The Labor Day storm of 1998 decimated Oakwood Cemetery, bringing down roughly one thousand trees, some as old as the cemetery itself. Work is underway to bring the forested cemetery and its unique population of trees back to its former glory.
How It Works
Oakwood is at the forefront of reintroducing the American Chestnut to the nation’s landscape that was decimated by blight in the early 1900s. ESF and Cornell Cooperative Extension have partnered with HOCPA to plant twenty American Chestnuts, with plans to add more in the spring.
We are also discussing a way to replace some of the roughly one thousand trees destroyed in the 1998 Labor Day Storm. Working with photos and documents, we want to bring the forested cemetery with its unique population of trees back to its former glory.
What Your Contribution Does
Our dream is to plant oaks of the following species: chinkapin (q. muehlenbergii), chestnut (q. montana), scarlet (q. coccinea) and shumard (q. shumarddii). They are native to New York and would grow to a height of 50-100 feet, producing acorns that are the preferred food for wild turkeys, grouse, white-tailed deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and large songbirds.
Please help us fill in the blank spaces in our forest canopy by donating to our tree project.
Donation amounts:
$150 Purchases a six foot tree.
$ 75 Purchases half a tree.
$ 50 Purchases deer fencing, stakes, and mulch.
$ 25 Purchases an Arboretum tag.
Guide to Trees of Oakwood Cemetery
Embark on a self-guided tour of the magnificent trees in Oakwood Cemetery, a 160-acre historic land that neighbors SUNY ESF. Meant for novice and experienced tree enthusiasts alike, this booklet covers the 38 most common species, hybrids, and generea of trees that can be found in Oakwood. Each are described, illustrated, and marked on a high quality, colored map. Instead of most field guides where identification is often without certainty, you can be confident you are looking at the right species. $10.00, free shipping through PayPal or by check to HOCPA 102 Bradford Lane, Syracuse NY 13224
This book was written and illustrated by the uber talented, Abigail Flaitz. To check out more of her work, visit her website by clicking here.
