The City of Northampton announced on April 21 that it planted more than 20 trees at John F. Kennedy Middle School as part of its celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day. The effort involved the Department of Public Works, Northampton Public Schools, the Urban Forestry Commission, and volunteers from Tree Northampton and the Rotary Club.
The city will also hold its 23rd Annual Arbor Day Tree Whip Giveaway in front of City Hall on Friday, April 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday, April 25 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Residents are invited to participate in this event where the city will distribute 700 free tree whips for planting on private property. Volunteers will provide information about each species offered—Common Lilac, Concolor Fir, Eastern Redbud, Red Maple, River Birch, Tulip Poplar, and White Oak—as well as guidance on planting and care.
According to the announcement, these efforts aim to provide ecological benefits such as preserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change effects, improving air and water quality, and strengthening ecosystem resilience for future generations.
Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said: “I am incredibly grateful for the hard work of our Tree Warden, Rich Parailiti [sic], along with the organizations and volunteers committed to the health of our urban tree canopy. Their contributions to our local ecosystem cannot be overstated, and in the face of the climate crisis we need them now more than ever. I am so thankful for their dedication to our collective future.”
Residents can also request Setback Trees through a city initiative that encourages planting within twenty feet of public rights-of-way—especially where tree belts are limited or absent—to help expand canopy coverage in vulnerable areas affected by urban heat islands.
This year’s celebration highlights ongoing work by volunteers through the Young Tree Pruning Initiative established ten years ago with support from Tree Northampton. Volunteers return two years after initial plantings for preventive pruning that helps ensure healthy growth; during this past winter alone they pruned over eight hundred trees across forty-nine days totaling two hundred sixty volunteer hours.
For more information about these programs or how residents can get involved in supporting Northampton’s urban forest initiatives they may contact Rich Parasiliti Jr., Tree Warden.
