The below event is happening tomorrow at noon: 

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REGISTER: tinyurl.com/the-spirit-trees

CXSE BK and Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, with Brooklyn NAACP, Staten Island NAACP, Coalition of Brooklyn Heritage Sites NYC and Jeff Keiter, Landscape Architecture.

“The Spirit Trees of Frederick Douglass Memorial Park”—tree planting, environmental education, grounds beautification and guided tree and historical identification.

Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 12pm—4pm.

Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3201 Amboy Road, Staten Island, NY 10306.

Growing a Greener City, Honoring Black History: Fourth Annual City of Forest Day Celebration at Staten Island Landmark

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Tree planting and guided walks connect New Yorkers with the city’s urban forest and Staten Island’s history

STATEN ISLAND, NY — New Yorkers are invited to care for and learn about the city’s urban forest on Saturday, October 3, when Central x South East Brooklyn Community Development Corporation (CXSE BK) and Frederick Douglass Memorial Park host: “The Spirit Trees of Frederick Douglass Memorial Park” from noon to 4 p.m.

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Across all five boroughs, 2026 City of Forest Day events are gaining public support for preserving our urban forest.

In Staten Island, The Spirit Trees of Frederick Douglass Memorial Park event is highlighting how New York City’s sprawling terrascape beyond parks are improving our health, beautifying the environment, combating climate change, and for more.

Get to Know NYC’s Trees—and Help Our Environment

Frederick Douglass Memorial Park’s grounds contain approximately 25 unique tree species. Participants will learn how to identify trees, explore their place in the landscape, and help beautify the area around the historic Chapel House and office.

“Caring for our urban forest starts with getting to know what’s growing around us,” said Rona B. Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of CXSE BK. “We want people to leave with a better understanding of these trees, their unique importance, and the confidence to help care for green spaces in our own communities.”

Brooklyn and Staten Island NAACP are among the plethora of partners joining volunteers for the Saturday afternoon activities—including tree readings, featuring a card deck created by Bronx artist Matthew Lopez.

Environmental Stewardship Rooted in History

Founded in 1935 to challenge segregation in burial practices,

Frederick Douglass Memorial Park is New York City’s only existing nonsectarian cemetery established by and for the Black community. New York City designated it as an Individual Landmark in 2024.

The first-of-its kind landscape is surrounded by living and breathing stories of remembrance.

Among the trees is an arborvitae planted in place of a headstone until one can be acquired.

“Caring for these sacred grounds helps sustain both our urban forests and the indelible history they hold,” Rona Taylor concluded

Post-event release:

AT A HISTORIC BLACK CEMETERY, MORE THAN 200 TREES HELP PRESERVE NEW YORK’S HISTORY & ENVIRONMENT

At New York City’s first Black burial ground, City of Forest Day event connected the preservation of Black history with more than 200 trees, living memorials, and the future of the city’s urban forest.

STATEN ISLAND, NY — New York City’s only African American cemetery became a setting for environmental action and historical remembrance on October 3, as CxSE BK and Frederick Douglass Memorial Park hosted their first-ever “Spirit Trees” event.

As part of NYC’s fifth annual City of Forest Day, which featured more than 150 events across all five boroughs, the historic gathering connected care for the park’s trees with preserving the resting places and stories of thousands of Black New Yorkers.

The event highlighted how New York’s urban forest benefits everyone.

According to the city’s Urban Forest Plan, the five boroughs contain more than seven million trees, and forested natural areas average 6°F cooler than surrounding neighborhoods. The city’s trees also remove an estimated 1,100 tons of air pollution and reduce stormwater runoff by approximately 516 million gallons annually, helping improve air quality and ease pressure on sewers.

“New York City’s trees are part of our public health and our everyday lives,” said Rona Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of CxSE BK. “They give us shade, help cool our neighborhoods, and absorb rainwater. Caring for them is something we can do together to make our communities healthier and better prepared for extreme weather.”

At Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, that environmental work also protects a landscape central to Black history.

Opened in 1935, the cemetery grew from Harlem funeral director Rodney Dade’s determination to provide Black families with dignity in burial, free from the separate entrances and inferior burial sections imposed elsewhere.

Named for Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery and became a leading abolitionist, the park reflects the struggle for equality that continued long after emancipation—even in the right to mourn and be remembered with respect.

Its grounds hold the graves of blues pioneer Mamie Smith, jazz trumpeter Tommy Ladnier, and baseball player and author Sol White, alongside thousands of New Yorkers whose family histories are woven into the city’s heritage.

TREES AS PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE

Presented in collaboration with the Staten Island NAACP, the Grace Foundation, The New Negro Republic, and the New Beginnings Drum & Bangle Corp, the day’s activities centered on honoring the vital role of urban forestry in New York City.

Landscape architect and arborist Jeff Keiter led the tree and historical identification workshops, while public historian Debbie-Ann Paige and Frederick Douglass Memorial Park board secretary Lynn Cuffee shared the deep history of the park and the future vision for its preservation.

“Trees are not just vital infrastructure for our health and climate resilience; they are living witnesses to our shared history,” said Rona Taylor, Executive Director of CxSE BK. “By gathering at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, alongside our esteemed partners, we are connecting the preservation of our natural environment with the preservation of Black history and sacred community spaces.”

Hosted at the historic cemetery on Staten Island, participants engaged in a sacred land blessing ceremony, grounds beautification, and hands-on tree stewardship. (Photo Credit: Vasheena Brisbane)

Volunteers and event organizers gather at the burial ground on October 3 for hands on education and forest preservation. (Photo Credit: Rona Talor)

CxSE BK’s programming successfully underscored the deep intersections between environmental justice, cultural heritage, and local climate action.

“Yesterday marked our first partnership with Forest for All and its City of Forest Day, and it was a beautiful opportunity to honor our ancestors while planting for the health, healing, and future of our community. What we planted today will grow for generations to come,” added Lynn Cuffee, Board Secretary.

HONORING HISTORY AND ENSURING STORIES REMAIN ALIVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

“Being able to contribute to the preservation of history at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park reminded me why this work matters. We have a responsibility to honor those who came before us and make sure their stories remain alive for those who come after us,” said Zion Stanford, member of the Youth Council, Staten Island NAACP.

The 17-acre cemetery contains more than 200 trees representing over 40 species, including mature native oaks, sassafras, evergreens, Chinese arborvitae planted as living memorials, and an old beech tree that may predate the cemetery itself. (Photo Credit: Frederick Douglass Memorial Park.)

For more information on upcoming environmental initiatives, volunteer opportunities, or to support future programs, follow CxSE BK on Instagram at @cxsebk or contact them online.

About Central X South East Brooklyn CDC (CxSE BK):

Central X South East Brooklyn CDC is committed to empowering local communities through sustainable development, housing advocacy, environmental justice, and cultural preservation across Brooklyn and the broader New York City area.

Public historian Debbie Anne Paige (pictured right) teaching volunteers about the Park’s history.