As The Daily explored the magic of urban forests, we found that RIOC may already be a step ahead in protecting Lighthouse Park trees. We asked the state agency overseeing Roosevelt Island to tell us what they’ve done so far.
by Bryant Daniels, RIOC Director of Communications and Community Affairs
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Protecting the Urban Tree Canopy in Lighthouse Park
Back in 2022 it was starting to become apparent that the trees located just north of Coler Hospital were beginning to age out, and that in order to ensure the tree canopy remained healthy well into the future, new trees would need to be planted in the area.
The RIOC Horticulture and Grounds team worked with Christina Delfico of iDig2Learn, Coler, GRIN, the Roosevelt Island Girl Scouts, Coach Scot’s Baseball Players, The Roosevelt Island Garden Club, and other island stakeholders to begin a succession planting process using trees that were initially donated by an organization called Trees New York.
An arborist from Trees New York visited the island and met with Christina, as well as RIOC Horticulture and Grounds Director Matt Kibby, to map out a plan for the planting based on species requirements. The first round of newly planted trees went into the ground in May of 2022 and the process continued with the community on and off until just last week.
To date, more than 100 new baby trees—more than 25 different species—have been planted across that east to west corridor just north of Coler Rehabilitation and Nursery Care Center, adding an extended greenview for residents and staff alike to enjoy.
This work compliments the Coler perimeter tree plantings led by their Auxiliary.
Roosevelt Island resident participation in the Big Reuse Food Scraps Compost program has also aided in nurturing the Lighthouse Park soils for the trees, as have our natural island fall leaves. Additionally, iDig2Learn is working with the community to add labels with the names and origin of each species to enhance public engagement and understanding.
This iDig2Learn and RIOC collaboration has also included the inaugural “City of Forest Day” event hosted in 2022 and again in October 2023, which also included partners from Coler Auxiliary and MSTDA.
“Projects like this show how valuable and impactful collaboration between RIOC and the community can be. Special thanks to Christina and RIOC Grounds for taking the lead on this great work!”
As the Dust Settles
The way the wind cuts across the river this time of year. The way older buildings hold heat but never quite hold air. I told myself that was why my chest felt tight again on certain mornings. Age, perhaps.
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