Press Releases

The Parks Department’s Urban Park Rangers and GreenApple Corps yesterday launched a new MillionTreesNYC Afterschool program, “Acorns to Oaks” at Hunt’s Point Recreation Center in the Bronx. Through this six-month program, AfterSchool kids ages 6-13 will learn about tree stewardship as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s MillionTreesNYC initiative to plant and care for one million new trees by 2017. Since MillionTreesNYC was launched in October 2007, 137,339 trees have been planted. For more information, visit www.milliontreesnyc.org.

“Acorns to Oaks” is being unveiled at five recreation centers this fall, one in each of the five boroughs. This hands-on program is designed to educate youth about the significant roles trees play in an urban environment and tree stewards play in the health of our urban forest. Program topics include tree biology, stewardship, weeding, aerating soil, mulching, growing saplings from acorns, tree health assessments and tree identification. Throughout the program, students will literally grow acorns into oak trees– they will collect and learn to propagate the acorns, care for, grow, plant the seedlings in a small reforestation project near their Recreation Center, and watch them grow.

Hunt’s Point is one of six Trees for Public Health (TPH) Neighborhoods in New York City that have been identified as neighborhoods of greatest need for trees. The six neighborhoods were selected because they have fewer than average street trees and higher than average rates of asthma among young people. It is believed that additional trees in these neighborhoods will reduce the pollutants that trigger respiratory disorders, and contribute to healthier living standards. MillionTreesNYC is targeting TPH neighborhoods with tree plantings on both private and public lands. Acorns to Oaks aims to engage youth in TPH neighborhoods in the greening movement.

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