Federalgrantmoneypaidformaturetress
purchasedfromlocalnurseries.
Thestatenurseryalsoworkswiththe
AmericanChestnutFoundation,producing
seedlingstohelpprolongtheexistenceofthe
chestnut.
ItassiststheAlbanyPineBush
CommissionandtheWiltonWildlife
Preserve.
“Wearedoingtwothingsthere,”Leesaid.
“We’reassistingthecommissionand
preservebycleaningseedfromthespecies
theycollect.Wealsoaregrowingnative
speciesfromaroundtheirareas.”
BlackAshtoclassrooms
CHECKINGTHESEEDLINGS—PEFmembersDavidLeeandMichaelEchtner
Thetreenurseryhasaroleinpreserving
examineseedlingsattheSaratogaTreeNursery,where1.2millionseedlingsaregown thecultureoftheSt.RegisMohawkTribe.
andsoldannually.
Leesaidthetribemembersusethebark
Saratogatreenurserysupports
fromtheBlackAshtreetomakebaskets
andbowls.Theycollecttheseedsfromthe
trees,thenurserygrowstheminto
seedlings,andreturnsthemtothetribeto
statewideneeds
plant.
“Theypayusalittleforseedlings,butit
isacooperativeeffortandwearehelping
Story and Photos
themmeettheirneeds,”Leesaid.
By DEBORAH A. MILES
Educationalinstitutionsfrompre-schools
Oneofthethingspeoplecommenton
tocollegesalsoplayapartatthetree
whentheyvisitupstateNewYorkisthe
nursery.Leesaiditpromotesaschool
numberoftreesliningthehighways,
seedlingprogram,providing50free
glorifyingneighborhoodsandblanketing
seedlingstoeachschoolthatapplies.
themountains.Fromthesoutherntipof
“Teacherscanworktheseedlingsany
theCatskillstothenorthernpointofthe
waytheywantintotheircurriculum,”Lee
Adirondacks,thetreesappearendlessand aroundapondorriver,that’swherewe
said.“Lastyear,approximately600schools
breathtaking. comein,”Leesaid.“Wesellourseedlings
applied.”
Butmostpeopledon’trealizeNewYork atcost,andtheyareabletodosoil-
hasjustonestatetreenursery,nestledin erosioncontrol,buildawildlifehabitat,
Thefuture
SaratogaCounty,where1.2million plantasoundbarrierorhedgerowfor
“There’salotoftalkofhavingthestaffat
seedlingsaregrownandsoldannually.It privacyorasawindbreak.
thetreenurseryhelpcreateagreen
openedin1911andisstate-funded. “It’simportanttoprovidenative
infrastructurebylookingatnative
ThenurseryisoperatedbyPEF seedlingstoNewYorkresidentsto
alternatives,”Leesaid.”Wehavetheability
memberDavidLee,aforester2,who maintaintheuniquehabitatandgenotype
andexpertisetoidentifyviablealternatives
overseesastaffof10full-timeemployees ofthespeciesfoundinthestate.Ifa
totheentirenurseryindustryinNewYork.
and45seasonalemployees. persondoesn’tknowtheseedsource,they
Wecandotheresearchandpropagate
“Wedon’tcompetewiththeprivate couldendupplantingmaterialsthatare
nativeplantstoproducelinerstock,which
sector,”Leesaid.“Ifyouarelookingfora notsuitableforNewYork’sclimatic
canbepurchasedbyprivateindustrythat
nicetreeforyourbackyard,wedon’thave conditions.Ourprogramensuresweare
cangrowbiggerspecimensforpeople’s
anyavailable.Ourmissionatthestate preservingthestatehabitat.”
homes.
nurseryistofillthevoidthatexistson
“Youcanlosealotofyourtreeswhen
smallerstock.” Riverbankstochestnuts
thereisdroughtorharshwinters.Our
Thesmallerstockconsistsof1-3- Youcanseetherewardsofthe
nurserytakesawaytheriskfromtheprivate
year-oldseedlingsproducedon200acres. Saratogatreenurseryaroundthestate.
sector.That booststheeconomyofthe
Mostoftheseedsusedaregathered ItdonatesseedlingstoTreesforTribes,
state.”
fromseedorchardsandseedproduction aHudsonRiverEstuaryWatershed
areasmaintainedbythestaff. programthatkicked-offin2007to
Thenurseryhasanoperatingseed revegetateandrestorestreamsidebuffers
extractoronthepremises.Italsohasthe thatprotectwaterquality.
know-howtoclonecertaintreesto Hundredsofvolunteersfrom
produceageneticallysuperiortree. neighborhoods,communityand
Leesaidtheseedlingsaresoldtostate environmentalgroupsandprivate
residentsatanaffordablecost,andalso industryplantednativetreesandshrubs
areusedinstateprojects. alongmorethan31,500feetofstreams
“Ifapersonpurchasedanoldfarm andriversintheHudsonValley.
w
fie
w
ld
w.
w
pe
it
f
h
.or
n
g
ovegetation,ornoplants Thenurseryprovidedfreeseedlings.
TheCommunicatorOctober2009—Page17
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