Excelsior Urban Forestry at the 2026 New York ReLeaf Conference

Excelsior Urban Forestry is proud to have been a sponsor for the first time of the 33rd Annual New York ReLeaf Conference, held July 15–17, 2026, at Manhattan University in Riverdale. This year's theme, "Caring for Trees in a Changing City," set the tone for two days of thoughtful conversation about how we keep urban forests healthy, resilient, and diverse as our cities keep evolving around them.

New York ReLeaf, a program of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation run in partnership with the New York State Urban Forestry Council, brings together tree care professionals, municipal staff, educators, volunteers, and public officials from across the state. It's a rare chance to trade ideas with people who care about the same work we do, and we were glad to be part of it.

Keynote speaker: Columbia professor and tree enthusiast

To celebrate this year's keynote speaker, journalist and Columbia professor Marguerite Holloway, we donated three copies of her book Take to the Trees: A Story of Hope, Science, and Self-Discovery in America's Imperiled Forests to three students and young professionals. It's a moving blend of memoir and reportage that follows Holloway into a women's tree-climbing workshop and, from there, into the science and stewardship of forests under mounting pressure.

Sessions That Stuck With Us

A few session highlights:

From Canopy to Craft: Reimagining Urban Wood Waste as a City Resource was a standout. Key issues: how do you decide how to process and mill a log if you don’t know what the end product is going to be? How do you incentivize private tree care companies to retain street tree logs under NYC contracts?

A tour of Inwood Hill Park, led by former longtime park manager Tim Wenskus.

Preserving Trees During Construction in an Evolving City provided insights and tips on how best to manage trees if you’re working with contractors.

We also took in the keynote and closing sessions, which framed the whole event around the idea that caring for trees is, in the end, caring for the communities and people who live among them.

Thank you to the New York State Urban Forestry Council, the DEC, and everyone who made this year's conference possible. Looking forward to the next one.