…And it’s not to late to sign up to help. If the idea of going green means more to you than driving your Range Rover to your local farmer’s market with a designer, organic cotton tote in hand, check out what’s happening literally in your backyard and throughout buffalo this spring. Volunteers are needed to help reforest the Buffalo Olmsted Park System, which is still recovering from that infamous October storm in 2006. Sponsored by the City of Buffalo, donations to Olmsted ReLeaf, and Entercom Radio, the Olmsted Community Tree Plantings are scheduled for Saturday, April 26 and Saturday May 3. In April, trees will be planted in Cazenovia, Martin Luther King, Jr., and South Parks, and in May teams of volunteers will focus on Delaware, Front, and Riverside Parks. Both sessions begin at 9AM sharp and last for three hours.
The Olmsted Community Tree Plantings exemplify the many exciting changes happening in the Olmsted Park System. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy’s will unveil its 21st Century Park’s Master Plan later this year, securing a future for this historic and cultural treasure for current and future Buffalonians. In the meantime, the not-for-profit community organization aims to broaden awareness of, appreciation for, and investment in the Buffalo Olmsted Park System through and volunteer activities such as tree planting. By helping reforest the city’s world famous Olmsted Parks this spring, volunteers can make an important impact on Buffalo’s community.
Regardless of whichever group you belong to, left or right, white or black, carnivore or tree hugger, the need for help is universal. If you are considering volunteering your time to plant trees, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy invites you to participate in a free Tree Care Workshop on Saturday, April 5 at the Parkside Lodge in Delaware Park. The two-hour long sessions are open to the public and are designed to teach the basics of tree planting and tree care. For more information, call the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy at 838-1249 ext.15, or log onto the website www.BuffaloOlmstedParks.org. All volunteers must be at least 15 years of age to participate.