storm and not bring down power lines.
“We strongly feel this is a real need in our community,” Mennin said. “People need to know how to properly plant and care for trees. We have a wonderful urban forest in Greenwich and we all want to preserve it and add to the aesthetic benefit these trees bring us.”
Panel members include Steve Johnson from Sam Bridge Nursery and local landscapers John Conte of Conte and Conte, Brian Johnson of Hawthorne Brothers and Mark Greenwald of Maher and Greenwald Fine Gardens.
Greenwald will serve as the moderator for the event.
“This is something we’ve wanted to do for a while,” Greenwald said. “I’m a professional designer, and for years in Greenwich, I have seen bad decisions being made in terms of how homes are built. We want people to get the information they need to make better decisions on how to save and deal with trees during construction and regular maintenance. Doing this can make a real difference when it comes to dealing with storms or floods or other effects of nature.”
Future panel discussions, which are still in the planning stages, will be free of charge and open to the general public.
Pre-registration for the event is suggested and can be done online at www.greenwichtreeconservancy.com by emailing treeconserv@optonline.net or by calling 203-869-1464