The Sullivan County Democrat highlighted the Environmental Justice Fellowship’s leadership in restoring Newburgh’s urban tree canopy and mobilizing residents around environmental justice. For the second year in a row, fellows have been planting street trees, educating neighbors, and demonstrating how urban greening improves public health, air quality, and resilience. The feature also spotlights the Fellowship’s August 13th community event at Safe Harbors Green, hosted alongside the Common Ground Farmer’s Market and trapeze showcase.
Newburgh has lost more than 4,000 trees in recent decades—losses that deepen inequities in heat, air quality, stormwater flooding, and neighborhood well-being. The Environmental Justice Fellowship, a collaboration between Outdoor Promise, the Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy, and the Conservation Advisory Council, is reversing that trend. By training young leaders, restoring canopy block by block, and engaging residents in hands-on learning, the program is building a long-term movement for environmental justice and greener, healthier neighborhoods.