WOODBINE – Mayor William Pikolycky announced April 16 that the Borough of Woodbine will be receiving seedling trees under the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign for a seventh not-quite consecutive year (Last year’s distribution was canceled due to Covid concerns).
According to a release, members of Woodbine’s Sustainable Jersey “Green Team” will, again, be distributing the trees. This program helps communities replace trees damaged or destroyed by Superstorm Sandy.
Free tree seedlings will be available to Woodbine residents, as part of the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 1. Residents will be able to pick up tree seedlings at the Gazebo on the bike path, at the corner of Washington and DeHirsch avenues, which available on a first-come, first-serve basis, with an initial offering of five trees per resident.
Note the event is working hard to follow the state’s Covid recommendations, and those picking up trees are asked to follow the guidelines in place.
The program is a joint effort between Woodbine, the New Jersey Forest Service, New Jersey Soil Conservation Districts, the Arbor Day Foundation, iCIMS, FedEx, State Farm, and International Paper. The seedlings come with instructions on how to store, care for and plant them. The guides help residents choose the right place on a property to plant a tree while keeping in mind the tree’s full-grown size in the future.
Residents should plant the seedlings within two days after pick-up to prevent the roots from drying out. Several varieties will be available. When properly planted and maintained, trees can be assets to a community. They improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood or business district, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.
The goal of the Tree Recovery Campaign is to distribute over 600,000 tree seedlings to New Jersey residents over six years has been met. With natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy and the damage caused by several new invasive insects to New Jersey, the state needs more new tree seedlings than ever before. Therefore, the campaign is moving into another distribution year.
The 67,150 trees planted in 2019 will reduce carbon dioxide by 87,064 tons, reduce non-carbon dioxide air pollution by 379 tons, save $12,024,729 in energy costs, and intercept 1,444,796,059 gallons of rainfall.
Mayor Pikolycky stated, “I am proud that the Borough has been involved in this program from the start and partnered with NJDEP to serve as an interim drop-off site for the area. This is an excellent way to replace trees lost to weather, aging or disease. Strategically planted trees around homes will not only help reduce the amount of energy your home requires, but they can reduce your carbon footprint, improve air quality, and more effectively filter stormwater runoff.
“Alec in Forestry has asked us for pictures of trees established in the program to send to Arbor Day, and around the state, so if anyone has pictures of trees they’ve planted, please share these with the Borough.”
Those with questions can contact Borough Hall, at 609-861-2153.
