FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 27, 2026 MEDIA CONTACTS: Umberto Mignardi, Sean Dolan, Amanda Martins, Michael Anderson (516) 869-7794; [email protected]  North Hempstead to Host Native Tree Seedling Giveaway on May 8 at Clark Botanic Garden North Hempstead, NY – Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board announced that North Hempstead will host a FREE Native Tree Seedling Giveaway for town residents during Clark Botanic Garden’s annual Spring Plant Sale on Friday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The giveaway was made possible by a donation of trees from Dropseed Native Landscapes, a local native plant nursery in Malverne. Supervisor DeSena noted, “We’re serious about giving our residents every opportunity to live sustainably, and adding native plants to your home landscape is a fun and effective way to protect our local environment… this is the perfect time to start planting, so stop by and take advantage of this incredible program!” Native plants - including trees - provide food, shelter, and nesting resources for a variety of wildlife species, including pollinators and other beneficial insects, birds, and small mammals. They also help to cool cities, improve human health, increase property values, purify air and stormwater pollution, reduce flooding, and lessen the force of storms. Native plants generally have low maintenance requirements, do not need fertilizer, and are drought-tolerant once established. Trees will be limited and given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Available species will include: Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) American plum (Prunus americana) Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) Residents can visit www.northhempsteadny.gov/np or call 311 or (516)-869-6311 to learn more about native plants and the Native Tree Seedling Giveaway.