Any arborist will tell you: “The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago; the second-best time is today.”

The Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat falls on January 25 this year (it varies from year to year due to the differences between the Jewish and secular calendars). What does this holiday have to do with planting trees? Everything!

In the Jewish tradition, Tu B’Shevat is the “New Year for Trees.” You won’t find this holiday in the Bible, because its celebration began relatively recently –- in the Middle Ages. At any rate, Tu B’Shevat is when trees in Israel begin to blossom and bear fruit, and so we celebrate that date as “the birthday of all trees.”

Among many other benefits, trees give us oxygen, shade and beauty; clean our air; rid our water and soil of toxins; provide us with good fruit to eat; sequester carbon dioxide, a major culprit in global warming; calm our spirits; provide homes, shelter and food for birds and other wildlife; and keep temperatures moderate, alleviating the “urban heat island effect” and decreasing the incidence of asthma and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to Newburgh’s Conservation Advisory Council and two great nonprofits, the Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy and Outdoor Promise. In conjunction with our Environmental Justice Fellows, these organizations have planted dozens of trees in our city, with plans for dozens more. Find them online and thank them. Meanwhile, resolve in this “New Year for Trees,” to plant a tree or two of your own, to help our city thrive and achieve environmental justice for all.

Happy Birthday, trees!