West Orange Environmentalists Discuss Recycling, Idling and Liters Of Light

West Orange, NJ – West Orange environmental activists celebrated the town’s recent green initiatives at the annual Earth Hour event last month at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park.

The March 9 event featured speakers from the township and West Orange School district.

West Orange Councilwoman Susan McCartney recapped several of the township environmental initiatives over the past year, including commingled recycling, the anti-idling ordinance, and the plan to reforest the Open Space Commission property across from Liberty Middle School.

The plan will include an arboretum and bird sanctuary, McCartney said.

“We’ll be kicking off our plans on April 22 at Roosevelt Middle School as we celebrate Arbor Day,” McCartney commented.

Plans to continue planting Eastern Swamp Milkweed, a plant indigenous to New Jersey, will continue across the township and West Orange School district, officials stated.

Councilman Jerry Guarino was on hand during the event to discuss the award-winning “Rutgers Complete Streets Concept Plan.”

Several student representatives also spoke about their recent environmental efforts.

West Orange High School students from the Fight for Green Club - Ann Krishnan, Abi Allarva and Emily Sanchez - discussed efforts to commingle recycling at the high school and to conserve energy.

In addition, WOHS freshmen and debate team members Colin Morgan and Aaron Oshiro discussed recycling, water bottles and coke cans, and engineering and design solutions students Jakale Shannon and Albert Park shared their experiences with the “Liter of Light” lamplight program, which provides low-cost light sources to third world countries and countries devastated by natural disasters.

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