On Saturday morning, September 14, the lights dimmed in Newburgh’s Calvary Presbyterian Church as a brand new video debuted. The focus? The Garden Club of Orange & Dutchess Counties’ Root for Trees! project in Downing Park in partnership with students and teachers from Newburgh Free Academy-West.
The video was produced pro bono by Brian McDonnell of Timeline Productions, and the insightful interviews with area students proved a fitting opening to the weekend conference celebrating Downing Park and Newburgh.
The video captures students learning about the Olmsted legacy and how a park can be a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Students explore why that is important today and how being in the park makes them feel. Together with their teachers, they come to understand the profound impact that a healthy, accessible park can have on a community.
The Root for Trees! program is an experiential, year-round educational program that immerses local students in an urban park setting and teaches tree and plant care, the importance of public green spaces and educates students on environmental job opportunities.
To honor this inspired collaboration, the Olmsted Network awarded its Caroline Loughlin Volunteer Service Award jointly to the Newburgh Free Academy-West and The Garden Club of Orange & Dutchess Counties at its 2024 Awards Dinner on September 15, 2024.
