The Trees of Gov颅er颅nors Island: Effec颅tive颅ly Man颅ag颅ing an Urban Forest
Dec 16, 2021 9:21 pm
Vol颅un颅teers from Black颅stone plant颅i颅ng trees on Gov颅er颅nors Island; pho颅to by Sar颅ma Ozols.
Guest post by Mal颅colm Gore, Senior Gar颅den颅er at the Trust for Gov颅er颅nors Island
Effec颅tive颅ly man颅ag颅ing the col颅lec颅tion of both his颅toric and new trees on Gov颅er颅nors Island is crit颅i颅cal to cre颅at颅ing a healthy, func颅tion颅ing, cli颅mate resilient ecosys颅tem that will sur颅vive鈥夆�斺�塧nd thrive鈥夆�斺�塮or years to come. In July 2021, the Trust for Gov颅er颅nors Island an Urban and Com颅mu颅ni颅ty Forestry Grant by the New York State Depart颅ment of Envi颅ron颅men颅tal Con颅ser颅va颅tion (NYS DEC) through the Urban and Com颅mu颅ni颅ty Forestry Grant Pro颅gram that will help devel颅op, among oth颅er ini颅tia颅tives, a Com颅mu颅ni颅ty For颅est Man颅age颅ment Plan for the Island.
In the sum颅mer of 2020, Trop颅i颅cal Storm Isa颅ias took out sev颅er颅al large trees on Gov颅er颅nors Island and dam颅aged many more. After cleanup was com颅plet颅ed, the Hor颅ti颅cul颅ture team at the Trust began to dis颅cuss replant颅i颅ng trees to replace the lost canopy and to add bio颅di颅ver颅si颅ty to the island through the intro颅duc颅tion of new species. Math颅ews Niel颅son Land颅scape Archi颅tects were con颅tract颅ed to cre颅ate a canopy plan for the His颅toric Dis颅trict on the North Island.
They began by con颅duct颅ing a sur颅vey of exist颅ing trees and their con颅di颅tion and longevi颅ty, con颅sult颅ing his颅toric Island plant颅i颅ngs and maps meet颅ing reg颅u颅lar颅ly with the Hor颅ti颅cul颅ture team to dis颅cuss which kinds of trees would do well in var颅i颅ous loca颅tions. Gov颅er颅nors Island is a tru颅ly sin颅gu颅lar envi颅ron颅ment with颅in New York City, and care must be tak颅en with respect to the char颅ac颅ter and land颅scape design of the Island鈥檚 sep颅a颅rate areas and their expo颅sure to a chang颅ing cli颅mate, includ颅ing ris颅ing sea lev颅els and more intense storms.
The NYS DEC-sup颅port颅ed for颅est man颅age颅ment project will con颅tin颅ue the work under颅tak颅en by Math颅ews Niel颅son by sur颅vey颅ing all the trees on the Island and cre颅at颅ing a com颅pre颅hen颅sive for颅est man颅age颅ment plan. This data is cur颅rent颅ly being col颅lect颅ed and will sup颅port the Trust鈥檚 efforts to con颅tin颅ue adding new genus颅es and species of native trees to the Island鈥檚 unique urban for颅est to safe颅guard against a mono颅cul颅ture鈥夆�斺�塭nsur颅ing that, in the future, no sin颅gle type of tree will be dominant.
A mono颅cul颅ture of land颅scape trees is dan颅ger颅ous because, if a new pest or dis颅ease arrives, it could poten颅tial颅ly kill all the trees of a sin颅gle species and dras颅ti颅cal颅ly alter the char颅ac颅ter of a land颅scape. For instance, in the mid- to late-20th cen颅tu颅ry, many Amer颅i颅can towns lost almost all of their canopy and street trees when Dutch Elm Dis颅ease swept through the Unit颅ed States and killed most Amer颅i颅can elms that had been plant颅ed in rows across the coun颅try. The Trust鈥檚 ongo颅ing for颅est man颅age颅ment plan will be inte颅gral to the health of the trees on the Island and will help inform staff and vis颅i颅tors alike of best prac颅tices to ensure all new颅ly plant颅ed trees will suc颅ceed in their for颅ev颅er homes on Gov颅er颅nors Island.
The Com颅mu颅ni颅ty For颅est Man颅age颅ment Plan in Action
In Fall 2021, a cor颅po颅rate vol颅un颅teer group from Black颅stone plant颅ed 40 of these new trees on the his颅toric North Island鈥夆�斺�塧 morn颅ing of work that was a cul颅mi颅na颅tion of a year鈥檚 worth of care颅ful prepa颅ra颅tion by the Hor颅ti颅cul颅ture team and an inte颅gral step in cul颅ti颅vat颅ing the Island鈥檚 diverse tree canopy. This enthu颅si颅as颅tic group worked togeth颅er with the team to remove turf, dig holes, amend the soil and, final颅ly, plant each tree with care and inten颅tion. Once the trees were plant颅ed, pro颅tec颅tive mulch and sur颅round颅ing fences were added to pre颅vent the roots from dry颅ing out and the stems from being damaged.
The group was espe颅cial颅ly keen to fol颅low best prac颅tices of plant颅i颅ng trees. They were eager to learn and even more eager to dig holes and tear up turf, two hor颅ti颅cul颅tur颅al activ颅i颅ties that many gar颅den颅ers tend to dread. Plant颅i颅ng 40 trees in a day may seem easy to those unac颅quaint颅ed with the com颅plex ter颅rain of Gov颅er颅nors Island, but mak颅ing sure each tree is placed at the right depth, gets a prop颅er allot颅ment of mulch and is com颅plete颅ly straight can be quite dif颅fi颅cult when many are being plant颅ed at once.
The 40 trees plant颅ed that day com颅prised 11 dif颅fer颅ent species, sev颅en of which were not pre颅vi颅ous颅ly present in the His颅toric Dis颅trict at all. These new species make the canopy more resilient, pro颅vid颅ing dif颅fer颅ent habi颅tats and food types to the myr颅i颅ad insects and birds that vis颅it and live on Gov颅er颅nors Island, and they will delight vis颅i颅tors in all sea颅sons for years with their state颅ly struc颅ture and var颅i颅ous flower types. Five new mag颅no颅lias鈥夆�斺�塼wo Cucum颅ber mag颅no颅lias and three Sweet颅bays鈥夆�斺�墂ill be espe颅cial颅ly vibrant in the upcom颅ing spring sea颅sons, while our new col颅lec颅tion of Witch Hazels will pop with col颅or in the win颅ter when every颅thing else is grey and dormant.
By pair颅ing these new trees and col颅ors with the his颅toric archi颅tec颅ture of Gov颅er颅nors Island, the Hor颅ti颅cul颅ture team hopes to cre颅ate a beau颅ti颅ful blend of old and new that can inspire New York颅ers to revi颅tal颅ize their own com颅mu颅ni颅ties with new plant颅i颅ngs of native trees, shrubs and oth颅er plants for years to come.