Warwick Celebrates the Importance of Trees on Arbor Day 

By Lourice Angie

      On Fri., Apr. 30, the Village of Warwick Shade Tree Commission, the Warwick Valley Gardeners’ along with local officials and first grade students of Park Avenue Elementary School, assembled at the Hallowed Ground, located at the top of Forester Ave. and Galloway Rd. for a special tree planting ceremony as part of the annual Arbor Day tradition in Warwick. This year three trees were selected to be planted, an Ivory Silk Lilac tree and two Emerald City Tulip trees.  

“We chose these trees because they have large leaves that we lost here because the unsafe trees that were here had to be removed. The Ivory Silk Lilac tree will grow about 25 to 30 ft. tall  and wide,  but it has a big sort of  green colored orange flowers that will grow on it and they smell nice. It will attract butterflies and hummingbirds,” said Village of Warwick Shade Tree Commissioner Robert Scheuermann.    

The Village of Warwick is one of the oldest tree City communities in New York State and is now in its 37th year of being nationally recognized as a Tree City USA. Additionally, this is the 21st year that the Village is the recipient of the Tree City USA Growth Award, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S Forest Service and National Association of Foresters. 

  Warwick has long been  admired for demonstrating outstanding progress in the Community Forestry Program. The beautiful landscape views in the community are maintained by an environmentally dedicated group called the Warwick Shade Tree Commission. They are responsible for planting, feeding and nurturing the  trees throughout the Village and its parks.  

By partnering with the Warwick Valley Gardeners’ and Warwick in Bloom organizations, the Village has enabled a way to promote, educate and bring  public awareness to the importance of urban forestry. Village of Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard introduced several speakers who shared a few words with the first grade children during the tree planting. 

One of the speakers was Warwick Valley Gardener Patricia Reinhardt who explained the usefulness of trees that includes removing carbon dioxide, reducing air pollution, improving mental and physical wellbeing and providing a habitat for wildlife. She asked that the children promise to return to the planting site when they were older to visit the tree that they all helped plant. 

She also read a poem entitled, ‘Tree Hugging.’ Reinhardt highlighted the important roles of volunteerism within the community and commended the crew from the Village Department of Public Works (DPW) for their crucial role in digging the holes for the trees to be planted in and for maintaining all of the Village parks. 

    Each of the first grade students in attendance received a White Spruce Tree sapling to take home and plant with their families courtesy of Wadeson’s Home Center. For more information on the Warwick Shade Tree Commission, visit the Town website at www.townofwarwick.org.  To learn more about the Warwick Valley Gardeners’ visit www.warwickgardeners.com.  

The Village of Warwick celebrated Arbor Day on Fri., Apr. 30 at the Hallowed Ground Park located on Forester Ave. Pictured (from left) are:  Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton, Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard, Warwick Valley Gardener Patricia Reinhardt, & Warwick Shade Tree Commissioner Robert Scheuermann. 

Shown in the photo are crew members of the Village of Warwick Dept. of Public Works. The crew is responsible for digging the holes to plant new trees.  

Village of Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard helps first grade Park Ave. Elementary students plant an Ivory Silk Lilac Tree at the Hallowed Ground in Warwick on Arbor Day, Fri., Apr 30. 

First grade students who were  in attendance at the Arbor Day Celebration in Warwick each received a White Spruce tree sapling courtesy of Wadeson’s Home Center to plant at their homes on Fri., Apr. 30   

Park Ave. Elementary School first grader, June Ray is pictured with Village of Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard during a special tree planting ceremony on Arbor Day Fri., Apr. 30.