Volunteers plant trees along Freeville’s Main Street

On Nov. 14, about a dozen volunteers worked together to plant trees along Main Street in Freeville as part of the Freeville Tree Committee’s third annual tree planting project. Tom Cavataio, project leader and committee coordinator, said the camaraderie and cooperative spirit the program promotes is encouraging.

As Cavataio described, the tradition started in January 2018, when city of Ithaca Forester Jeanne Grace came before the village Planning Board to talk about an Arbor Day grant program through the New York State Urban Forestry Council. The Council works in partnership with the Department of Environmental Conservation to promote the planting of trees and other vegetation within communities.

“At that point, after Jeanne had explained it, [Mayor] David Fogel … looked over at me and said, ‘Boy, Tom, that sounds like a program that would be good for you to run’ for some reason,” Cavataio said. “So, I did. I took it over.”

Cavataio said he decided to take it on because of a lifelong interest.

“I planted trees often and all my life because trees and the planting thereof is something that has value to me, and it does to all of us whether you choose to see it or not,” he said. “I seemed like a likely candidate to take it on, and being something that is of real value and a real interest to me, I guess it makes sense that I would say yes, so I did.”

Freeville at the time was one of about 10 municipalities within the state that was awarded the $1,000 grant, which allowed the village to purchase and plant 14 trees in the first year. Cavataio explained the evolution of the program from there.

“Last year, David Fogel, who’s committed to this program, put $500 in the annual budget for this program,” he said. “Last year, we had a supplement from NYSEG, … [and] we planted nine or 10. This year, not wanting to overdo our relationship with NYSEG, I didn’t ask about whether or not they would donate trees. So, we stuck to that $500 budget.”

In past years, the planting areas were focused around Main Street and Railroad Street, but this year, the team concentrated on Main Street, where volunteers planted five flowering crab apple trees. That brought the total number of trees planted over the past three years to 27.

“Because of utility lines in the area and underground natural gas lines, we needed to plant a tree that was relatively short in height, if you will, but also didn’t block the view of people trying to back out of their driveways or turn onto or off of Main Street,” Cavataio said.

The program has had a fairly steady attendance over the past three years, generally attracting the same 10 to 12 people, and this year was no different. Cavataio said that overall, the pandemic didn’t affect the planting that much. Volunteers had to wear masks during the planting, and planning meetings were held virtually rather than in person, but it was nothing too cumbersome.

“We planted trees … and we just donned masks,” Cavataio said. “We tried to keep our distance as best we could, given what we were doing. So, it had an impact, but I think we minimized it pretty effectively.”

The biggest difference between this year’s planting and past years’ is the number of trees volunteers planted. Cavataio said that this year’s number could’ve been closer to seven or more, but for the first time since the program’s inception, several residents declined to have trees planted in front of their house. As a result, his team had to limit the planting to just five.

Despite the challenges, Cavataio said he and other volunteers saw the value in the project and worked to ensure it lived on.

“We’re not technically bound to having an annual program by way of requirements from the United States with the New York State Urban Forestry Council anymore because they gave us the money,” Cavataio said. “[But] we committed to doing it, and therefore, I think it’s important to do. It’s also a very, very valuable program.”

In addition, Cavataio said, the village’s comprehensive plan from about a decade ago reflects residents’ interests in planting trees in the village. As for the volunteers, he said they’ve shown their dedication by participating year after year.

“Interestingly, because we all know what it is we’re doing and how to do it, there really is not a lot of feedback from committee members until we, next year, start looking at places to plant trees,” he said. “But I kind of like that, actually, because they show up without fail every year. They don’t say a lot about it but just quietly go about doing this thing that adds value to the community.”

And the reaction from the village is often just as subtle, but Cavataio doesn’t mind.

“The appreciation that we get from the community is there; we don’t always hear it verbally, or it may be sometime later even in the next year when people observe the trees that had been planted over three years that they express their appreciation for it,” Cavataio said. “But … I’m confident that even though there really is not a tremendous amount of feedback that people really do appreciate it because the results are visually there. You can certainly see the results and the proverbial fruits of our labor.”

Moving forward, Cavataio plans to keep the tradition going for many years to come, helping to “spruce up” Main Street and other areas in Freeville. He’s also hoping to branch out into other beautification projects around the village that would serve a similar purpose to the tree planting project.

For now, Cavataio expressed his love for the tree planting project and what it brings to the village.

“It’s a valuable program,” he said. “It is like many things in life that aren’t flashy, and they’re not sexy, but, when you look at them for what they are, they have real value and they add real value. And I might have been skeptical when David looked at me three years ago and said, ‘this is Tom’s program,’ but I’ve never regretted leading this program. It’s been a terrific bunch of people who participated.”

Cavataio encouraged village residents to consider being a part of this program in future years by suggesting planting locations or joining in the planting. Contact Cavataio at tcavataio@cdassembly.com for more information.

In Brief:

Holiday Happenings at Southworth

Looking for some ways to experience the holidays safely? Come to the Southworth Library at 24 W. Main St. to pick up a Nutcracker Scavenger Hunt Sheet and solve the riddles to find the 12 nutcrackers displayed in village businesses and organizations. When you have found them, just turn in your sheet to the library for an opportunity to win prizes. All sheets must be turned in by Dec. 21.

The library will also welcome Pete the Cat for Stories in the Snow with Ms. Diane on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. It will be held in the library’s outdoor reading area for a safe venue for stories with take-home kits with crafts, activities and a free book as well. 

Also on Dec. 5, the library will be streaming Santa reading “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement C. Moore on the library’s YouTube page. Viewers may win a beautifully illustrated copy of this classic after watching it and messaging the library.

All kids can sign up for a free Holiday take-home bag with crafts, activities and a free book as well by calling or emailing the library at southworthlibrary@gmail.com. 

Fundraiser for Freeville church

The Freeville United Methodist Church is excited to announce its online gift card  fundraiser hosted by Texas Roadhouse Ithaca. Visit https://t.ly/giJR to purchase a Texas Roadhouse gift card. Ten percent of the sale will be donated to the church in support of its community outreach activities. The campaign ends Nov. 30.