The 2015 tree seedling giveaway. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
Looking for a great spring project – or just the first step to creating some more shade in the yard? Brick Township will be providing residents with free tree seedlings later this month.
Provided by the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign, the grant funding that paid for the seedlings is designed to help communities replace trees damaged or destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. The Brick Township Shade Tree Commission, along with the Environmental Commission, will make the seedlings available to interested residents on two dates.
On Saturday, April 16 as part of the sixth annual Brick Township Green Fair, the seedlings will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brick Township High School on Chambers Bridge Road. Then, on Arbor Day, Friday, April 29, the seedlings will once again be made available from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Drum Point Sports Complex at the corner of Drum Point Road and Brick Boulevard.
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Seedlings, available on a first come, first served basis, also 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 in order to prevent the roots from drying out.
“These seedlings provide a wonderful opportunity for residents to replace lost or damaged trees with beautiful, native species that will improve the environment and enhance the aesthetic beauty of Brick Township,” said Mayor John Ducey, in an e-mail. “We are grateful to the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign for making this opportunity available to our residents.”
As part of their Arbor Day celebration, the Shade Tree Commission is encouraging residents to take a photo of the seedlings being planted and email the photo, along with the neighborhood or section of town, to shadetree@bricktownship.net. The commission says they hope to see all of areas of Brick Township benefiting from the giveaway. The photos will be posted to the township Facebook site beginning Arbor Day.
The goal of the Tree Recovery Campaign is to distribute over 500,000 tree seedlings to New Jersey residents over the course of the next five years. It is a joint effort between Brick Township, New Jersey State Forest Service, New Jersey Soil Conservation Districts, Sustainable Jersey, Arbor Day Foundation as well as private partners.
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.
For questions regarding tree distribution please contact Alida Desiderio at 732-262-1140. For information on the Brick Township Green Fair please contact Keith Rella at 732-262-1050.
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