WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) — The 29th Annual NYS ReLeaf Conference will be held in Watertown this year, and will highlight the importance of trees in local communities.

According to the New York State Urban Forestry Council, the goal of New York ReLeaf is to create partnerships among tree professionals, citizen volunteers, educators, government, and the private sector. They stated that the annual State Conference brings together these interested parties from across the state’s nine regions to share experiences, ideas, and new information.

The St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management will present on the topic of “Enhancing Urban Forest Resiliency” at the conference. The event will be held from July 21 to July 23 at Jefferson Community College in Watertown.

The presentation goes along with the theme of the Urban Forest Sustainability Initiative, which encourages communities to plant and maintain trees that are resilient to invasive species. It also aims to guide and educate residents on the importance of healthy trees within urban settings.

In addition to this initiative, SLELO PRISM will also present the Pledge-to-Protect Program which encourages citizens to do their part in invasive species prevention and management. More information about the event can be found on the ReLeaf website.