Greenwich Tree Conservancy

GTC in the Greenwich Time

From the Greenwich Time:

The Greenwich Tree Conservancy has planted trees at two parking lots in town in an effort to beautify the spaces and provide shade for sunny days.

The conservancy has been “greening” parking lots around town since 2018. This summer they planted 14 new trees at lots on William Street in Central Greenwich and Henry Street in Byram.

The conservancy works with Greg Kramer, the town’s tree warden, to select the right trees for each place.

“Parking lots are challenging environments for trees and Dr. Kramer selects ornamental and shade trees that suit a neighborhood’s aesthetics and can withstand the heat, air pollution and de-icing salts they may be exposed to,” the conservancy wrote in a press release.

In addition to providing shade, the trees also reduce water runoff from paved areas and improve air quality.

Read the full story at https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/greenwich-party-with-police-trees-autistic-19654939.php

Greenwich Sentinel – Notable Trees of Greenwich: A Greenwich Tree Conservancy Project

By Chery Dunson and Sue Baker, Advisory Board Chairs

Sue Baker measuring a National Champion European Larch Larix decidua.

Greenwich is fortunate to have an extensive tree canopy providing a vivid and kaleidoscopic display of color and form throughout our spring, summer and fall seasons. Trees line our streets. They stand in our parks, on our school grounds, and make up our woodlands. They adorn the yards around our homes. Trees provide benefits to town residents by shielding us from heat and cold, purifying our air and water and significantly reducing stormwater flooding. They soften the noise from ever increasing traffic and the visual impact of our urban built environments. Along with all this they provide food and shelter essential to birds and other wildlife.

Among the many thousands, there are exceptional trees notable for their great size, unusual species or historic or social significance. In the 1980s, the Connecticut College Arboretum established the statewide Notable Tree program, surveying towns across Connecticut. The program identified over 100 notable trees on public and private lands in Greenwich. If you are interested in learning more about the Connecticut College Arboretum Notable Trees project you can visit – http://oak.conncoll.edu:8080/notabletrees/

Until recently, the status of many of the Greenwich listed trees was unknown. Throughout the past year, the Greenwich Tree Conservancy has located many of these trees providing an update of the town’s listing. We have determined if the trees are still alive and healthy, their current size and status, or if they had been removed.

The process is straightforward. We reach out to property owners requesting permission to access their property to verify the status of the tree. A team of three volunteers locates each tree and takes measurements to determine the diameter of its trunk, the spread of its crown, and its overall height. Each of these measurements contributes to an overall rating as established by American Forestry Association. This information is provided to the CT College Arboretum in order to update the Greenwich listing. Among our town’s Notable Trees are Oaks, Horse Chestnuts, American Sycamores, London Planetrees and Japanese Zelkovas.

To date, we have verified the status of all the notable trees on public lands. Additionally, half of the private property owners have granted us access. We would like to thank the numerous property owners who beyond granting us access have enabled these notable trees to survive and thrive over the decades!

Some verified notable trees you can look for on public lands include a Sweetgum (Liquidamber styraciflua), Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) and Black Oak (Quercus velutina) in Bruce Park. A London Planetree (Platanus acerifolia) at the Board of Education building at 290 Greenwich Avenue. A Thread Leaf Japanese Maple (Acre palmatum‘Dissectum’ ), Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana), Thayer Yew (Taxus media ‘Thayerae’) and Sargent’s Weeping Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis ‘Sargentii’) in the Montgomery Pinetum in Cos Cob. An American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) at North Mianus School and a Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) on Sound Beach Avenue in Old Greenwich.

This is an ongoing project for the Tree Conservancy and we are now turning our attention to adding new trees to the CT College Notable Tree listing for Greenwich. If you have a tree on your property that you believe may be notable for its size, species or historic significance, or if you delayed responding to our letter, you may contact us at: arboretum@greenwichtreeconservancy.com.

To find out more about the Greenwich Tree Conservancy, visit us at: www.greenwichtreeconservancy.org.

We look forward to hearing from you!

This article originally appeared in the Greenwich Sentinel on Friday, August 16, 2024. Click here to view.

Greenwich Free Press: Town Tree Warden Rules Sympathetically to Decades Old Honey Locust on Greenwich Ave

Last Thursday Greenwich’s superintendent of Parks & Trees/Tree Warden, Dr. Greg Kramer held a zoom public hearing about a mature Honey Locust tree at 125 Greenwich Ave requested by the owner of Shreve Crump & Low to be cut down because its roots were impacting the sidewalk.

The tree, “Gleditsia Triacanthos” has a DBH (diameter at breast height) of 26 inches.

The tree is in front of Shreve Crump & Low.

First Selectman Fred Camillo testified that the issue with the sidewalk was a trip hazard and urged the tree be replaced.

Kate Dzikiewicz, director of the Greenwich Tree Conservancy, and the former director JoAnn Messina, as well as board chair Peter Malkin all spoke in favor of sparing the tree and figuring out a workaround.

Ms Messina the new Belgian block lined tree wells in the sidewalks all along Greenwich Avenue were a trip hazard.

Ms Dzikiewicz said the Tree Conservancy could assist with expenses of analyzing the tree roots and possibly installing ramps.

Several town residents also urged the tree warden to spare the tree.

[Story continues – read the full article at https://greenwichfreepress.com/news/government/town-tree-warden-rules-sympathetically-to-decades-old-honey-locust-on-greenwich-ave-220399/ ]

Welcome to Greenwich, Arhaus!

Arhaus, an artisan-crafted furniture company, has opened a new 5,300 square foot showroom in Greenwich.

“In celebration of the Greenwich showroom opening and in support of its ongoing Green Initiative, Arhaus will make a $10,000 contribution to The Greenwich Tree Conservancy Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the tree and forest resources of Greenwich. To learn more about The Greenwich Tree Conservancy Inc., visit GreenwichTreeConservancy.org.”

Read the full press release at Arhaus Announces Showroom Opening in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Thank you, Arhaus, for your generous contribution.

Arhaus is located at 45 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT.

Greenwich Sentinel: How the Greenwich Tree Conservancy builds a community of tree lovers and tree planters

By Anne W. Semmes

First Selectman Fred Camillo presents a “Town of Greenwich Certificate of Special Recognition” to JoAnn Messina for her “having served as founding Executive Director of The Greenwich Tree Conservancy for 17 years.” Photo by Francia Alvarez.

Just how a town can come together to green its public spaces with trees was plain to see last Friday at a gathering of some 55 Town Greenwich officials and nonprofit leaders in the Barn at the Greenwich Historical Society. The occasion was a “Goodbye” arranged by the Greenwich Tree Conservancy (GTC) for its long-serving executive director JoAnn Messina, retiring after 17 years from the inception of the GTC, during which 6,000 trees were added to the Town.

Read the full article at How the Greenwich Tree Conservancy builds a community of tree lovers and tree planters – Greenwich Sentinel

Greenwich Free Press: Greenwich Sustainability Committee Speaker Series – Save the Dates

Join the Sustainability Committee for informative and educational discussions on how the Greenwich Sustainability Sectors are responding to the challenges of the climate crisis.

The Speaker Series takes place at the Second Congregational Chapel from 1:00 – 2:30pm

Please visit our webpage: greenwichct.gov to sign up for our newsletter and follow us @greenwichsustainability to receive updates.

LAND AND WATER: September 28, 2023
Forests, Trees and Brain Health
Community Partner: Greenwich Tree Conservancy

WASTE REDUCTION: October 24, 2023
Waste Injustice: Impacts and Solutions
Community Partner: Waste Free Greenwich

COMMUNITY CULTURE: November 28, 2023
Building Ecological Climate Resilience Through Native Plant Landscaping
Community Partner: Greenwich Land Trust

FOOD SYSTEMS: January 30, 2024
Regionalizing the Food System in Response to Climate Change
Community Partners: Greenwich Community Gardens and The Foodshed Network

LEGISLATION AND ADVOCACY: February, 2024

BUSINESS: March 26, 2024
The Business Case for Sustainability: Why is it Important for Business to Adopt Sustainable Practices?

CLIMATE RESILIENCY: April, 2024
Climate Change Impacts in Greenwich: What Do We Need to Prepare For and How?

TRANSPORTATION AND AIR QUALITY: May 28, 2024
Spare the Air: Smog Season Starts with a Call to Drive Less and Landscape Responsibly

Contact Kim Gregory @ staglanefarm@yahoo.com with any questions.

Greenwich Sustainability Committee Speaker Series is in partnership with Coffee for Good and Second Congregational Church.

Original Source: Greenwich Sustainability Committee Speaker Series: Save the Dates | Greenwich Free Press

 

More info on this month’s event. To RSVP, email Kim Gregory at staglanefarm@yahoo.com.

CT Examiner: Connecticut Triples Budget for Tree Cutting Prompting Concerns 9.2.2023

In five years, Connecticut Department of Transportation’s budget for tree maintenance has nearly tripled in an effort to tackle what the department calls a “critical need” to address dangerous trees along the state’s roadways after years of drought and damage by invasives like emerald ash borer and gypsy moth.

But those efforts have raised the concerns of nonprofits dedicated to protecting some of the state’s trees and parkways who say that the department’s maintenance decisions can be haphazard and needlessly loss of mature trees.

CTDOT currently employs two Connecticut-licensed arborists within the Bureau of Highway Operations, and a department spokesperson told CT Examiner that four others on staff are in the process of obtaining a state arborist license. About 60 workers are assigned to tree maintenance.

Wes Haynes, executive director of the Merritt Park Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing and celebrating the National Register and National Scenic Byway told CT Examiner that his group’s relationship with the construction side of the Department of Transportation is cordial and productive, but the maintenance side is another story.

“We don’t work very well with [maintenance] on that,” Haynes said. “Sometimes, they will get their wrist slapped by us and they don’t misbehave for a while and then, all of a sudden, they are back to taking [mature] trees down.”

Haynes said he believes the disconnect between the construction side and the maintenance side might be due to where the money comes from.

“The key is that there is federal money in the construction projects that triggers our participation.” Haynes said. “There is usually not federal money in the maintenance of the parkway and, therefore, maintenance feels they are independent of being good stewards of the parkway.”

Haynes suggested that a lack of funding might encourage a broader-brush approach to highway maintenance.

“They take down trees that they feel have to be taken down, but we do not always agree with them,” Haynes to CT Examiner. “They take them down, I believe, because they are wildly underbudgeted and, so, they get one shot at it. And, they say, ‘Well even if the tree isn’t a problem now it’s going to be a problem in five years, but let’s take it down prematurely now. So, there is no real planning that goes into the maintenance sector. They are pretty independent of the rest of the agency.”

But in emailed answers to questions sent by CT Examiner, the department suggested that what may seem like needless cutting to the untrained eye is necessary for the safety of vehicles on the state’s roadways.

“Dead, diseased and decaying trees must be removed. Trees that have grown into the ‘clear zone,’ which is the safe space along the side of the roadway, are also removed,” department officials explained. “This is to save lives in the event of a crash or vehicle leaving the roadway. A car crashing into a tree is like hitting a brick wall. Seventy-two people died between 2020-2022 due to crashing into a tree or having a tree fall on their vehicle…. Healthy trees are not removed unless they impact the clear zone and roadway safety.”

According to CTDOT, the department’s budget for tree maintenance has increased from $4.9 million in 2018, to $13.5 million last fiscal year and the department has had no difficulties hiring workers or employing sufficient numbers of trained staff.

The department told CT Examiner that its crews and outside contractors supervise, inspect and ensure safety while tree removal projects occur, and a Connecticut-licensed arborist and environmental planner review maintenance projects that involve tree cutting. A licensed arborist is not required to be on-site following initial evaluation, however.

Still, Haynes and others say there is a disconnect and that there needs to be more communication between CTDOT and conservancy and other groups.

Haynes noted that the maintenance division will often attend meetings of the Merritt Parkway Advisory Commission and “sometimes they will mention they are doing tree work and sometimes they do not. It’s completely random.”

JoAnn Messina, who has served as executive director of the Greenwich Tree Conservancy for the last 16 years, told CT Examiner that she’s often found that the maintenance division was uncommunicative as far as the number of trees that are taken down.

Messina estimated that “hundreds” of trees along the highway of I-95, the Merritt Parkway and Route 1 in Greenwich have been removed in the past year.

“They are supposed to talk to the town and the tree warden; but they often talk in generalities,” Messina said. “We need more communication. They need to realize that there is a benefit to having trees for the environment.”

There are currently several tree removal projects that are either currently ongoing or that were recently completed on the Merritt, especially in the Greenwich area, and in western Connecticut on I-84; and along the Route 7 Interstate in Norwalk and New Canaan.

Haynes said he’s hoping the state’s vegetation guidelines can be updated and “that we can get a new state policy that will help us protect the trees that do not need to come down and also to replant the trees that have to come down with new trees.”

Haynes said: “I think these are all fixable problems. We just need a little more enlightenment within the DOT and a little more trust in that we are not just out there to save every tree that is a threat to traffic. We want to keep the character of the parkway and the character of the parkway includes mature trees and young trees.”

Steven Trinkaus, who has a degree in forest management and whose business, Southbury-based Trinkaus Engineering, conducts civil engineering work, told CT Examiner that CTDOT “seems to be doing randomized clearing” of trees, especially near the Newtown and Southbury area along I-84.
Trinkaus said trees, even along the highways, have benefits.

Trees up to 10 years old “sequester about 13 pounds of carbon per year,” said Trinkaus, while trees between 10 and 80 years old, which are what is normal in New England, sequester about 48 pounds of carbon a year.

“That is great for the environment,” he said. “Trees have many benefits in that they provide shade, trees intercept rainfall and they can take in carbon dioxide and give you oxygen back.”

 


Robert Storace 

Robert Storace is a veteran reporter with stints at New Britain Herald, the New Haven Register, the Connecticut Post, Hartford Business Journal and the Connecticut Law Tribune. Storace covers the State Capitol for CT Examiner. T: 203 437 5950

Robert.Storace@ctexaminer.com

This story originally appeared in the CT Examiner at: Connecticut Triples Budget for Tree Cutting Prompting Concerns – CT Examiner