Village of Ballston Spa Park and Tree Board will celebrate Arbor Day

Village of Ballston Spa Park and Tree Board will celebrate Arbor Day on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 10:00 am at Kelley Park, Ralph Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020

The Village of Ballston Spa is celebrating its fourth year as a Tree City USA from the Arbor Day Foundation and will be celebrating Arbor Day this year on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 10 am at Kelley Park on Ralph Street to plant a new tree. 

The Village of Ballston Spa formed the advisory Park and Tree Board in 2019 to make recommendations on trees and other plantings in the Village’s parks and along village streets. The appointed members are Caitlin Parwana, chair, Ed Hersh (Lions), Judy Esposito (Garden Club & Friends of Wiswall Park), and Kristopher Williams (Cornell Cooperative Extension). Trustees Liz Kormos and Trustee Baskin are the liaisons to the committee to the Village Board. Each of these organizations has a long history of caring for and planting trees, shrubs and flowers in the Village and have come together to beautify and maintain the parks and street trees.  Trees and shrubs provide long lasting benefits to the Village not only in environmental health, but also to reduce flooding, provide wildlife habitat, increase property values, provide shade for walkers and bicyclists, and improve the quality of life for all village residents, businesses, and visitors. 

The Village received an Urban Community Forestry Grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to conduct a Tree Inventory and Management Plan for the street and park trees which has been completed.  The Village will apply for a tree planting grant of up to $50,000 to replace trees removed over the years.