Earth Day 2025 Event Recap at Hudson Park Children's Greenhouse
On Earth Day 2025, Hudson Park Children's Greenhouse had the pleasure of hosting a group of senior citizens from the Hugh Doyle Senior Center. The event was organized by Hudson Park Children’s Greenhouse. The senior group was under the supervision of Carrie Deppong, Recreational Supervisor of New Rochelle Parks & Recreation. The seniors arrived via shuttle bus and gathered in the Greenhouse for an afternoon filled with engaging activities and informative sessions.
Activities and Presentations:
1. Tree Disk Stencil Artwork: Upon arrival, the seniors participated in creating tree disk stencil artwork on paper branded with "Hudson Park Children's Greenhouse" and "Earth Day 2025." This creative activity set a positive tone for the day.
2. Welcome and Gifts: Arborist Ken Almstead and Thomas Itty from Almstead Tree Company greeted the group. Thomas distributed branded tote bags, white pine saplings with planting and care instructions, coffee cups, and pens to all attendees.
3. Educational Presentation: Ken Almstead delivered an insightful PowerPoint presentation covering various topics:
o Tree Maintenance and Diseases: Ken discussed tree diseases and their treatments, which included vaccinating trees in a variety of ways.
o Career Insights: He shared his journey in the arboriculture field, highlighting the evolution and improvements over the years.
o Tree Communication: Ken fascinated the audience with information about how trees communicate with each other socially in forests regarding weather and water both in underground networks, chemical signals and electrical impulses to share nutrients, warn and support each other.
o Climate Adaptation: He explained the importance of planting tree varieties that can withstand changing climates, ensuring their survival for the next 100 years. He said now in the northeast they are planting tree varieties that used to only be planted in the south of the United States. He said that Vermont is having trouble making maple syrup and now Canada is the primary producer, due to changes in the weather.
o Urban Tree Planting: Ken emphasized the necessity of adequate tree wells in urban areas, specifically in New York City, where they must be at least 10’ x 5’ for trees to thrive, otherwise the city won’t plant them.
o Tree Health Assessment: He described how his company assesses tree health and the criteria for determining a tree's viability. They have a variety of tools that use sound or very thin drills to test the trees core.
Special Guests:
- · Sara Doyle, City Council Member: Sara highlighted New Rochelle's ongoing tree inventory project and mentioned an upcoming meeting at the library to discuss the initiative further.
- · Vince Parise, Commissioner of Parks & Recreation: Vince also attended, showing support for the event and the importance of community engagement in environmental education.
Event Success:
The event was a great success, with 10 volunteers from Hudson Park Children's Greenhouse assisting throughout the day. The seniors enjoyed their brown bag lunches and actively participated by asking insightful questions. The positive feedback indicated that the attendees found the experience both enjoyable and educational.
Ken Almstead concluded by mentioning that his company conducts 12 similar educational events annually, emphasizing their commitment to community outreach and environmental education.