Trees “Rise Up” in Camden

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Marion and her grandmother Shiela

I have met many wonderful people while planting trees in Camden over the past eight years, and 17-year-old Marion is one of them. She wasn’t even a teenager when I first met her. I’ve seen her grow up planting trees and tending gardens in one of America’s toughest cities.

In 2012, Marion and I planted a willow tree with her family and neighbors at a newly-established community garden. The lot was completely barren at the time, and we planted the willow in tough, abandoned soil. The tree, in Marion’s words, “turned a deserted lot into an oasis of peace and hope in Camden.” She sees the willow as a metaphor for life – that beauty can grow from hardship and that hope can inspire an entire community to “rise up.” Marion wrote a poem inspired by the tree. The beloved willow won a regional “Tree of the Year” award after Marion and her grandmother entered the poem and a picture of the willow in a 2016 contest.

“Our community members fight poverty every day, yet the willow tree remains a peaceful place in our community, helping our residents see the importance of our urban canopy,” Marion’s poem states. It ends, “The willow tree represents a place of peace and calmness as the birds chirp, butterflies fly and the branches cascade around you as if to give you a hug or maybe even protect you.”

The NJ Tree Foundation works year-round to transform urban communities by planting trees. Marion’s neighborhood is a testament to the impressive transformation that can occur from a single tree. I hope that you will support the NJ Tree Foundation in reaching our goal of raising $10,000 by the end of December. Together, we can make neighborhoods rise up with trees.

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Jessica Franzini
Senior Program Director
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Marion’s “Tree of Hope” when first planted in 2012…
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…and thriving in 2016

Admiring Tree Lined Streets

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I first met the residents of Montrose Street in Newark (pictured above) in June 2016. Before Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, they had magnificent 100-year-old oaks lining their street. After the storms, they lost all but three of their beloved trees. They told me the summers were significantly hotter without shade. The peaceful aura of nature was lost. The void left behind was evident.

The Montrose Street residents were overjoyed to begin working with the NJ Tree Foundation’s Renaissance Trees Program, which helps city residents like them plant trees to improve their environment and quality of life. I worked with the Montrose Street neighbors for months to plan their tree planting event.

On November 5th, each and every resident on Montrose Street helped plant 29 trees, with every single eligible household accepting one or two trees in front of their home! “Montrose Street was blessed with a fabulous tree planting day. We planted 29 trees and we are ready to do it again,” exclaimed Yvonne, who received two trees and helped organize the planting. She continued, “It was truly phenomenal. It really united our block under something positive.”montrose-street-3

Together, we planted beautiful ornamental cherries and Shantung maple trees that will grow along with the children and families of Montrose Street. The trees are being enjoyed today and will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Please make a contribution to the NJ Tree Foundation so we may continue to reforest New Jersey cities and replace what has been lost in devastating storms. Your support is greatly appreciated by the NJ Tree Foundation and New Jersey residents like those of Montrose Street, who truly adore their new trees.donate-button-jpeg

Thank you,

Elena, Renaissance Trees Program Director

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Yvonne and two of her neighbors with one of the 29 new trees.

NJ Tree Foundation Receives $60,000 Grant from MKM Foundation

June 6, 2016 – Camden, NJ – On June 6, 2016 the NJ Tree Foundation received a three-year, $60,000 grant from the MKM Foundation to plant trees in the City of Camden. This generous donation will be paid in $20,000 per year increments in June of 2016, 2017, and 2018. This funding will be used to beautify neighborhoods throughout the city. The MKM Foundation grant will support the NJ Tree Foundation’s Urban Airshed Reforestation Program, which works with Camden residents, schools, and community organizations to implement community-based tree-planting events.36th st

“This grant is very exciting for us, as it allows us to plant trees anywhere in Camden where there is a need,” explains NJ Tree Foundation Senior Program Director Jessica Franzini, “I have a waiting list of high-impact projects. Some of them have been on the waiting list for over a year and will now be implemented with the MKM Foundation funding.”

The NJ Tree Foundation’s Urban Airshed Reforestation Program has planted trees in Camden since 2002. So far, 6,076 trees have been planted. The MKM Foundation grant of $60,000 will allow many more Camden residents to receive trees over the next three years, increasing quality of life and contributing to a more livable city.

Pictured top left: New trees planted in 2016 line N. 36th Street in East Camden, taken by The Darling Light Photography

#NewarkGives: Thank you for your contributions!

May 4, 2016 – Newark, New Jersey –newark yay On Tuesday May 3rd, the Newark community and beyond united to celebrate Newark’s 350th anniversary by donating to the city they love. Newark Celebration 350 hosted the online giving event which raised funds for four legacy projects. The NJ Tree Foundation’s legacy project is planting 350 trees in Newark!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our legacy project. #NewarkGives had so much interest that it broke the internet! The giving server crashed and donations could not be accepted for several hours. If you tried but were unable to donate to the legacy gift of planting 350 trees in Newark, please donate directly to the NJ Tree Foundation. Write “Newark350Gives” in the box that asks “Where do you want your donation to go?” Your contribution will help us leave a legacy of 350 new trees in Newark, trees that will be enjoyed by generations to come!

#NewarkGives: Help the NJ Tree Foundation plant 350 trees!

social-image-1x1May 3, 2016 – Newark, NJ – The Newark 350 Gives giving day is here! The NJ Tree Foundation and Newark community unite today, Tuesday May 3rd, for a special 24-hour online giving campaign in celebration of Newark’s 350th anniversary. Your donation will help us plant 350 trees in Newark! Any donation large or small will help.

Today, Newark 350 Gives hopes to raise $350,000 in only 24 hours to fund five Legacy Gifts, projects of historical, community, arts and educational significance, that will live beyond this historic milestone year and instill civic pride and connection for generations to come! The NJ Tree Foundation’s legacy gift is planting 350 trees in Newark. Imagine: 50 or more years from now, someone will enjoy a tree that YOU helped plant by making a donation. That is quite a legacy!

Please donate and spread the word to other tree-lovers in your life. Together, we can make a $350,000 impact!

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NJ Tree Foundation Celebrates Arbor Day 2016

April 29, 2016 – New Jersey – 10325366_10152488848273273_4809332432604534827_nOn Friday, April 29th, the NJ Tree Foundation and tree lovers across New Jersey and the country  are celebrating Arbor Day! Arbor Day celebrates trees by encouraging tree planting and tree care. What are you doing to celebrate Arbor Day? Our recommendations are:

1) Plant a tree. Make sure you follow the right tree, right place, right way mantra!

2) Care for a tree. Pull weeds surrounding the tree and lay fresh mulch around the tree, leaving a 2 inch gap around the base of the tree.

3) Donate to Newark 350 Gives! The NJ Tree Foundation will plant 350 trees with funding from Newark 35o Gives. If you can’t plant a tree yourself this Arbor Day, donate to help one be planted in the future. Learn more about Newark 350 Gives by visiting their website.

 

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The NJ Tree Foundation will join the New Jersey Forest Service and others to celebrate Arbor Day at Veterans Memorial Park in Parsippany, NJ. A ceremony will be held to commemorate the 67th New Jersey State Arbor Day Celebration.

NJ Tree Foundation Named Beneficiary of Newark 350 Gives!

April 22, 2016 – Newark, New Jersey – Mark your calendars to donate to Newark 350 Gives on Tuesday May 3rd – your donation will help to plant 350 trees in Newark to celebrate Newark’s 350th anniversary!

boylan street newarkThe NJ Tree Foundation is honored to be a beneficiary of Newark 350 Gives, which is seeking to raise $350,000 for nonprofits accomplishing amazing work in Newark.  Newark 350 Gives is part of Newark Celebration 350, a year-long jubilee of events and festivities commemorating the 350th anniversary of Newark’s founding. The NJ Tree Foundation will use money raised through Newark 350 Gives to plant 350 trees in Newark over four seasons, beginning fall 2016. Leave a legacy in Newark by contributing to planting trees! Your donation will benefit generations of Newark residents and visitors as the trees thrive for years to come.

Newark 350 Gives launches its giving on Tuesday, May 3rd, but you can give now too!

NJ Tree Foundation Green Streets Program Celebrates 10 Years

New Jersey, March 29, 2016 – The NJ Tree Foundation is celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our Green Streets Program this week as Green Streets kicks off their spring tree planting season.

Green Streets operates as the for-profit arm of the NJ Tree Foundation to increase recurring income for our nonprofit programs. Through our nonprofit programs, we plant trees in cities of need and educate the public about urban forestry. Through Green Streets, we train and hire men under parole supervision to plant and maintain trees through contracts.

Cities and towns throughout New Jersey are positively impacted by Green Streets as the Program provides high quality, affordable tree planting and green infrastructure installations. But the people most impacted by the Green Streets Program are the crewmembers hired.

The men hired for Green Streets are trying to get back on their feet. This is difficult to accomplish with a criminal record and little to no work experience. But the NJ Tree Foundation prepares the men for work with a landscaping company, tree trimming service, urban forestry crew, or other similar green industry position. The men immediately put their training to use planting trees and installing rain gardens with the NJ Tree Foundation, while earning an income that can support them as they transition back into society.

In its 10-year history, Green Streets has employed almost 80 men. Rafael, a 2013 Green Streets graduate, explained how the Program impacted him, “I’ve learned so many things that I actually thought myself to be a professional. For the first time in my life it felt good doing something I loved doing. Thank you to the NJ Tree Foundation for giving me the chance no one else would.”

John, another Green Streets graduate, checked in with the NJ Tree Foundation and told them, “I am doing good, the best I’ve ever done in my life – going to meetings, church, helping others. I have a foundation and am strong in my space. The NJ Tree Foundation was the best program I ever worked for. It helped me in so many ways. The best thing is that I set up my own bank account and saved my money, something I couldn’t do when I was on the streets.”

The NJ Tree Foundation believes that Green Streets has seen 10 years of success for simple reasons. Lisa Simms, NJ Tree Foundation Executive Director, explains, “We treat them with respect. They work hard and do the job well. Our Crew Supervisor is a Green Streets graduate. Not only can he sympathize with where these guys are coming from, but he also serves as an inspiration for where they can go.”

The NJ Tree Foundation’s Green Streets Program has run in the same pickup truck since it started in 2006. The truck has done a great job but it is ready to retire. Please make a donation help Green Streets get a new truck for next season so that the Program can continue to green our state and provide opportunities for men trying to get back on their feet.

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The new crew in training: digging a tree pit and removing the wire basket from the root ball.

 

NJ Tree Foundation Thanks 2015 Partners

The NJ Tree Foundation is starting strong in 2016 thanks to our 2015 partners and supporters. We are so appreciative of everyone who donated to our Annual Appeal. In the end we were just short of our $10,000 goal. Thank you to everyone who helped us start strong in 2016 by donating!

We would like to thank Ground Swell, Inc., who recently completed an email migration to put the NJ Tree Foundation staff email on Google Apps. This important switch brings us into the cloud, keeping our records safe from computer crashes and improving our connectivity.

Ground SwellGround Swell logo w QRCode is a managed service provider headquartered in Egg Harbor City, NJ. They are a small business providing locally outsourced IT for other small and medium-sized businesses across New Jersey. If your business is losing time and money to IT issues we recommend contacting Ground Swell to see how they can help you improve your infrastructure and move your business forward. The in-kind services Ground Swell provided the NJ Tree Foundation saved us enough money to purchase 25 trees at least ten feet tall!

“The NJ Tree Foundation had a great experience working with Ground Swell. They focused on what would improve our organization’s IT, which ultimately was a cloud-based system since we work from multiple places,” explains Lisa Simms, Executive Director of the NJ Tree Foundation. “Not only did they do a great job with our email migration, they were also friendly and easy to work with.”

Additionally, the NJ Tree Foundation was awarded several grants in December 2015, helping us start 2016 strong. These include:

– The Watershed Institute, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association grant of $9,500. This funding will be used to provide TreeKeepers workshops in Camden and Newark, as well as create and print new tree care booklets for all tree recipients, increasing public knowledge of trees as green infrastructure and the public’s ability to care for street trees.

– Campbell Soup Foundation grant of $25,000. This funding will be used in the City of Camden to plant 50 new fruit trees through a volunteer planting event and fruit tree giveaway. Fruit trees will increase public access to fresh, affordable produce and improve quality of life.

– Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation grant of $20,000. This general support funding for the NJ Tree Foundation will help the organization with all projects in 2016.

– The Victoria Foundation grant of $15,000. This funding will allow the NJ Tree Foundation’s Renaissance Trees Program to remove concrete and plant trees in the Ironbound Neighborhood in the City of Newark, increasing the tree canopy and improving watershed health.

The NJ Tree Foundation would also like to thank its major in-kind supporters in 2015, including: City of Camden, City of Jersey City, City of Newark, MAFCO Worldwide Corporation, Spruce Goose Farm, Smith’s Ace Hardware, and United Water Camden.

Here’s to another great year, improving New Jersey’s tree canopy one tree at a time!

Spring Tree Planting

The Tree Foundation’s Green Streets Crew is available to bid on your tree planting contract! Hurry! Our schedule is filling up quickly.

Services for hire include:
– tree planting and maintenance
– young tree pruning, mulching, and stake removal
– street tree watering
– rain garden & firewise garden installations

– landscaping and landscape maintenance
– garden planting and maintenance
– hands-on educational workshops for Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

For more information, check out this page.

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