For Love Of Trees: Newark Getting Greener With Plantings, Grants

NEWARK, NJ — Earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker paid a visit to Lincoln Park in Newark to announce a coming windfall of federal grants, including money to bring more trees to the popular local park. Since then, the march towards a greener future has continued in New Jersey’s largest city.

Here are two updates that recently happened in Newark.

TREE PLANTINGS

This summer, the New Jersey Tree Foundation’s North Jersey outreach arm, the Renaissance Trees Program, thanked its 479 volunteers for planting 190 trees this season. The program is based in Newark, but includes other cities such as Trenton, Morristown and other urban areas in the northern half of the state.

Tree plantings this season included the following locations, the nonprofit reported:

• April 8 - 527 Ridge Street Forest Hill, Newark (19 trees)
• April 15 - 81 Edison Place, Newark Downtown (11 trees)
• April 19 - Pocahontas Park, Morristown (39 trees)
• April 22 - Brookdale Park, Bloomfield (20 trees)
• April 25 - Ivy Hill Park, Newark (30 trees)
• April 28 - Mulberry St. Park, Trenton (32 trees)
• April 29 - 607 N. Brown St., Gloucester City (16 trees)
• May 13 - 40 Sanford Place, Vailsburg, Newark (12 trees)

“Most of our Newark events took place in neighborhoods where we have planted in the past, such as the Forest Hill and Sandford Place neighborhoods,” program director Crystal Wessel said.

“During previous plantings, we received more requests from residents who hadn’t initially been interested in receiving a tree- in order to fulfill the requests, we returned a few seasons later to bring more trees to both neighborhoods,” Wessel added.

Wessel said the goal is to create a “grassroots movement of tree stewards” throughout the city. Each resident who agrees to participate receives the training necessary to plant and maintain trees. They agree to monitor and care for each new tree for two years.

Meanwhile, other neighbors who see change happening on their block can reach out to set up their own plantings, keeping the cycle going, Wessel said.

“At this spring’s plantings, even more curious residents came out to ask how they could receive a tree, so we plan to return to both neighborhoods [Forest Hill and Sanford Place] soon,” Wessel said.

Plans are currently underway for the fall planting season. To request a tree for your neighborhood, or to register as a volunteer tree steward, visit www.NJTreeFoundation.org or contact cwessel@njtreefoundation.org.

‘NATURE BELONGS TO EVERYONE’

Meanwhile, progress continues to be made on the financial front, advocates say.

Last week, The Nature Conservancy and a coalition of partners were awarded an $8 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service to expand and improve the tree canopy in the city of Newark – site of the nation’s second-worst “heat island effect,” according to Climate Central.

The grant is one of 385 issued as part of a commitment to increase equitable access to trees and nature across the nation. It enables citywide tree planting, long-term tree maintenance, green workforce development programs to bolster the local economy, and ongoing measurement of benefits from planted trees in Newark over the next five years.

The funds are the largest award made in New Jersey through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.

“What greater symbol of Newark’s life and health is there than to plant a tree?” Mayor Ras Baraka asked.

“I could not be more grateful to the U.S Forest Service for this monumental grant for expanding our tree canopy,” Baraka added. “With our intention to design, create and maintain this new green infrastructure with a newly trained workforce, this award will enliven and revitalize not only our landscape, but our residents as well.”

“This project is much more than trees – it's an investment in the future of our neighborhoods, community-based organizations and environmental justice,” said Kim Gaddy, founder and executive director of the South Ward Environmental Alliance.

“This project brings much needed support to combat urban heat islands, air quality, and flooding issues that impact all Newarkers,” Gaddy said.

“Nature belongs to everyone, and by expanding Newark’s tree canopy we will help bring much needed benefits to Newarkers, including increased shade, improved air quality and better stormwater management,” said Johnny Quispe, cities program manager at The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey.

“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Newark and a strong coalition of organizations on a community-based approach that will serve as a model for cities nationwide,” Quispe said.

Project partners include South Ward Environmental Alliance, Ironbound Community Corporation, Newark Green Team, Greater Newark Conservancy, NewarkDIG, Trust for Public Land, Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, the City of Newark and Unified Vailsburg Services Organization.

• See Related: More Trees Can Change The World – And Newark, Cory Booker Says

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