Montclair's Arborist Has Tall Task: To Grow A Forest In An Urban Environment

Stephen Schuckman, Montclair's arborist, has a mission: to grow a diverse forest in an urban environment. "In the old days it was typical that one species of tree was planted on one street," he said. "But if you plant the same things on the same day they will all mature and die at the same time.

"The goal is to go back and plant different trees every few years so you have mixed ages and species," he told Patch on Saturday.

In the midst of a drought, Schuckman has his work cut out for him. "A lot of old and young trees are stressed and are suffering," he said. "Oaks and elms are more tolerant of the drought. But maples don't do well in droughts at all."

Schuckman said that big shade trees go through hundreds of gallons of water a day so "putting on a sprinkler isn't going to do much."

Fortunately, most large trees have extensive root systems that can hold up in a drought, he said.

"But we are seeing a lot of early coloration and a lot of leaves already dropping this year because of the drought," he said.

A Caldwell resident, Schuckman and his wife Vicki own Chelsea Square in Upper Montclair, a store selling soaps, lotions, and perfumes that's currently being renovated.

Prior to being appointed as Montclair's tree consultant — a position that pays about $34,000 a year — in 2008, Schuckman served as Montclair's Parks Superintendent before becoming the horticulturist at Van Vleck Gardens from 1998 to 2005.

"That was tough because I lived on the property and people always would knock on the door on Sunday morning asking if I could help with their plants," he said.

Currently, Schuckman also is the arborist for Glen Ridge (since 2003) and Bloomfield (since 2006). He spends at least one day each week in each of the towns: Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, and Montclair. In addition, he runs the Montclair Farmers Market, which has become "a really important social scene." The rest of the time he oversees some private gardens in Nutley and acts as a consultant.

"I have a diverse kind of job and I'm never bored," he said.

Schuckman said he spends most of his days in Montclair answering calls from residents.

"People will call and say they are worried about a particular tree and I'll go out and do an inspection and make a decision about it," he said.

Obviously he's won a lot of fans — Counciler Cary Africk calls Schuckman "the absolute nicest person ever."

Schuckman grew up in Quincy, Illinois, or "Mark Twain country" as he calls it. As a pre-med candidate, it took only one summer working in a hospital to realize medicine wasn't for him. He switched gears to a career that would allow him to be outdoors. He obtained a master's degree in botany in 1985 from the University of Missouri at Columbia and then moved out east to go for a Ph.D. — one he never finished — at Rutgers University.

Eventually, Schuckman became a New Jersey Certified Tree Expert, acing an exam so hard that only 550 people have passed it since 1940.

"New Jersey's exam is actually the best in the country and is a model for other states," he said.

These days, Schuckman's goal is to boost the number of trees planted in Montclair.

"We planted about 275 in Montclair this past spring and we've planted more than 500 since I've been here," he said, ading that the Township takes down about 200 trees a year.

Schuckman said Bloomfield has done a better job of planting as they've been contracting out the job for at least 10 years. Indeed, for every tree that's taken down there, at least another two are planted.

"Montclair's only been contracting out for the last few years and so planting hasn't been as efficient but it is becoming more efficient now," he said.

When asked about the cost of new trees, Schuckman said the planting of trees — at about $200 a pop — is paid for with capital funds.

And, in the end, the money's worth it.

"The benefits far outweigh the hazards," he said. "They sequester carbon which is good.

"The shade actually enhances the longevity of streets and pavements," he said. "You definitely wouldn't want to live in a town without any trees in it."