By Peter Lyons Hall

WARWICK, N.Y. — Shovels, wheelbarrows and plenty of enthusiasm were on display Saturday, Nov. 7, when volunteers from Green Thumb Industries (GTI) joined the Town of Warwick Tree Commission for a tree planting and mulching day at Wickham Woodlands.

Over the course of the morning, 15 volunteers planted several diverse species of trees, including northern red oak, zelkova, cherry, and sunset maple, and spread mulch around all the newer and existing trees along the walkway, helping protect their roots heading into winter. Later they planted two kwanzan cherry trees at Cascade park.

“We’ve partnered with GTI volunteers for three plantings now, who have been extremely helpful and enthusiastic. The plantings are meant to grow into shade trees that will shade the walkway. In summer it can be pretty hot. Shade trees will make the walkway much more comfortable. Some previously planted trees are already having that effect,” said Emmerich.

The partnership is not new. In April 2024, GTI sponsored four of the five trees planted along Transformation Trails at Wickham Woodlands for Earth Day: a katsura, a tupelo, a swamp white oak and a yellowwood. They were joined by the Tree Commission, Sustainable Warwick and AGRISCULPTURE. Since then, GTI volunteers have become regular, eager hands at Commission plantings.

Thank you to GTI volunteers

The Tree Commission wishes to publicly thank the Green Thumb Industries volunteers for their energy, hard work and commitment to Warwick’s trees. Their help with planting, mulching and site cleanup lets the Commission’s all-volunteer membership do far more than it could alone. GTI volunteers have already said they plan to continue their support this spring, and the Commission looks forward to welcoming them at its Arbor Day celebration, next year.

Next up: two maples for Mountain Lake Park

The Commission is planning to plant two sugar maple trees at Mountain Lake Park, near the park’s cabins. The 85-acre former Kutz Camp, acquired by the Town in 2020, is now a busy community park with a lake, pools, a lodge and event spaces. As the maples mature, they will shade the cabin area in summer and add fall color for the families and groups who use the park. Why planting trees matters

Tree planting is more than beautification. Decades of research by the U.S. Forest Service and others shows that community trees deliver measurable benefits:

Cleaner air and better health. Trees absorb gases such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide and trap fine particles. In the first nationwide estimate, U.S. Forest Service scientists calculated that air pollution removal by trees saves more than 850 lives a year and prevents about 670,000 cases of acute respiratory symptoms.
Cooler summers. Shade and the moisture trees release through their leaves cool the air and surfaces around them. Well-placed trees can cut building cooling costs.
Less runoff and erosion. Leaves and bark intercept rain, roots help water soak into the soil, and trees slow stormwater before it reaches streams and lakes. That matters at a lakeside park like Mountain Lake.
Carbon storage. Trees pull carbon dioxide from the air and store it in their wood, and they store more as they grow.
Wildlife habitat. Native maples feed pollinators with some of the earliest spring flowers and give birds places to nest and shelter.
Mental well-being. A study of nearly 47,000 adults, published in JAMA Network Open in 2019, found that people living in neighborhoods with at least 30 percent tree canopy had 31 percent lower odds of psychological distress than those with little or none.
Stronger communities. Tree-lined parks and streets draw people outdoors, raise property values and give neighbors a shared project. Saturday’s volunteers are proof of that.

A tree planted today keeps paying back for generations. A healthy maple can live well over a century.

Get involved

The Town of Warwick Tree Commission is an advisory board that counsels the Town on planting and caring for trees on public property. It also runs a Memorial Tree Program and an annual Arbor Day celebration with the Warwick Valley Gardeners. Residents, businesses and groups interested in volunteering or sponsoring a tree can contact Karen at 845-986-0151 or visit townofwarwickny.gov.

Photo credit: Kurt Emmerich