For this year’s Leaf a Legacy project, PLANT WNY member firms planted 22 bare root trees of mixed varieties on Arbor Day, April 27, at the Kids Escaping Drugs (KED) campus in West Seneca.
The KED campus recently lost a large number of trees on their campus due to construction.
Trees are important for many reasons. They’re calming, add beauty to the campus and absorb and block sound.
Trees provide environmental benefits by cleaning the air and providing a home for wildlife. They have a long life span and will be there for future generations to enjoy.
KED is grateful to PLANT WNY, said Suzanne D’Amico, director of development, and the volunteers brought a wonderful sense of community with them.
Some of the KED residents also assisted with the planting.
“It felt great to teach others about our industry as well as give back to our community,” said Liz Bonadonna of Busy Beaver Lawn & Garden, one of the PLANT WNY volunteers. “We also were able to work next to a few kids on campus and motivate them in a positive atmosphere on such a beautiful day. We look forward to more opportunities to help share our expertise as well as our time to give back to the community. I also hope to inspire more kids to seek a career within our industry.”
Other PLANT WNY volunteers were:
- Chris Pegnia – Busy Beaver Lawn & Garden
- Dan Robillard, teacher, along with students from McKinley High School
- Tom Mitchell – Niagara County Community College
- Eric Mitchell – Mitchell Landscaping
- Cesar Ortiz – Draves Tree Service
- Jeanetta Hanlon, CNLP, Leaf a Legacy 2018 chair
Donations of trees and supplies came from:
- Ed Dore, Senior Lifetime CNLP – Akron Tree Farm
- Bob Smith – Chestnut Ridge Nursery
- Russell Gullo – Russell’s Tree & Shrub Farm
The Leaf a Legacy project started in 2010 as the Front Yard Contest, where landscapers who were members of PLANT WNY provided front-yard makeovers for a block of houses in Buffalo.
With Leaf a Legacy, landscapers now join together each year in a non-competitive environment for a public landscaping effort on behalf of PLANT WNY. Past Leaf a Legacy projects include:
2013 – McKinley Parkway and Dorrance Avenue
2015- Healing Garden at Botanical Gardens
2016 – The Tewksbury Lodge
2017 – Delaware Avenue
PLANT WNY is a not-for-profit trade association of green industry professionals including teachers, nurseries, garden centers, growers, landscapers, tree care firms, lawn care firms and suppliers.
See information on finding a professional here or search the database of professionals.
