The Arboreal Historical
Society of
New York City

A green spiral-bound notebook titled 'The Arboreal Historical Society of New York City' with a logo of stylized trees, resting on weathered green-painted wooden planks.

The Arboreal Historical Society of New York is a research-driven initiative dedicated to the study, documentation, and cultural interpretation of trees within New York City.

Operating at the intersection of urban forestry, landscape history, and public programming, the Society examines how trees shape civic life, neighborhood identity, and the physical evolution of the city. Through walks, publications, installations, and site-specific projects, the Society frames trees as living historical records embedded within the urban landscape.

Book titled "The City of New York" with a green textured cover and a dark spine, featuring a label about garden crisis, a cartoon shamrock displaying @originalRose, a hand-drawn map of a garden area, and an illustration of murals and signs from Chico, New York City.

Areas of Focus

Urban Tree History
Research into the planting, removal, and survival of trees across New York City, including park systems, street grids, and contested public spaces.

Landscape & Infrastructure
Analysis of how trees intersect with housing, transit, public works, and municipal planning.

Cultural Memory
Exploring how trees carry social meaning, marking sites of protest, leisure, displacement, and everyday life.

Public Education
Developing accessible formats for sharing research through guided walks, printed matter, and live programs.

A detailed map of a park with labeled areas such as central lawn, various gardens, playgrounds, and pathways, surrounded by trees and street names.

Programs

Group of people outdoors in a park, listening to a woman speak. The scene features trees with green leaves, and the group appears diverse in age and appearance.

Guided Walks
Curated walks focused on specific neighborhoods, parks, and tree populations. Each walk integrates botanical identification, historical research, and cultural context.

Publications
Zines and printed matter that document research, maps, timelines, and archival material related to New York City’s urban forest.

Installations & Events
Temporary projects that bring attention to trees and plant systems within public-facing and cultural settings.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PARKS

A hand-drawn timeline of the Green Guerrillas' history from the 1970s to the 1980s, including notes about the creation of community gardens, protests, and city developments. Contains photographs of a garden sign and a park, along with a pink garden d
A scrapbook page with a yellow map of East Village Gardens, two black and white tickets with portraits and decorative borders, and a quote about natural rights in a red border box. The map shows streets, gardens, and landmarks from June 1997.
Handwritten timeline about East Village Garden, including protests and neighborhood development from the 1990s to 2002, and a blue box asking which kind of worm people prefer in their neighborhood, with illustrations of a common earthworm and a real-