5 New Cherry Blossom Trees Take Root

Drenched in sweat, Tashi loaded up a wheelbarrow with nutrient-dense wood chips and mulch from a truck, ready to wheel it to his tree planting crew in Wooster Square. Although the work wasn’t glamorous or pretty, it would be worth it in the spring when the cherry tree’s blossoms come into bloom. Until then, the newly planted trees would have to rest and gain their energy under the autumn sun.

Tashi, a first-year Yale School of the Environment graduate student, was one of the dozen workers with the Urban Resources initiative (URI) out at Wooster Square Park last Saturday, planting five new cherry blossom trees on the park grounds. 

The nonprofit enlists help from New Haven high school students from Common Ground and the Sound School, as well as college students at the Yale School of the Environment, who go out into neighborhoods and plant trees every Saturday.

There was a reason why they chose to plant cherry blossom trees. Chris Ozyck, associate director of URI at the Yale School of the Environment, elaborated on the choice, referring to the significance of cherry blossom trees to Wooster Square Park dating back to the early ​’70s when they were originally planted. Now the tree is synonymous with the neighborhood, birthing events such as the annual Wooster Square Cherry Blossom Festival in the spring.

“We’ve engaged over the years to work with residents to plant all the trees within the park and then replacing the cherry blossom trees around the outside of the park,” he said. 

Ozyck said that the most difficult part of planting is the limitations urban environments have. Surveilling potential planting sites can take a while, taking into consideration whether they have adequate soil volumes, salt levels, and limited outside contaminants, like dog urine.

The labor doesn’t stop after the trees are planted. The work continues and includes making sure they are watered and properly taken care of, especially from people that request a free tree to be planted on their property. 

“Everybody has good intentions, but sometimes the practicality gets in the way [of watering],” he said. ​“This past summer was great. It was nice and watery, you know, lots of rain, but the summer before we just saw trees dying, struggling and we still see those aftereffects this year, with dead crowns and things like that.”

Despite these struggles, Ozyck takes pride in his work. To him, planting trees isn’t just about beautifying the neighborhood, but making space for generations to come.

“There’s an old phrase that says, ​‘Society flourishes when old men plant trees, under which they will never sit.’ And so it’s the idea of a sense of optimism, hope for the future,” he said. 

Ozyck also attributed the success of the planting to the city, which coordinated the removal of and grinding of dead tree stumps 24 hours before they began to plant. 

Leading the group of high schoolers was 20-year-old crew leader Roan Hollander, a sophomore environmental studies major at Yale.

“They’re such an awesome group, super motivated and dedicated to planting trees and making New Haven greener,” she said. 

Hollander also touched on the environmental effects of tree-planting outside of beautification. 

“Having more trees planted around the city makes such a huge impact on a lot of levels for reducing noise pollution, improving air quality,” she said, ​“for habitat for birds and insects and other animals and also just for people to enjoy.”

Hollander explained the process of planting trees. URI first works with the Parks Department to establish who’s planting the trees. Once the site is determined, they verify that there’s no underground obstructions or conflicts such as utility lines before digging a hole.

The tree is then unloaded off the truck, positioned in the center of the hole and covered in a mix of compost and soil dug out in the process of creating the hole. A doughnut is built around the tree to help keep runoff water in, and is then surrounded by mulch. Once complete, the tree is ready to be watered.

Laughing up a storm while shoveling soil were tree-planting team members Jonathan Loffler, Camila Torres, and Tatianna Scott, all of them high schoolers.

Torres, a 16-year-old junior at Common Ground, said she joined URI to be more financially independent and gain a stream of income, but the community engagement and opportunity to explore New Haven neighborhoods alongside her teammates compelled her to stay. Plus, she mentioned, free food at times was a bonus.

Scott, a 15-year-old freshman at Common Ground, found out about URI from the Common Ground newsletter. Also having joined looking for a source of employment, she quickly became attracted to the environmental and interpersonal nature of the work.

“I kind of like being outside, I like the nature, and it seems like a fun experience,” she said.

Loffler, 16, agreed. A junior at the Sound School, Loffler has been with URI since his freshman year and heralds it as his ​“favorite job.” His affinity for tree planting comes from appreciating the flora and foliage in his own neighborhood and spending time outdoors with his siblings. 

“I remember in my old neighborhood they cut down trees, but they wouldn’t put anything back and they’d leave a stump. I thought [URI] was a great way to add to the community,” he said. 

Loffler said his favorite part of the job was the process of planting trees in memoriam of those who have passed. 

“We planted one a few weeks ago for someone’s co-worker who died during Covid, and they were really, really thankful, and they all came and said some words around the tree,” he said. He described attendees each putting a shovel of soil on the tree. ​“You can see that really meant a lot to them.”

For Scott, her favorite part of the job was the ​“thank yous” and encouragement from the passersby and onlookers spectating their work. 

One of those grateful bystanders on Saturday happened to be Nicholas Melillo. Wanting to get out of his apartment and savor the dwindling daytime before daylight savings time arrives, Melillo took a stroll around the park and paused to admire Hollander and Torres’ work. The new cherry blossom tree stood tall with two new stakes beside it.

“I love trees,” he said. ​“I think one of the greatest things about the state of Connecticut is the diversity of trees.”

Melillo, 45, prides himself as an autumn guy, with it being his favorite season to view trees because of colorful fall foliage. Oak trees especially hold a place in his heart as his favorite tree.

“I think the Charter Oak is a very infamous tree here in the state of Connecticut up at the Capitol, but I love oak trees,” he said. 

Melillo advised people to go outside more and get in touch with the natural world, a connection that has been lost due to increasingly sedentary and urban lifestyles. 

“You know, it’s an interesting point in time, and not only now but just in humanity. We are not outside, we don’t see the stars. [The outdoors are] sort of our natural element … and we don’t see it all the time,” he said. ​“If you’re dealing with things like anxiety, stress, go out, [and] be with the trees. I know it sounds a little hippie-esque, but it’s the truth. It can bring great peace.”