TREES
NEW YORK
May 2, 1998
TNY and Parks Department Recognize Citizen Pruner Contributions to NYC
On May 2, 1998, Trees New York and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation celebrated the 3rd Citizen Pruner Appreciation Day at Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The day was sunny and inviting and Citizen Pruners from all parts of the city came out to rejoice in each others efforts to increase the health and beauty of New York City's street trees. Pruning stories were swapped over breakfast and new street tree care partnerships were forged.
This year marked the first Annual Trees New York Arboreal Awards. The awards were given in honor of special achievements made by individual Citizen Pruners in aiding NYC's trees. Each award was named for a specific tree specie, whose essence was captured by the activities of the honored Citizen Pruner. Commissioner Henry J. Stern of the Parks Department attended the ceremony and after several words of encouragement to all the Pruners in attendance, presented the awards to this year's honorees.
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Commissioner Stern presents award to CP Joell Berson. |
| Treeture welcomes future Citizen Pruner. |
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The Trees New York 1998 Arboreal Award Recipients were:
The American Elm Award
Diane Fishman
The Callery Pear Award
Joel Berson
Susan Kalin
Margaret Parker
The Scholar Tree Award
Chris Mullholland
Michele Ashkin
The Ginkgo Award
Barbara Feldt
Mary Stenzel
The Honey Locust Award
Andre Van Hoeck
The London Plane Tree
Award
Asher Battino
Cathy Giuffuni
Diane Sargent
The Sweet Gum Award
Christine Donovan
Congratulations to all of this year's winners!
A final notable part to the day's celebration was the presence of a Treeture named Sprig. The Treetures are a community of small, imaginary tree characters who help relay the scientific concepts behind the growth and functions of a tree to children. Sprig is a treedom fighter who works to keep our forests safe and healthy. He protects old forests and helps to grow new ones. He was a big hit with all of the children in attendance and we hope he has helped to create the next generation of Citizen Pruners. We would like to thank Judith H. Blau, Inc. for bringing Sprig to our celebration. If you are interested in contacting the Treetures yourself, you can reach them at www.treetures.com.