Mayor Brown Joins Nardin Academy Students For Tree Planting

Mayor Byron W. Brown today joined a Nardin Academy class of second grade students, their teachers and school administrators to plant a tree commemorating the city’s continuing reforestation efforts following the 2006 October Surprise Storm.

The students had sent an oversized letter on April 22nd (Earth Day) to the Mayor asking him to do several things throughout the city to help improve the environment, including planting more trees.

“I was touched by the students’ obvious passion for our natural environment and I wanted to join them in doing something together that would have an immediate impact in a location they could all benefit from, so coming here to Nardin made sense,” said Mayor Brown. “I was told they developed the list of action items they felt are important to sustaining a healthy environment and I wanted them to know that I share their concerns, especially planting more trees throughout Buffalo.”

It is believed that 85% of the City’s estimated 65,000 trees (including 12,000 in the Olmsted Parks System) were damaged in the October Surprise Storm.  In the city, approximately 7,400 trees were lost entirely.

“We are so proud of our second graders and particularly their teacher, Mrs. Flak, for encouraging her students to be good citizens of both the Nardin community and our beautiful neighborhood,” said Marsha Joy Sullivan, Nardin Academy President.

Mayor Brown placed $1 million in the city’s 2007-08 budget for reforestation efforts and added another $750,000 in his recommended 2008-09 city budget for additional reforestation activities in the city.  In addition, the Mayor, on April 7th, announced the hiring of Jeff Brett as the first city forester in three years. Since 2004, Brett had served as Tree Care Supervisor for the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy and is an ISA Certified Arborist. Also, in his recommended 2008-09 city budget, which is being reviewed by the Buffalo Common Council, the Mayor called for the revival of the city’s Office of the Environment.

Since the 2006 October Surprise Storm, the city supported the development of the Re-Tree Western New York program, which aims to plant 30,000 trees by 2012. On April 16th, the National Arbor Day Foundation named the City of Buffalo and Re-Tree Western New York as joint recipients of the Foundation’s 2008 Project Award. This national honor recognizes outstanding work in tree planting, conservation and environmental stewardship. 

Here is the content of the letter the Nardin Academy students sent to Mayor Brown:

Dear Mayor Brown,
 
We, the boys and girls of the Second Grade, think you are doing a good job as mayor. 
 
We are concerned about our earth.   Here are some ideas we would like you to work on.

1. Clean our streets
2. Have factories and businesses use better, cleaner ways of doing business
3. Plant new trees
4. Encourage people, by making a speech, to give away or sell items they might usually throw away
5. Stop the use of chemical insecticides and chemical fertilizers
 
Thank you for listening to our concerns.
 
                                                                        Sincerely yours,
 
                                                                        The Second Grade Class of Nardin Academy
 
Chloe Celani, Ben Portman, Caroline Smith, Teddy Schenk, Elizabeth Galbo, Cecelia Bushway
Paul Koessler, Kiera Callahan, Sarah Paladino, Flora Adams, Connor McCartney, Victoria Bogucki, Tom Colucci, Coaty Ostendorf, Jacqueline Schanzlin, Zachary Berzon, MacKenzie Beck, Taylor LoDestro, Brooke Weir, Clare Scully, Samuel Capizzi.