By Kenneth Kowald
Readers who were around in the 1970s will recall the city’s finances were in such bad shape the state in effect took over the city and pulled it out of near-bankruptcy.
During those years, many citizens began to assume some of the functions government could no longer sustain. One of these was the care of our town’s street trees. A group of individuals and organizations formed what became in the early 1980s the active Trees New York, now 30 years old.
Along with then-City Councilman Henry Stern, those who formed what was first called the New York City Street Tree Coalition were Martin Gallent of Jackson Heights, a long-time member of the New York City Planning Commission, and Paul A. Kerzner of Ridgewood, a young attorney who for many years has been director of Con Edison’s Renaissance Housing program. Helping in the beginning of the Coalition were the Green Guerillas and the Council on the Environment of New York City, a semi-government agency.
Stern went on to serve two mayors as commissioner of the city Parks Department and remains active in civic affairs. Kerzner, a friend and former colleague of mine, continues not only the work, which has resulted in the planting of tens of thousands of trees in Queens, but is a major force in persuading the city Landmarks Commission to carve out a landmark district in Ridgewood. He is a fourth-generation resident of Ridgewood. Sadly, Martin Gallent died a few years ago. He is remembered as an outstanding city planner and advocate for open space and greening.
My first encounter with what became Trees New York was when I heard the words “citizen pruner.” This was an effort to save our street trees when city maintenance had hit a low point. Since then, the organization has approved 11,000 citizens to be licensed by the Parks Department to care for our street trees. These green activists are needed just as much today as they were when these courses began 30 years ago.
In Queens, courses are held at the Al Oerter Recreation Center at 131-40 Fowler Ave. in Flushing. It is a 12-hour course taken over several days. The fee is $100 and includes a comprehensive manual and other materials. A minimum of 10 students is required for each class. Topics covered during classroom time and the hands-on outdoor workshop include tree identification; tree biology; tree pit gardening; tree pruning; how to have a tree planted in your community; and information about the Asian longhorned beetle and other pests. This is a comprehensive and well-planned series.
Information about the fall classes can be obtained by calling Trees New York at 212-227-1887 or visiting treesny.org.
Trees New York today is much more than citizen pruner courses. It has a great outreach to city schools. It is a source of information on the benefits of trees for business. It publishes bulletins, which are excellent in their information and presentation.
I will write more about the work of Trees New York, especially in schools, in the next column.
