The NJ Tree Foundation is excited to announce our Camden TreeKeepers Workshop dates! These trainings are made possible with support from NJ American Water. Space is limited so please RSVP. Download the flier here.
Benefits of Trees
Pucks for Parks
On Thursday May 29th, the NJ Tree Foundation had its first planting through an exciting partnership with the New Jersey Devils and PwC US. This new initiative, Pucks for Parks, will plant two mature trees in a New Jersey park or green space for every Devils win! Representatives from the New Jersey Devils, PwC, Essex County, Presby Iris Memorial Gardens and the NJ Tree Foundation planted 30 trees at the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Upper Montclair, NJ to kick off the multi-year program.
Here are a couple photos from this great event. Check out more on our Facebook Page!
Environmental Endowment for New Jersey, Inc. Provides Grant to NJTF
The New Jersey Tree Foundation has received a $12,000 grant from the Environmental Endowment for New Jersey, Inc. to plant trees in Newark! This funding will allow the Newark Renaissance Trees Program to improve the Passaic watershed by removing concrete and planting trees as a form of green infrastructure.
Newark borders the Passaic River and Newark Bay, so city pollution from things like vehicles and pesticides have direct access to the Passaic watershed. Removing concrete t0 plant trees reduces the amount of polluted stormwater runoff that enters the watershed. Stormwater is able to drain directly into the ground rather than run across concrete where it collects pollutants and the roots of trees help to filter pollutants out of stormwater runoff. With this funding from the Environmental Endowment for New Jersey, Inc., the NJ Tree Foundation will improve the Passaic watershed while beautifying Newark with street trees!
Photo credit: http://newarksriver.wordpress.com/
April Brings Trees to NJ Communities
This April, the NJ Tree Foundation (NJTF) worked with dozens of amazing partners across NJ to reforest cities and towns in need of trees! At these exciting community planting events, hundreds of volunteers joined the NJTF to dig holes and plant “the right tree for the right place in the right way.” Check out our list of awesome April tree planting events!
Camden, NJ:
Acelero Learning Center
Harry C. Sharp School
Joseph’s House for the Homeless
Ferry Avenue and Webster Streets
Read more about our Camden program.
Newark, NJ:
Pedal Farm and SAS
Fruit Tree Planting
Forest Hill Community Association
Read more about our Newark Program.
Vineland, NJ:
Landis Park Earth Day Event
Bloomfield, NJ:
NY/NJ SuperBowl Host Committee
Passing of the Shovel to AZ
at Brookdale Park
In addition, our Green Streets Crew was hired to plant trees in Glen Rock, Bergenfield, Liberty State Park, and Red Bank this month. Read more about hiring Green Streets to perform landscape services in your town.
Please consider supporting NJTF’s tree planting efforts across NJ as a volunteer or donor.
Volunteers Needed for Earth Day Tree Planting!
The NJ Tree Foundation, in partnership with the Vineland Environmental Commission and Calpine, will plant 50 shade trees in Landis Park on Earth Day, 4/22/2014. This tree planting will help replace the many trees lost from storms over the past few years.
Here’s the Scoop:
Date: 4/22/2014
Time: 9AM until about Noon
Place: Landis Park, NE Blvd and North 6th Street, Vineland, NJ
Event: Earth Day Tree Planting
RSVP to Lisa at njtf1@juno.com
Our latest Annual Report
Read about our programs and projects! 2012-2013 annual report
Trees Restore Beauty
2013 was a busy year for us at the NJ Tree Foundation. In addition to planting trees in Camden and Newark we started a special project to reforest New Jersey communities that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Through this project, more than 2,000 trees were planted.
Hurricane Sandy sent six feet of salt water into Bay Head Elementary School and destroyed 30 trees on the school grounds. In October, we planted 37 new trees and 40 shrubs, grasses, and perennials to reforest the school’s landscape. Nearly all 140 students assisted in the planting! As one elementary schooler ran happily through the maze of newly planted trees, she exclaimed, “There are so many trees – and I want to hug them all!”
Bay Head Elementary School’s exterior beauty was restored by new trees. You can play a role in transforming communities in need through tree planting. It is not too late to make an end-of-year, tax deductible donation to the NJ Tree Foundation.
On behalf of all our 2014 tree recipients who will soon have beautiful trees, we thank you sincerely for your support.
Trees Inspire Hope
Juanita Butler is an 87-year-old lifetime Camden resident who organized a tree planting on her block in 2011. She and her neighbors gathered with volunteers and the Mayor of Camden, Dana L. Redd, to plant 22 trees on her street. Today, the trees are doing wonderfully. Juanita describes how her tree planting transformed her street and catalyzed significant changes in her community.
“These trees bring so much life to our block! Even in the fall, they light up with the most beautiful yellow and red leaves. The planting of our trees brought my neighbors together.” She goes on to explain, “On the planting day we voiced our concerns about an abandoned and dilapidated building on our street. Mayor Redd shook my hand and promised to help.”
This year, the vacant building on Juanita’s street was demolished. Smiling ear to ear, Juanita told the NJ Tree Foundation, “We’re really getting things done!” But Juanita and her neighbors are just getting started. Next, she plans to create a community garden where the old building once stood and plant more trees on the surrounding streets.
In 2014, the NJ Tree Foundation wants to help Juanita continue greening her neighborhood. We want to keep planting trees across the state of New Jersey so that more people can experience the unity, hope, and beauty that come from planting trees in cities like Camden and Newark. We want to foster positive community change, and we need your help to make it a reality.
Please consider making an end-of-year, tax deductible donation to support the NJ Tree Foundation’s community forestry efforts. Your donation will inspire more stories like Juanita’s.
On behalf of all our tree recipients, we thank you sincerely for your support.
Camden Fall Season Review: 2013
This fall, our Camden Urban Airshed Reforestation Program (UARP) planted 231 trees with help from 442 volunteers, bringing our numbers since inception to 5,040 trees planted in eleven years! Trees in urban areas improve air and water quality, mitigate pollution, assist with stormwater management, provide shade, and beautify inner-city neighborhoods.
This season, we are recognizing exceptional volunteers that rock our world! Thank you to Paul and Peter Wharburton, a father/son tree planting team, and the CMSRU Cooper Medical School students, who have dedicated themselves to improving Camden’s environment by planting trees.
Did you miss our exciting planting events? Click on the links below.
Campbell Soup Foundation Fruit Tree Project
Camden’s TD Tree Day at Liney Ditch Park
Adventure Aquarium’s “Trees for York Street”
We also hosted (4) street tree plantings made possible by the USDA Forest Service! Locations included the 600 block of Berkley Street, the 1100 block of Sycamore Street, N. 5th Street between Grant and Vine Streets, and Vine Street between 4th and 5th Streets.
THANK YOU to our Fall 2013 Sponsors and In-Kind Donors!
USDA Forest Service
TD Bank
Campbell Soup Foundation
Adventure Aquarium
Camden SMART
United Water Camden, LLC
MAFCO Worldwide Corporation
Wegmans of Cherry Hill
City of Camden
Also, thank you to the individual donors who make our work possible!
To organize a tree planting event in your community of Camden, please visit our UARP page for an online application or contact Jessica Franzini at (856) 287-4488 or jfranzini.njtf@gmail.com. Applications for spring events are due by December 31st, 2013.
Super Community Tree Planting with Bay Head ES, Verizon Green Team & Super Bowl Host Committee
On a beautiful day, we planted 37 trees and 40 shrubs/perennials to reforest Bay Head Elementary School. The entire school came out to plant and mulch their new trees and landscape. Verizon Green Team members and Super Bowl Host Committee staff helped guide the students in the planting. Click on the links below to see pictures and video of this Super Community Tree Planting Event.
Tree Planting event in Bay Head, New Jersey
Asbury Park Press article and video
Photographer Anthony Quintano’s beautiful pictures