Stewarding Canopy and Community in Central Queens

About Our Project

The Stewarding Canopy and Community in Central Queens (SCCCQ) Project is a collaboration between NYC Parks, City Parks Foundation, and Trees New York, aimed to increase urban tree canopy coverage and provide work force development skills through training and internship opportunities for green jobs in Jackson Heights, Corona, and Elmhurst through 2029.

Funding for this project is provided by a grant from the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program, to support urban communities experiencing vulnerability to extreme heat due to the lack of tree canopy coverage and the associated benefits of the urban forest. The grant increases capacity to plant street trees while preserving and promoting existing trees with the care they need in these Central Queens neighborhoods. Physical improvements include expanding tree beds to increase rooting space and tree bed surface area, thereby increasing stormwater infiltration and capture in tree beds.

Gennie giving a thumbs up from a NYC Parks truck after a successful tree planting event with students and teachers of Elm Community Charter School in Elmhurst.

Gennie teaching volunteers in Corona about how to steward street trees: 1. removing trash, 2. removing weeds, 3. aerating with a cultivator, 4. laying down mulch

Our Goals

Train and educate community members to empower a lasting network of urban forest advocates through

  • Workforce development opportunities to connect community members to green jobs

    • Water and maintain recently planted trees through engagement with local organizations

    • Municipal Forest Tech, seasonal position with NYC Parks

  • Increase youth environmental literacy through tree stewardship

    • Street Tree Care events with Public Schools - GreenTeams, Science Classes, Garden Clubs etc.

    • Street Tree Planting with youth volunteers

  • Support advanced volunteers’ work in their community

    • Care Captain Webinar Trainings - Become a Super Stewards with NYC Parks Stewardship Team

    • Care Captain led Street Tree Care events -TreeLC Truck requests

  • Provide leadership and organizational development skills to local leaders in service to continue tree care and advocacy beyond the project period

    • Establish an engaging Community Advocacy Committee

Increase canopy cover and promote healthy long-lived trees to increase the environmental benefits that trees offer

  • Plant 400 street trees per year, 200 each fall and 200 each spring

  • Provide care for newly planted trees for two years: watering, pruning, weeding, removing debris, etc.

  • Distribute 400 ornamental and fruit trees for community members to plant in yards and private property in the project area each year - 200 each spring and 200 each fall.

  • Expand 150 existing tree beds to allow tree roots to grow, promoting tree resilience.

  • Install over 170 tree guards to protect sidewalk trees in highly trafficked areas (such as Elmhurst Hospital, Junction Boulevard, and Corona Plaza) starting in Spring 2026.

  • Plant bulbs, flowers, and ground cover in tree beds.

Community Engagement

Stewarding Canopy and Community in Central Queens will foster opportunities to train individuals, groups, and organizations to become trained street tree stewards. We will also work to train Care Captains to engage in the stages of planning, planting, and long term care of street trees. Care Captain trainings that provide stewardship education will be available both via webinar online and in person, to support the longevity of the project. Trees New York will provide a training course for residents interested in obtaining a Citizen Pruner certification.

Tree Planting and Giveaways

Stewarding Canopy and Community will plant 1,000 trees in areas not planted by NYC Parks. We will distribute 1,000 Trees to be planted outside of NYC Parks Jurisdiction. The project preserve and protect trees by expanding 150 tree beds and installing 177 tree guards. By the end of the project, SCCCQ will have stewarded 16,803 trees (every tree in the project area).

Community Advisory Committee

Stewarding Canopy and Community in Central Queens is establishing a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to support the longevity of the project. We are seeking active community leaders, residing in the project area, with an interest in civic engagement! Members of the committee are tasked with ensuring their neighborhood’s urban forestry needs are heard and addressed.

Stewarding Canopy and Community in Central Queens is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program

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