Manorhaven Holds Arbor Day Ceremony

During the event, Mayor Avena spoke about the Village’s commitment to maintaining its Tree City USA designation through the National Arbor Day Foundation by protecting and increasing the number of trees in Manorhaven year after year. Pat Valente, who co-chairs the Village’s Tree Committee with Deputy Mayor Priscilla von Roeschlaub, then read an Arbor Day proclamation.

Representatives from the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners and Native Greenway attended the event, along with County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, NYS Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti, Town Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte and Town Clerk Wayne Wink.

The ceremony was followed by a tour of the Nature Preserve. Thanks to the help of County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, the Village secured a $335,000 grant to improve the Preserve by connecting it to the Bay Walk that skirts Manhasset Bay, constructing ADA compliant trails, and installing surveillance cameras that are equipped with Internet connection to Village Hall.

The Arbor Day activities didn’t stop there. With the assistance of American Chestnut Foundation representatives, American Chestnuts were planted in the Preserve in an effort to bring this tree back. Once prevalent in our forests, it became extinct due to a blight fungus.