The Battery

The Daily Plant : Tuesday, September 12, 2000

DAMAGED TREES ARE FREED FROM SUFFOCATING TREE GUARDS

On Monday, September 11, Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern announced Parks' new Tree Rescue initiative, which will restore many of the city's abused trees back to health. Unknowingly, people have injured a large number of innocent trees throughout the city by installing tree guards, which, as the tree grows, can seriously damage the tree's bark. As with human tissue, tree bark protects arterial conduits carrying nutrients around the body. Seemingly small threats such as lights wrapped tightly around branches, or sidewalks paved to within inches of the tree trunk, can cause irreparable damage if not corrected in time. This is why Parks is launching a program to mitigate damage and remove potential health threats to street and park trees.

Through the Tree Trust, a public-private partnership founded in 1994 to protect and preserve our city trees, Parks will be able to hire contractors to repair damaged trees. The contractors will be resurfacing bare tree pits with granite block pavers, excavating small trees for transplant, smoothing hazardous surfaces with tree pits, and expanding small sidewalk tree pits. They will also be cleaning debris from the trees' canopies and unshackling tees strangled by iron or steel tree pit guards. Parks maintains over 500,000 street trees throughout the five boroughs, so the work will be extensive. Many preliminary sites have already been targeted for contracts to work on, but anyone who sees a tree in need of rescue should call 212-360-TREE so that Parks can take action.

METROPOLITAN OPERA SINGERS HONOR THE "SWEDISH NIGHTINGALE" IN BATTERY PARK

On Monday, September 11, StarQuest represented the Mayor at a celebration honoring Jenny Lind, the legendary singer first brought to these shores from Sweden by P.T. Barnum in 1850. The gala, which featured Metropolitan Opera stars singing at Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park, marked the 150th anniversary of Lind's debut in New York. The event was organized by American Landmark Festivals in cooperation with the Swedish Consulate General, The Museum of the City of New York, The New York Historical Society, and the National Park Service. This is not the first time Lind's famous singing was celebrated in Battery Park: StarQuest helped two Swedish Diplomats and Francis L. Heilbut of American Landmark Festivals plant an American Linden tree there in her honor in 1995.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Tuesday, September 15, 1987)

VOLUNTEERS HELP BRONX RIVER FLOW FREELY AGAIN

After eight weeks of conservation work that involved everything from moving heavy lumber to picking up bits of trash from the grounds along the Bronx River, 60 participants of the Bronx River Restoration's (BXRR) Summer Youth Enrichment Program were honored at an awards ceremony at Rosewood Playground inside Bronx Park located at Allerton Avenue and Bronx Boulevard. "The extraordinary contributions made by the youngsters have brought new life to this river," said Acting Bronx Commissioner James R. Ryan. "All the concerned organizations should be commended for a terrific job."

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

Bats have no bankers and they do not drink and cannot be arrested and pay no tax and, in general, bats have it made.

John Berryman (1914-1972)

Know Before You Go

The Battery