A Golden Anniversary for the Guardians of New York City’s Urban Forest
Featured image: Toasting the success of 50 years of Trees New York (Photo Credit: Neha Gautam)
Trees New York Celebrates 50 Years of Planting, Preserving and Protecting New York City’s Urban Forest with fundraiser honoring five decades
and looking ahead to the October City of Forest Day
Trees New York, one of New York City’s most enduring environmental nonprofits, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special fundraiser at Festival Cafe NYC on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The anniversary celebration brought together supporters, environmental advocates, civic leaders and friends of the organization for an evening marking five decades of planting, preserving and protecting New York City’s urban forest. Founded in 1976, Trees New York has built a citywide legacy rooted in education, volunteerism and community participation, with programs spanning Citizen Pruner training, youth environmental literacy, tree plantings, stewardship initiatives and neighborhood greening projects across the five boroughs.
The event featured an open bar, hors d’oeuvres and a celebration of the organization’s past, present and future. Proceeds from the evening supported Trees New York’s programs and its continued work to strengthen the city’s tree canopy for future generations. A special auction and raffle raised additional funds for the charity’s work.
“For 50 years, Trees New York has helped New Yorkers understand that trees are not just part of the landscape — they are essential infrastructure, community anchors and living symbols of resilience,” said Nelson Villarrubia, Executive Director. “This anniversary is both a celebration of what has been accomplished and a renewed call to action for the next generation of urban forest stewards.”
The milestone year comes as New York City prepares for the return of City of Forest Day on Saturday, October 3rd, 2026. Presented by Forest for All NYC in partnership with citywide organizations, the annual day of activities brings together communities, parks groups, environmental advocates and volunteers for a celebration of trees, parks, street plantings, community gardens and woodlands. Trees New York is participating in City of Forest Day alongside its coalition partners at Forest for All NYC.
Trees New York’s mission is to plant, preserve and protect New York City’s urban forest through education and community participation. Its work includes the renowned Citizen Pruner program, through which New Yorkers are trained in street tree care, as well as youth environmental education, tree planting and stewardship initiatives designed to empower residents to care for the green infrastructure in their own neighborhoods.
As the organization enters its next half-century, Trees New York continues to champion a healthier, greener and more resilient city, reminding New Yorkers that the urban forest belongs to everyone — and that everyone has a role to play in protecting it.
For more information about the upcoming City of Forest Day, please visit: www.treesny.org/city-of-forest-day-2025/
About Trees New York:
Celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2026, Trees New York (TreesNY) is a 501(c)3 environmental nonprofit organization. TreesNY’s mission is to plant, preserve and protect New York City’s urban forest through education, active citizen participation and advocacy.
For more information, please visit: www.treesny.org
IG: @TreesNewYork | F: TreesNewYork | X / T: @TreesNewYork
PRESS CONTACT (Trees New York):
Norah Lawlor | Lawlor Media Group | www.lawlormediagroup.com
Norah@lawlormediagroup.com | Tel: (212) 967-6900
IG: @lawlormedia | F: LawlorMediaGroup | X / T: @LawlorMedia
