ALDEN, N.Y. — Communities across the state are taking climate issues into their own hands. A new effort in Western New York will have inmates putting their green thumbs to work.

Erie County has a five-year, $5.2 million USDA Community Forestry grant. The money will cover new endeavors within the county’s Community Climate Action Plan.

In short, the end goal is to increase the tree canopy in disadvantaged communities. But there’s a lesson here that will grow well beyond that canopy.

What You Need To Know

  • Inmates at Erie County, or Alden Correctional Facility, will plant trees in the fall 

  • A couple thousand trees will be planted, and eventually donated across the Western New York community 

  • Two inmates already work daily growing flowers and vegetables for high-need communities 

Blooming just in time for Mother’s Day, some 50,000 plants fill Greenhouse Two’s air with a sweet scent of spring.

“Yeah, It just helps you," said Heath Snyder, an inmate at Erie County Correctional Facility. "It helps me get out of the unit. Yeah, and helps the community."

Snyder is one of two inmates who have nurtured these flowers from plugs to plants.

“It’s very inspiring, actually,” Snyder smiled.

Snyder says he has a new appreciation for the cycle of life and people — especially when it comes to finding common ground, with people he might not otherwise befriend.

The other half of this duo is Andrew Schlegel.

“No,  definitely not an expert, but I learned a lot about gardening," Schlegel said. "And also we do a lot of other activities in the community as far as cleaning up."

Giving beyond the barbed wire has always been the purpose of the correctional facility’s programs. All these flowers will be donated to community groups. Across from the greenhouse, a row of trees marks where Schlegel and Snyder’s next job will grow.

“What we're doing is providing fruit, not and shade trains to disadvantaged communities that are food insecure," said Matt Dills, a forestry officer. "So basically, people that could use an apple tree in their backyard.”

Dills oversees the correctional facility’s Community Reintegration program. He says about six acres will be used to plant what they hope will be a couple thousand trees.

“There's going to be a lot of community involvement where we'll be hiring some kids to help take care of them," Dill said. "It'll be a lot of educational purchases, especially from my inmates. To me, I've never planted trees before, so we'll see how that goes.”

Based on the success of the petunias, they’ll be fine. There's just one rule:

"Make the old guy look good,” said John N. Fisher, industrial training supervisor at the Erie County Correctional Facility, and the other brain behind the operation.

“It’s sad, because a lot of them aren't taught this stuff at all," he said. “They don't make woods anymore. I mean, when you work towards that, you know, you see what's how it's it's not good. What's happening and, yeah, I think it's a darn good idea [for] the trees.”

As the meticulous work of planting plugs continues, so do the lessons and hopes for a sprawling future once released.

“This is 500 right here, and we can easily do four of these flats. So you know, anywhere between two and 3,000,” Schlegel explained. 

“It's fun out here," Snyder said. "Yeah, like I said, it gives you a chance to get away and think about your mistakes, help out the community and move on.”

Planting will start in the fall. While the grant for the program is five years, the plan is to keep the nursery program permanently.