BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo was once known as the "City of Trees," and an effort this week could help restore that title to the Queen City.
Volunteers from across Western New York came to the City of Buffalo Engineering Garage to pick up new spruces. The trees are part of an initiative that was started in the wake of the 2006 October storm. ReTree Western New York has spent the last 12 years trying to replant the more the 50,000 trees that were lost during that storm.
This week, ReTree Western New York supervised the planting of more than 120 trees in nearly 20 communities that lost most of their forestation during the storm.
"We actually lost 57,000 trees through 18 communities surrounding Buffalo, in addition to Buffalo and the storied parks that we have. So we're replacing those, still, thirteen years later but we're almost finished with that project which is great," Paul Maurer, chairman of ReTree Western New York, said.
Maurer has spent time helping train volunteers on new planting techniques so they would be able to plant more trees as they become available. He worked with various cities and towns that lost the most trees back in 2006. Those municipalities matched each tree the volunteers were able to buy.
A special planting of the 30,000th tree will take place at Canalside on Friday, April 26 at 10:30 a.m.