Chicopee Planting Goal Progress:
2,106 Trees Planted out of 2,400 GOAL
Last Updated: December 14, 2021
Am I In The Zone?
Meet Your Local Foresters:
Sarah Greenleaf
Education: M.S. in Urban Forestry at Oregon State University; B.S. in Horticulture at University of Vermont.
Experience: Municipal forestry in Oregon; Utility forestry in California; Public gardens in Colorado and California; Organic farming in Massachusetts and Maine.
Interests: Music, hiking, cycling, running, growing vegetables, spending time with friends.
Favorite tree & reason: Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) because it is strong, provides habitat for critters, and is a classic and beautiful player in the New England landscape.
Samantha Eanes
Education: B.S. Environmental Management, Indiana University – 2014 M.S. Project Management and Operations, SNHU – 2023
Experience: ISA Certified Arborist. Began working as a Green Infrastructure Forester for the NYC DEP selecting flood-tolerant tree species to be planted in right-of-way bioswales. In 2016, I started working for the NYC Parks Dept. as a Street Tree Forester managing planting contracts in Queens and the Bronx. After 4 years in NYC, I joined The Greening of Detroit to oversee planting initiatives to expand Detroit’s urban tree canopy. In 2022, I happily accepted the GGCP Regional Forester position working out of the Westfield office.
Interests: Camping, hiking, kayaking, gardening.
Favorite Tree: Metasequoia glyptostroboides (dawn redwood) has a great presence in the landscape, especially when planted in groves. This ancient tree can grow to heights of 100ft when planted in the right location. Interesting that it is a deciduous conifer that has cones but loses its foliage in the fall.
Chicopee Partners:
Valley Opportunity Council
Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) is a non-profit Community Action Agency that serves the greater Hampden County area. We provide a number of supports including: Fuel Assistance, Child Care, Housing, Homeless and Supportive Housing and Services, WIC programming, Adult Education and Career Pathways, College and Career Readiness, Financial Literacy, Rental Assistance, and Senior Services. The communities that we live and work in- the businesses, our neighbors, our neighborhoods, are important to us. This has also led to a partnership with Greening the Gateway Cities and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. We are excited to be part of the positive growth and development of our community in every way. This includes planting trees to increase the livability, decrease utility costs, and increase the beauty of our community, to name a few of the benefits.
