NJ Tree Foundation hosts 60-fruit tree giveaway in Camden

May 11, 2016, Camden, NJfruit tree 1The rain on Saturday May 7th did not stop 22 community and backyard gardeners from picking up 60 fruit trees from the NJ Tree Foundation. Pear, apple, plum, and apricot trees were disbursed to be planted throughout Camden as part of a grant the NJ Tree Foundation received from the Campbell Soup Foundation.

“Camden residents have limited options to obtain affordable, fresh produce within city limits. This project is creating new food access points for residents while empowering them to grow their own food,” said Jessica Franzini, Senior Program Director for the NJ Tree Foundation. Franzini led the giveaway on Saturday. She taught gardeners about fruit tree planting and care and provided tools, mulch, and educational materials to each garden so they could properly care for their trees. Franzini noted, “I will keep in touch with the gardeners over the summer and we will have a Harvest Party in the fall to share lessons from the season. Some gardeners have never grown fruit before. We want them to have a positive experience.”

The event was held at the Vietnamese Community Garden in East Camden, which received six fruit trees. Lan Dinh of VietLead, who works in the garden, explained, “This is an intergenerational and multiracial garden of Vietnamese elders and youth of various backgrounds and ethnicities. Our new fruit trees, which include Asian pears, apples, and apricots, will offer diversity to our garden and help feed the families who rely on this garden for fresh food.”

fruit tree 3Most gardens received one to three fruit trees. The Yorkship School obtained the most, with 15 teachers taking 10 fruit trees for their school garden. The teachers planted the trees in the afternoon after picking them up in the morning with help from Pacesetters of South Jersey. Students will care for the trees and enjoy the fruit. The Yorkship School is registered with Sustainable Jersey for Schools and two of their teachers completed free NJ Tree Foundation tree care workshops to become Certified TreeKeepers.

Pastor Odessa Edmond, of the Whitman Park neighborhood, picked up two fruit trees. “Our church waited two years for our fruit trees. The families at our church will benefit from this harvest for years to come,” the Pastor explained.

In total, 22 community and backyard gardens benefited from the project in neighborhoods such as East Camden, Cramer Hill, North Camden, Lanning Square, Morgan Village, Whitman Park, and Cooper Grant. All fruit trees were gone by early afternoon but that did not stop more Camden residents from coming to see how they could get a fruit tree.

Franzini mentioned, “The NJ Tree Foundation had a waiting list for fruit trees before this event and now we have another one. We hope to hold an event like this next spring, as it was such a success.”

All tree species provided are semi-dwarfing, self-pollinating trees from HopeWell Nursery in Bridgeton. The NJ Tree Foundation and nursery staff worked together to pick species that will survive well in urban environments. The NJ Tree Foundation thanks the Campbell Soup Foundation for their support which made this event possible.

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#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 and volunteers to plant trees this Spring!

April 8, 2016New Jersey – This spring, the NJ Tree Foundation will plant over 200 trees in urban communities with help from city residents and community volunteers.

Trees are an important part of a city’s infrastructure. They assist with stormwater management and improve air and water quality. They also offer a number of social benefits. Trees provide shade for people to sit outside on the sidewalk in front of their homes, add beauty and nature to cities, increase property values, and some tree species provide fresh fruit. The NJ Tree Foundation has seen trees unite neighbors as its community-based tree planting events are initiated by local residents who also care for the trees after they are planted.

“Any resident of Camden or Newark can apply to us to receive a free street tree,” Franzini explains, “We plant in other cities of need, such as Gloucester City and Jersey City, as our funding allows. Anyone that doesn’t mind getting dirty can help us by volunteering to plant trees. We plant rain or shine. It is always a lot of fun.”

During spring 2016, the NJ Tree Foundation will host six community-based planting events in Camden, five in Newark, and one in Bayonne. The media is invited to attend all events. While many volunteers are still needed, some events are full and cannot accept additional volunteer groups. Please check our volunteer pages for more information and RSVP in advance to Jessica Franzini for Camden events, jfranzini@njtreefoundation.org or (856) 287-4488 and to Elena López, elopez@njtreefoundation.org or (609) 439-1755 for Newark/Bayonne events.

11265123_10153499822273273_437537869514375131_nEvents are held rain or shine. Come dressed for the weather in clothes suitable for getting dirty and wear closed-toe shoes. The NJ Tree Foundation will provide all tools needed for planting. A meeting location and directions will be provided upon RSVP. See you on the street!

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FREE Right Tree Right Place Workshop! – Registration is closed.

Registration for this seminar is closed. We have reached capacity. Thank you for your interest! There will be more of these seminars in the coming months.

The New Jersey Tree Foundation and Public Service Electric & Gas are offering a FREE seminar on Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place, the Right Way on Friday, March 25th at the Edison PSE&G Training CenterPlease RSVP by Friday, March 18, 2016 to Lisa Simms LSimms@NJTreeFoundation.org

Topics include:

  • Planting the right tree, in the right place, the right way
  • The importance of utility mark-outs prior to planting
  • Emerald Ash Borer – It’s here!
  • Vegetation management policies to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electric service
  • Grant opportunities

 Who should attend? Mayors, Freeholders, DPW Supervisors, Environmental & Shade Tree Commissioners, County Officials and any other interested parties. Space is limited. First come first served.

Date: Friday, March 25, 2016

Time: Registration begins at 8:00am. Program starts promptly at 8:30 am and runs until Noon.

Place: PSEG Edison Training & Development Center, 234 Pierson Ave., Room 254, Edison, NJ 08837

A continental breakfast will be served.

This seminar is worth 3 Continuing Education Units for towns with a 5-year Community Forestry Management Plan.

Please RSVP by Friday, March 18 to LSimms@njtreefoundation.org

If you would like send a representative(s), please include their names and contact information (email address).

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Volunteers Plant 500 New Trees in NJ Cities

CroppedThe NJ Tree Foundation’s community-based volunteer projects were a success this fall! Across the state, over 600 volunteers helped plant 560 trees in NJ’s most urban communities, where the need is the greatest. “Where else can you participate in the transformation of an entire city block in three hours?” explains long-time volunteer Anita. “Volunteering with the NJ Tree Foundation has been one of my life’s greatest experiences.”

We are proud to share with you the many communities that benefited from our volunteer-based projects this fall!

Renaissance Trees Program Projects
Columbia Park, Jersey City: 20 trees
Parker Street and Barringer Academy, Newark: 14 trees
S. 30th Street, Newark: 60 trees
Varick Street, Jersey City: 15 trees
Great Commission Ministry Church, Newark: 13 trees
West Side Park, Newark: 20 trees
Clifton Avenue, Newark: 20 trees
S. Charles and Ferry Streets, Newark: 14 trees

Urban Airshed Reforestation Program Projects
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Camden: 15 trees
Northgate II Apartments, Camden: 20 trees
Reverend Evers Park, Camden: 27 trees
Von Neida Park, Camden: 150 trees
N. 8th Street, Camden: 18 trees
Klemm Ave Jogging Path, Gloucester City: 58 trees
Martin Lake Park, Gloucester City: 10 trees
N. 36th Street, Camden: 27 trees
Parkside United Methodist Church, Camden: 10 trees
Farnham Park, Camden: 10 trees

Green Streets Projects
Veterans Memorial Park, Passiac City: 40 trees

Thank you to the partners, residents, donors, and volunteers who made our fall tree planting season a success! We greatly appreciate working with you to transform urban communities with trees.

Columbia Park Reforesting

Lowe's Heroes Columbia Park.2Thanks to a $10,000 donation from Keep America Beautiful/Lowe’s grant, The NJ Tree Foundation planted 20 trees, 19 shrubs, and 100 perennials creating 5 microhabitats and beautifying Columbia Park in Jersey City, NJ on September 10. Jersey City Department of Parks and Forestry helped grind out some stumps, and the Columbia Park Greenville Memorial Inc. Association helped coordinate the project. Jersey City Councilwoman-at-Large, Joyce Watterman, addressed the volunteers thanking them and the Tree Foundation for their service to Jersey City. Despite the rain, nine hard-working Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers came to dig, plant, and mulch in the park. To read more about our work in the park, check out this article or view these photos.

Check out video coverage of the event.

 

FREE Right Tree – Right Place Seminar

The New Jersey Tree Foundation and Public Service Electric & Gas are offering a FREE seminar on Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place, the Right Way in a post-Superstorm Sandy world on Wednesday, September 9. 2015. Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 2nd to Lisa Simms njtf1@juno.com

Topics include:

  • Planting the right tree, in the right place, the right way
  • The importance of utility mark-outs prior to planting
  • Emerald Ash Borer – It’s here!
  • Vegetation management policies to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electric service

Who should attend? Mayors, Freeholders, DPW Supervisors, Environmental & Shade Tree Commissioners, County Officials and any other interested parties. Space is limited. First come first served.

Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Time: Registration begins at 8:30 am. Program starts promptly at 9:15 am and runs until 12:30pm.

Place: Moorestown Municipal Building, Council Chambers, 111 West Second Street, Moorestown, NJ

Light refreshments will be served.

This seminar is worth 3 Continuing Education Units for towns with a 5-year Community Forestry Management Plan.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 2nd by emailing Lisa Simms at njtf1@juno.com

If you would like send a representative(s), please include their names and contact information (email address).

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Right Tree Right Place Seminar

NJ Tree Foundation, Campbell Soup Company plant fruit trees in Camden

April 16, 2015Camden, NJ – The spring weather was beautiful as Campbell Soup Company volunteers joined New Jersey Tree Foundation staff to plant 10 fruit trees at “The 600” Community Garden in Camden City on Wednesday April 15th. This planting, funded by the Campbell Soup Foundation, is part of a New Jersey TreeFoundation effort to bring more fresh fruit, and trees, into cities.

“The majority of Camden is considered a food desert,” explains NJ Tree Foundation Senior Program Director Jessica Franzini. “This means most low-income residents live more than one mile away from the closest grocery store. Without a car, that makes grocery shopping extremely difficult. Camden City has many thriving community gardens – we are working with them to bring fruit trees as another option for fresh food.”

The planting brought cherry, peach, pear, and plum trees to “The 600” Community Garden. Campbell Soup Company provided volunteers for the event as part of “Make A Difference Week,” Campbell’s annual week of service that began on Monday April 13th. Throughout the week nearly 3,000 Campbell Soup Company employees will volunteer for more than 90 community projects. “The 600” Campbell Soup MADWCommunity Garden planting had 15 volunteers including seven Campbell Soup employees from the Camden City world headquarters.

The volunteers had a great time digging holes, planting trees, and creating garden beds. One Campbell Soup employee volunteer explained how rewarding it was to “help get good food to the families.” The fruit trees are expected to bear fruit within one year.

The day’s events also included a fruit tree giveaway hosted by the New Jersey Tree Foundation. The giveaway provided an additional 32 fruit trees to community gardens throughout Camden City. Community gardens had to submit an application to receive the free trees, which came with planting and care instructions.

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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                   Contract Flier

                  Rain Garden Flier

                  Maintenance Flier

FREE Right Tree – Right Place Seminar in Somerset County!

The New Jersey Tree Foundation and Public Service Electric & Gas are offering a FREE seminar on Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place, the Right Way in a post-Superstorm Sandy world. Topics include:
Please RSVP by Tuesday, May 5th by emailing Lisa Simms at njtf1@juno.com
 
*Planting the right tree, in the right place, the right way
*The importance of utility mark-outs prior to planting
*Emerald Ash Borer – It’s here!
*Vegetation management policies to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electric service
 
 Who should attend? Mayors, Freeholders, DPW Supervisors, Environmental & Shade Tree Commissioners, County Officials and any other interested parties. Space is limited. First come first served.
Date: Friday, May 8, 2015
Time: Registration begins at 9:00am. Program starts promptly at 9:30 am and runs until 11:45 am
Place: Bridgewater Municipal Building, 100 Commons Way, Bridgewater, NJ.
 
Light refreshments will be served.
This seminar is worth 2 Continuing Education Units for towns with a 5-year Community Forestry Management Plan.
Please RSVP by Friday, May 1 by emailing Lisa Simms at njtf1@juno.com
If you would like to send a representative(s), please include their names and email address.
 

RTRP Hudson 005Right Tree Right Place Seminar in Seacaucus, NJ