Tree Stewardship
The Irvington Woods
Irvington is lucky to have the Irvington Woods, home to the O’Hara Nature Center with educational programming and demonstration gardens, the Peter K. Oley Trail Network within 259 acres of woodland, and the Irvington Reservoir. Learn more at TheIrvingtonWoods.org
For the Irvington Woods Risk Tree Inventory and Community Forest Management Plan Click here.
Stewardship and Education
ONC Community-Based Programming Overview—Overview of the community land stewardship programming from K-12th Grade at the O'Hara Nature Center
The Parks Department's CJ Reilly has led numerous significant stewardship projects in the Irvington Woods and O'Hara Nature Center.
Harvard Forest—Changing Forest Research Project—Long-Term Ecological Research Program on Forest Health and Dynamics (K - 12th Grade).
Cornell/NYSDOT Soil and Pollinator Research Project—Year-long research work with the Cornell Waste Management Institute and Department of Transportation to provide data on native plants and pollinators benefiting from them to develop roadside topsoil seed mixtures.
Vocational Independence Program—Irvington School District—Special education program for middle and high school students based around building vocational skills in landscape management, horticulture, and land stewardship with the Irvington School District.
Peter Oley Trailway System Community Project—Year-long community stewardship project with Irvington youth (K-12) focused on designing and implementing the new color-coded loop trailway system in Irvington Woods Park.
2022 DEC Tree Planting Project and Greater Irvington Land Trust (GILT) Deer Exclosure Grant
Old Growth Forest
A potentially 318+-year-old White oak has been discovered in the Irvington Woods Park. Our O'Hara Nature Center's Director of Education and Head of Grounds and Operations, CJ Reilly, works with high school students to core trees and analyze them. Their research has revealed that we have a lot of White oaks between the ages of 170+ and 244+ years old. In other words, we have old-growth trees in Southern Westchester, which is rare given all the land loss due to farming during the 1600s - 1800s and housing and municipal development during the 1900s - 2000s, so it's quite a gem.
New Trail System
With the support of the Irvington Woods Committee, the Village of Irvington, the Irvington Recreation and Parks Department, the Irvington School District, the Irvington community, and volunteers, the Peter Olay Trailways system overhauled in put into place in the summer of 2022.
You can find the new Trail Map here or scroll below.
New Trail Map - click to expand
Tree Preservation Commission
The village Tree Commission has been established to protect and preserve trees within the Village, whether municipal, commercial or residential, and to ensure review, regulation and inspection of any activity affecting trees that might adversely affect the health, safety and general welfare of the community.
The activities of the Tree Commission through review and approval of tree permits, outlining municipal tree policies and providing tree education, help the village and its residents to better serve as stewards of our air, water, land and living resources. It is our joint obligation to protect the environment for the use of this and future generations.
Learn more on the Irvington Village Tree Commission page
Tree Permit Application and Related Files PDF files for download: Tree Removal Permit Application (PDF)
Care of Trees After a Storm (PDF)
Tree City USA
Irvington has been a designated Tree City since 1985, meeting standards set by the Arbor Day Foundation such as having a Tree Preservation Commission and establishing Tree Care Ordinances and a tree planting program and budget. The committee also offers tree care guidance. Learn more about Tree Cities here.
Trees for Tribs
Over the years the Village of Irvington has participated in the NYS DEC's Trees for Tribs program, which has supplied bare-root trees and shrubs which have been planted in several places in the Irvington Woods, including above the reservoir. The Trees for Tribs program's goal "is to plant trees and shrubs along streams to create a forested riparian (streamside) buffer that helps decrease erosion, reduce flooding damage, improve wildlife and stream habitat, and protect water quality."
Learn more with the DEC NY here.
