Volunteers

Featured Story: Bryan Morton

Beth Kwart Just for Fun, Success Stories, Volunteers

“I’ve been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to write this story,”explains Jessica of the NJ Tree Foundation. “Bryan is only the most inspirational man I’ve ever met. As if this story could possibly do him justice…” Well, here’s to trying!

Jessica met Bryan in early 2009 at a North Camden Greening Committee meeting. As a Rutgers student and life-long North Camden resident, he attended the meeting out of curiosity. “I wanted to become more involved in my community, and I wanted to see the vacant lots in my neighborhood converted into green spaces,” he explained. Bryan still stands strongly behind the statement “Camden residents shouldn’t have to leave their communities to take their families to a safe park.”

Looking back, Jessica learned about community organizing from Bryan. Going door-to-door, connecting with people on a real level, hearing their concerns and empowering them to address those issues – that is what grassroots work is all about. At a community meeting in North Camden, with over 75 residents in attendance, Bryan explained, “This community park won’t breed crime. We won’t let it. We will tell our brothers, sisters, cousins, friends — we will not stand for crime in our park.” We could see that people believed in Bryan – that his passion lifted their spirits and helped them see that change is possible if community members get involved.

In 2010, Bryan became President of the non-profit Concerned Citizens of North Camden (CCNC). He adopted a vacant lot in his neighborhood, once full of trash and debris, and converted it into a pocket park. With help from the NJ Tree Foundation, LOWES, and the Camden City Garden Club, this abandoned lot became home to evergreen trees, colorful perennials, bright green sod, and 3 raised vegetable beds. A beautiful asset to the local neighborhood, Bryan named this space the Eliza Morton Community Garden Park in memory of his late grandmother.

Soon after, through Opportunity ReConnect, Bryan assisted individuals in transition from the prison system to develop resumes, connect with local opportunities for volunteerism and employment, learn computer skills, and more. He later resurrected the North Camden Little League after decades of it not existing, engaging hundreds of youth in organized sports with no funding whatsoever. The power of donations and volunteer time! Now he is at the forefront of transforming Pyne Poynt Park, a $3 million project phased to begin in 2013. He’s been monumental in beautifying Northgate Park – from painting benches to building tables to fundraising for new playground equipment. In 2012, he started working for the YMCA of Camden and Burlington Counties, partnering with the NJ Partnership for Healthy Kids and other organizations to provide after-school and weekend activities at Northgate Park and the North Camden community center.

Bryan Morton is a highly respected member of the North Camden community. We are thrilled to have him as a member of the NJ Tree Foundation Board of Trustees, in addition to being a local partner and volunteer. Bryan, thank you for all you do. You inspire us beyond words!

NJ Recovery Fund – Environmental Projects

Lisa Simms Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, Good Landscaping, Success Stories, Tree Care, Uncategorized, Urban Tolerant Trees, Volunteers

Who has a shovel-ready project and would like to partner with us? We are submitting a Letter of Intent to the NJ Community Foundation/Dodge Foundation – NJ Recovery Fund. It is DUE 2/25/2013. Guidelines are:

Priority #4: Environmental Protection and Restoration Projects
The protection and restoration of natural systems and environmental infrastructure is essential to the long-term health, prosperity and resiliency of New Jersey and its communities.

A portion of the New Jersey Recovery Fund will be directed to projects that showcase and demonstrate environmental protection and restoration as a resiliency strategy, including:
• Green infrastructure solutions to storm water management and neighborhood flooding;
• Restoration of critical wildlife habitat, stream banks, wetlands, riparian corridors, and natural areas;
• Improvements to public access to open space;
• Research, modeling and data collection to prioritize and inform projects.
•
Overall preferences: Priority will be given to projects in the Delaware Bayshore, Raritan Bay, Meadowlands, coastal region, Pinelands, Barnegat Bay, and urban centers.

If you have a project, please email me ASAP at: njtf1@juno.com
~Lisa

Featured Story: Adam-Paul and Northgate Park

Beth Kwart Just for Fun, Success Stories, Volunteers

Northgate Park is nestled in the North Camden neighborhood, directly across from Molina Elementary School and surrounded on all sides by residential blocks. Over the years, this city park has experienced its ups and downs. In 2010, Jessica of NJTF can remember walking through the park mid-day and feeling nervous. “On that particular day, the only people in the park were getting high. There were no children there.”

But Northgate Park is a glowing example of what can happen when a community takes ownership of a public space. Walking through Northgate Park two weeks ago, Jessica was in awe at the recent improvements of the park. From brightly painted park benches to new playground equipment, the space was truly transformed! Adam-Paul, who grew up in Camden and graduated from Rutgers University in 2009, was one of many volunteers that helped rebuild the park in October of 2012. He was kind enough to share a story with us:

“Northgate park was my childhood park. It was fresh, colorful and a safe haven for the neighborhood. Friendships were created, summer days were cooled with the water fountain. It was a place filled with joy. A local place that my family could walk to in less than 10 minutes. Epic battles of hide-and-go-seek were played there, sometimes lasting more than one day! Every day at Northgate was a daily competition ranging from foot races around the park to pretending to be a gymnast on the monkey bars.

With time, things changed in Camden and you could see it in the park. Children still played there, but the park lacked the necessary upkeep and lost all resemblance of its former self. Paint was faded, and the child-friendly environment I remember vanished. It became a playground for illegal activity. This discouraged children from playing in the park and, if anything, encouraged them to get involved in wrong-doing. Our city was changing for the worst and the children were being effected the most.

In 2012, on a bright sunny day, hundreds of volunteers brought Northgate Park back to life. Leaves were raked, tables received fresh coats of paint, flower beds were built, brand new slides and swings were assembled. All of this done for the children. The day wasn’t bright just from the sun but from all the children smiling ear to ear. Now they have a place to create memories, have friendly competitions and play pistachio checkers (see photo below).”

Park improvements on October 20th, 2012 were led by Bryan Morton of the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties and Sarah Bryant of Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, in collaboration with the City of Camden, Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NJ, the United Way, KaBoom, Save Our Waterfront, and Friends of Northgate Park. Stay tuned for a story on Bryan Morton!

Featured Story: Gloria, North Camden

Beth Kwart Benefits of Trees, Success Stories, Volunteers

Gloria has lived in North Camden her whole life. In 2009, she met Elise and Jess from the NJ Tree Foundation. “I want trees for my block!” Gloria said. Elise handed her a stack of Resident Tree Agreements and explained that Gloria and her neighbors were eligible for free trees so long as they would a) sign for the tree, b) care for the tree for a minimum of 2 years, and c) help plant the tree. Within a day, Gloria collected signatures for 11 street trees to be planted on her block. Wow! What a go-getter!!

In May of 2009, Gloria and her neighbors joined forces with over 75 volunteers to dig holes, plant trees and lay mulch at their tree planting event. Gloria, who is retired, was seen throughout the day with a shovel and a smile. When she needed a break, she would load cold waters into her vehicle and deliver them to volunteers. At one point (and we didn’t get to see how this happened), she ran over a shovel and sent it flying into the air. It fell down onto her car, which was kept in supreme condition, and left a dent! When Jess ran over to see if Gloria was okay, she explained “I’m too excited over these beautiful trees to care that there’s a dent in my car. ”

The tree planting was a success! In just 3 hours, we planted 45 total trees in Gloria’s neighborhood (along her block and two surrounding streets)! This was Jess’s first tree planting on her own, and to this day she still says it was her most memorable.

Gloria later called Jess to express her gratitude. These are the kind of messages a tree planter loves to receive! “I turned onto my street today, and it felt like a whole new block… People are stopping to compliment the trees…” Then, for the real kicker, she went on to say “These trees have restored a new life to my block. A life that was lost long ago, and a life I didn’t think would come back. Thank you so much.”

Gloria went on to receive the Campbell Soup Company’s Unsung Hero Award at their Annual Networking Breakfast in 2010 for her volunteer work with the NJ Tree Foundation. She can be seen often at community meetings, clean ups, tree plantings, and other neighborhood events — or, just outside, sweeping up or sitting under her trees. Gloria, we thank you sincerely for all you do to make Camden a better place. People like you inspire us everyday.

We are celebrating 15 years by giving away 15,000 trees on Arbor Day 2013

Lisa Simms Benefits of Trees, Good Landscaping, Success Stories, Volunteers

This program is closed.

Our Celebrate Arbor Day Program is 15 years old! Since 1999, the NJ Tree Foundation has partnered with hundreds of volunteer groups to plant over 160,000 trees on public lands across the state! We want to make this year the biggest tree planting event ever! We have 15,000 baby trees (1 – 2′ tall) waiting to be planted by volunteers.

The following trees are available this spring: White pine, Bald Cypress, Redbud, Northern red oak, Green ash, Buttonbush

Guidelines: The New Jersey Tree Foundation is offering free two-year-old trees (1’ – 2’ tall) to celebrate Arbor Day 2013 in New Jersey. A variety of evergreen and deciduous trees will be available. Schools, local governments, tree groups, non-profit organizations, scout groups, and any volunteer organization may apply for the free trees. All planting must occur on public lands, be done by volunteers and maintained for two years.

The goals of this project are to:

  1. Use volunteers to plant trees on public lands to Celebrate Arbor Day 2013!; and
  2. Develop partnerships with diverse groups for information and resource sharing, and future projects.

There are many ways the trees can be used to beautify your neighborhood. Trees can be planted in a vacant lot to create an urban forest, planted as a windbreak for a community garden or at a school, planted in a nursery, or trees can be planted randomly throughout a park or cemetery.

It is important to note the following conditions mandated by the New Jersey Tree Foundation:

NEW: Each species comes in a pack of 25 trees. You must order in increments of 25 trees.

  • Trees may be planted only on public land (parks, school grounds, cemeteries, public golf courses, etc.)
  • Trees will be available in late April 2013, and must be planted on/near Arbor Day (April 26, 2013);
  • All groups must maintain trees for a minimum of two years after the trees are received: Providing water, mulch, weeding and pruning;
  • Groups may NOT sell or give away trees;
  • All projects must be done by volunteers;
  • All groups must complete and send an annual report form to the New Jersey Tree Foundation by the required date;

In addition to the above requirements, the New Jersey Tree Foundation requires that each NEW group send at least one member to a Tree Planting Event Training Session held in March 2013. This is a mandatory requirement. Training Schedule

 

 

Help Us Reforest New Jersey After Hurricane Sandy!

Lisa Simms Benefits of Trees, Fundraising, Plant One Million, Tree Care, Volunteers
Give the gift that will last over 100 years! Plant a tree with the New Jersey Tree Foundation.
 
In 2012, the NJ Tree Foundation planted 1,457 large shade trees in Camden, Newark and other NJ cities. Our volunteers planted 12,650 tree saplings across the state to celebrate Arbor Day 2012! You can be a part of greening New Jersey by making an end-of-year donation to support our work. 
 
In 2013, requests for trees will be greater than ever before. After Hurricane Sandy, 113,000 trees were removed by our utility companies. It is estimated that 4 times that number of trees were damaged and/or removed from personal property and NJ parks and forests. 
 
 
Year-end donations are tax-deductible and can truly transform our Garden State. 
Thank you!
Give by December 31 and your donation will be deductible on your 2012 tax return.

Featured Story: Trees Transform Camden

Beth Kwart Just for Fun, Plant One Million, Success Stories, Tree Pit of the month, Volunteers

This weeping willow was planted in April 2012 at a community garden in Camden known as Cooper Sprouts.  Seeing it six months later, thriving and complimented with the most beautiful bursts of color, is just such a testament to the power trees can bring to urban communities. Would you have guessed this used to be a liquor warehouse? Or that it sat vacant for decades collecting debris? It’s now home to over 30 raised beds, a medicine garden, fruit trees, and gathering space for Camden families.

This tree was planted through the Urban Airshed Reforestation Program in Camden. It is cared for by Sheila Roberts and her grandchildren, who live in the city.

NeighborWoods Month and TD Tree Days

Beth Kwart Just for Fun, Success Stories, Volunteers

October is National NeighborWoods month, a celebration of trees in our communities. On October 10th, the NJ Tree Foundation partnered with the Alliance for Community Trees, TD Bank, and the town of Perth Amboy to kick NeighborWoods Month off right! Sixty six new trees were planted along 5 streets and in Francis Street Park, creating a gateway to this community green space. Big thanks to the dedicated and hard working volunteers of TD Bank, and to all our partners for making this project possible!

Do you want to volunteer with the NJ Tree Foundation? Visit our Volunteer Page to find out how you can help make a difference through trees.

 

Tree Planting Cancelled due to Hurricane

Beth Kwart Volunteers

To our Volunteers and Supporters:

We hope you got through Hurricane Sandy with little trouble, loss or damage. Our thoughts go out to residents across the East Coast who were not so lucky. The effects of this storm have been truly devastating.

Many of you know the NJ Tree Foundation does not often cancel volunteer planting events. We’re out there with very dedicated folks rain or shine, and we love you all the more for it. But due to Camden being in a state of emergency, we have made the decision to CANCEL this Saturday’s volunteer tree planting event (scheduled for November 3rd). At the request of the residents, we will move this event to the spring of 2013.

If you were signed up to plant with us November 3rd, we hope you will work with us sometime in the future. Check out our Camden Volunteer Page for updated volunteer opportunities each season.

Thank you, and stay safe.
– NJTF Staff