SUNY Cobleskill begins reforestation project

Nov. 11—The SUNY Cobleskill campus gained 160 trees this week, planted by more than 50 students, faculty, and staff.

According to a media release from the college, the planting was the start of a new, decade-long project. Throughout November, an additional 900 trees will be planted as part of a larger riparian forest along the banks of the Cobleskill Creek. The ultimate goal of the project is to plant 10,000 new trees over the next ten years.

The tree planting effort "hopes to restore native upland and lowland forests that have increased water-holding capacity, are less prone to erosion, and filter poor-quality water," the release said. "These forests will support biodiversity, enhance wildlife habitat, and increase corridor connectivity for species that have declined due to habitat loss."

Planning for the reforestation project was carried out by Associate Professor Andrew Gascho Landis' Forest Ecology class, Instructional Support Technician Jess Furlong, Campus Sustainability Coordinator Karina Benninger, and Environmental Management Student Lisa Starikov, the release said.

The planting effort this month is supported by the Laura Jane Musser Fund, which awarded an Environmental Initiative Grant of $29,200 to the college in support of the Cobleskill Creek Riparian Forest Trail.

"The positive impacts of planting trees is widely known and we are excited to use the opportunity to work toward several important goals including creating educational opportunities for our students, developing natural outdoors spaces for the community to enjoy, supporting natural carbon storage, and preventing streambank erosion," Benninger said. "The promotion of biodiversity and habitat protection is an important goal of Executive Order 22 recently given by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, and the tree planting project aligns with and exemplifies that goal while integrating seamlessly with the mission of the College and our academic enterprise."

In the Spring of 2021, Gascho Landis' Ecological Restoration class planted the beginnings of the campus' riparian forest, with 800 new trees planted along State Route 7 to the Cobleskill Creek, representing 22 different tree and shrub species, the release said.

The class studied the planting area's landscape features and soil map to choose species suitable for various conditions. Upland species are planted on the hill slope where soil conditions were drier; lowland species are concentrated along Cobleskill Creek. Students also considered the expected changes in climate and planted several species adapted to future conditions, including pin oak, redbud and pawpaw.

The forest is expected to provide canopy coverage to the area in about ten to 15 years, the release said. This project was made possible by a $5,000 gift from the Gerald and Elizabeth Jennings Foundation, used in purchasing the seedlings for the planting.