NEWBURGH - Newburgh’s Environmental Justice Fellows have been actively beautifying the City of Newburgh’s landscape by planting street trees for two consecutive years now. Creating healthier environments, stimulating biodiversity in the city, and producing cleaner air, are only some of the public benefits the hard work of the program brings to the City’s businesses and residents. 

The Environmental Justice Fellowship (EJF) is hosting an educational event to spread the word and help build a community movement in support of environmental justice and Newburgh’s urban forest. Join us from 12 pm to 3 pm, on Saturday, August 13 at Safe Harbor’s Green, 97 Broadway, Newburgh, New York. We are thrilled to hold this Saturday event on the Green, in conjunction with the Common Ground Farmer’s Market and Safe Harbor’s beloved trapeze event! With these three family-friendly events happening simultaneously, there will be plenty for everyone to enjoy on August 13th. 

Informative demonstrations suitable for all ages about urban trees and their care will be conducted by this year’s Fellows; Kwaija McFarlane, Thomas Coleman, Gema Vidals Herrera, Monserrat Medina, and Elio Luna. The Fellows will also hold a special raffle at this event with multiple winners and refreshments for all participants! We are excited to see you all on August 13th at 12pm and hope you’re ready to learn more about our endeavor to make Newburgh a more beautiful, healthier, and stronger city! 

“Summer is a great time for Newburghers to learn more about street trees and just how vital they are to the health of our City. Trees are an essential part of urban infrastructure as they help us cool our City and manage extreme weather events that often overwhelm stormwater systems. Trees filter pollution from the air and water, increasing public and environmental health, and shade our hot city streets, reducing respiratory disease, stress, and even crime. We are most grateful to the City of Newburgh’s support of the Fellowship and look forward to engaging many more residents committed to racial equity, justice, and inclusion, while building a network of street tree champions who will help restore our urban tree canopy, to the benefit of everyone in the City,” said Kathy Lawrence, chair of the Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy.

“We have lost 4,000 trees in this City over the past few decades through neglect, lack of understanding, and lack of funding, and we hope the ongoing success of this EJF program will inspire a new appreciation for trees and their impact on our underserved neighborhoods,” said Ronald Zorrilla, founder of Outdoor Promise. “Most importantly, we are working to support our young leaders in the City to advocate for environmental justice and a healthier tree canopy,” Zorrilla continued. 

Chuck Thomas, chair of the City’s Conservation Advisory Council (CAC), added, “We invite the entire city to come out to Safe Harbors Green, at Broadway and Liberty Streets, at 12:00 pm on August 13 to enjoy green space, community, and refreshments with your neighbors, while learning more about trees and the Environmental Justice Fellowship program.”  He continued, “As an advocate for all of the City's natural resources, including open spaces, wetlands, drinking water sources, the urban forest, coastal areas, and air quality, the CAC is proud to be part of the EJF street tree work!”