Fundraising

Announcing New Supporters

Beth Kwart Fundraising, NJTF in the News, Success Stories

The NJ Tree Foundation is very excited to announce several new supporters for our 2014-2015 fiscal year. We have recently received grants from the following agencies:

  • The Environmental Endowment of New Jersey is supporting our Newark Renaissance Trees Program to improve the Passaic watershed through street tree plantings and resident education.
  • The MKM Foundation has committed to funding our Camden Urban Airshed Reforestation Program for two years!
  • Alliance for Community Trees has provided funding for three TD Tree Day events. These events will reforest parks in Camden City, Neptune City, and Jersey City’s Liberty State Park.
  • The Campbell Soup Foundation is supporting street and fruit tree plantings in Camden City and educational workshops for our fruit tree farmers.
  •  New Jersey American Water has provided funding for our Camden TreeKeepers workshops and a street tree planting in East Camden.
  • Prudential Financial, Inc. has provided funding for street tree plantings in Newark City through our Newark Renaissance Trees Program.
  • The William Penn Foundation is supporting street tree plantings along the Circuit Trail Network in Camden as well as resident education on the impact of trees on watersheds.
  • Adventure Aquarium in Camden is sponsoring a street tree planting to beautify the North Camden neighborhood.

We look forward to working with fantastic partners to make this year’s projects successful. Thank you to our funders for your commitment to improving New Jersey communities with tree plantings!

NJTF_Camden_Liney Ditch DemoTD Tree Day volunteers from 2013 watch and learn during a tree planting demonstration.

NJ American Water Supports Camden Trees

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, NJTF in the News, Pictures, Tree Care

On July 9th, New Jersey American Water presented the New Jersey Tree Foundation with a $10,000 check to remove concrete and plant trees in East Camden. The new trees are expected to absorb 15,000 gallons of stormwater annually which will help to reduce flooding and improve the condition of the Delaware watershed. The funding will also support tree care workshops free to residents of Camden City.

“We are so grateful to have this support from NJ American Water. The grant will allow us to work with East Camden residents and partners, such as St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society, to improve stormwater management while beautifying streets with large trees,” explains Program Director Jessica Franzini. “The TreeKeepers workshops we provide increase the sustainability of our tree plantings as residents learn proper tree care techniques and receive free tree tools for attending.”

The NJ Tree Foundation’s Camden TreeKeepers workshops are held on Wednesday evenings throughout July. The first session had 22 attendees including 10 children. The East Camden tree planting project will be scheduled for the fall.

Beth Kwart and Jessica Franzini of the NJ Tree Foundation accept the check from Katie Kulenich and Carmen Tierno of NJ American Water.
 

For more photos of the first TreeKeepers workshop please visit our Facebook Page.

 

Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill to Support Camden Trees in June

Beth Kwart Fundraising, Success Stories

tree2The NJ Tree Foundation (NJTF) is proud to announce that our friends at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill (UUCCH) will be supporting our tree planting efforts in Camden through a split-plate donation program this June! At every UUCCH service this month, offerings made by members will be split with NJTF to support the Urban Airshed Reforestation Program, which plants “the right tree for the right place” along inner-city streets of Camden with the help of residents and volunteers. In addition to planting trees, this generous donation will also help fund our educational workshops, including Fruit Tree Farmers and Camden TreeKeepers.

The UUCCH’s commitment to the mission of the NJ Tree Foundation goes back more than 5 years! Every spring and fall, volunteers from the UUCCH attend our community tree plantings to dig holes, plant trees, lay mulch, and see the transformation of city streets first-hand. The UUCCH, along with NJTF, sees the value in bringing nature back into urban communities. We are so thankful to them for selecting us as the June split-plate donation organization!

Tree_Planting_COW_2013The UUCCH is a liberal-religious congregation seeking truth, meaning, and justice in a loving and diverse spiritual community. To learn more about Unitarian Universalism or the church itself, please visit the UUCCH’s website. Open mass is held every Sunday at 10:15am at 401 N. Kings Highway in Cherry Hill, NJ and visitors are welcome!

Update: The UUCCH generously donated nearly $1,500 to the NJ Tree Foundation during their June split-plate collection program. We are extremely honored to have been chosen as their June cause and extend a sincere thanks to UUCCH and its members for your support!

Environmental Endowment for New Jersey, Inc. Provides Grant to NJTF

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, NJTF in the News

The New Jersey Tree Foundation has received a $12,000 grant from the Environmental Endowment for New Jersey, Inc. to plant trees in Newark! This funding will allow the Newark Renaissance Trees Program to improve the Passaic watershed by removing concrete and planting trees as a form of green infrastructure.

Newark borders the Passaic River and Newark Bay, so city pollution from things like vehicles and pesticides have direct access to the Passaic watershed. Removing concrete t0 plant trees reduces the amount of polluted stormwater runoff that enters the watershed. Stormwater is able to drain directly into the ground rather than run across concrete where it collects pollutants and the roots of trees help to filter pollutants out of stormwater runoff. With this funding from the Environmental Endowment for New Jersey, Inc., the NJ Tree Foundation will improve the Passaic watershed while beautifying Newark with street trees!

newark river

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: http://newarksriver.wordpress.com/

April Brings Trees to NJ Communities

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, Good Landscaping, Just for Fun, NJTF in the News, Pictures, Plant One Million, Success Stories, Urban Tolerant Trees, Volunteers

This April, the NJ Tree Foundation (NJTF) worked with dozens of amazing partners across NJ to reforest cities and towns in need of trees! At these exciting community planting events, hundreds of volunteers joined the NJTF to dig holes and plant “the right tree for the right place in the right way.” Check out our list of awesome April tree planting events!

10152406_10152493355493273_1486028197348935566_nCamden, NJ:
Acelero Learning Center
Harry C. Sharp School
Joseph’s House for the Homeless
Ferry Avenue and Webster Streets
Read more about our Camden program.

Newark, NJ:
Pedal Farm and SAS
Fruit Tree Planting
Forest Hill Community Association
Read more about our Newark Program.

10325366_10152488848273273_4809332432604534827_nVineland, NJ:
Landis Park Earth Day Event

Bloomfield, NJ:
NY/NJ SuperBowl Host Committee
Passing of the Shovel to AZ
at Brookdale Park

In addition, our Green Streets Crew was hired to plant trees in Glen Rock, Bergenfield, Liberty State Park, and Red Bank this month. Read more about hiring Green Streets to perform landscape services in your town.

Please consider supporting NJTF’s tree planting efforts across NJ as a volunteer or donor.

Trees Restore Beauty

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, Good Landscaping, Just for Fun, Pictures, Success Stories, Volunteers

2013 was a busy year for us at the NJ Tree Foundation. In addition to planting trees in Camden and Newark we started a special project to reforest New Jersey communities that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Through this project, more than 2,000 trees were planted.

bay head treesHurricane Sandy sent six feet of salt water into Bay Head Elementary School and destroyed 30 trees on the school grounds. In October, we planted 37 new trees and 40 shrubs, grasses, and perennials to reforest the school’s landscape. Nearly all 140 students assisted in the planting! As one elementary schooler ran happily through the maze of newly planted trees, she exclaimed, “There are so many trees – and I want to hug them all!”

Bay Head Elementary School’s exterior beauty was restored by new trees. You can play a role in transforming communities in need through tree planting. It is not too late to make an end-of-year, tax deductible donation to the NJ Tree Foundation.

On behalf of all our 2014 tree recipients who will soon have beautiful trees, we thank you sincerely for your support.

bay head sign

Trees Inspire Hope

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, NJTF in the News, Success Stories, Volunteers

Juanita Butler is an 87-year-old lifetime Camden resident who organized a tree planting on her block in 2011. She and her neighbors gathered with volunteers and the Mayor of Camden, Dana L. Redd, to plant 22 trees on her street. Today, the trees are doing wonderfully. Juanita describes how her tree planting transformed her street and catalyzed significant changes in her community.

“These trees bring so much life to our block! Even in the fall, they light up with the most beautiful yellow and red leaves. The planting of our trees brought my neighbors together.” She goes on to explain, “On the planting day we voiced our concerns about an abandoned and dilapidated building on our street. Mayor Redd shook my hand and promised to help.”

This year, the vacant building on Juanita’s street was demolished. Smiling ear to ear, Juanita told the NJ Tree Foundation, “We’re really getting things done!” But Juanita and her neighbors are just getting started. Next, she plans to create a community garden where the old building once stood and plant more trees on the surrounding streets.

Juanita story board

In 2014, the NJ Tree Foundation wants to help Juanita continue greening her neighborhood. We want to keep planting trees across the state of New Jersey so that more people can experience the unity, hope, and beauty that come from planting trees in cities like Camden and Newark. We want to foster positive community change, and we need your help to make it a reality.

 

Please consider making an end-of-year, tax deductible donation to support the NJ Tree Foundation’s community forestry efforts. Your donation will inspire more stories like Juanita’s.

On behalf of all our tree recipients, we thank you sincerely for your support.

donate_red

Adventure Aquarium Sponsors Camden Event

Beth Kwart Fundraising, Just for Fun, Success Stories, Volunteers

AAQ Logo_horiz_pms2935

The NJ Tree Foundation is pleased to announce that our Camden Urban Airshed Reforestation Program tree planting taking place on 
Saturday, November 2nd from 9am-12pm is being sponsored by Adventure Aquarium! Open 365 days a year from 10 am to 5 pm, Adventure Aquarium has been part of the Camden community since 2005, providing new opportunities for families to explore, discover and play.

Join us as we dig holes, plant trees, and lay mulch along the 300 block of York Street on November 2nd! Tree planting is a fun activity for the entire family. Children can also enjoy crafts and activities, courtesy of Adventure Aquarium!

To sign up for this event, please contact Jessica at (856) 287-4488 or jfranzini.njtf@gmail.com.