Brooklyn Students Bridge the Watershed Divide with Tree Planting at Yorktown's Willow Park

Thirty middle school students from Brooklyn traded city pavement for park greenery on Thursday, traveling to Willow Park to participate in a Trees for Tributaries planting event.

The initiative, hosted by the Yorktown Parks and Recreation Department in coordination with the Tree Conservation Advisory Commission and the Watershed Agricultural Council, saw students planting 10 native trees—including black cherry, silver maple, burr oak, and swamp oak—along the pond’s edge. The project served a dual purpose: preventing soil erosion at Willow Park and protecting the water quality of the Amawalk Reservoir, which provides drinking water to New York City.

“It was a privilege to welcome these young stewards and share the natural splendor that defines our community,” said Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman. “For many of these children, seeing the origin of their drinking water is a transformative experience. By opening our parks to students who may not live in such a lush environment, we are fostering a lifelong respect for nature and demonstrating how we are all interconnected.”

The event functioned as a “nature’s classroom,” allowing students to apply Earth Day lessons to real-world conservation.

“It’s great when you can get out of the classroom and learn through action,” said Parks Superintendent James Martorano. “Kids are learning from Brooklyn all the way up to Yorktown about nature and our community.”

The project was made possible through a Trees for Tributaries grant.

“You need trees to keep the water quality drinking,” said Keith Schepart of the Tree Conservation Advisory Commission. “This tributary just looks like a really innocent stream that goes into a pond, but it actually goes into another stream, and it continues on its way to Amawalk.”

The collaboration highlights the vital link between upstate land preservation and downstate resource management.

“We work in New York City's drinking water watershed—all of the lands that flow into New York City’s drinking water reservoirs,” said Jessica Alba, Watershed Forest Stewardship Educator at the Watershed Agricultural Council. “We want to teach students where their drinking water comes from and teach them about the forests that protect it."

The town tree bank, also located at Willow Park, grew the saplings used to shore up the pond’s perimeter.