Congressman Paul Tonko joins UAlbany leaders to announce a $50,000 campus investment in a student-run tree nursery overseen by the Institute for Transformational Ecosystem-based Climate Adaptation.
Newswise — ALBANY, N.Y. (April 18, 2025) — Ahead of Earth Day, the University at Albany announced funding for a new student-run tree nursery that will help boost climate resilience and urban forestry in the Capital Region.
The project, through UAlbany’s Strategic Allocation of Resources (StAR) program, will allow students to grow native, climate-adapted tree seedlings in UAlbany’s greenhouse and on a plot of land on the Uptown Campus.
Students will then work with community volunteers to plant the trees across local neighborhoods in Albany, increasing the urban tree canopy to improve environmental health and strengthen urban resilience to extreme heat, flooding, wildfire smoke and severe storms.
Funding will also support the development of an urban soil lab, where students will test and amend soils to ensure optimal growing conditions for the trees.
“This student-run tree nursery is a shining example of the University at Albany’s commitments to service and research that benefits the public good,” said UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez. “The project builds upon the excellent work UAlbany researchers have done to explore the positive impact trees and green spaces can have on combating extreme heat and building climate resiliency. Today, we are not only identifying the solutions to climate challenges, but we are also growing the trees that will help our community directly address these challenges.”
“I’m proud to celebrate this exciting announcement, a powerful demonstration of how our community partners are utilizing federal funding to invest in our future,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “As our communities face more frequent and intense heat, storms, flooding, and other severe weather events, projects like this student-run tree nursery are more critical than ever before. This is a shining example of how local action and academic partnerships can deliver lasting, community-wide impact, and I look forward to seeing how this project will benefit all the residents of Albany and our Capital Region for years to come.”
Revitalizing Albany’s Green Spaces
In September 2023, researchers in UAlbany’s at the College of Arts and Sciences received $5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to launch the , aimed at reducing extreme heat in urban heat islands and expanding access to trees and green spaces in communities and neighborhoods in the city of Albany.
The funding was, in part, used to establish UAlbany’s (ITECA), which is focused on using nature-based solutions to adapt to climate change and revitalize Albany’s urban forest, community empowerment and local sustainable economic development.
Studies show that trees in communities are associated with improved physical and mental health, lower average temperatures during extreme heat, increased food security and improved economic opportunities. Trees also help to reduce the urban heat island effect, which occurs when the excessive concrete, steel and glass of urban structures cause a city to experience much warmer temperatures than nearby rural areas with more open space and vegetation.
A student-run tree nursery was among the key components envisioned when launching ITECA.
“While Urban CAFÉ DAY is mostly about planting trees in the city of Albany, the trees are currently grown outside the local community and shipped here,” said Andrei Lapenas, a professor in the Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability, who serves as the project’s principal investigator. “This new funding will allow us to create a native tree nursery, grow local trees, and set up a basic soil testing lab to test the soil that the trees will ultimately be planted in.”
“ITECA’s nursery will be operated as a student-run and faculty/staff-guided worker cooperative,” added ITECA Director Ríobart Breen. “There is a critical need to grow a high volume of native, climate-adapted tree stock to supply current and future demands of local governments for climate-related tree planting goals. This project is not just about growing and planting local trees; it also empowers students by preparing them for emerging careers in climate resilience and ecosystem-based adaptation. It is a way of helping to build the local and regional bioeconomy and build economic resilience into the future.”
Investing in the Next Generation of Climate Leaders
The tree nursery and urban soil lab will be led by an interdisciplinary team of ITECA staff and UAlbany graduate and undergraduate students, recruited from majors including geography, environmental science, climate science, atmospheric science and business administration.
There will also be support from a dedicated nursery consultant and ITECA’s ecoregional think tank of faculty, students and alumni. They will help students with the set up and operation of the nursery, along with developing a marketing plan to sell low-cost trees and amended soil to local governments for climate forestry needs.
“I am excited for the hands-on experience to apply my education and make a real change in my community,” said Emma Roylance, who is part of the ITECA staff and a master’s student in UAlbany’s Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability. “This opportunity will allow me to use environmental leadership skills to support our student team and learn how to set up and run a tree nursery and greenhouse.”
In addition to working with the city of Albany, the students will work closely with the Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, a nonprofit organization in Albany’s South End. Radix runs various programs related to food and climate justice, including planting street fruit trees, tending neighborhood food gardens, offering youth employment and education and hosting community composting.
"The Radix Center is thrilled to be a partner in this exciting initiative with UAlbany and looks forward to enhancing the climate resilience of Albany's neighborhoods through the leadership of its residents,” said Radix Educational Director Scott Kellogg. “Together we can reduce the impacts of extreme heat, improve air quality, grow local food sovereignty, and cultivate the city's biocultural diversity.”
The StAR program awards up to $50,000 grants for projects that advance UAlbany’s Strategic Plan. Campus community members are invited each year to submit proposals for innovative initiatives that will affect change at the University within one year.
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