On October 4, the Cazenovia College campus community joined the Village of Cazenovia in its Annual Community Planting project. Every fall, from late September to early October, the Village of Cazenovia Tree Commission selects 12 to 15 trees to plant during an organized event. This year, 12 trees were planted along the perimeter of the Cazenovia College campus on Lincklaen and Sullivan streets.
“This year is a very special occasion because it is our first collaboration with Cazenovia College,” said Amy Mann, deputy mayor and village of Cazenovia tree commissioner. “The village is a Tree City USA, which means we applied for and received special status based on our meeting several criteria. And Cazenovia College is a Tree Campus USA, and they must meet a similar set of criteria.”
This collaborative effort between the village and college made this year’s event particularly successful, said Tom Tait, founder and director of the village of Cazenovia tree commission.
“We have a high level of respect for President Ron Chesbrough and what he is doing in the community. It is important for us to not only beautify, not only the village, but the perimeter of the College Quad,” Tait said. “We have a huge turnout of students and that’s what made it such a quick and successful project.”
Dr. Thad York’s Field Botany class, Environmental Club, volunteers from the Village of Cazenovia Tree Commission and local community members joined in helping to plant six trees along Lincklaen Street and another six trees along Sullivan Street. All of the trees are between six to eight feet in height and bare-root.
Yorks, environmental biology and biology professor explained that bare-root means the trees will be much easier to plant than the standard balled-and-burlapped trees familiar to most people. “The tree species have also been selected by the village’s tree commission for their ability to grow in the challenging conditions found along residential streets,” Yorks said.
The planting locations for each of the trees was determined in consultation with Stefan Opalenick, Cazenovia College’s grounds supervisor. The members of the village’s tree commission considered the growing space available at each planting site. The tree species include American elm, serviceberry, crabapple, honey locust, paperbark maple, yellowwood, musclewood and hedge maple.
