PHOTO BY GREG CZNADEL

Goudreau Park, 4900 W. 14^th: Tree dedicated in the memory of Old Brooklyn Tree Steward Kevin Kubovcik: The metal tag reads: “Planted in memory of Kevin Kubovcik, Old Brooklyn Tree Steward, Dedicated on October 14, 2023”.

by Greg Cznadel

     (Plain Press January 2025) The last buckets of water were emptied around the Oaks and Tulip trees at Goudreau Park in Old Brooklyn. The buckets were returned to the drop box locked up against the fence. The two hundred feet of hoses were disconnected from the fire hydrant and placed on top of the buckets in the storage container. The hydrant adapter and wrench were taken back to the Ambassador room at the OBCDC (Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation). The tree steward cart, used to carry the buckets, was locked to the fence. It was November and the young trees were ready to sleep for the winter.

     In 2013, Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, recognizing the value of trees, undertook an urban tree canopy study. The initial 2013 report, including a 2019 update, provided a street-level analysis of tree canopy coverage. The report indicated a loss of 6,600 acres of Cuyahoga County tree canopy between measurements, a lost area equal to 5,000 football fields. The City of Cleveland alone has lost half of its tree canopy since 1950, according to the Cleveland Tree Plan. The decline has left only 18% of the city covered in shade. Old Brooklyn around 21%.

     As the result of that Urban Tree Canopy study, Old Brooklyn applied for and received in 2019, a $30,000 grant, part of $5 million pledged over five years. One of the outcomes of this plan was this tree planting program. Hope Fiero, initiator of the program, explained, “that using residential properties is where a lot of opportunities are. And that goes along with empowering residents to care for their own trees and teaching. And that’s also where the stewards came along.”      

     “I wanted to enhance what I already had done. I wanted to involve the community more. I started interviewing for the tree stewards in winter of 2022. They started in February of 2023,  that’s when the Sherwick Tree Steward Training Program started. We currently have over 12 stewards. They are tree ambassadors. They help residents with the location and selection of trees for their yards, though their main focus is on the trees in the parks.”

     The tree stewards are divided into three groups. They are responsible for Goudreau Park, Lowe Park, and Estabrook Recreation Center. They are on their own as to the maintenance of the trees planted in their parks.

     Each Thursday throughout the summer, three of us would meet at Goudreau Park. We would put the hoses in a cart and take them to the nearest hydrant, across W. 14^th Street. As the hoses only reached into the park, we had to take five-gallon buckets- everything from orange Home Depot buckets to plastic containers trees had been planted in, fill them up one at a time, put them in our carts and pull them across 4.5 acres to the needed trees. Each of the 17 trees needed 10 to 15 gallons of water a week.

     These five-gallon buckets full of water are heavy so we decided to add two-gallon empty plastic litter kitty containers from home to help spread the weight. Easier to lift and pour.

     One day, while pulling our wagons, we saw a garbage truck pull up and drive around the park picking up trash cans. We thought, why can’t we do that? The next week we put all the containers in the back of a Forester and filled them one at time.  Didn’t have to lift them, didn’t have to haul them. Nearly cut the time in half. Worked well except for the spilled water in the back of the car from the bumpy lawn.

     As summer continued, we noted lots of time was spent filling the buckets. Barb, one the stewards and a new Master Gardener, came up with the idea of using a “splitter” to fill two containers at a time. The time was reduced even more!

     Looking back, we appreciated the neighbors walking their dogs in the park. They appreciated our efforts. Unfortunately, the deer did not. The chain link fence all around the park was no guarantee deer would not find their way inside. They must have known where the entrance to the park was on W. 14^th.

     Initially we used plastic fencing to protect the trunks of the trees. Halfway through the summer we noted there were several trees that had the fencing pushed up or down, and the bark girdled, one around the entire perimeter. We obtained steel fencing from the Ambassador room at the OBCDC. We cut the appropriate length (through trial and error), placed it around each tree, and staked it. The trees are now not sanding blocks to those ruminants.

     Stewards love trees big or small. One that looked dead, had one-foot sprouts coming up from the base. We called Colby Sattler, our arborist. He said, let it go. Let’s see what happens next year. So, we treated it like the other trees. Watering it weekly.

Hope Fiero has a fondness for every tree steward. Kevin Kubovcik was an original Tree Steward. He passed away last year of cancer. “He lives in our hearts. So that’s why at Goudreau Park we have that one tree dedicated to him.” A metal tag that reads: “Planted in memory of Kevin Kubovcik, Old Brooklyn Tree Steward, Dedicated on October 14, 2023”.

     Throughout the summer we spread the news of Old Brooklyn’s Reforestation Program and free tree program to residents. We had tables at the South Brooklyn Branch library, the Farmer’s Market, Old Brooklyn’s Street Fest even the Old Brooklyn Green House. If at a meeting, we would be sure to talk about our tree giveaway program. Dogwood, Crabapple, Tupelo, Kentucky Coffee tree – offering different selections each spring and fall. Planted, mulched, staked, deer protected, and all for free. This will continue next spring. Check https://www.oldbrooklyn.com/tree for more information.

     If anytime a tree was leaning or had signs of girdling by deers, we would stop over and help the resident. If a tree died, we would have them signed up for another tree. Churches in the neighborhood became good stewards of mother earth, two of them planting a pair of trees.

     As fall ended, we continued with the weeding and mulching at Lowe Park. The trees along Pearl Road were pruned under the guidance of Amanda Wood of the Holden Arboretum. It was a training program for both the Tree Corps at the Holden Arboretum and the Tree Stewards. Branches that were growing toward a pole or out toward the sidewalk were removed. Any branches that crossed or touched, were diseased or dead were also removed. Amanda explained that each tree should have “leader” branch. That branch that should take the lead aiming to the sky, not sharing that task with another. We looked at each tree deciding which tree branch on each tree should be the leader. All the cuttings were then taken over to Benjamin Franklin Garden where Greg Noeth, head of maintenance, was to chip them.

     If you would like to help Old Brooklyn be a greener, healthier place to live, contact Brittney Hooper at treestewards@oldbrooklyn.com or check Old Brooklyn’s website at https://www.oldbrooklyn.com/tree.