Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, Council Members Jeff Russell, Tony Dolce, Brent Sheldon, Kim Ecklund, Parks Manager Dan Stone, City Council member Marie Carrubba, Acting DPW Director Mark Roetzer, City Council member Randy Daversa, and Jamestown Citizen at the Third Street Tree Planting (May 13, 2023)

Several dozen people showed up Saturday to help plant the 37 trees that now line the block of West Third Street where the former Cathedral Oak trees stood.

The “Re-Tree-Ing” event held by the Jamestown Parks Department was part of the annual Arbor Day celebration and designation of Jamestown as a Tree City USA for a 42nd year.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said it was unfortunate to have to remove the 100 year old oak trees back at the end of 2020, “That due to various issues of disease in the root systems, we started seeing trees fall down on properties. It was a very tough decision for the city. Since that time, we’ve been working with the community to redesign West Third Street and make it more of a gateway into the downtown core. And so we’ve been doing just that.”

The redesign project involved the replacement of sidewalks, driveway aprons, new candlestick lighting, and the planting of new trees on West Third Street between Hall and Hallock Streets.

It was funded using $500,000 in American Rescue Plan monies.

Parks Manager and Arborist Dan Stone thanked the many people involved over the years in parks and with the forestry program. He gave special recognition to Chautauqua Art Gallery owner Leslie Calimeri for putting together the Third Street Oak Trees Art Show, “It involved a bunch of other local artists and photographers in the city and throughout the area. With her project, most of these donations, the work that they did and what they sold it for, most of those people did not take money for it. They donated 100% back, or at least a good portion back, of what they had done.”

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist and Parks Manager Dan Stone recognize Chautauqua Art Gallery owner Leslie Calimeri with the Joan P. Shevory Citizen Forester Award (May 13, 2023)

The art show raised $2,341 dollars for the Urban Forestry Fund. Calimeri was presented with the Joan P. Shevory Citizen Forester Award for her efforts.

The trees planted Saturday include a combination of ‘Columnar’ Sargent Cherry trees, ‘Columnar’ Oaks, ‘Frontier’ American Elms, and ‘Sun Valley’ Red Maple.

The block of West Third Street from Hall Avenue to Hallock street will be closed starting at 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 13.

The Jamestown Parks Department will hold a ceremony at 9:00 a.m. at Healing Word Ministries Church recognizing the City of Jamestown as a Tree City for the 42nd consecutive year by the Arbor Day Foundation. Following the ceremony, a community tree planting will take place where four varieties of trees will be planted to replace the Cathedral Oak trees that had to be cut down at the end of 2020.

The trees will be a combination of ‘Columnar’ Sargent Cherry trees, ‘Columnar’ Oaks, ‘Frontier’ American Elms, and ‘Sun Valley’ Red Maple trees.

Motorists must use alternate routes of travel and, as always, motorists should use extra caution while driving near this area.

Jamestown Community College students and faculty celebrate Arbor Day, 14th Year as Tree Campus USA, and Certified Wildlife Habitat designation (May 4, 2023)

Jamestown Community College celebrated its 14th year as a Tree Campus USA by planting seven trees on its campus for Arbor Day.

Tree Campus USA is a national program that was created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management, and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. JCC received its first designation in 2009 and was the first community college in New York to achieve this designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation.

JCC Biology professor and Environmental Science Coordinator Janis Bowman was presented with the Joan P. Shevory Citizen Forester Award at the tree planting. Jamestown Parks Manager Dan Stone presented the award in recognition of Bowman’s work to get JCC designated as a Tree Campus and the work involved with keeping that designation.

Tree Campuses must plant at least one tree annually for Arbor Day; as well as create and update a tree management plan, maintain a tree committee, and a designated budget for trees and their maintenance. Student involvement through service learning projects or internships is also required.

JCC also has been designated by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Board President Becky Nystrom said the CWC has been working over the last year and a half to encourage people to create more sustainable habitats for wildlife in Chautauqua County, “It requires a certain amount of fresh water, and cover and nesting sites; and not using a lot of pesticides; and doing things more sustainably, planting more native plants to encourage all of the wildlife that depends on them.”

JCC Biology professor and Environmental Science Coordinator Janis Bowman receives the Joan P. Shevory Citizen Forester Award (May 4, 2023)

Nystrom said Chautauqua County has met nearly half of the requirements needed in order for the entire county to be certified as a National Wildlife Habitat.

Jamestown Community College students planted a Tulip Tree for Arbor Day in honor of receiving ‘Tree Campus’ designation for a 13th year.

Jamestown Community College celebrated its 13th year as a “Tree Campus” with a tree planting Wednesday.

JCC Biology Professor, Environmental Sciences Program Coordinator, and Earth Awareness Club Co-Advisor Janis Bowman said the tree planting is a requirement for the “Tree Campus” designation by the Arbor Day Foundation. They also have a Tree Committee and student-involved service project.

Bowman added being a “Tree Campus” is another part of the college’s commitment to sustainability. She said being mindful about climate resistance and climate change is important including increasing the diversity of trees on the campus and using the planting of trees that provide shade to reduce cooling needs.

Six trees were planted on the campus Wednesday, including an “Autumn Blaze” Maple, a Larch, “Bloodgood” London Plane Sycamore, “Silver Queen” Silver Maple, Turkish Filbert, “Cleveland Select” Pear, and Tulip Tree.

The Tree Campus Higher Education recognition signifies a college’s commitment to campus forest management and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. JCC became the first community college in New York to receive the designation in 2009 and has received it each year since. There are 403 campuses across the United States that have received this recognition.

To qualify, campuses must have met five standards set by the Arbor Day Foundation: maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project.

“JCC is proud to hold the Tree Campus Higher Education designation by the Arbor Day Foundation,” Daniel DeMarte, JCC president, said. “The college’s tree advisory committee updated its tree-care plan and will implement a comprehensive two-year initiative to address hazard mitigation, tree removals, and improve tree maintenance.”

“Tree Campuses and their students set examples for not only their student bodies but the surrounding communities showcasing how trees create a healthier environment,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Because of JCC’s participation, air will be purer, water cleaner and students and faculty will be surrounded by the shade and beauty trees provide.”

The Arbor Day Foundation has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus Higher Education colleges and universities invested more than $51 million in campus forest management last year. This work directly supports the Arbor Day Foundation’s Time for Trees initiative — an unprecedented effort to plant 100 million trees in forests and communities and inspire 5 million tree planters by 2022. Last year, Tree Campus Higher Education schools collectively planted 39,178 trees and engaged 81,535 tree planters — helping us work toward these critical goals.

More details regarding the college’s tree planting ceremony will be released closer to the event.

The planting, along with an official proclamation from Mayor Sam Teresi, will earn Jamestown national recognition as a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation for the 37th consecutive year.

The City of Jamestown has also received its eighth consecutive Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating progress in its community forestry program. The Growth Award honors environmental improvement and higher levels of tree care in Tree City USA communities.

Officials on hand said there are several benefits to having trees in a community:

• Trees promote healthier communities because leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particles.
• Trees moderate climate, conserve water and provide vital habitat for wildlife.
• Trees in urban areas reduce the heat island effect caused by pavement and buildings.
• Properly placed trees can increase property values, and buildings in wooded areas rent more quickly and tenants stay longer.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

The planting of three flowering cherry trees will take place on the grounds of the Robert H. Jackson Center, 305 East 4^th Street, to proclaim Jamestown a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation.  The City of Jamestown has earned this national recognition for 34 consecutive years.

JCC, the first community college in New York state to earn the Tree Campus USA designation, achieved the title by meeting five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning projects.

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Toyota, which helped launch the program, continues to provide financial support for Tree Campus USA.