PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release 3/18/25

Sustainable Saratoga CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS for 141th year of TREE TOGA event on Saturday, April 26, 2025

Media Contact: Beth Plummer; beth@sustainablesaratoga.org

Saratoga Springs, NY – On Saturday, April 26, 2025, Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project will hold its 141th year of the TREE TOGA planting event, adding an expected 40 large-growing shade trees to Saratoga’s urban forest.  

Volunteer Tree Planters are needed to help plant trees in the community. Volunteers will check in at Pitney Meadows Community Farm at between 9 – 9:30 AM on April 26 to get a lesson in tree planting before heading off in small teams to their assigned locations across the city. Once the trees are in the ground, Tree Host homeowners and other volunteers provide the care that is critical to tree growth and survival. This is a fun, family-friendly volunteer event, open to everyone in the capital region.

“Tree Toga is a crucial event for Sustainable Saratoga, helping us live our mission to preserve and expand Saratoga’s urban forest,” said Sustainable Saratoga Urban Forestry Project Chair Caroline Rothaug.  “We appreciate each and every volunteer who helps put small trees in the ground now so that future generations can enjoy tall, strong trees later. We are especially grateful to have the Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works and Pitney Meadows Community Farm as our partners. This year’s Tree Toga will bring the total number of trees planted in the past 11 years to over 440.”

To get involved in this family-friendly community event, sign up at 

https://sustainablesaratoga.org/projects/urban-forestry-project/tree-toga

Why plant trees? In addition to providing long lasting beauty, research shows that urban trees enhance retail and restaurant profitability, increase property values, save energy, improve air quality, reduce water pollution, enhance our mental and physical health, and provide wildlife habitat.

Spring is a great time to plant your own tree.  If you can’t join TREE TOGA in person, join in spirit by planting a tree in your own yard and sharing a picture on social media with the tag #NextGenTree. Sustainable Saratoga recommends planting a variety of trees native to our local area, as well as a few from the wider region that are adapted to our soils and climate and provide food and shelter for a variety of insects and wildlife. You can find a wealth of practical information on choosing, buying, planting and caring for trees at:  https://sustainablesaratoga.org/projects/urban-forestry-project/practical-info-for-tree-planting-care/. 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources, through education, advocacy and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area.  Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life.

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Discover the vibrant world of Sustainable Saratoga’s committees, each dedicated to a unique aspect of community sustainability: Zero Waste, Urban Forestry, Land Use, Climate and Energy, and Pollinators. Whatever your passion, you’ll find a place to make a difference.

Let’s get to know the Urban Forestry Committee

by Caroline Rothaug, Chair of the Urban Forestry Project

You’ve seen us around town, checking out potential planting sites, putting “New Tree Coming Soon…” signs and little white flags in the ground, planting trees, and pruning trees. We’re the Sustainable Saratoga committee known as the Urban Forestry Project (UFP).

We are best known for our annual Tree Toga event that brings more than 160 volunteers out on the last Saturday of April to plant trees to honor Arbor Day. 2024 marks the tenth year of Tree Toga. This year’s event will bring the total number of trees planted to over 400.

We are busy all year long. We have a long-standing partnership with the Saratoga Springs DPW and the City Arborist. Our most recent collaboration is an agreement that allows trained UFP “Tree Stewards” to handle certain pruning tasks. So, if you see us out there pruning, please do say hello. We will be happy to take a moment to explain how and why we prune trees to be structurally sound and avoid future issues as they grow.

Another program we’re really proud of is our Tree Education pilot program with St. Clement’s School. Students learn about sustainability and the importance of trees in an urban setting. And, speaking of education, our UFP web pages have a wealth of information about the benefits of large-growing native trees in urban areas, and helpful tips for selecting, planting, and caring for trees.

We invite you to get into trees with us. Sign up to be a Tree Planter at Tree Toga this year, or get in touch with us at trees@sustainablesaratoga.org to learn more about getting involved in our work.

Sustainable Saratoga volunteers shine in the rain at Tree Toga 12

Saratoga Springs, NY – How much do we love our trees?  Even the rain couldn’t keep more than 160 Tree Toga volunteers from gathering at Pitney Meadows Community Farm on Saturday, April 29. The morning started out with an enthusiastic crowd getting a lesson on how to properly plant a bare root tree, and of course singing the traditional Planting Song. Planting teams then dispersed to their assigned locations throughout Saratoga Springs to plant trees.

This year’s event added 38 trees to our urban forest, in front of homes and along public streets. Six new large-growing, native trees line Federal Street, thanks to a generous donation from longtime Tree Toga supporter Colin Faulds. Those six trees were planted by a group of volunteers that included a crew from Rockefeller Capital Management, who can watch them grow from their offices. Teams of volunteers will serve as caregivers for the young trees, watering them every week throughout the critical first seasons to ensure they have the best possible start in life. You can be a tree caregiver, too. Sign up here to volunteer to water a tree: https://sustainablesaratoga.org/tree-toga/

Sustainable Saratoga is grateful to Pitney Meadows Community Farm for providing the venue for Tree Toga again this year, to Allerdice Hardware for donating stakes and ties for the trees, to the Bread Basket Bakery for donating refreshments, and to the Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works for their ongoing support of Tree Toga and our urban forest. 

Why plant trees? In addition to providing long lasting beauty, research shows that urban trees enhance retail and restaurant profitability, increase property values, save energy, improve air quality, reduce water pollution, enhance our mental and physical health, and provide wildlife habitat.

To become a Tree Toga Tree Host and have a large-growing shade tree planted in your front yard next year, go to https://sustainablesaratoga.org/tree-toga/ and request a tree for Tree Toga 2024.

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About Sustainable Saratoga

Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources, through education, advocacy and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area. Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life. 

Plant Trees with Sustainable Saratoga at TREE TOGA on Saturday, April 29 

Saratoga Springs, NY – On Saturday, April 29, 2022, Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project will hold its 12th TREE TOGA tree planting event. Kelsey Trudell, Executive Director of Sustainable Saratoga predicts: “This year’s Tree Toga is going to be a huge success, with 38 trees planted! We’re still looking for volunteers to plant large-growing, native shade trees at locations throughout the city. Join us on April 29th to help us leave a green legacy for future generations in Saratoga Springs.”  To get involved in this family-friendly community event, sign up at https://sustainablesaratoga.org/tree-toga/

Volunteer Tree Planters will check in at Pitney Meadows Community Farm at 9:30 AM on April 29 and get a lesson in tree planting before heading off in small teams to their assigned planting locations across the city. Once the trees are in the ground, the Tree Host homeowners and other volunteers provide the care that is critical to tree survival and the success of Sustainable Saratoga’s mission to preserve and expand Saratoga’s urban forest. 

Why plant trees? In addition to providing long lasting beauty, research shows that urban trees enhance retail and restaurant profitability, increase property values, save energy, improve air quality, reduce water pollution, enhance our mental and physical health, and provide wildlife habitat.

Spring is a great time to plant your own tree.  If you can’t join Tree Toga in person, join in spirit by planting a tree in your own yard and sharing a picture on social media with the tag #NextGenTree.  Sustainable Saratoga recommends planting a variety of trees native to our local area, as well as a few from the wider region that are adapted to our soils and climate and provide food and shelter for a variety of insects and wildlife. You can find a wealth of practical information on choosing, buying, planting and caring for trees at:  https://sustainablesaratoga.org/projects/urban-forestry-project/practical-info-for-tree-planting-care/. 

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About Sustainable Saratoga

Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources, through education, advocacy and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area. Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life.