(Katonah, NY) – In celebration of Earth Month, the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation will hold its First Annual TreeFest, which celebrates the Mighty Oak, on Earth Day, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Westchester County Parks has partnered with the United States Forest Service (USFS) to study the future of oak trees in our forests as part of the USFS’s Northeastern Urban Silviculture Study. Foresters, ecologists, gardeners and volunteers will work together on April 14, 15 and 16 at Lasdon to plant an oak orchard of more than 1,000 oak trees that were grown from acorns whose origins span from Baltimore, MD, to Springfield, MA. This oak provenance orchard is a long-term study by USFS researchers who are reviewing how local ecotypes perform at different locations across the region. On April 26 and 27, volunteers will work to pot up additional oak trees at The New York Botanical Garden. The trees will be planted in research forest plots in Westchester County Parks in the fall of 2023.

The program will begin with morning lectures featuring author and arborist Bill Logan, and forest ecologist Dr. Tara Trammell. Participants will learn more about the importance and future of oaks in our landscapes. The participants can then take a walking tour of the newly planted USFS Oak Orchard. Additional activities will be available.

Online registration is required. The suggested donation is $20. Space is limited! Participants must be 16 years of age or older. The program is presented by Westchester County Parks and the Friends of Lasdon Park and Arboretum, and it will be held rain or shine.

Visit the Friends of Lasdon Park and Arboretum website or call (914) 864-7268 for more information.