Our original 2020 planting was postponed given the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope everyone is staying safe and that nurturing seedlings is something that you can still do at home, as it soothes the soul in anxious times!
We desire for this to be an event with public engagement, and so rescheduled for May 2, 2021, with social distancing and a volunteer limit of 20 people. Please sign up using the QR code in the flyer by April 26.
Get ready to plant 100 trees and shrubs!
The Village is so excited to be receiving free native plants through the DEC/Hudson Estuary’s Trees for Tribs program. Intended to shore up eroding riverbanks, prevent pollutants from entering streams, and soak up water in flood-prone areas, these plants are an elemental part of riparian buffers. Many of the species are quite lovely too! We are inviting the public to take part—and get your hands dirty—and learn about these hardworking native species and their mortal enemies: the invasives. (Full plan available here.)
This riparian planting will be on municipally-owned land along the Landsman Kill, behind the Village Highway Department Garage. We chose this spot in particular as a demonstration opportunity for the public, and because it’s upstream from private properties that experience flooding, its positive effects will flow downstream (pun intended).
This project also serves as an inspiring example of our community coming together. The Village’s Climate Smart Community Task Force has been collaborating with Marist Environmental Science/Policy students (pictured here with Trees for Tribs coordinators), the High School’s Environmental Club, the Village’s Tree Commission, and the Highway Department. We are also sharing this special spot along the Landsman Kill with Rhinebeck’s beloved Trout Derby!
We are offering this planting as a day of service. If you’re interested in volunteering, this event will be for you. To train up on how to help with the planting, access videos and tutorials here.
In the meantime, we encourage local private-property owners along the Landsman Kill and Crystal Lake to check out DEC’s Buffer in a Bag program. This is a way for you to receive free native plants. “Anyone who owns or manages at least 50 feet of land along a stream or waterbody in New York State is eligible to receive a free bag of seedlings.” This program is first-come-first-serve, so apply now. And you never know, you may meet some hearty volunteers willing to help you out with your own planting!
Buffer in a Bag application, due by April 12, 2021: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/115903.html
