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Date: 4/24/2015
WEST SPRINGFIELD – Though Earth Day fell on the April 22 this year, for one West Springfield committee, honoring the environment is a daily task.
The Tree and Urban Forest Committee, established in the fall, is tasked with caring for and identifying the community’s trees.
West Springfield will be celebrating Earth Day on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and the Tree and Urban Forest Committee will be handing out tree seedlings provided by the Rotary Club, as well as passing out education pamphlets.
An American chestnut will be planted in the Town Commons as part of the celebration.
Though the committee was not officially instated until the fall, the team had been doing work with the city’s trees since the June 2011 tornado, according to chair Patricia Garbacik.
The idea formed after the tornado when committee member Diane Crowell wanted to replant the trees in her area of town. Though the group had good intentions, it had a lot to learn and no one to turn to for the necessary information, Garbacik said.
The full-time tree warden had been cut due to budget constraints, Garbacik explained, adding it was difficult to know what trees were healthy and what ones needed to be cut without the guidance of an expert.
“What we found out was there was nobody in town that really knew anything about what trees we needed to plant, good street trees, how to plant them, what trees to avoid, so many different elements,” she continued. “We realized how little we knew about trees and there was nobody in town we could consult with, so we started educating ourselves.”
The core group grew from there, and when Mayor Edward Sullivan was campaigning, he promised to make the group a formal committee.
He did just that.
“Mayor Sullivan promised if he was elected he would establish this committee so there would always be some citizen oversight of the trees,” Garbacik said. “He would make sure we had a tree warden with some credentials to tell us if a tree is diseased or not, teaching how to properly plant.”
After the tree warden was cut from the budget, West Springfield lost its status as an Arbor Day “Tree City,” something the committee is working toward getting back.
The way they plan on doing this is through education, Garbacik said. Currently, Thomas Regan, a tree inspector, is working to take an Urban Forest Inventory.
In the future, this will help West Springfield keep track of when and where new trees are planted, the condition of trees, species and whether they are town or private, according to Garbacik.
“It’s very important to take care of trees in town for safety reasons, to beautify your town, to protect environment, provide habitat for birds and squirrels, provide oxygen and just for the well-being of people,” Garbacik said.
The committee meets the second Wednesday of every month in the mayor’s meeting room. For updates, visit the Tree and Urban Forest Committee’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/westsidetrees.