Volunteers

Congratulations, Newark Certified TreeKeepers

Elena Lopez Pictures, Success Stories, Volunteers

This winter, the NJ Tree Foundation conducted a special winter TreeKeepers workshop series in Newark thanks to a partnership with Newark’s Office of Sustainability. In this series of workshops, residents learned the proper tree-care and maintenance techniques needed to become effective tree stewards in their communities. 106 Newark residents participated at these workshops where we provided educational materials and tools to all who attended. The Tree Foundation would like to extend our thanks to the Greater Newark Conservancy for hosting this winter series.

Congratulations to our 18 new certified TreeKeepers! These dedicated individuals attended all four workshops, and are excited to share their knowledge with neighbors and friends:

IMG_2784-001Justin Allen
Robert Bell
Cameron Black
Mary Bradley
Sandra Crawley
Betty Crockett
Tara Daniel
Jon Dugan
Maria Goetschalckx
Ricardo Grant
Alterick Hardy
Wynnie-Fred Hinds
Kenneth Louis
Christian Oliveira
Thalya Reyes
Michael Sheehan
DeAnna Joy Whitley
Keith Williams

For more pictures from our Newark TreeKeepers workshops, visit our Facebook Albums. Thank you to all who attended .

NJTF logo_good
Newark Sustainability Office LogoGNC logocircle

Lori Braunstein Joins Board of Trustees

Beth Kwart Just for Fun, Success Stories, Volunteers

225022_153742271360208_4137623_nThe NJ Tree Foundation is proud to announce that Lori Braunstein has joined our Board of Trustees! Lori is the founder and President of Sustainable Cherry Hill and the Director of Green Schools at the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. She is a 2010 Environmental Leadership Program Fellow, holds an advanced certificate from the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education, is a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, and is credentialed as a LEED Green Associate.

Lori has been honored by the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the American Society of Civil Engineers West Jersey Branch, and the US Environmental Protection Agency District II. Just recently, she was the recipient of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) South Jersey’s Environmental Advocate Award of 2014.

Lori has supported the NJ Tree Foundation’s Camden Urban Airshed Reforestation Program as a volunteer for many years. To celebrate her birthday in 2012, she helped organize a tree planting in Camden, asking friends and family to donate or volunteer in lieu of birthday gifts. This project is among the most amazing, selfless acts any NJ Tree Foundation volunteer has done to benefit the lives of others through trees. You can read more about this project in our 2012-2013 Annual Report. Lori, it is with great enthusiasm and gratitude that we welcome you to our Board of Trustees!

Trees Restore Beauty

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, Good Landscaping, Just for Fun, Pictures, Success Stories, Volunteers

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.

bay head treesHurricane 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.

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Trees Inspire Hope

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

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.

Juanita story board

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.

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Volunteers Make Our Season Bright

Beth Kwart Just for Fun, Success Stories, Volunteers

Each planting season, we hold a special place in our hearts for the volunteers that dedicate many Saturdays to our urban tree planting programs! In Camden and Newark, we rely heavily on these outstanding volunteers to dig holes, plant trees, lay mulch, and assist new volunteers at our planting events. This season, we would like to recognize:

878_10152046525003273_1070940459_nPaul and Peter Warburton – Father & Son Tree Planting Team
Camden Urban Airshed Reforestation Program

Paul and Peter love the outdoors! In April, they heard about the NJ Tree Foundation’s Camden program in the newspaper and started volunteering. Since then, Paul and Peter have participated in dozens of Camden tree plantings. Paul explains, “Peter and I have learned quite a bit about planting and the finished product is always gratifying. It’s also kind of neat when we take the PATCO to Philly and we can see our planting handiwork. All of our tree planting experiences have been very positive. Thank you to NJTF. Keep it up!”

IMG_2645Building Blocks of NJ –
a Non-Profit Muslim Organization
Newark Renaissance Trees Program

Building Blocks of NJ (BBNJ) is based in Jersey City, and they believe in social services. Members from BBNJ participated in all of our Newark plantings this fall!  Volunteers from BBNJ love being able to see the impact they have on the environment by physically planting trees. Khaled Dardir, a regular volunteer, is hooked on tree-planting, and plants with a purpose, “I want to plant enough tress to cover my carbon foot print.” He finds himself closer to nature through tree-plantings, “[It is] a practice of my religion to take care of the planet and preserve nature as much as possible.” Thank you to all of the hard-working volunteers that have come to plant trees through BBNJ. We look forward to seeing you again in the spring.

Also, thank you to the hundreds of other volunteers that made our fall planting season a success! To get involved, please visit our Volunteer Page or consider making a tax deductible donation to support tree planting across NJ. Thank you!

Camden Fall Season Review: 2013

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Just for Fun, Pictures, Success Stories, Volunteers

1394276_10152067524918273_2036091995_nThis 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! 

1384225_10152024885588273_546223152_nUSDA 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.

 

Adventure Aquarium Sponsors Camden Event

Beth Kwart Fundraising, Just for Fun, Success Stories, Volunteers

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The NJ Tree Foundation is pleased to announce that our Camden Urban Airshed Reforestation Program tree planting taking place on 
Saturday, November 2nd from 9am-12pm is being sponsored by Adventure Aquarium! Open 365 days a year from 10 am to 5 pm, Adventure Aquarium has been part of the Camden community since 2005, providing new opportunities for families to explore, discover and play.

Join us as we dig holes, plant trees, and lay mulch along the 300 block of York Street on November 2nd! Tree planting is a fun activity for the entire family. Children can also enjoy crafts and activities, courtesy of Adventure Aquarium!

To sign up for this event, please contact Jessica at (856) 287-4488 or jfranzini.njtf@gmail.com.

Super Community Tree Planting with Bay Head ES, Verizon Green Team & Super Bowl Host Committee

Lisa Simms Benefits of Trees, Good Landscaping, Just for Fun, NJTF in the News, Pictures, Success Stories, Uncategorized, Volunteers

2013-10-16 12.59.49On 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