Tree Planting Highlights $50,000 Donation to Greater Newark Conservancy

Newark is a city with lots of paved and developed areas, but little green space and too few trees. These issues contribute to runoff that pollutes the Passaic River and extreme heat in summer when the urban heat island effect ensures that Newark’s temperatures will be higher than surrounding towns with less development. ShopRite and Kimberly-Clark have teamed up with Greater Newark Conservancy to do something about it, while creating opportunities for education, job training and employment for local residents.

The first of 80 trees was planted near the site of the Conservancy’s urban environmental center on Prince Street between Springfield and South Orange Avenues in a ceremony that included Congressman Donald Payne along with representatives of ShopRite, Wakefern Food Corp., Kimberly-Clark, Councilwoman Gayle Cheneyfield-Jenkins, Newark’s Office of Sustainability, Conservancy staff and board members, plus members of the Conservancy’s Clean and Green Team (who planted the ceremonial tree). The environmental center, an oasis of green just blocks away from Newark’s downtown, is directly across the street from the location of the new ShopRite of Newark that is scheduled to open in April 2015.

In addition to the tree planting, ShopRite and Kimberly Clark partnered to donate $50,000 to Greater Newark Conservancy’s Urban Tree Tenders summer intern program. The program provides supervised training for Newark youth in landscaping and horticulture to increase employability and earning potential. The donation helped to employ eight summer interns who used specialized GPS mapping equipment to chart the groves of cherry trees at Newark’s Branch Brook Park.

“Involving students and Newark residents in the tree planting process furthers the Conservancy’s goals of green job training and education about the importance of trees to the urban environment,” said Robin Dougherty, Executive Director of Greater Newark Conservancy. “We are proud to partner with Kimberly-Clark and ShopRite to further the goals of Newark’s Sustainability Action Plan by bringing trees to Newark’s Central Ward.”

“My family and I are so pleased to be bringing a new ShopRite store to Newark and have been overwhelmed with the warm welcome and support we have received from the community,” noted Neil Greenstein, who also owns and operates the nearby ShopRite of Brookdale in Bloomfield with his family. “Partnering with Greater Newark Conservancy and supporting this internship program is a wonderful way to give back to our new neighbors. We are personally invested in the revitalization of this neighborhood – the opportunity to serve the Newark community and its youth is a natural extension of our family’s 65 year history of service to the people of New Jersey.”

In her remarks, Peggy Ward, Kimberly-Clark’s Sustainability Strategy Leader, noted that the donation underscores Kimberly-Clark’s ongoing commitment to support sustainability efforts and programs. “As a company, we source 100 percent of the fiber we use in our products from certified suppliers, including our Scott, Viva, Cottonelle and Kleenex brands, and we are focused on sustainability as a part of our policies and goals,” she concluded.

For more information about programs, services, volunteer opportunities or to make a donation, contact Greater Newark Conservancy at 973-642-4646 or visit CityBloom.org. You can also follow news from the Conservancy through social media at Facebook.com/GreaterNewarkConservancy plus Twitter and Instagram - @Citybloom87.