Forests, Plants, and Land Conservation News

This month's topics:

• 2021 Arbor Day Posters Now Available
• Spring Seedling Sale Ends May 12
• Tips and Tricks for Water Gardens
• I Love My Park Day 2021
• 17-Year Cycle Will Emerge in Neighboring States in May
• Residential Brush Burning Prohibited in NY Through May 14
• Urban and Community Forestry Corner
  • Upcoming Events
  • Community Highlight - Honeyoye Falls

2021 Arbor Day Poster

Congratulations to Dave Marshall of Webster, NY (pictured) who snapped this year’s winning Arbor Day poster photograph! Dave’s photo was selected from more than 300 beautiful photograph and artwork submissions.

This year’s posters are now available to the public. You may contact your local DEC office to find a local distribution point or arrange for a pickup.

And save the date – Arbor Day is Friday, April 30 this year! Whether you’re an individual, a family, or a community, DEC has tips to help you celebrate safely and responsibly.
Visit our website for ideas.

Spring Seedling Sale Ends May 12

The DEC Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery's annual spring seedling sale is open until May 12. No matter your vision for your land, the nursery has hardy, NY-grown trees and shrubs to satisfy any planting goal.

You can plant trees and shrubs to:

• beautify your backyard
• build a windbreak
• create privacy
• stabilize streambanks
• provide shelter and food for wildlife
• help slow climate change
• and so much more

The nursery is shipping orders now through early May. Visit DEC's website to browse species and learn how to order.

Tips and Tricks for Water Gardens - Find the Right Plants

Spring has officially sprung and the time to start planning or caring for your water garden is here! Whether you’re a backyard pond enthusiast or just now starting to think about building a water garden, our Guide to Water Gardening in New York State is here to help you find the right species.

Here are some tips and tricks that can help you prevent the spread of invasive species while maintaining a successful water garden:

• Place your garden upland and away from waterbodies to prevent storms or flooding from washing away any plants or animals.
• Choose native species when possible and avoid invasive species. Our water gardener's guide can help you plant the right plants.
• Before planting, always rinse off any dirt or debris from your plants—including potential eggs, animals, or unwanted plant parts and seeds—preferably in a sunny location away from water.

Photo: White water lily by Joseph A. Marcus, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

I Love My Park Day 2021

I Love My Park Day—the largest single-day volunteer event in NYS—will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2021! With the ongoing pandemic, this year will look a little different, but will be modified for a safe, in-person I Love My Park Day event. Parks & Trails NY, in partnership with State Parks and DEC, will be hosting a more contained, two-day event on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2.

Find an event near you on our website and sign up today!

17-Year Cycle Cicadas Will Emerge in Neighboring States this May

This year, entomologists predict large populations of cicadas to appear across 15 states for a few weeks beginning around mid-May. This “Brood X” is a periodical group of cicadas that emerge every 17 years, with New York being the most northern extent of the range. In historic emergences, the population has only reached Long Island but the most recent cases in NY have seen low numbers or been non-existent. NY will most likely not see many cicadas but our neighbors to the south and west could see billions.

These cicadas are native and harmless, though their egg-laying can cause minor damage to some tree branches. If you see any, please leave them be. While Brood X is on a 17-year cycle, in NY we also have annual emergences of other native cicadas. We can expect to see normal numbers of those insects this summer. And if you listen closely, you can even identify the species by their song!

For more information on Brood X and cicadas, visit the Cicada Mania website or view the University of Connecticut website for a map of historic Brood X locations. For questions about sightings in NY, you may email DEC at foresthealth@dec.ny.gov.

Photo by Jon Yuschock, Bugwood.org

Residential Brush Burning Prohibited in NY Through May 14

The annual statewide ban prohibiting residential brush burning began March 16 and will run through May 14. Conditions for wildfires are heightened in springtime, and this is when most wildfires occur. You can view DEC's Fire Danger Maps on our website to see current fire danger ratings by region.

Open burning of debris is the largest single cause of spring wildfires in New York State. When temperatures are warmer and the past fall's debris and leaves dry out, wildfires can start and spread easily and be further fueled by winds and a lack of green vegetation. In 2020, DEC Forest Rangers extinguished 192 wildfires that burned a total of more than 1,122 acres. In addition, firefighters from local fire departments, many of which are volunteer, all too often have to leave their jobs and families to respond to wildfires caused by illegal debris fires.

New York first enacted strict restrictions on open burning in 2009 to help prevent wildfires and reduce air pollution. The regulations allow residential brush fires in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring when most wildfires occur. Campfires using charcoal or untreated wood are allowed, but people should never leave these fires unattended and must extinguish them. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round. For more information about fire safety and prevention, go to DEC's FIREWISE New York webpage.

Forest Rangers, DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs), and local authorities enforce the burn ban. Violators of the State's open burning regulation are subject to criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-800-TIPP DEC (1-800-847-7332), or report online on DEC's website.

Urban and Community Forestry News

Arbor Day is April 30! Spring is a great time to plant a tree and celebrate Arbor Day. Check with your community to find out about Arbor Day events and volunteer opportunities near you.

Upcoming Events

Arbor Day Virtual Celebrations

Ask an Arborist – Live Q&A – Tuesday April 27 at 7 p.m. - How can you take the best care of your trees? What’s the right way to prune a limb? How do you know when to call a professional? And what is an arborist anyway? Join the NY Urban Forestry program and NY-ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) for a live question and answer session with certified arborists to answer these questions and more! This event is free but registration is required in advance.

Facebook Live: Arbor Day Tree Planting – Village of Liverpool - Wednesday, April 28 at 11:30 a.m. - Join the Central NY (R7) ReLeaf committee for a tree planting in celebration of Arbor Day. The committee, in partnership with the Village of Liverpool and Cornell Cooperative Extension Onondaga County, is planting a few trees for Arbor Day at the Liverpool Willow Museum and streaming the event live. (Weather date: Friday, April 30 at 11:30 a.m.). Join the Facebook event to get a reminder.

Facebook Live: Preparing to Plant a Tree with DEC – Friday April 30, time TBD (watch our Facebook page for time announcement) - So you want to plant a tree on your property but you don’t know where to start? Join us for a Facebook Live all about how to pick the perfect spot for a tree, all the things to consider, and what species to plant! We’ll talk about all the parts that come together to get the right tree in the right place.

May ReLeaf Webinar series

Climate Change and Community Forest Programs - Thursday, May 6, 12 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. - Join NYS ReLeaf’s Hudson Valley committee for a webinar on Climate and Community Forest programs – ways to implement your vision. This lunch time webinar will introduce you to programs that can help your community get climate smart and prepare your community forest for the future. Angelica Patterson (master science educator, Black Rock Forest and PhD candidate Columbia University) will talk about how plants are responding to warming climate and the factors driving climate-induced tree migrations, while Andy Hillman (arborist, urban forestry consultant, NYS Urban Forestry Council) will present a selection of trees from other regions evaluated for the northeast and the importance of considering hardy cultivars for future climates, and Dazzle Ekblad (Climate Change Office, NYS DEC) will introduce the Climate Smart Communities program and how to get started with Climate Smart programs in your community. Registration is free but required. Register on Webex.

Electrical Hazard Awareness Training - Thursday, May 13, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Join NYS ReLeaf’s Finger Lakes Region committee for a virtual electrical hazard awareness training with Dr. John Ball. This virtual training program will be interactive and cover a range of safety-related topics essential for arborists working near energized overhead power lines. This workshop will provide a certificate of attendance in partial fulfillment of the OSHA and Z133 training requirements for arborists working 10 feet or closer to energized conductors. Registration is free thanks to the Finger Lakes Region ReLeaf committee. If you are a supervisor with staff attending the training who will need certificates but plan to do a group-viewing of the webinar, you must contact us in advance to coordinate certifying attendance. Registration is free but required. Register on Webex.

Moving Forward: Resiliency Through COVID - Friday, May 14, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Join NYS ReLeaf’s NYC Committee for presentations and break out room discussions on urban forestry in NYC through the last year, and how we can apply lessons learned to moving forward. This workshop will include two break out room sessions in which attendees will be grouped with 10-15 other attendees and a facilitator to discuss between presentations. Speakers include Susan M. Donoghue (president, Prospect Park Alliance and Prospect Park administrator), Adrian Benepe (president, Brooklyn Botanic Garden), and Sam Bishop (director of Urban Forestry and Education, Arborist, Trees New York). Registration is free but required. Register on Zoom (thanks to NYC Parks for hosting this webinar).

Furthering Urban Forestry Programs through Grants and Partnerships - Tuesday, May 18, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Join NYS ReLeaf’s Leatherstocking Region Committee for a workshop on the power of grants and partnerships in furthering municipal urban forestry programs. Presenters will provide information on DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Grant Program and the importance of engaging other interested organizations to help fund and foster a successful program in your neck of the (urban) woods. Urban Forestry Partnership Coordinator Christina Mclaughlin will provide an overview of state and federal funding, along with advice and tips for improving your grant applications. City of Watertown Planner Mike DeMarco will discuss Watertown’s experiences with DEC’s UCF Grant Program and other local groups involved in helping to further Watertown’s urban forestry program. Alana Tucker from the Arbor Day Foundation will talk about the importance of partnerships, and how to find and build connections. Registration is free but required. Register on Webex.

Community Highlight - Honeyoye Falls

The Village of Honeyoye Falls was a brand new Tree City USA in 2020. The pandemic postponed the Arbor Day celebration they had planned for last year, which would have included an environmental fair featuring groups and activities. But the Village Conservation Board didn’t let that stop them and put together a socially distanced and masked drive-through seedling giveaway in the spirit of Arbor Day!

Photo: Last year's socially-distanced seedling giveaway event