Re-Tree WNY announces ‘Green Goal’ to reforest Western New York
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Three community powerhouses have joined to support Re-Tree WNY’s five-year effort to plant trees throughout the Buffalo area.
On Sunday, January 15th Re-tree WNY will launch the “Green Goal” campaign to raise funds for the purchase of trees to be planted along the streets and in the parks of Buffalo and the surrounding communities.
The Buffalo Sabres Foundation, The Buffalo News, and Entercom Radio have announced their commitment to support the effort.
“We have a sustainable community program, ‘The Sabres Green Team’, that adopts a project each season that benefits our community,” said Rich Jureller, spokesperson for the Buffalo Sabres Foundation, “We are especially excited about helping Re-Tree WNY this year so they can reach their goal of reforesting our area, devastated by the October, 2006 surprise snowstorm. In fact, we are matching each $40 donated with $40 from our foundation so that trees can be bought this year to be planted by their volunteers.” Sabres forward Mike Weber and defenseman Nathan Gerbe are lending their support as spokesmen for the campaign, asking their fans to donate to have trees planted in 2012.
The Buffalo News will support the campaign with advertisements in the paper and online, including a full page ‘thank you’ ad to recognize donors to the campaign. The News has supported Re-Tree WNY from the beginning with our Buffalo News Green Leaf Campaign, which raised over $500,000 combined in 2007 and 2009”, said Buffalo News publisher Stanford Lipsey. “We are hoping that the community will support this worthwhile cause once again, and we will recognize those who donate in a future edition of The Buffalo News.”
Entercom Buffalo LLC, is donating air time on its Sabres flagship station, WGR SportsRadio 550, and the five other radio stations it owns to highlight the “Green Goal” project. “Re-Tree WNY fits in perfectly with our major Entercom corporate initiative, called ‘1 Thing’, which targets environmental causes that deserve support,” said Larry Robb, Vice President/General Manager of the Entercom radio stations. “We hope that our collaboration on this campaign will generate funding for their planting efforts in 2012”.
Anyone who wishes to donate via Pay Pal can log onto www.greengoal.org. Donations may also be mailed to “Re-Tree WNY Green Goal, P.O. Box 347, Tonawanda NY 14151-0347. All donations are tax deductible.
Re-Tree WNY is a program of 501(c)3 charity Keep WNY Beautiful. It was established to reforest the Buffalo metropolitan area as a result of the devastating October 12-13, 2006 surprise snowstorm. Re-Tree WNY has planted a total of 23,880 of their 30,000 tree goal. Their website is www.re-treewny.org.
Re-Tree WNY Plants 70 trees in Buffalo Parks
A group of 40 volunteers planted 70 trees in two Buffalo Parks on Sunday, November 6, 2011. An assortment of species grown at the Re-Tree WNY 14th street tree farm were planted at Schiller Park and Franczyk Park on Buffalo's east side.
Crabapples, London planetrees, American Elms, gingkos, ivory silk lilacs, and honey locusts were planted on Sunday morning as Sally Cunningham broadcast live with her Channel 4 morning news segment.
The next planting will be in the Spring of 2012. See you in the spring!
Re-Tree WNY Seeks Funding to reach Goal by May 2012
We are at the five-year anniversary of the storm of '06 when about 57,000 trees were lost in our public parks and along our byways. Our goal of 30,000 trees to be planted by our volunteers was set to have each tree we plant be matched by the municipality, hence re-planting nearly 60,000 by May, 2012.
We are are over 23.000 planted by our volunteers, so we need funding for the remainder. Please help us raise this $400,000 to complete the storm reforesting!
If your company has a foundation, please urge them to help us now so we can buy trees this spring. Also, any donation-- large or small -- is very appreciated. Thank you!
Fifth Annual Buffalo Enviro-Fair took over Niagara Square on April 21st
Buffalo Enviro-Fair paid a return visit to Niagara Square to celebrate our planet the day before Earth Day. Numerous exhibits by eco-organizations included Tifft Nature Preserve, Grass Roots Gardens, Blue Bicycle, Re-Tree WNY, and many more. Many free were given out including tree seedlings in re-usable drink tumblers courtesy of Natale Builders, which is introducing a silver certified green homes community about to be constructed in Clarence. Jamba All-Natural Energy Drink distributed free samples of their juice-based beverage. Re-Tree WNY planted a tree near City Hall and offered re-usable shopping bags for a $2 donation.
The event was FREE and open to the public from 11am-2pm. Natale Builders, Unilock permeable pavers, RubberForm Recycled Products (a Lockport company that recycles rubber tires into wheel stops and speed bumps for parking lots, sign holders, etc.) sponsored the event, which allowed not-for-profits to exhibit for free.
Natale's Rivera Greens is believed to be the only community in NY State to earn a silver certification. It will feature all homes constructed as net-zero energy usage, meaning the homes produce as much energy as they use. Each home will be solar and geothermal. The community will re-use everything currently on site including a barn and other structures. All trees will be evaluated by a license arborist with the intent of preservation. A windmill on the site will produce energy to power the streetlights. Re-Tree WNY is examining putting in a Teaching Tree Farm stewarded by Clarence High School students on land set aside courtesy of Natale.www.natalebuilders.com
Unilock Company of Smith Street in Buffalo sponsored the event for the third straight year. exhibiting its eco-pavers, which -- unlike concrete -- are permeable and are the green choice for driveways, paths, and even streets. Permeable pavers allow water to drain through which re-directs it for re-use rather than running off to create storm water problems. It also prevents soil erosion and the need to re-treat storm water by the municiality. www.unilock.com or http://www.unilock.com/residential/about/contact
Jamba All-Natural Energy Drink provided free samples of its new juice-based energy product. Jamba is available in three flavors: Crisp Apple, Strawberry Banana, and Blueberry Pomegranate. They are also donating to Re-Tree WNY and helped to plant a tree in the Buffalo City Hall area. www.facebook.com/jambaenergy
Any not-for-profit group that wants to exhibit for free next year is asked to contact Paul Maurer of Re-Tree WNY at (716) 843-0133 or pmaurer@entercom.com.
Fifth Annual Buffalo Enviro-Fair in Niagara Square on April 21st
Buffalo Enviro-Fair pays a return visit to Niagara Square to celebrate our planet the day before Earth Day. Numerous exhibits by eco-organizations include Tifft Nature Preserve, Grass Roots Gardens, Blue Bicycle, Re-Tree WNY, and many more. Many free items being given out including tree seedlings in re-usable coffee mugs courtesy of Natale Builders, which is introducing its platinum certified green homes community about to be constructed in Clarence. Jamba All-Natural Energy Drink will distribute free samples of their juice-based beverage. Re-Tree WNY will plant a tree near City Hall and offer re-usable shopping bags for a $2 donation.
The event is FREE and open to the public from 11am-2pm. Natale Builders, Unilock, and Jamba are sponsoring the event, which pays for the not-for-profits to exhibit for free.
Natale's Rivera Greens is believed to be the only community in NY State to earn a platinum certification. It will feature all homes constructed as net-zero energy usage, meaning the homes produce as much energy as they use. Each home will be solar and geothermal. The community will re-use everything currently on site including a barn and other structures. All trees will be evaluated by a license arborist with the intent of preservation. A windmill on the site will produce energy to power the streetlights. Re-Tree WNY is examining putting in a Teaching Tree Farm stewarded by Clarence High School students on land set aside courtesy of Natale. www.natalebuilders.com
Unilock Company of Smith Street in Buffalo is sponsoring the event for the third straight year. It is exhibiting its eco-pavers, which -- unlike concrete -- are permeable and are the green choice for driveways, paths, and even streets. Permeable pavers allow water to drain through which re-directs it for re-use rather than running off to create storm water problems. It also prevents soil erosion and the need to re-treat storm water by the municiality. www.unilock.com or http://www.unilock.com/residential/about/contact
Jamba All-Natural Energy Drink is providing free samples of its new juice-based energy product. Jamba is available in three flavors: Crisp Apple, Strawberry Banana, and Blueberry Pomegranate. They are also donating to Re-Tree WNY and helping to plant a tree in the Buffalo City Hall area. www.facebook.com/jambaenergy
Any not-for-profit group that wants to exhibit for free is asked to contact Paul Maurer of Re-Tree WNY at (716) 843-0133 or pmaurer@entercom.com.
Ceremonial trees offered to each storm-impacted community for Spring
BUFFALO, NY – The organization formed as a response to the October 2006 freak snow storm is pushing back its plans for its ninth seasonal planting blitz to include just one major effort on the storm's fifth anniversary in 2011.
Re-Tree WNY organizers announced the move to its hundreds of volunteers via a mass e-mail on Wednesday, March 9th.
"We are confident that this is a positive move on many counts," stated Paul D. Maurer, Chairman of Re-Tree, who authored the e-mail message. "We've been monitoring each of our plantings and the results show that spring plantings have a less successful survival rate than fall. In the fall the tree roots will continue to establish until the ground freezes, giving the trees a better chance than during the hot summer months. This means we have a much better chance of our volunteers seeing success in their neighborhoods come the following years".
This spring Re-Tree WNY will not be able to fund the thousands of trees typically provided to the eighteen partnering municipalities it works with. However, they will be helping to organize volunteer efforts and provide a limited number of trees for Earth Day (April 22) or Arbor Day (April 29) ceremonial plantings.
The program has nearly one thousand volunteers with thousands of hours invested in reforesting streets and parks. To date, over 18,000 trees have been planted throughout the Buffalo area. The group's ultimate goal is 30,000 trees re-planted in WNY.
The organization's fifth annual Buffalo Enviro-Fair, scheduled for April 22nd in Niagara Square, will not be affected by this move.
Those organizations that wish to receive trees for Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations can e-mail pmaurer@entercom.com or call (716) 843-0133
Channel 2’s Heather Ly interviews South Park Re-Tree WNY volunteers on October 30, 2010
South Park Ave. volunteers finish another tree, in front of Holy Family Church
Memorial Drive trees honor Lt. Col. Matt Urban (Buffalo's own – United States most decorated soldier), November 6, 2010
Re-Tree WNY racks up 3,322 more Trees for Western New York!
The fall 2010 planting has concluded with another over 3,300 trees planted by hundreds of our dedicated volunteers on October 30th and November 6th.
Highlights included 400 trees added to a two-mile stretch of South Park Avenue, our largest single tree planting ever. We had 350 volunteers that took to the streets on Saturday, October 30th. They were provided with shirts by North American Breweries (local headquartered brewer of Genesee Beer) and South Park Avenue headquartered Consumers Beverages. We had yellow, orange, blue, and green teams led by two zone captains each and the entire planting was completed in a record 6 hours!
A party followed hosted by Genesee Beer and Consumers, held at The Blarney Castle on South Park Ave.
The Memorial Drive planting of eight Victory Elms took place Saturday, November 6th. East Side activist Norm Skulski received a plaque from Re-Tree WNY honoring the most decorated battle veteran, Buffalo’s own Lt. Col. Matt Urban (Urbanowicz), who grew up in the shadow of Buffalo’s Central Terminal. The eight trees were symbolic of eight significant medals awarded to Matt, who earned 29 in all. Matt Urban’s niece, Babbidean Urban Huber attended the ceremony with the Boy Scouts, Adam Plewacki American Legion members, and Buffalo Councilman David Franczyk.
Next planting will be late April/early May, 2011. To volunteer, click here (http://www1.wd-gis.com/ReTreeWNY/UserForms/ReTreeWNY/VolunteerSignup.aspx) or e-mail pmaurer@entercom.com.
Re-Tree WNY's biggest planting day ever planned for South Buffalo
This month, 400 trees will be planted along South Park Avenue between Abbott Road and Dorrance Avenue. We are looking for several hundred volunteers to come out and help us make this event something to be proud of.
As an added incentive to get the amount of volunteers needed, special shirts will be created for each of the teams reforesting their section of the two-mile stretch of road. Consumers Beverages and North American Breweries will provide several hundred color shirts: orange, green, and blue beer-branded shirts for the over 21 year-old workers; yellow soft drink shirts will be for those volunteers that are under 21.
If you would like to participate, please go to any of the 16 Consumer Beverages locations and sign-up so that we can reserve your free T-shirt.
Consumer Beverages Locations
Spring Planting features blessing of volunteers and trees
The Lombard street block club planting was Re-Tree WNY's Spring 2010 signature event planting on Saturday, May 1, 2010. 90 trees to be planted on Buffalo's East Side were blessed by Father Thaddeus "Ted" Bocianowski, pastor of St. Adalbert Basilica on Stanislaus Street. Father Ted was joined by Sister Johnice of Response to Love Center located behind the church. Buffalo Fillmore District Councilman David Franczyk joined the group to participate in the ceremony. Gerdau Ameristeel corporation from Ohio Street in Buffalo sent a volunteer crew that worked way into the evening to finish the reforesting of the streets.
The Buffalo News Green Leaf Fundraiser announces donor totals
Project Green Leaf concluded on November 16th with a total of $183,000 in contributions for Re-Tree WNY.
News Assistant Promotions Manager Carly Hartmans delivered the good news to the Re-Tree WNY board on Friday.
The total number of donors, 2,100, surpasses the 2007 fundraiser by 300%! The News matched the contributions of its readers and published the names of all donors each Sunday.
Re-Tree Chairman Paul Maurer praised The Buffalo News Publisher Stanford Lipsey and his organization for their campaign: "This 30-day campaign came at a critical juncture in our three-year tenure, if it wasn't for Stan and his team at The News, we would be in a very dire situation for next year's reforesting. The News readers stepped-up in a major way and our hundreds of Re-Tree volunteers are most grateful."
The goal, as stated by News Senior Vice President Dottie Gallagher-Cohen was to "get Re-Tree to the halfway point, 15,000 trees". Maurer added: "This funding will get us there with enough to buy 3,057 trees in 2010"
ABC-TV's Extreme Makeover Home Edition gets over 100 trees planted by Re-Tree WNY
When hundreds of Buffalonians chant "move that bus" to reveal Delores Powell's made over house, the streetscape of her neighborhood will reveal a new tree canopy courtesy of Re-Tree WNY's volunteers. Captained by Re-Tree board member Art Traver, a dozen crew leaders trained AmeriCorps volunteers at the site to plant over 100 street trees. The Massachusetts Avenue area on Buffalo's west side will be featured when the episode airs in January, 2010.
Leaves & Laughs Comedy Benefit Leaves 'em Rolling in the Aisles
Rob Lederman's hilarious troop of comics made for abundant laughter for the first annual "Leaves & Laughs" benefit for Re-Tree.
Rob's comedy playhouse had a full house on Friday, August 21st for the fundraiser.
A Chinese auction included Unilock patio, full sized tree, golf packages, a Buffalo News basket , and much more.
Prominent amongst the crowd of smiles were Tonawanda Highway Superintendent Brad Rowles, Grand Island Supervisor Pete McMahon, and Erie County Legislator Michele Ianello.
Heavy publicity was given to the event including Ch. 4's Sally Cunningham, three stories in Buffalo News Gusto, ArtVoice, Bee Newspapers, Channel 2, and on the Eyewitness News weather with Aaron Mentkowski.
It is sure to be back next year, so be prepared!
Erie County Fair Features "Retreat" for Re-Tree WNY
Home Depot generously donated material and built a deck for Re-Tree to serve as a respite for weary Fair visitors that paid a buck to get a break. A cold beverage and a gift pack from 4 C Beverage Company was given to each donor.
97 Rock's Carl Russo broadcast live each day from the Retreat and people got a chance to win a Smart Car that was on display.
Sponsors of the Retreat were The Home Depot, 4 C Beverages, Satellite Solutions, Awnings Plus, Bob Weaver Motorsports, Dig Safely NY, Smart Car, and 97 Rock.
Solar 2009 national convention in Buffalo gets trees from Re-Tree WNY
55 trees are being planted by Re-Tree WNY volunteers with the assistance of WNY Youth Bureau AmeriCorps and Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy along Delaware Ave. in Buffalo between Church and North Streets.
The Buffalo Convention & Visitors Bureau's Cheryl Zanghi worked with Re-Tree WNY Chairman Paul Maurer, board member Justin Booth, and City forester Jeff Brett to offset the carbon that is given off by the visiting conventioneers. The trees are being planted on Tuesday, May 12th.
2,000 more trees planted in May, 2009 brings total to 10,000
The reforesting of WNY streets resumed in earnest with the City of Buffalo and 14 suburbs getting planted with new trees the weekend of May 2-3, 2009.
A major planting of 250 trees was organized in the vicinity of the Father Vincent Belle Center on Maryland Street near Busti.
Tim Russert memorial at Waterfront is Re-Tree WNY's 10,000th Tree
Kathy Russert-Hughes, sister of famed Buffalo native son Tim Russert helped plant our 10,000th tree at the Central Wharf area on May 7, 2009, Tim's birthday.
Mayor Byron Brown, Erie County Legislator Michele Iannello, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp board member David Colligan, Attorney Robert Kresse, and the board members of Re-Tree WNY did the ceremonial planting of the 20 foot tall sugar maple.
The tree was donated by Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm of East Amherst.
2,200 Girl Scout Troops plant 2,200 trees in state parks
The Girl Scouts were organized by Suzanne Eisenberger who put together the troops from nine WNY counties to plant the seedlings in state parks from the NY/Pennsylvania border to Niagara County on the north and Genesee County to the east.
Grand Island Supervisor Pete McMahon joined with Suzanne, other scouts, and Erie County legislator Michele Iannello for a ceremony at Beaver Island Park on Saturday, April 25th.
Tree Farm established on Buffalo's West Side by PUSH and Re-Tree WNY
Josh Smith and his crew have planted 330 saplings to nurture to be large enough for Buffalo's city plantings. The farm was established as the Youth Forestry Initiative on Friday, April 24th and will be used as a hands-on training ground for young people interested in arboriculture.
The farm is on the 300 block of 14th street between Vermont and Rhode Island Streets in Buffalo. The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo gave Re-Tree WNY a grant to establish the farm and PUSH donated the vacant land.
3rd Annual Buffalo Enviro-Fair in Niagara Square another success story
Organizations from Grass Roots Gardens to Tifft Farm Nature preserve exhibited their greenery" to thousands on a beautiful Arbor Day, Friday, April 24th. Gas sipping cars from West Herr Toyota were exhibited in Niagara Square in front of City Hall.
State Senator Antoine Thompson spoke about his environmental initiatives and announced that Re-Tree WNY will be receiving between $50-$75,000 to buy trees for this fall's planting!
Sponsor of the event was the City of Buffalo, Re-Tree WNY, and West Herr Toyota.
