BOPC to host Book Launch at Marcy Casino (Saturday, October 22nd)

The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is proud to announce the official book launch of “Olmsted in Buffalo and Niagara” by Robert Shibley, Lynda Schneekloth, and Thomas Yots.  The book launch will take place Saturday, October 22, 2011 will be hosted by president and CEO of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Thomas Herrera-Mishler, at the Marcy Casino in Delaware Park (199 Lincoln Parkway).  The evening runs from 6:00pm until 8:00pm and will include cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, conversations with the authors, and a book signing.

From BuffaloBooks.com: Olmsted in Buffalo and Niagara is the first history and guidebook written about Frederick Law Olmsted and the remarkable urban parks he designed in Western New York at the end of the last century. He imprinted his vision of the world about the power of nature to heal and enrich urban life on both Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Olmsted gave Western New York two of his most important works, the Buffalo Olmsted Park and Parkway System, and the Niagara Reservation.

Pre-registration for this event is required and admission price is $30, which includes a signed copy of the book.  Attendees must contact Laura Genco in order to RSVP (laura@bfloparks.org or 716-838-1249 ext 11).

Legacy 11 Boy Scout-Invasive Plant Removal (Oct. 8th and 9th)

This past weekend (October 8th and 9th) the Legacy 11 Boy Scouts came out to help remove invasive plants along the shores of Hoyt Lake, the Japanese Gardens, and Rumsey woods near the Marcy Casino. This project involved over 100 Boy Scouts removing European Buckthron, Chinese Elm, and European Grapevines which threatened to disrupt the natural environment in Olmsted Parks. In addition to the invasive plant removal, the Scouts also completed a repainting projects at the Marcy Casino. This projects were a collaborative effort with several local WNY Boy Scout Troops, Buffalo ReUse, and Buffalo Employment and Training Center. The efforts of the Scout Troops have been very well received by park visitors and will help to make a go impression for the upcoming conference.

(photos courtesy of Boy Scout Troop 37-Kenmore, NY)

For more information on Boy Scout Troop 37, Please visit their website (http://www.kenmoretroop37.com)

Cazenovia Park Community Tree-Planting

The City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is proud to announce a community tree-planting in the City of Buffalo’s Cazenovia Park on November 5th from 9:00am to 12:00 Noon. The planting of 30 trees is made possible by a grant from the CSX Corporation secured by the Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees). The donation is valued at $10,000 and will pay for the cost of the trees and their maintenance. “This tree-planting comes 5 years after the October Surprise Storm which damaged about 90% of all the trees in the City of Buffalo” said Thomas Herrera-Mishler, president and CEO of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. “This donation means a lot and will help to replenish Buffalo’s urban forest.” added Mayor Byron W. Brown. In addition to damaging 90% of the city’s trees, the October Surprise Storm resulted in 10% of the trees in the Olmsted Park System being lost outright. Additionally, another 5% have been extremely stressed and have shown a decline in health since.

“The Alliance for Community Trees is pleased to be able to help direct these funds to the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy for urban park tree planting. ACTrees is a national partner with CSX on its Trees for Tracks campaign, which has a goal of planting 21,000 trees--one for every mile of track in the CSX railway system” said Leland Milstein of ACTrees.

At its peak the Buffalo Olmsted Parks system (the nation’s first) boasted 42,000 trees. Currently that number is down to only 15,000, including the 3,000 that have been planted since the October Surprise Storm. Over the years, disease, over maturity, insects, and severe weather conditions have all taken their toll on the parks’ trees.

For those interested in volunteering, please contact Steven Nagowski by e-mailing volunteer@bfloparks.org or by calling (716) 835-1300 ext 15.

The Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees) is dedicated to improving the environment where 80% of Americans live-cities, towns and metropolitan areas. Together, local ACT member organizations have planted 15 million trees with help from 10.7 million volunteer hours nationwide. http://actrees.org/site/about-us/mission/ .

CSX Corporation, together with its subsidiaries based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the nation's leading transportation suppliers. The company’s rail and intermodal businesses provide rail-based transportation services including traditional rail service and the transport of intermodal containers and trailers. Overall, the CSX Transportation network encompasses about 21,000 route miles of track in 23 states, the District of Columbia and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. More than two-thirds of Americans live within CSX’s service territory, accounting for about three-quarters of the nation’s consumption.

"Operation Red Carpet" Volunteer Mum Plantings

This past Saturday, October 8th, over 1,000 chrysanthemums were planted in gardens across the Olmsted parks system. The red mums were planted by volunteers for Operation Red Carpet. Operation Red Carpet is the name of a beautification project meant to prepare for the upcoming National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Conference as well as maintain the Frederick Law Olmsted designed park landscapes. In cooperation with Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy and the City of Buffalo, the Susan G. Komen Commemorative Grove also participated in the planting of pink mums in support of Operation Red Carpet. Mayor Byron Brown was in attendance at the Komen Grove planting. If you would like to learn more about Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, please visit our website (http://www.bfloparks.org/) or our facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BFLOparks).

Erie County Awards $50,000 to fund Operation Red Carpet

County Executive Chris Collins and Parks Commissioner Jim Hornung announced that $50,000 of county support will go toward Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy's  "Operation Red Carpet." This initiative is meant to prepare the parks for the National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Conference which will take place in Buffalo from October 19-October 22, 2011.  The Buffalo Fund for the Arts and the Baird Foundations have also matched the funds provided, doubling the county's investment. This will allow for the Conservancy to enhance landscaping in all parks in the Olmsted system this fall. The National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference will bring over 2,500 tourists and media from across the country to Buffalo.  The beautification of these parks will help Buffalo to grant a positive impression on the visitors in addition to promoting tourism.

Operation Red Carpet (October 8, 2011)

Today, Monday, October 3, 2011 the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy held a joint press conference with County Executive Chris Collins to announce Operation Red Carpet. Operation Red Carpet is the large-scale planting project that will result in over 1,000 chrysanthemums in high-profile gardens throughout the Olmsted Parks system. This massive planting project is meant to "roll out the red carpet” for the National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference and the board meeting for the National Association of Olmsted Parks (NAOP) coming to Buffalo in October. Both County Executive Chris Collins and  president and CEO of the Conservancy Thomas Herrera-Mishler participated in the first planting of the red mums today. To participate in the planting of the "red carpet" on October 8, 2011 please contact Steven Nagowski at volunteer@bfloparks.com or call at (716) 838-1249 ext. 15.