Sleepy Hollow Plants First Set of 150 Trees, Students Take Action

The Village of Sleepy Hollow is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a year full of momentous events. The most recent being a mission to plant 150 trees throughout the village to enhance the natural landscape and create a more sustainable environment.

The Sleepy Hollow Tree Commission recently joined forces with the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns to not only kick-off the initiative but to assist in tracking the village’s goal. Sleepy Hollow High School’s SPEAR, Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility, Tree Team is at the forefront of this initiative.

SPEAR is a grassroots organization led by students, dedicated to addressing environmental issues that affect the local and global student community. The organization promotes awareness among students about ways to actively reduce their carbon footprint within school and community environments. Members of this group are committed to not only raising awareness about the current environmental challenges but also advocating for solutions to mitigate these issues.

Representatives from both groups gathered at Reverend Sykes Park on April 20 for the unveiling and planting of the first tree, a "Slender Silhouette" Sweetgum tree during an Earth Day Festival. They later gathered in front of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns Administration building to plant a Greenspire Linden tree on April 26 for an Arbor Day celebration.

The Tree Commission focuses on assisting and providing guidance to the management of Sleepy Hollow’s urban forest and was on hand the day of the planting to provide guidance to residents. The village’s arborist Peter Strom spoke to those interested in adding to their natural landscape and bestowed his knowledge upon them to ensure that the correct trees were planted in their spaces to thrive.

“We’re trying to help people see that trees are great, that sometimes there can be a tree that is put too close to a house or a difficult space for it to thrive,” said Erin Carney, Chair, Tree Commission. “We’re hoping to encourage people that there are options, lots of trees that fit your area and will help our community forest.”

The village gave away approximately 60 trees during the festival while students from SPEAR tracked the village's goal. Sleepy Hollow High School’s Art Teacher Jane Lawrence worked with juniors Natalis Candelaria and Franklin Lupercio to create a tracking system that was not only functional but aesthetically pleasing. They named the tracker "Tree-Mometer."

“We are very excited about the "Tree-Mometer" that Jane Lawrence and her students created to help us track our 150,” said Char Weigel, a representative of the Village of Sleepy Hollow Tree Commission.

Natalis and Franklin both found the experience unforgettable and were appreciative of the chance to contribute positively to the community. They agreed that it was nice to disconnect from their classwork for a bit to create something different and unique.

“I personally have enjoyed this experience because it was definitely something that I have never been involved with before,” said Natalis. “I think that this initiative is extremely important and extremely generous for the town of Sleepy Hollow, especially with the problems of the world that occur today when it comes to the worries of nature.”

Students at W.L. Morse had the honor of naming the very first tree and taking part in the dedication and planting ceremony.

“The village of Sleepy Hollow reached out because I work with them on different committees and I asked if we could help name the tree,” said W.L. Morse Principal Torrance Walley.

The students excitedly created a list of approximately 20 names and then voted on their favorites. In the end the first and second graders chose “Tree-ca-chu” as the perfect name. During the event they obtained a certificate from the village and secured their spot as the first leaf on the “Tree-Mometer.”

A separate leaf for the Greenspire Linden tree planted on the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns campus will be added to the “Tree-Mometer.”

“I am so very proud to have the honor to work with the students of SPEAR. We are thrilled to have our solitary tree be counted towards the 150 that will be destined to stand as living testaments along with other trees on the campus to both Arbor Day and the 150th anniversary of Sleepy Hollow,” said SPEAR Advisor Wendy Waczek. “This fills my heart with a sense of legacy and connection to nature's enduring embrace.”

The Greenspire Linden tree was purchased through a small grant from the New York State Urban Forestry Council’s Tree Campus K-12 Grant Application, which was arranged by arborists Will Vitigliano and Rafael Motolinia Jr. of Bartlett’s Tree Experts. They also provided both labor and transportation.