Thank you Lexmark!

This month, Bethpage State Park proudly participated in a collaborative tree planting event! This was a wonderful opportunity made possible by Lexmark International, the printing supplier of the PGA Championship.

 Lexmark reached out to our Director of Agronomy, Andrew Wilson, explaining that their company wished to offset some of their PGA printing and paper-use. Their suggestion? A donation of trees to be planted somewhere suitable on our golf courses! We gratefully accepted this offer, knowing that this sustainability effort would be the perfect way to kick off PGA week...we are NEVER too busy for planting trees!

After some thought and discussion, our horticulturist and park ecologist selected eastern redbuds to be the tree of choice. This beautiful flowering species is native to the northeast, and already a deciduous favorite (growing in other locations around our golf courses and polo field). Blooming at the start of spring, these trees are a valuable resource, providing forage for pollinators and perching habitat for songbirds. Our staff also decided that planting these trees in between #3 green of the Blue Course and #3 tee of the the Yellow Course would help make this event not only a beautification effort but a restoration project as well! Not too long ago, this area suffered tree loss in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. In 2017, our staff actually planted a small pollinator garden to enhance the area, but left room for future tree plantings. This was just the kind of occasion we were hoping for!  

On May 11th, our staff and volunteers gathered to plant, just two days before the tournament! This could not have been accomplished without the organizational help of Lee Ann Disponett (from Lexmark's Global Sustainability Department) and Annie Dunham (PGA of America's Account Coordinator), who were also there in attendance to get their hands dirty! 

First things first, our park horticulturist,Victor Azzaretto, provided a demonstration with tips on how to properly backfill newly planted trees. 

Staff and volunteers were told to remove the burlap and string covering the top of each root ball (to allow root growth). Pictured to the left is our park Director, Elizabeth Winterberger completing that task! Soil amendments were then added and mixed.

                        
                        Volunteers and staff came together to make this a memorable team effort!  

            Lastly, we had the crew rake and pat the soil firmly into place, around the base of the tree,                      to ensure stabilization.

It was all smiles, down to the very last shovel of the tree planting process! Bethpage State Park feels very fortunate that we were able to host this event and that different members of our team, Lexmark and the PGA, all found the time and space to unite and give back to our environment. Even better, it was loads of fun!

Lexmark's generous donation has provided our park with the gift that keeps on giving. We are certain golfers playing the Blue or Yellow Course will appreciate the beauty of the trees in bloom next spring, and for all the years that follow. More importantly, we know that this site will be just as attractive to wildlife, which is always our goal! 

 In addition to the dozen trees donated, we are also grateful for the few dozen eastern redbud seedlings that Lexmark has provided us for future plantings. Once these seedlings mature, we will continue the planting effort in other areas around our park.