AYLUS Oakland Gardens Branch Counts Trees for the Tree Census at Kissena Park (08/18/2026)

On August 18th, 2026, from 12:45 PM to 3:15 PM, members of AYLUS Oakland Gardens Branch counted trees in Kissena Park as our 249th event. During the event, members used tablets provided by the park staff to log information regarding the species, condition, and size of each tree. The names of the park staff team were Mallory, Teresa, Ty, and Ileya.

The reason for this event was to count trees for the 2025 Tree Count in New York City. The Tree Count is an event that happens once a decade, and is led by the New York City Parks Department alongside volunteers. The purpose of the Tree Count is to survey the size, health, species, and count of trees in New York.

We started the event by gathering in an area in Kissena Park. The park staff split us up into two groups. Bags containing materials were passed out to our members. Some of these materials included a measuring tape and a paper with information on each tree. The paper also showed identifying features of the tree. The staff taught both groups how to identify trees using the paper. Then, they split us further into groups of three people. Each group was given a tablet. On the tablet, there was an app that we had to sign in to. Then, the information would be logged. The staff taught us how to log the information as well.

After the staff was done teaching us, they gave us each section of the park to log. Some sections had more trees than others, so sometimes multiple groups would be assigned to the same section. Examples of criteria on the app were questions regarding the condition of parts of the tree. First, we had to check if the tree was still there, as the last time the information was updated was 10 years ago. Sometimes the tree was cut down or dead. Next, we had to double check the species. The species name was already there from the people who logged the information a decade ago, but sometimes they were incorrect, so we had to fix it. The paper proved helpful since it told us some information. For example, some trees had milky sap while others had peeling bark. Not only that, it showed a picture of a leaf from each tree type and a ranking of the most common tree types in New York City’s Parks.

On the app, we had to identify issues and the condition each tree was in. First, we used the tape measures given to us to measure the circumference of the tree trunk, which we then logged down. If there were multiple tree trunks, we measured them all. Next, the app asked about what issues could be seen with the tree trunks. If there were none, we selected none of the above. Common issues were damaged bark and insect holes. Next, the app asked about leaves, and common issues were yellowing and sparse leaves. The app also asked about the condition of the branches. Many of the trees had improper pruning and dangling, dead branches. Finally, the app asked us to rate the quality of the tree as a whole. You could either select poor, fair, good, or excellent.

We are thankful for the New York City Parks Department for giving us the opportunity to help them out at this event. We are also grateful to them for teaching us how to identify the trees and use the tree counting app. Furthermore, thank you to all members, parents, and guests who came out and spent their time contributing to the betterment of our community.

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