Free Tree Saplings Available for Montclair residents

As part of an ongoing effort to replant trees uprooted by Superstorm Sandy, the NJ Tree Recovery Campaign will be offering free sapling giveaways in municipalities throughout the state in April and early May.

A sapling giveaway will be held in Montclair from 9 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, April 11, on Parkway Road, north of the Boat House in Edgemont Park. In case of thunderstorms the event will be postponed to same place and time on Sunday, April 12.

Seedlings will be available on a first come, first served basis. Instructions on how to store, care for and plant them will be provided.

Residents should plant the seedlings within two days after pick-up in order to prevent the roots from drying out.

The Montclair effort is being spearheaded by Montclair Environmental Commission and Department of Community Services. For more information, contact Deb Ellis at debellisnj@gmail.com.

According to a release from the Tree Recovery Campaign, the two-to-four foot, bare root tree saplings will ultimately “create defining features of many neighborhoods, as well as give numerous benefits to residents.”

Municipalities were eligible for up to 2,000 free saplings each as part of the program. The species of the free trees are subject to change based on availability.

See a town-by-town listing of giveaway events and potential sapling species here.