What do we want?

What plants and trees should we be putting along our streets and in our yards? How can we ensure access to fresh, affordable local food?

These were some of the questions posed to Dobbs Ferry during the May 3 "Community Conversation" about Gardens, Trees and Local Food, hosted by Sustainable Dobbs.

We wanted to share the feedback with you particularly because we're using it to shape and inform Roots & Wings vision for serving the community. Want to get involved? Let us know!

1. Classes re gardens (Getting started, protecting gardens from critters, preserving)
2. Village composting
3. Mulch in place
4. Town could buy leaf shredder
5. Village code needs to require developers to plant certain number of trees (or preserve existing ones)
6. How is DF tree commission working? Can improvements be made?
7. Pursue TreeCity USA designation; DF has tiny budget for planting trees
8. High Street Park- what is the right amount of clearance?
9. What is the carbon impact of removing mature trees? Are there types of shrubs, trees that are better at absorbing carbon?
10. Trees along Cedar and Main need attention
11. True pruning can be done in way that unifies streetscape
12. Village should hire tree specialist; Town of Greenburgh has one
13. Belden Ave—1 day when an arborist or contractor does audit/estimate on street trees
14. Is there interest in creating community gardens? Is there space? Next to Aqueduct trail trailer? at the Juhring Estate? At Memorial Park? the new High Street Park? at the schools but for the broader community? Get seniors involved, too.
15. Do inventory of farmable land
16. Seed saving groups—create seed bank; have 1 plot for plants to go to seed (for seed collection only)
17. Outreach, developing plan and framework for community garden key to success. Once people become more aware of issues related to local food, climate change
18. How can existing trees be protected.  Trees are damaged by village mowers in parks
19. Raise awareness of importance of trees. Trees are an investment
20. Environmental education re trees—tree tour, nature walks in schools and communities
21. Take into account flood patterns impact of weather on new gardens, trees, etc

Roots & Wings emerged out of the Dobbs Ferry Task Force on Energy and the Environment, (which subsequently became Sustainable Dobbs). Back in 2010, the Dobbs Ferry Energy Task Force hosted a gathering in which the need for a group to lead the way--to show how to compost, collect water, garden emerged. Roots & Wings was formed, in part, to be that group. Read more here.

We're glad they're working for our community.