Green-Wood Cemetery was awarded grant funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to bolster its arboretum by about 1,500 new trees.
Referred to as the Urban and Community Forestry Grant, the funding will provide the Brooklyn cemetery with just under $500,000 for a three-year project that will look to grow new trees and take care of established ones, according to a press release.
Among the aims of the project include planting 1,500 new trees (500 each year) and providing essential root care for select mature trees, with the ultimate goal being to increase Green-Wood’s tree canopy cover to 35%.
“Green-Wood Cemetery is the largest greenspace in the area; and each year, our trees sequester approximately 221.43 tons of carbon, remove nearly 8,000 pounds of ozone, and filter over 2,000 pounds of PM10 particulate matter from the atmosphere. They also intercept over 30,000 gallons of stormwater run-off annually,” said Joseph Charap, vice president of horticulture at Green-Wood Cemetery.
“These substantial benefits to Green-Wood’s surrounding neighborhoods will be further enhanced by the new planting and maintenance activities we’ll be able to perform as a result of this grant.”
The grant funding is provided from the United States Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to promote tree and forest sustainability initiatives in underserved areas.
Overseeing the arboretum project is the Green-Wood Cemetery’s horticulture team, which will look to take care of the trees and ensure "their healthy growth and longevity," according to the press release.
In addition, the cemetery said that it will offer volunteer opportunities, including the "Guardians of the Dicots" program, in which volunteers assist arborists with weeding, mulching and watering young trees, among other tasks.
