The Nassau County Legislative Majority joined with PSEG Long Island to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day with a beautification project in Eisenhower Park.
Legislators along with PSEG Long Island employee ambassadors, planted trees around the Parking Field 2 area of the park to beautify Nassau County and replace trees that were lost in recent storms. The trees were shade trees native to Long Island and the East Coast, including swamp white oak, red maple, blackgum and eastern white pine.
In addition to the planting, PSEG Long Island, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and the PSEG Foundation, also gave away energy saving trees to residents who attend the event to learn about energy efficiency and financial assistance programs available. The employee ambassadors also discussed with residents where to plant trees, so they do not interfere with power lines and other tips to reduce heating and cooling costs and provide wind and shade protections.
“In Nassau County, we are known for the prevalence of trees, and we take pride in maintaining our suburban quality of life, and the environmental benefits these trees provide,” Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello said. “Thank you, PSEG Long Island, for helping us plant new trees in Eisenhower Park. Not only do they provide health and energy benefits, but they literally keep us alive, providing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide.”
“Supporting the environment is an important way of improving life in the communities we serve,” said Peggy Keane, interim president and COO of PSEG Long Island. “We are thrilled to show our spirit of community service by planting trees in Eisenhower Park and West Sayville, honoring a 150-year-old American tradition and ensuring nature continues to inspire for generations to come. As Long Island’s own Walt Whitman so eloquently wrote, ‘The solid forests give fluid utterances, they do as well as most speaking, writing, poetry, sermons — or rather they do a great deal better.’”
“On Long Island we tend to lose trees after a particularly devastating storm, on top of the normal occurrences of tree disease and age,” said Legislator Tom McKevitt, whose district includes Eisenhower Park. “Making sure we replace these trees with new ones helps preserve the character of the County, and further helps the environment. I am very happy to partner with PSEG this Arbor Day with this important project.”
The first Arbor Day in the United States was observed in Nebraska in 1872 as a tree-planting celebration.