FROM THE EDITOR May is busting out all over. If things go as nature usually plans it, there should be cherry and magnolia trees, daffodils, tulips, lilacs, peonies, and much more brightening the neighborhoods of WNY this month. And hopefully those of us who are out enjoying this bounty will understand that we are also reaping the benefit of all the work done in the early spring by a variety of local volunteer groups. In April, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper conducted a shoreline sweep at forty different sites along the waterways of WNY, participating in community beautification projects as well as picking up bottles, car parts, shopping carts, and other debris. In April and early this month, Re-Tree WNY has been busy planting replacement trees along the streets of Buffalo and its suburbs, including over 400 planted as part of a streetscape project along South Park Avenue. Throughout April and May, the Buffalo Growing collaborative has been distributing seeds and transplants to community gardens and urban farms throughout the city. That’s right, farms. There is an exciting urban farm movement going on in Buffalo, with concentrations on the East and West Sides. Former empty, debris-strewn lots are being turned into lush havens for fruiting trees and bushes, vegetables, perennials, and wildflowers. One lot is being devoted entirely to blueberries. Finally, many of you will have noticed the efforts of the Great American Clean-Up, which takes place throughout April and May. In spite of all this work, if things don’t look clean enough the next time you take a stroll, keep in mind that it’s never too late to get involved in any one or all of these efforts, as well as smaller ones in individual communities. You’ll enjoy the flowers all the more. Cheers, SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top