Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico reports:
iDig2Learn has professional tree species tag stakes for the trees of Coler
Hospital and Lighthouse Park. Come help us assemble them, learn about the trees
on the northern end of Roosevelt Island. Join iDig2Learn and enjoy light
bites and forest-themed body butter samples while supplies last.
These tags will be placed in the ground on October 26th for City of Forest Day
2024. This way residents and visitors alike can learn more about the vast
species of trees surrounding Coler Hospital and Lighthouse Park.
Light bites
by Poppa's Pantry, a sample of Niava's Body Butter, sweets by local baker Nia
will fuel us (while supplies last) as we learn about the latest efforts to
expand our urban tree canopy.
The iDig2Learn Instagram page shares some scenes from the past tree tagging at
Lighthouse Park.
Roosevelt Island resident and
iDig2Learn founder
Christina Delfico reports:
In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of the urban forest,
and the essential role residents play in caring for the “lungs” of our city,
while having fun doing so, three organizations –
iDig2Learn,
Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance
(MSTDA) and
NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler
(Coler Hospital) – are collaborating to host City of Forest Day on Roosevelt
Island.
This second annual event will be an enriching and inclusive celebration of
nature outdoors. The day includes a series of four activities, supporting
awareness of trees’ vital role in our local environment – they eat carbon
dioxide and release oxygen, provide shelter for birds and butterflies and
stabilize the land capturing rain during storm events, which reduces
flooding.
Roosevelt Island’s City of Forest Day details include:
WHAT: City of Forest Day
WHEN: Saturday, October 14 – 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.:
11:00 a.m. – join Gil Lopez of
Big Reuse to learn about
tree stewardship and participate in a community compost mulching activity to
blanket existing trees and enrich the soil (funded by
City Council Member Julie Menin) utilizing a truckload full of compost derived from the weekly resident food
scrap collection. As such, feeding the trees will be a direct result of the
Haki Compost Collective’s efforts – both those who volunteer supporting Big
Reuse’s weekly collection and the hundreds of residents who drop off their
food scraps.
12:30 p.m. – decorate hats using reclaimed paints with
RIVAA Gallery featured artist George Krassas and residents from Coler Hospital (note, all
materials will be provided)
2:00 p.m. – enjoy a 45-minute performance by Jody Sperling and Time Lapse Dance ensemble whose work “aims to investigate the relationship of the moving
body to the ecologies we inhabit through performance, media, education and
activism.” The company will perform two ecologically-themed works exploring
the connections between humans and their habitat: "Plastic Harvest," exploring
plastic proliferation; and, "Arbor," dwelling on the kinship between trees and
humans.
3:00 p.m. – connect with the local teen-led Plogging Club to learn more about
this invigorating and healthy way to keep our community clean
WHERE: Roosevelt Island Lighthouse Park, 910 Main St, New York, NY 10044 (the
northernmost tip of the island). Please note that in case of pouring rain, the
dance performance and art activity will take place indoors at the Good
Shepherd Church Community Center on Roosevelt Island, 543 Main Street, New
York, New York, 10044 (the dance performance will be upstairs and the art
activity downstairs). For up to the minute updates on these events, please
follow iDig2Learn on Instagram.
This celebration on Roosevelt Island is just one of over 70 taking place throughout New York City on October 14 to highlight the vital need to better
protect, maintain, and expand the New York City urban forest to benefit all
New Yorkers.
iDig2Learn is a part of
Forest for All NYC (FFANYC), a diverse coalition of over 115 organizations across business, nonprofit,
conservation, and environmental justice sectors that is working to expand the
tree canopy of the urban forest in New York City to 30% by 2035. FFANYC in
partnership with the
Parks and Open Space Partners
– NYC Coalition and NYC Parks is presenting this citywide.
As we celebrate City of Forest Day, iDig2Learn is thrilled to join with Coler Hospital and Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance to host this day on
Roosevelt Island. Island residents and visitors alike treasure the island’s
greenspace. No matter how you arrive – by ferry, subway, tram, bike, bus or
foot – you cannot miss the abundance of trees on the island, which have been
thoughtfully managed by the RIOC Grounds Team and partners Trees New York.
Since 2022, with the help of these outstanding local partners, we have added
100 new baby trees, growing the urban forest by focusing on species that are
known to support New York City’s habitat.
I am deeply thankful to our partners that support iDig2Learn’s
ongoing efforts and programs, including Green Roosevelt Island Neighbors
(GRIN), Girl Scouts, Roosevelt Island Garden Club and Coach Scot's baseball
players. I invite everyone – our existing supporters and those new to our work
– to join us for this joyful City of Forest Day to explore, celebrate and get
to know our trees and what they do for us so that we can do for them. Each of
the day’s activities has been designed to inspire us to do more to help our
trees thrive.
Roosevelt Island residents are very protective of their trees. Yesterday, some residents were worried that Roosevelt Island trees might be getting cut down at Lighthouse Park.
I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato:
I am told that RIOC is cutting down trees at Lighthouse Park today?
is that true?
What is the reason?
Any statement from RIOC on the matter?
A RIOC spokesperson replied yesterday that RIOC was not cutting down any Lighthouse Park trees but that Coler Hospital was removing and pruning approximately 32 damaged trees from their property. The RIOC spokesperson added that this was being done after consulting with Roosevelt Island Tree Board President Ali Schwaryi.
Image Of Coler Trees (Not Necessarily Trees Being Removed)
RIOC then issued this notification about the Coler trees:
Notification issued 1/13/2015 at 4:22 PM. Please be advised that as of today, Tuesday, January 13th, contractors have begun trimming and removing damaged trees on the Coler Hospital campus. This work is scheduled to be completed by next Tuesday, January 20th. This project is being undertaken by Coler Hospital and will occur entirely on their property.
UPDATE 1:35 PM - Rossana Ceruzzi shares these photos
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
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