A Fire Department of New York Counseling Service Unit representative presents a plaque to Orange County Land Trust members, from left, Executive Director Jim Delaune; Vice President Mary Yrizarry; Land Trust legal counsel Robert Augello; former executive director John Gebhards; and second vice president Francis Wickham.

Monroe - The Orange County Land Trust was recognized by the Fire Department of New York at the 7th annual FDNY Memorial Tree Planting Ceremony at Arrow Park in the Town of Monroe for the land trust’s efforts in the preservation of the park.

The trust was honored for leading a successful 10-year campaign, raising more than $5.3 million to forever protect the 80-acre memorial planting area and the entire Arrow Park Lake.

The annual tree planting began in 2002 and is well attended by families of firefighters who lost a loved one on Sept. 11, 2001, in the line of duty. The event is organized by the FDNY’s Counseling Service Unit with volunteer support from ABC Inc. and its parent company, The Walt Disney Company.

“The healing power of the environment is one reason we work so hard to make sure these open spaces will be here for future generations,” said Mary Yrizarry, vice president of the Orange County Land Trust.

By the end of 2008, it is expected that New York State will add 259 acres of Arrow Park to the adjacent Sterling Forest State Park. The future goal is to purchase the remaining 75 acres and buildings and for Arrow Park to become a nonprofit center for international, national and local family support programs on grief and recovery.

With support from The Walt Disney Company and ABC Inc., Arrow Park has hosted special programs for children whose families were killed in Sierra Leone, Africa, and children who have suffered domestic violence in New York. In addition, a delegation of Catholic and Protestant young people recently worked together to paint the main recreational building at Arrow Park with support from Habitat for Humanity.

Trees have also been planted in honor of soldiers killed in Iraq, and Calvary Hospital in New York sponsors an annual camp for children who have experienced the loss of a loved one.