The town of Niskayuna and the Niskayuna Tree Council held its annual Arbor Day event this year on Sat., April 23 from 11:00 am-1:00 pm at the Niskayuna Town Hall.
A tree planting ceremony was held where Town Supervisor, Jamie Puccioni, and Town Board Member John Della Ratta read the annual Tree Proclamation and spoke about the benefits of trees in our community. A Stellar Pink Dogwood was planted, and a Rising Sun Redbud will be planted within the next week or so.
The Stellar Pink Dogwood has beautiful pink flowers. Four showy pink bracts open on each bloom, giving it a cascading blanket of color. The leaves are dark green, turning a rich purple-red color in the fall.
The Rising Sun Redbud has beautiful fuchsia pink blooms in the spring, and heart-shaped, tri-colored leaves that start as yellow, orange, and apricot and change to lime-green when the weather gets hot. Both trees attract many different species of birds and butterflies.
Tree Council members handed out over 300 trees and shrubs of 17 different varieties to local residents. Local Girl Scout Troop # 2292 helped Tree Council members prepare the trees for the event. Arbor Day events also included a Great Arbor Day Hunt where families located the town Arbor Day trees from past years and turned in their results for prizes.
In addition, there were several booths including the Environmental Clearinghouse (ECOS), Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Pollinator Gardens, Schenectady County Soil & Water Conservation District, Pesticide Free Lawns, and Niskayuna Safe Streets. We were also pleased to have Niskayuna High School represented by 2 clubs: The Environmental Club and Habitat for Humanity.
A craft activity of making paper trees from brown paper shopping bags was led by local Girl Scout Troop # 5021 and was lots of fun for the children who participated.
Thanks to all who came out to support the event and plant and care for the trees in our community—making Niskayuna a special place to live!