On August 3, Gossips reported that the Conservation Advisory Council might not do an Arbor Day this year for lack of funding. At the August meeting of the CAC, Britt Zuckerman reported that she had applied for a $10,000 grant from National Grid to fund this year's tree planting, but the application was still under review, and she considered it a "long shot." Without the grant, Zuckerman told her colleagues, there could be no Arbor Day.
Since that post, someone who wishes to remain anonymous has come forward to donate five trees to the CAC for this year's Arbor Day tree planting. The donor has asked Hudson Development Corporation to be the liaison to make this happen. To that end, HDC is coordinating with Zuckerman and members of the CAC who will select the tree sites and work with the Department of Public Works for the actual planting of the trees. HDC board president Chris Jones commented, "While our mission is focused on growing business and jobs in Hudson, we are happy, once again, to be able to connect Britt and the CAC with a generous donor who wants to help plant more trees in Hudson."
Last year, the CAC's Arbor Day observation was financed with $1,000 contributed by the Hudson Parks Conservancy and a GoFundMe campaign, for which HDC served as fiscal sponsor. HDC also introduced members of the CAC to a nursery that provided a discount on the cost of the five trees acquired and planted last year.
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| Photo: Hilary Hillman |
Thank you to Chris, HDC Board and the donor for facilitating this important project. Thank you also to Britt Zuckerman for her constant work on seeking opportunities to create a thriving urban forest to cool our city, help control storm water run off and add to the beauty of Hudson.
ReplyDeleteHilary Hillman
Hudson Conservation Advisory Council