New Mahwah Plant A Tree Initiative To Kick Off Jan. 31

A collaborative tree planting project will kick off at the historic Darlington Schoolhouse Jan. 31. The newly-restored schoolhouse will also be commemorated that day.

The township’s Plant A Tree project is a collaborative effort between the Mahwah Environmental Volunteer Organization (MEVO), the Joyce Kilmer Society, and the Mahwah Township Beautification Committee. The multi-phase project involves planting trees on several township-owned properties, starting with the Municipal Center.

MEVO is a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and beautification of land in Mahwah, including the Ramapo Reservation. The group regularly cleans up there and has a working farm.

The 124-year-old schoolhouse is an important part of Mahwah’s educational and architectural history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The 11-year project was supported with funds from the Bergen County Open Space and Historic Preservation Trust funds. The school was shut down in 1944 and the township and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, which has its headquarters at the schoolhouse, jointly purchased the property. The conference partners to create, promote, and protect 2,100 miles of public trails in the area.

Jan. 31 is also Joyce Kilmer Day in Mahwah. Joyce Kilmer Day honors the life and legacy one of the most well-known poets in the world. Kilmer wrote “Trees” in his Mahwah home on Feb. 2, 1913. He died in July 1918 while serving in the New York National Guard in France.

The commemoration ceremony, which will be run by the trail conference, will begin at 1 p.m.

(The restored Darlington Schoolhouse/Courtesy of the Joyce Kilmer Society of Mahwah)