nothin 100th Westville Tree Planted | New Haven Independent

100th Westville Tree Planted

David Sepulveda Photo

At the base of the freshly planted tree Thursday evening, a small plaque bore a circular medallion in an image of a tree. It was inscribed 100th Tree Planted 2012.”

The plaque was created to commemorate a milestone in work of the Westville Community Green Space Group, a local organization that began its work six years ago, transforming vacant curb lawn and masonry strips into handsome, tree-planted oases garnished with flowering perennials.

Neighbors gathered Thursday evening on West Rock Avenue across from Edgewood Park to plant yet another tree and mark a milestone in their efforts, the milestone noted in the inscription.

At Frio, the nearby gelateria that arguably scoops the region’s best gelato, a consortium of community groups and volunteers celebrated the planting of their 100th tree with champagne, delicious finger sandwiches and free gelato for early arrivals.

Volunteers who helped plant the last three trees included 10 participants from City Church who saw advertising by project collaborators, Westville Village Renaissance Alliance (WVRA), and decided to lend a hand.” Church members Kate and Matt Deciccio provided their 2‑year old daughter Lily with a firsthand experience in volunteerism and shoveling. Seth Poole, Democratic Party 24th Ward co-chairman and program director of the Boys and Girls Club, brought several young volunteers along as well. Also present was a core of volunteers and Westville Westville Community Green-Space Co-Chair Debby Evens, who have been steadfast in planting trees over the past five weeks — even through the heat waves,” according to WVRA executive Director Chris Heitmann.

The green space group’s founder, Jessica Feinleib of Westville (pictured at far left supervising the work Thursday night), was on hand at the event. She said that the idea for the group was born out of a personal experience but evolved into a full-fledged organization with funding and a mission six years ago.

During the festivities, Feinleib thanked volunteers and underscored the importance of their mission: What good will these 100 trees do, you may ask. They will provide much needed shade, enhance our sense of community, and slow traffic. They will provide our community with greater than six thousand dollars in benefits, 40,000 gallons of storm water runoff will be avoided, conserve 2500 kilowatt hours for cooling and reduce atmospheric carbon by 9000 pounds this year alone.”

Volunteer Lily DeCiccio, 2, digs in.

Feinleib recalled being pregnant at the time and struggling to navigating her way up Willard Street under the hot sun; she found little refuge and relief in the way of shade. Her reaction was to call the city to ask if trees could be planted along stretches of her travel route.

Though the city was unable to meet her request, Feinleib was put in touch with Colleen-Murphy Dunning, director of The Urban Resources Initiative (URI), an umbrella organization and not-for-profit university partnership whose mission is to foster community-based land stewardship, promote environmental education and advance the practice of urban forestry.”

The enduring partnership has since planted 100 trees in the Westville area including the strips fronting commercial shops in the village center, at Westville Community Nursery School, in front of the local firehouse, and in front of various residential homes.

WVRA Executive Director Chris Heitmann and URI Director Colleen Murphy-Dunning unfurl ties and roll back burlap.

Though the trees are free to recipients that agree to host “ them, there is a catch: Residents, business owners and not-for-profits are asked to take stewardship of the trees, watering, inspecting, and generally nurturing the specimens — especially during the critical first few years after transplanting. Trees are delivered by URI with underwriting of costs shared by the City of New Haven, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Yale’s Office of New Haven and State Affairs, and the United Illuminating Company.

Though Westville is regarded by many as a well-treed neighborhood, Google Earth, the satellite imaging system, helped determine gaps in tree canopies, according to Murphy-Dunning. Trees have a life span, some get diseased or damaged and eventually need replacing” she said.

Back-filling around tree 100, the Golden Rain tree.

One of the volunteers who helped plant trees, Mark Saron, seemed to sum up the commitment by many of the volunteers: If you don’t step up, it doesn’t get done, or those involved have to work three times as hard.”

Anyone one that wants to be steward of a tree should call 203 – 432-6189 or email URI here .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to request a Plant-a-Tree card. For those interested in signing up for future plantings or to request a tree-planting in their area may contact Westville Community Green Space Group coordinator Feinleib .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 203 – 444-1854.

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