Volunteers

#NewarkGives: Help the NJ Tree Foundation plant 350 trees!

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, NJTF in the News, Pictures, Volunteers

social-image-1x1May 3, 2016 – Newark, NJ – The Newark 350 Gives giving day is here! The NJ Tree Foundation and Newark community unite today, Tuesday May 3rd, for a special 24-hour online giving campaign in celebration of Newark’s 350th anniversary. Your donation will help us plant 350 trees in Newark! Any donation large or small will help.

Today, Newark 350 Gives hopes to raise $350,000 in only 24 hours to fund five Legacy Gifts, projects of historical, community, arts and educational significance, that will live beyond this historic milestone year and instill civic pride and connection for generations to come! The NJ Tree Foundation’s legacy gift is planting 350 trees in Newark. Imagine: 50 or more years from now, someone will enjoy a tree that YOU helped plant by making a donation. That is quite a legacy!

Please donate and spread the word to other tree-lovers in your life. Together, we can make a $350,000 impact!

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NJ Tree Foundation Celebrates Arbor Day 2016

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, Good Landscaping, NJTF in the News, Tree Care, Volunteers

April 29, 2016 – New Jersey – 10325366_10152488848273273_4809332432604534827_nOn Friday, April 29th, the NJ Tree Foundation and tree lovers across New Jersey and the country  are celebrating Arbor Day! Arbor Day celebrates trees by encouraging tree planting and tree care. What are you doing to celebrate Arbor Day? Our recommendations are:

1) Plant a tree. Make sure you follow the right tree, right place, right way mantra!

2) Care for a tree. Pull weeds surrounding the tree and lay fresh mulch around the tree, leaving a 2 inch gap around the base of the tree.

3) Donate to Newark 350 Gives! The NJ Tree Foundation will plant 350 trees with funding from Newark 35o Gives. If you can’t plant a tree yourself this Arbor Day, donate to help one be planted in the future. Learn more about Newark 350 Gives by visiting their website.

 

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The NJ Tree Foundation will join the New Jersey Forest Service and others to celebrate Arbor Day at Veterans Memorial Park in Parsippany, NJ. A ceremony will be held to commemorate the 67th New Jersey State Arbor Day Celebration.

NJ Tree Foundation and volunteers to plant trees this Spring!

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Good Landscaping, Just for Fun, NJTF in the News, Pictures, Success Stories, Volunteers

April 8, 2016 – New Jersey – This spring, the NJ Tree Foundation will plant over 200 trees in urban communities with help from city residents and community volunteers.

Trees are an important part of a city’s infrastructure. They assist with stormwater management and improve air and water quality. They also offer a number of social benefits. Trees provide shade for people to sit outside on the sidewalk in front of their homes, add beauty and nature to cities, increase property values, and some tree species provide fresh fruit. The NJ Tree Foundation has seen trees unite neighbors as its community-based tree planting events are initiated by local residents who also care for the trees after they are planted.

“Any resident of Camden or Newark can apply to us to receive a free street tree,” Franzini explains, “We plant in other cities of need, such as Gloucester City and Jersey City, as our funding allows. Anyone that doesn’t mind getting dirty can help us by volunteering to plant trees. We plant rain or shine. It is always a lot of fun.”

During spring 2016, the NJ Tree Foundation will host six community-based planting events in Camden, five in Newark, and one in Bayonne. The media is invited to attend all events. While many volunteers are still needed, some events are full and cannot accept additional volunteer groups. Please check our volunteer pages for more information and RSVP in advance to Jessica Franzini for Camden events, jfranzini@njtreefoundation.org or (856) 287-4488 and to Elena López, elopez@njtreefoundation.org or (609) 439-1755 for Newark/Bayonne events.

11265123_10153499822273273_437537869514375131_nEvents are held rain or shine. Come dressed for the weather in clothes suitable for getting dirty and wear closed-toe shoes. The NJ Tree Foundation will provide all tools needed for planting. A meeting location and directions will be provided upon RSVP. See you on the street!

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Jersey City TreeKeepers!* May 7th, 10am-3pm

Lisa Simms Benefits of Trees, Good Landscaping, Hazardous Trees, Tree Care, Tree Pests, Urban Tolerant Trees, Volunteers

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Saturday, May 7, 2016, 10AM – 3PM

William Dickinson High School Auditorium, 2 Palisade Ave., Jersey City

Registration & coffee from 9:30 to 10AM. Program starts promptly at 10AM.

*Space is limited to 75 Jersey City participants – RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW by emailing LSimms@njtreefoundation.org
Topics include:

  • Basic Tree Biology and Tree Identification
  • Tree Planting, Pruning, and Maintenance Techniques
  • Recognizing Tree Hazards and Tree Disease
  • Understanding Environmental Impacts of Trees
  • Tools and lunch provided!

 Four Continuing Education Units for Community Forestry Management Plans. 

For more information or to sign up, please contact Lisa Simms: LSimms@NJTreeFoundation.org This TreeKeepers Training is made possible by a partnership with Sustainable JC and the JC Parks Coalition and is sponsored by the Jersey City Municipal Utility Authority with trees donated by the Jersey City Department of Public Works. Goldman Sachs is the Jersey City Parks Coalition’s “City of Trees” 2016 Education and Engagement Sponsor. Host William Dickinson High School is a National Wildlife Federation ECO School

Download a cool flier here!

 

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Upcoming Events in Camden

Beth Kwart Just for Fun, Success Stories, Volunteers

Screen Shot 2016-03-10 at 2.33.05 PMCheck out these exciting upcoming events, being offered by our partners in Camden!

Newton Creek Clean Up in Camden
with the Tri-County Sustainability Alliance and South Jersey Land and Water Trust
Saturday, April 9th
10am-1pm

FREE Soil Testing: Camden’s Soil Shop
at the Parkside Learning Garden
Saturday, April 16th
10am-3pm
* Free soil testing done on site *

Smart forum[3]Camden SMART Forum
at Adventure Aquarium
$25 to register, Camden residents free
Wednesday, April 20th
8:30am-2pm

Camden Tree Planting Events
Our spring tree planting season will soon begin in Camden. Join us as we dig holes and plant trees in several Camden neighborhoods. For a full list of upcoming NJ Tree Foundation planting events, please click here.

Newark Tree Maintenance Workshop

Elena Lopez Tree Care, Uncategorized, Volunteers

Hands-on Tree Maintenance
Riverfront Park, Newark
Saturday, March 12     9:30AM-10:30 AM

IMG_0715Calling all TreeKeepers! Join us to learn about — or brush up on—proper tree maintenance through hands-on learning. We will be pruning young trees and spreading mulch. Please bring your own pruning tools if you have some. For more information or to RSVP please contact Elena López at elopez@njtreefounation.org or (609) 439-1755. Please RSVP.

We’ll meet on the orange boardwalk by the orange sticks.

FREE Right Tree Right Place Workshop! – Registration is closed.

Lisa Simms Benefits of Trees, Good Landscaping, Hazardous Trees, Just for Fun, Pictures, Success Stories, Tree Care, Tree Pests, Urban Tolerant Trees, Volunteers

Registration for this seminar is closed. We have reached capacity. Thank you for your interest! There will be more of these seminars in the coming months.

The New Jersey Tree Foundation and Public Service Electric & Gas are offering a FREE seminar on Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place, the Right Way on Friday, March 25th at the Edison PSE&G Training Center. Please RSVP by Friday, March 18, 2016 to Lisa Simms LSimms@NJTreeFoundation.org

Topics include:

  • Planting the right tree, in the right place, the right way
  • The importance of utility mark-outs prior to planting
  • Emerald Ash Borer – It’s here!
  • Vegetation management policies to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electric service
  • Grant opportunities

 Who should attend? Mayors, Freeholders, DPW Supervisors, Environmental & Shade Tree Commissioners, County Officials and any other interested parties. Space is limited. First come first served.

Date: Friday, March 25, 2016

Time: Registration begins at 8:00am. Program starts promptly at 8:30 am and runs until Noon.

Place: PSEG Edison Training & Development Center, 234 Pierson Ave., Room 254, Edison, NJ 08837

A continental breakfast will be served.

This seminar is worth 3 Continuing Education Units for towns with a 5-year Community Forestry Management Plan.

Please RSVP by Friday, March 18 to LSimms@njtreefoundation.org

If you would like send a representative(s), please include their names and contact information (email address).

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Volunteers Plant 500 New Trees in NJ Cities

Beth Kwart Good Landscaping, Just for Fun, Pictures, Success Stories, Urban Tolerant Trees, Volunteers

CroppedThe NJ Tree Foundation’s community-based volunteer projects were a success this fall! Across the state, over 600 volunteers helped plant 560 trees in NJ’s most urban communities, where the need is the greatest. “Where else can you participate in the transformation of an entire city block in three hours?” explains long-time volunteer Anita. “Volunteering with the NJ Tree Foundation has been one of my life’s greatest experiences.”

We are proud to share with you the many communities that benefited from our volunteer-based projects this fall!

Renaissance Trees Program Projects
Columbia Park, Jersey City: 20 trees
Parker Street and Barringer Academy, Newark: 14 trees
S. 30th Street, Newark: 60 trees
Varick Street, Jersey City: 15 trees
Great Commission Ministry Church, Newark: 13 trees
West Side Park, Newark: 20 trees
Clifton Avenue, Newark: 20 trees
S. Charles and Ferry Streets, Newark: 14 trees

Urban Airshed Reforestation Program Projects
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Camden: 15 trees
Northgate II Apartments, Camden: 20 trees
Reverend Evers Park, Camden: 27 trees
Von Neida Park, Camden: 150 trees
N. 8th Street, Camden: 18 trees
Klemm Ave Jogging Path, Gloucester City: 58 trees
Martin Lake Park, Gloucester City: 10 trees
N. 36th Street, Camden: 27 trees
Parkside United Methodist Church, Camden: 10 trees
Farnham Park, Camden: 10 trees

Green Streets Projects
Veterans Memorial Park, Passiac City: 40 trees

Thank you to the partners, residents, donors, and volunteers who made our fall tree planting season a success! We greatly appreciate working with you to transform urban communities with trees.

Columbia Park Reforesting

Elena Lopez NJTF in the News, Pictures, Success Stories, Volunteers

Lowe's Heroes Columbia Park.2Thanks to a $10,000 donation from Keep America Beautiful/Lowe’s grant, The NJ Tree Foundation planted 20 trees, 19 shrubs, and 100 perennials creating 5 microhabitats and beautifying Columbia Park in Jersey City, NJ on September 10. Jersey City Department of Parks and Forestry helped grind out some stumps, and the Columbia Park Greenville Memorial Inc. Association helped coordinate the project. Jersey City Councilwoman-at-Large, Joyce Watterman, addressed the volunteers thanking them and the Tree Foundation for their service to Jersey City. Despite the rain, nine hard-working Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers came to dig, plant, and mulch in the park. To read more about our work in the park, check out this article or view these photos.

Check out video coverage of the event.

 

NJ Tree Foundation & Keep Jersey City Beautiful Receives $10,000 Grant from Lowe’s

Beth Kwart Good Landscaping, NJTF in the News, Urban Tolerant Trees, Volunteers

874_resizedJersey City, NJ (September 9, 2015)– The NJ Tree Foundation and Keep Jersey City Beautiful announced that Lowe’s has awarded a $10,000 grant to help make Jersey City a clean, green and a more beautiful place to live. Tree planting to take place Thursday September 10, 9AM -12 noon in Columbia Park.

The Keep America Beautiful/Lowe’s grant provides funding for the Columbia Park reforestation project, to be completed on September 10, 2015 with the assistance of local Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers. This project will plant perennials, shrubs, and 20 trees that are at least 10 feet tall in Columbia Park. Certified Tree Experts recently evaluated Columbia Park. This project will plant all of the new trees in the park’s Tree Maintenance Plan as recommended by the Certified Tree Experts. The project will also create five microhabitats, with shrubs and perennials surrounding trees to provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

“We are thankful for the support from Keep America Beautiful/Lowe’s to implement this much needed project. Our trees suffered greatly during Hurricane Sandy and other extreme storms. This grant will allow us to plant new trees, shrubs, and perennials to bring more beauty into Columbia Park,” said Mr. Doug Carlucci, Aide to the Mayor. “We are fortunate to work with the NJ Tree Foundation to complete this work as they have over 15 years experience implementing similar projects,” Mr. Carlucci added.

“The NJ Tree Foundation is very excited for the Columbia Park project. Trees are an important resource as they mitigate air pollution and a20150909_095037_resizedbsorb stormwater to reduce flooding,” explained Elena López, Program Director for the NJ Tree Foundation.

The Columbia Park project grant is one of 50 merit-based grants awarded nationally by Lowe’s to community-based affiliates of Keep America Beautiful in support of grassroots service projects ranging from restoring neighborhood parks and planting community gardens to leading disaster restoration initiatives and large-scale cleanups.

“We take great pride in the work we do with Keep America Beautiful to improve the health of our communities,” said Joan Higginbotham, Lowe’s director of community relations. “We look forward to inspiring more people to join us so that we can continue to make our communities better places to live.”

Keep America Beautiful affiliates and partnering organizations received nearly 245 Lowe’s grants the past three years. Through this partnership, nearly 1 million flowers and bulbs have been planted; more than 225 playgrounds and recreational areas have been built or revitalized; and more than 1,000 community gardens have been planted.

Over the course of the partnership, Keep America Beautiful and Lowe’s have brought together more than 40,000 volunteers and 1,000 Lowe’s Heroes. Together, they’ve contributed 196,000 volunteer hours to improve their respective communities.

Lowe’s also provides support as a national sponsor of Keep America Beautiful’s flagship program, the Great American Cleanup, which takes place in 20,000 communities from coast to coast. This national program engages on average 4 million volunteers and participants who take action to create positive change and lasting impact.