New York Champion Butternut Poughkeepsie, New York Robin Poritzky stands guard beneath the State Champion

POUGHKEEPSIE, New York—The New York Champion Butternut tree, with its 100 foot canopy of far spreading limbs, stands shading a corner on Forbus Street, not far from the central corridor of Poughkeepsie, New York, a small city in the mid-Hudson Valley. The Forbus Street property between South Cherry and Gray Streets is a woodland oasis in a densely populated area-closest park-like environment available to residents-very different from the closely spaced two and three-family homes, or Poughkeepsie High School athletic fields two blocks away.

For two centuries, this magnificent Butternut tree was on the grounds of the 1869 Gregory House, a Victorian home that is on National and State Historic Registers. The house is one of Poughkeepsie's architectural gems-an irreplaceable remnant of Poughkeepsie's 19th century history. Documents to support the home's National Historic Site designation note the house grounds are important to its historical significance.

Embracing and enhancing the house, several beautiful trees surround it, including the monumental Butternut. Poughkeepsie is New York's longest chartered Tree City USA, and is fortunate to still possess such a jewel of a tree so close to the city center. Other mature, impressive specimen trees on the property include gingko, a stout red oak and a tall tamarack to compliment the Butternut's broad, far reaching limbs.

In July last year, at residents' request, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) forester Lou Sebesta measured the Butternut. It is the largest specimen in New York-the State Champion. Its girth is 15.7 feet, its height 79 feet, and its average crown spread 100 feet. The Butternut species is very threatened by a rapidly spreading canker, and is a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Early last year the Forbus property was purchased by a developer who restored and sold the house. He proposed to remove the trees from the remaining land and build six houses.

Residents rallied, petitioned and testified, so the developer agreed to spare the Butternut, and only build five houses. But even then, the State Champion might lose 21% of its root system. Residents pressed their case for open space before the City Planning Board, and the developer offered residents 90 days to purchase all six lots at his cost of $100,000.

The Forbus Butternut Association (FBA) was formed by residents to purchase and preserve the Butternut tree and its land as open space. The neighborhood is extraordinarily diverse racially, ethnically and economically. Neighbors and concerned citizens banded together as a local chapter of the New York Champion Tree Project and began to solicit tax-deductible donations. If they raise 2/3 of the $100,000 by mid-January, they're eligible for a Dutchess County Open Space matching grant for the remainder.

Preserving this property will enhance the city both environmentally and historically, and ensure the neighborhood's attractiveness and stability. Poughkeepsie's historic legacy includes Springside, the only surviving landscape designed by noted 19th-century landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing. With Springside, the Forbus property is an opportunity to explore the growing interest in landscape architecture of urban areas.

Preservation of this open space has strong support from a richly diverse community with various income levels, race and ethnicity. Neighbors' commitment to the project resulted in meetings with city officials, testimony at public hearings of the Planning Board and Common Council, mobilizing publicity and fundraising events. FBA members met with everyone from aldermen to congressmen to solicit support and pledges.

FBA's effort was covered by Time Warner Cable, Poughkeepsie Journal, The Beat, and other regional newspapers. The City Mayor supports the effort. A webpage on the Forbus butternut was created by The Champion Tree Project International at:

Preserving the Butternut is difficult due to quarantines imposed by the fast-spreading canker disease. Jerry Henkin of the Northern Nut Growers Assoc. has taken interest in the tree, and the Assoc. will attempt to propagate scions in the new year. The NYS DEC nursery in Saratoga Springs agreed to propagate nuts into seedling trees. But finding a nursery to propagate buds into cloned saplings has so far been frustrated.

The land FBAP seeks to preserve is within walking distance of five public schools, ranging from elementary through high school, with a total enrollment of over 2,000 students. Their ultimate goal is to create a small urban preserve, reminiscent of a village green, and develop environmental education programs for students in the nearby schools. FBA and the Poughkeepsie School system are discussing an open-air classroom where classes in horticulture, urban forestry and ecosystems, gardening, art, history, and historic preservation are held.

One model for such a program is The Edible Schoolyard at the Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, California. According to its mission statement, it serves students by "awakening their senses, and encouraging awareness and appreciation of the transformative values of nourishment, community and stewardship of the land."

The Institute for Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook is interested to use the land for adult education classes on landscape design and urban ecosystems. FBA members are talking about using the property for educational projects with Catherine Street Community Center, which provides after-school programs.

Forbus Butternut Association has raised $15,000 to date-impressive for a newborn neighborhood group, but still short of the $100,000 purchase price, or $65,000 for county matching grants. Residents continue to solicit small contributions from the neighborhood and other individuals, and to organize fundraising events.

The $100,000 cost to preserve the Forbus Street property is not high, given the value of open space in a city, and its potential as an environmental center for five nearby schools. The return on investment in terms of the number of people affected will be great.

Heartened by the response so far, FBA members are working hard to solicit foundations for funding to purchase one of a few open spaces left in the historic City of Poughkeepsie. Their plan to preserve this aesthetic and educational resource for generations to come is sure to attract foundation grants.

Forbus Butternut Assoc. of Poughkeepsie P.O. Box 5058 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845-454-2349 President Gary Privratsky

As a further option, FBA has talked to banks and other agencies about a log-term loan or mortgage to finance a portion of the purchase. This entire initiative came from neighborhood residents who are immediately affected by what happens to the property. FBA is led by working people who are valiantly trying to preserve and enhance their community.

For more about this New York Champion, and the neighbors trying to save it: Neighbors fight for nut tree A Champion for Open Space Group has 60 days to buy land Butternut Loan Approved Battle of the Butternut

You, too, can help this grassroot effort. The calendar is ticking down to the deadline when residents must make a purchase offer to the developer. If you can make a donation, pledge or a loan to FBA, please contact Robin Poritzky as soon as possible. As a local chapter of the NY Champion Tree Project, all donations to FBA is tax deductible.