Saugerties Village Tree Commission

04/07/2025

Earth Day Celebrations in Saugerties all week long! Something for everyone!

The kick-off event will take place on Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, at 6 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre - Upstate Films!

Earlier that day, from 3 to 6 p.m., families can join interactive activities at the Arm-of-the-Sea Theater Tidewater Center, including fishing and bio-remediating art.

Throughout the week, events will include pollinator garden tours, readings at Inquiring Minds Bookstore, a greenmapping workshop, an Anchorage Farm visit, live performances, a tree identification tour, environmental crafts, and more. Activities are designed to inform, inspire, and strengthen community ties.

12/22/2024

Ever wonder how our northeastern trees tolerate below-freezing temps? Trees can’t move to a cozy burrow or head south for the winter, so they have to use a few tricks to (usually) prevent their living cells from freezing each winter:

🌳 During these cold winter months, deciduous trees (the ones that lose their leaves annually) are “dormant” and pause their active growth and food production.
🌳 All trees dehydrate their living cells so that they have less water inside them during winter. That way, the water that’s pulled out of the cells can freeze around the living cells without hurting them.
🌳 When this happens, the remaining water inside the cell has a higher concentration of sugar. The sugar acts like an anti-freeze by lowering the freezing point of the water inside the tree’s living cells.
🌳 Trees also harden their cells to a glass-like texture that appears practically solid, making it harder for the liquid in the cells to freeze.

Part of this science is still a bit of a mystery, but what is known is quite magical!

11/10/2024

11/10/2024

REMINDER: Street trees are Village property! If you need to have them trimmed, please contact us! Someone hacked away at a young cherry tree today. Severe pruning like this is harmful and any trimming of street trees requires prior authorization with the Village clerk.

Edit: thank you for all the comments and feedback! Updated to add that the tree was part of our Arbor Day plantings in 2023.

11/09/2024

Thank you to all our volunteers who showed up on a chilly Saturday to put our pollinator garden to bed. We did a little tidying, but left our beds largely undisturbed to give our pollinators places to rest and seed heads for the birds over the winter. We are so grateful for everyone’s care and effort. ♥️