A Many-Limbed Campaign to Protect Rye’s Trees

The Environmental Advocacy Group of Rye (EAGR) is launching a major “Protect Our Trees Campaign” to promote the planting, maintenance and retention of trees throughout the community. The campaign includes education, tree planting, and updating the City’s tree code.

Trees are essential to our environment. They are crucial to the production of oxygen, the absorption of greenhouse gasses, the conservation of soil, the mitigation of problems caused by heat from summer sun and by cold from winter wind, and they provide protection against flood damage and toxic runoff into Rye’s watershed and Long Island Sound. Yet in recent years, the number and health of trees in Rye has declined, due to storms, removal, environmental stress, invasive pests, and the wrong kinds of trees being planted or being allowed to grow.

The main event in the campaign’s educational project will be a Trees For Rye public forum to be held at the Rye Free Reading Room Tuesday, February 3, at 7:30 p.m. The keynote speaker will be arborist and arboricultural entomologist Rick Harper of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Westchester Office. His presentation will feature the many advantages of promoting healthy “urban forests,” as well as address the various problems that can be caused by trees and how to deal with them.

The campaign began January 11 with the opening of an exhibit at Wainwright House entitled “Trees For Life.” On view through February 8, the exhibit features paintings of trees and woodland landscapes by Pelham artist Elasah Schaff-Smith. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the paintings will support Rye’s tree planting project, as will future art exhibits at Wainwright.

The Trees For Rye program was started in 1993, and through 2006 had planted nearly 600 trees. In light of the severe flooding in recent years and the decline of street trees in the Indian Village area, EAGR has determined that the first Trees For Rye project in 2009 will be done there. Landscape designer and EAGR member Annie Gaillard has conducted a tree survey of the area and will be working with City officials and residents to determine where trees or shrubs would be most effective along public streets. They are consulting with tree professionals from New York and Connecticut to determine the proper species of tree for each location.

The third component of EAGR’s project is to strengthen Rye’s tree ordinances. To ensure trees are protected and properly cared for, it is essential that the City Code is updated. The Conservation Commission/ Advisory Council will work with the Planning Commission and City Council to make code changes where appropriate.

In the campaign, EAGR is partnering with local garden clubs, landscapers, City planning and arboriculture staff, the Conservation Commission/ Advisory Council, the Rye Nature Center, The Marshlands and Edith Read Sanctuary, and Wainwright House. Anyone interested in helping or wanting more information about this community project should email Ashley Craig at ashleycraig@verizon.net.