FANJ Delegation to NYC

In January 2019, Friends of Havana organized a delegation to New York City for three experts from the Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez (FANJ) to meet with leading organizations working in urban forestry and tree management.

The exchange grew out of growing concern about the condition of Havana’s trees. Across the city, the urban tree canopy has been damaged by extreme weather events, poor maintenance practices, and conflicts with public infrastructure. In response, FANJ and other Cuban partners had begun developing the Iniciativa Pro-Arbolado, a campaign aimed at creating a new culture of knowledge and care around Havana’s urban trees. The project focused on improving tree nurseries, strengthening arboricultural practices, and engaging the public and other stakeholders in the future of the city’s urban landscape.

During their visit to New York, the FANJ delegation met with a number of organizations with deep experience in urban tree management, including the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Central Park Conservancy, and Trees New York. These meetings gave the Cuban team an opportunity to learn from different models of tree care, public education, and institutional coordination in a large and complex city.

The exchange was designed not simply as a study tour, but as a practical step in supporting Havana’s emerging urban forestry agenda. It helped connect Cuban environmental leaders with international counterparts and gave FANJ new ideas for how to improve planting strategies, management systems, and public engagement around trees in Havana.

Following the trip, FANJ published a guide identifying appropriate tree species for planting in Havana and began to organize a workshop in Cuba with international specialists in urban tree management that would be held in 2022.