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From the Big Apple to a Little-known North Dakota Town
A look into two very different communities benefiting from the same iconic Arbor Day Foundation program
November 21, 2024
From the home of Broadway and arguably the best-known city park on the planet, to a tiny outpost on the Great Plains of North Dakota, the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program is helping cities of all sizes create stronger communities with more trees. The four core standards may be the same for each of the nearly 4,000 cities and towns around the country proudly proclaiming status as a Tree City. But their approach to stewardship of urban trees can look very different from place to place.
Want to understand just how different two Tree Cities can be? Look no further than the program’s largest participating city, New York City, and our smallest, Sibley, North Dakota.
Sibley: the smallest of small-town america
Sibley, North Dakota, population 20, is tucked into 25 acres about 80 miles northwest of Fargo. The town has a single park — Tootsville Park, named after one of the community’s founders, Edythe “Toots” Hagglund. What it lacks in size it makes up for in commitment to trees.
Sibley has been a recognized Tree City for 12 consecutive years, and much of the needed tree care happens within the park thanks to support from grant funding. And while Tree City USA recognition provides cities with a level of credibility and legitimacy when applying for grant dollars, that’s not the only reason they apply each year. Annual recognition is about connecting with the community’s history. One of the first things Sibley’s founders did was plant trees.
New York City: a green giant
The Big Apple sits in stark contrast of Sibley in many ways. Its population has boomed to 8.65 million residents, and it boasts a multitude of iconic parks, including Central Park. (Fun fact: Central Park is large enough to encompass 34 towns the size of Sibley.) Roughly half of the city’s trees have taken root in public spaces. The NYC Parks Department is responsible for nearly 700,000 street trees and 5 million park trees across the five boroughs.
NYC has received Tree City USA recognition for 28 years in a row and Tree Cities of the World recognition for 5 years. Its desire to fly the Tree City flag is not about gaining tree care tips; it has a large team of well-trained professionals. Here, it’s about engaging their residents in the value of trees and nature while also being connected to a global network of cities committed to their urban forests.
Different cities, same passion
While these communities look very different on paper (and in person), one common thread connects them — a tireless dedication to their trees. It’s what connects all 3,577 cities and towns that participate in the Tree City USA program. And when communities are engaged in the care of their community forests, we all benefit.
