For Release: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Names Two Trees at Brooklyn Botanic Garden State Champions
First New York City Trees to Receive Honor
Today, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) designated two trees at Brooklyn Botanic Garden "State Champions," affirming that they are the largest of their species on record in the state. The trees, a Kansas hawthorn (Crataegus coccinioides) and a holly (Ilex ambigua var. monticola) are the first trees in New York City to receive this honor. Only native or naturalized, nonhybrid species are eligible for champion designation. These specimens were nominated by a private citizen and their dimensions verified by the DEC.
A recognition ceremony was held this afternoon at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, during which BBG president Scot Medbury and DEC Region 2 director Suzanne Y. Mattei delivered brief remarks. "We are proud to accept this recognition on behalf of several generations of BBG horticulturists, whose expert stewardship has caused these trees to thrive," Medbury said. "Planted in 1912, two years after Brooklyn Botanic Garden's founding, the hawthorn is emblematic of BBG's century-long commitment to the conservation of the native flora of New York. We applaud the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Big Tree Register program, which will help inspire New York's future generations of environmental stewards."
"It is no surprise that the first two State Champion Big Trees in New York City are on the grounds of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden," DEC New York City Director Suzanne Mattei said. "BBG is one of the nation's premier horticultural institutions, and you only need to look around to see what an amazing steward they are of living treasures such as these."
After the ceremony, educators from the DEC led a group of students from BBG's affiliated high school, Brooklyn Academy for Science and the Environment, in a workshop on the techniques used to measure big trees.
For more information on the New York State Big Tree Register and champion status, please visit the DEC website. For more information on big trees at BBG, please visit bbg.org/exp/bigtrees/info/what.html.
About BBG
Founded in 1910, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is an independent nonprofit institution committed to education, research, and the display of horticulture. BBG serves communities in New York City and internationally through its world-class gardens, extensive research collections, and numerous educational and community programs. Situated on 52 acres in the heart of Brooklyn, the Garden is home to over 12,000 kinds of plants and hosts more than 725,000 visitors annually. Brooklyn Botanic Garden was rated Brooklyn's number one tourist attraction in Zagat's 2008 Best of Brooklyn. For more information, please visit bbg.org.
