state OF THE forest 2023
MISSION
The Newport Tree Conservancy is dedicated to fostering a healthy urban forest in the City of Newport, Rhode Island through permanent tree management and planting programs, for the benefit of present and future citizens of Newport.
We are committed to engaging in public education regarding the importance of trees, improved planting, and maintenance techniques. We will continue to assist in the inventorying and evaluation of Newport’s urban forest and the development of a plan of action.
STAFF BOARD
Natasha Harrison Executive Director
Olivia Hinsey-Langlais Horticulture Assistant
Annie Holbert Communications Coordinator
Rachel Holbert Program Director
Kathy Kelleher Operations Manager
Joe Verstandig Living Collections Manager
Kristyn Woodland (retired 2023) Horticulturist
Lilly Dick President
Maureen Cronin
Robert Currier Secretary
Dory Hamilton Benson 2024 Incoming
Lisa Lewis
Lauren Parmalee 2024 Incoming
William “Rocky” Steeves
DEAR FRIENDS AND MEMBERS,
As I embark on my fifth year with Newport Tree Conservancy (NTC), my enthusiasm for the organization’s current standing and future trajectory has never been greater.
Throughout 2023, we remained steadfast in our commitment to the mission, surpassing our goals to both expand and sustain the health of Newport’s urban forest. We continued to propagate progeny from Newport’s most iconic trees and we expanded Newport’s urban forest by planting 200+ trees.
Additionally, NTC has dedicated ourselves to advancing conservation education within the community and more than doubled our outreach from the previous year. The subsequent pages provide details on the positive impact we have had.
In the pursuit of broadening our Scope, we have initiated a multiphase transition to a new location on Coggeshall Avenue in Newport.
This strategic move is poised to enhance our horticultural capabilities significantly, offering an expanded space for our burgeoning nursery of historic and unique trees.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our partners and supporters, recognizing that our meaningful work would be unattainable without your generous contributions. Your steadfast support empowers us to create a lasting and positive difference in Newport, solidifying our commitment to the community’s well-being.
Natasha Harrison Executive Director
FORESTRY
Our horticulture team works tirelessly throughout the year, maintaining our tree nursery, propagating trees through techniques like grafting, and executing planting initiatives.
Concentrating efforts in Newport’s HEZ area, we strive for Tree Equity,to ensure that every citizen has access to the benefits that trees provide.
In 2023, we added over 200 trees to Newport’s Urban Forest.
215PUBLIC TREES CARED
FOR
3 ARBOR DAY Spring 2023
48 COMMUNITY TREE PROGRAM Fall 2023
10 COMMEMORATIVE TREE PROGRAM Spring & Fall 2023
100MIANTANOMI PARK REFORESTATION Fall 2023
40 FALL TREE PROGRAM Fall 2023
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
We are dedicated to providing a multitude of opportunities for both residents and visitors to engage with Newport’s urban forest. Whether through monthly guided tours, technical workshops, or hands-on volunteer projects, we aim to encourage everyone to explore, care for, and learn from the trees in Newport. The crucial elements of awareness, advocacy, and community support are fundamental in creating and sustaining a healthy and lively urban forest.
547ADULT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
27COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
VOLUNTEERS
Our efforts are made achievable through the remarkable community of volunteers who generously contribute their time to support Newport’s trees.
94VOLUNTEERS 20WORKPROJECTS
272SERVICE HOURS
YOUTH EDUCATION
The Newport Tree Conservancy fosters a connection between our community and trees with environmental education tailored for all age groups. Our experienced staff offers Next Generation Science Standardaligned lessons featuring hands-on outdoor and classroom activities designed for K-12 students in Newport.
550YOUTHPARTICIPANTS
GROWING FOR THE FUTURE
In the Fall of 2017, Newport Tree Conservancy took a momentous step forward in pursuit of our mission with the construction of the Heritage Tree Center on the campus of Rogers High School.
Over these past 7 years, we have continued to expand the scope and capacity of our nursery which now is home to over 313 accessions representing more than 58 different species.
The redevelopment of the Rogers campus coupled with our intention to further expand our growing capacity led us on a search for a new, permanent home for our tree nursery. Now, thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Mary “Minnie” Coleman, the Heritage Tree Center will begin a multi-phase transition to its new home among the historic greenhouses of Coggeshall Avenue.
The Future Home of The Heritage Tree Center
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF NEWPORT
The Newport Tree Conservancy (NTC) operates closely with the City of Newport’s Forestry Division, fostering a collaborative effort to enhance and maintain the urban forest. This alliance encompasses a spectrum of activities, ranging from the identification of suitable planting locations, the planting of new trees, and the meticulous mapping of the existing urban forest.
The collective efforts extend to the comprehensive care of trees, including disease treatment and pathogen testing, ensuring the vitality of Newport’s green spaces.
A noteworthy initiative facilitated by the Forestry Division is their contribution to Tree Corps program, NTC’s volunteer tree care team. This collaboration involves providing essential resources such as mulch and water, supporting the Tree Corps in their endeavors to nurture and protect Newport’s urban forest.
This collaborative model exemplifies how effective partnerships between civic entities and volunteer organizations can create a robust framework for urban forestry and environmental stewardship.
Newport RI is home to more accredited arboreta than any other community. The Newport Tree Conservancy partners with homeowners and institutions in the proces of earning arboretum accreditation from the Morton Arboretum through ArbNet. This list includes the City of Newport as New England’s first-ever ciity-wide accredited arboretum.
2023 ACCREDITED ARBORETA
Bellevue House Blue Garden Bonniecrest Broadlawns Driftwood Cottage
Harbor House Maher-a-lago
The Newport Arboretum
Newport Mansions Oakwood Pax et Bonum Salt Marsh
Weetamoe
Second Wind Stonybrook Toad Hall Walnut Point Wyndham
2023 FINANCES
INCOME
EXPENSES
Newport Tree Conservancy graciously thanks all of our generous members and supporters for their calendar year 2023 contributions:
$25,000+
Alletta Morris McBean Trust
Bartlett Tree Experts
Citizens Charitable Foundation
Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust Fund
van Beuren Charitable Foundation
$10,000 - $24,999
Mary “Minnie” Coleman
Virginia Decker & Colin Keith
Pamela & Karl Fischer
Ted & Cheryl Huffman
The City of Newport
The Gruben Charitable Foundation
Prince Charitable Trust
$5,000 - $9,999
Dan Benson & Dory Hamilton
Benson
Lilly Dick
EJMP Fund for Philanthropy
Anne Fairfax & Richard Sammons
Miles Hamilton & Laura Stonerook
Gray Hamilton & Ellie Trepte
Matt & Anne Hamilton
Hartfield Foundation
Lisa Lewis & Bart Dunbar
Susan & George Petrovas
Virginia & James Purviance
Rhode Island Energy PPL Foundation
Rhode Island Foundation
Rhode Island Foundation Newport County Fund
Samuel M. & Ann S. Mencoff
Foundation
US Fish & Wildife Service
Karl & Teryn Weintz
$1,000 - $4,999
Aquidneck Land Trust
Marianna Baker
Andrea & William Breyer
Barbara & Duncan A. Chapman
Lyn & Peggy Comfort
Sandra & Grenville Craig
Maureen Cronin & Mark Marosits
Brittain & John Damgard
Angus & Joanna Davis
Margaret & Bob Duprey
Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund at Newport Hospital
Bernard Gewirz
Pamela Giannini & Joseph McEnness
Sam Hamilton
John Harris & Linda Sawyer
Edward & Wendy Harvey
Edward & Katherine Karle
Charlotte & Paul Marshall
Judy McLennan
Sue McNally & Doug Sabetti
Sue & Peter Metzger
Caterine Milinaire Cushing
Maureen Mooney
Mark Muetterties, MD & Jacqueline
Colbert
Newport Garden Club
NewportFed Charitable Foundation
Laurie Nicoletti
Roderick O’Hanley & Richard Crisson
OLB Foundation
Lisa & Paul Perrault
Diana Prince
David Ray
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Suzette Schochet
Nick & Indira Schorsch
Dr. Denice Spero & Dr. Christopher
Pargellis
Elliot Stultz
Swinburne Row, LLC
The Perkins Family Fund
Sarah Vance
Frederick & Robin Warren
Diane Wilsey
Mark Zeller
$500 - $999
Catherine & Christopher Abbate
Deanna & Mark Amorello
Bank Newport
Joan & Michael Beachnau
Abby Benson & Dave Zader
Karen & Fud Benson
Richard & Dotsie Bohan
Fran & Steve Booth
Broden Millworks
John & Elizabeth Brooks
Donald Christ & Jennifer Booth
George & Elisabeth Clark
Holly & John Collins
Robert Cowley & Didi Lorillard
Matthew & Maura Cullen
Matthew & Ramona Delaney
Patrick Dolat & Robert Devine
Liz & Emlen Drayton
Elijah & Katy Duckworth-Schachter
A.L. Garrison & T.W. Emmett
Pamela Giroux
Jean & Sid Gorham
Leonard Grace & Ruth Patt
Leslie Grosvenor
N. Peter & Alta Hamilton
Mary Joan Hoene & Stephen Seiter
Stephen & Jennie Huttler
Katherine Field and Associates Inc.
Pam Kelley
Hank Kniskern
Igor Kryca & Christina Gee
John & Suzanna Laramee
Chad Loebs
Ron & Kati Machtley
Robert & Heidi Manice
Ward Marsh & Ingrid Henrichsen
Callum & Alexa McLaughlin
John Jay & Alexandra Mouligné
Robert & Carol O’Donnell
Samuel Obstfeld
Thomas Palmer & Dominique Alfandre
Bettie & Jonathan Pardee
Mary Katherine & Octavius Prince
Leila Ray
Frank & Betsy Ray
Denise & Bill Rollins
Ben & Victoria Rosenthal
Ernst & Nancy Rothe
Susan Ruf & Michael Walsh
Lorna & Jeremiah Shafir
Deborah & Dave Smith
TJ Brown Landscaping
Julie Toland
Kathleen & Bill Wallace
$100 - $499
Lorie Abromovitz
Leith Adams
Chuck Allott & Ellen Nichols
Brian & Deborah Arnold
Margaret Arpin
Melissa Bachelder
Blake & Donna Banky
Merrilyn Bardes
Nicholas Benson & Alexandra Flood
Barbara Benson
Bryan & Whitney Berdy
Anne Marie Biernacki
Martha Boksenbaum
Ellen & Steven Bowman
Boys and Girls Clubs of Newport County, Inc.
Camilla Bradley & Joe Bardenheier
Joan & Jim Breakell
Parker Brickley
Diana & Josiah Bunting, III
Michael Burns & Livvy Dinneen
David & Mary Bush-Brown
Drew Carey
Richard & Maggie Carmichael
Sally Casey
Sam & Pat Chase
Ms. Jonna Chewning
Kelley & Christopher Coen
Rob Currier
Jeff & Ginny Curtis
Karen Deibert
Gerard DiRuggiero
Amy Dorkin
Paul & Liz Doucette
Charlie Edenbach
Kiki Finn
Angela Fischer & Dr. Edwin Fischer,
Sr.
Ronald Lee Fleming
Edith Fletcher
Griffin & Lauren Flynn
Valarie & Dana Gelb
Pam Gilpin
Warren & Linda Gray
Toni Green
Jessica Hagen
June Halliday-Holden
Peter Harty
Michael & Mary Hayes
Robert & Angela Healey
George & Nannette Herrick
Phyllis Higgerson
Thomas Hockaday & William
Martin
Allan Hodges
Molly Holland & Olivier David
Stefani Hulitar
Mary Jennings
Kathleen Kelleher
Ellen Kiley
Maureen & David Krupa
Jennifer Lauretti-Robbins
Elizabeth & William Leatherman
Derek & Nicole Limbocker
Karen Lloyd
Grace & Thomas Loughborough
Ellen Martin
Ellen Washburn Martin
Edith McBean
Ralph & Grace McCluskey
Stephanie McLennan
Elizabeth & Earl McMillen
Puffy & Bob Meikle
Victoria Mele
Michael Hayes Co.
Lois Migneault & Chris Walsh
Martha Moore
Carlotta Morris
Michael Murphy
Nelumbo Water Gardens
Sarah Nolan
Ornamentals LLC
Karen J Peirce
Christopher & Janet Pell
James Peterson & Katie Emmet
Ben Quevedo
Pamela & Chip Quinn
Libby & Rocket Randall
Christopher Reidy
Christa Reise
Peter Rice
Katherine Richardson
Charlie Ridolf
Barbara & Brooke Roberts
Genevieve & Jeff Rozansky
Turner Scott & Kathy Pratt
Jocelyn & Buck Sherman
Devin & Carol Skelly
Scott Skuncik
Nell Soper & Andy Green
Rocky Steeves & Kim Comfort
Paul Strattner
Diana Szapary
David Thalmann
Pam & Chris Thomas
Bruce Vanicek
Willam & Alison Vareika
Robert Walker
Julian & Olivia Wassenaar
Barnabas & Marnie Webster
Sherwood & Magrieta Willard
Ted & Tara Winston
Up to $99
Rebecca Bartlett
Johanna Becker
Anne Benson
Charles Berl
Dennis Bristow
Elizabeth Burke
Judy Byrnes
Roderick Cavanagh
Kimberly Chandler
Daniel Christina
Nancy & David Coll
Deanna Conheeny
Jean Conway
Cynthia Cunningham
Elizabeth Dankowski
Joyce DeLutis
Robert & Judith Dudek
Jennifer Evans
Amanda Fischer
Sharon & Adrian Flatgard
Kathy Foulke
Darius & Gale Goff
Katherine Gozdur
Isabel Griffith
Terry & Gene Handel
John & Mary Hirschboeck
Leslie Jones Flatgard
Rebecca Kelly & Rupert Nesbitt
Maryann Kossak
Andrea Kramer
Linda Lapin
Bruce & Marilyn Leish
Allison Lentino
William Leys
Lorie Loughborough
Ann Elise McCaffrey
Donna McHenry
Constance Metcalf
Middlebridge School
Nancy Morton
Ilse Nesbitt
Maureen Neville
Edna & Estelle O’Connell
T.J. Perrotti
Eugene & David Platt
Peter Portney
Susan & Jon Powers
Lisa Pritchard
Ann & Peter Randall
Jane Rhein
Pamela Rodgers
Jessica Roy
Brian Shanley & Susan Walsh
Susan Shephard
Bill & Judy Souza
John James Steele
David Sullivan
Dennis Sullivan
Chris Tompsett
Elaine Trainor
Lois Vaughan Eberhard & Richard
Eberhard
Jean Wagley
Alexander Walsh & Cynthia Madden
Mary Brown Warburton
Laurel Watt-Aldredge
Katherine Whitley
Patricia Wood
COMMEMORATIVE TREE
A commemorative tree is a wonderful way to memorialize a loved one or celebrate a special event while also contributing to the health and vibrance of Newport’s urban forest.
2023 Commemorative Plantings in Honor of:
Robert A Albanese ~ requested by Jennifer Brace
Admiral Augustus Case and Family ~ requested by Michael Margonis
Barbara J. Colbert ~ requested by Jacqueline Colbert
Gail Elizabeth Darcy ~ requested by Susan Darcy-Allen
Irina Goldman ~ requested by John Michael Flowers
Erin Rollins Maffei ~ requested Denise Rollins
James F. McCarthy ~ requested by Kelly Santos
Marc S. McHenry ~ requested by Kristyn Woodland
The Newport Garden Club Members ~ requested by The Newport Garden Club
The Newport Tree Conservancy ~ requested by Nancy Bills
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Thank you to all of our community partners!
Aquidneck Land Trust
Bike Newport
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center
FabNewport
Friends of King Park
Island Cemetery
Miantonomi Park Commission
Newport Garden Club
Newport Health Equity Zone
Newport Open Space Partnership
Newport Public Schools
Newport Restoration Foundation
Newport Tree and Open Space Commission
Ocean Hour Farm
Redwood Library & Athenæum
RI Department of Environmental Management
Rhode Island Environmental Education Association
Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association
Rhode Island Tree Council
Salve Regina University
The Blue Garden
The Met School
T. J. Brown Inc.
University of Rhode Island Biocontrol Lab
US Fish & Wildlife Service Urban Parks Partnership
Evening of the Arboreta Committee Members
Peter & Tyler Arment
Camilla Bradley & Joe Bardenheier
Abby Benson & Dave Zader
Bryan & Whitney Berdy
Bill & Andrea Breyer
Josh & Jen Carney
Matthew & Maura Cullen
Lilly Dick
Patrick Dolat & Robert Devine
Liz & Paul Doucette
Julia & Sean Driscoll
Katy & Elijah Duckworth-Schachter
Ronald Lee Fleming
Griffin & Lauren Flynn
Leslie R. Grosvenor
Anne & Matt Hamilton
Gray Hamilton & Eleanor Tate Trepte
Kerin & Charlie Hamilton
Miles Hamilton & Laura Stonerook
Sam & Suzi Hamilton
Lisa Lewis & Bart Dunbar
Grace & Thomas Loughborough
Callum & Alexa MacLaughlin
Charlotte & Paul Marshall
Grace McCluskey
Sue McNally & Doug Sabetti
Kaitlyn & Tristan Mouligne
Robert & Carol O’Donnell
Roderick O’Hanley & Richard Crisson
Bettie & Jonathan Pardee
John Peixinho
George & Sue Petrovas
James & Virginia Purviance
Libby & Rocket Randall
Andrew & Tara Reilly
Andy & Isabelle Ridall
Ben & Vicki Rosenthal
Genevieve & Jeff Rozansky
Nick & Indira Schorsch
Nell Soper & Andy Green
Elliot Stultz & Dan Drake
Julia Rush Toland
Andrea van Beuren & Roger Kass
Olivia & Julian Wassenaar
Nicholson & Janine Willard
Ted & Tara Winston
Event Photos
