This week, we found out we have won a grant from Sustainable Jersey and the Nature Conservancy to reforest land within the Township of South Orange Village. We are super excited about finding out this news. This is the second award in two years we’ve won for reforestation in South Orange, and helps us continue to show a commitment to environmentalism in the state. The project will be half park, half reforestation while enhancing wildlife, acting as green infrastructure and fighting climate change. More details after the break.
This week, we found out that we have won a second grant from the Roots for Rivers program. The funding from the grant will buy trees, shrubs and tree tubes to reforest about an acre of land in South Orange, NJ that sits along the East Branch of the Rahway River. As part of the team, we helped select the best location for a reforestation project in the township as well as created a planting plan, developed the budget and outlined a maintenance plan to keep the plants healthy after installation.
The Program
Roots for Rivers is a partnership of Sustainable Jersey and the Nature Conservancy with the goal to plant 100,000 trees in New Jersey floodplains by 2020. Once achieved, the new forests will protect communities from flooding, erosion and other problems arising from the loss of trees within these delicate ecozones.
What is a floodplain?
A floodplain is a low laying area adjacent to a stream or river that experiences flooding during periods of high rainfall and storms. Over the last century floodplains have been greatly impacted by the loss of trees and other plants. These losses contribute to a reduced water quality as well as makes for a greater risk of erosion and sedimentation.
Roots for Rivers is a partnership of Sustainable Jersey and the Nature Conservancy with the goal to plant 100,000 trees in New Jersey floodplains by 2020. Once achieved, the new forests will protect communities from flooding, erosion and other problems arising from the loss of trees within these delicate ecozones.
What is a floodplain?
A floodplain is a low laying area adjacent to a stream or river that experiences flooding during periods of high rainfall and storms. Over the last century floodplains have been greatly impacted by the loss of trees and other plants. These losses contribute to a reduced water quality as well as makes for a greater risk of erosion and sedimentation.
Our Site
The site we selected for this years Roots for Rivers project is a long, narrow strip of land running parallel to Clark St and is near the historic neighborhood of Montrose. Our planting plan includes over 300 native trees and shrubs all of varying sizes. All of the plants we selected will attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies as well as birds. The current conditions of the site do not have any flowering plants or much seasonal interest, so we did our best to make sure the new plantings will provide more dynamic color from spring to fall.
The site we selected for this years Roots for Rivers project is a long, narrow strip of land running parallel to Clark St and is near the historic neighborhood of Montrose. Our planting plan includes over 300 native trees and shrubs all of varying sizes. All of the plants we selected will attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies as well as birds. The current conditions of the site do not have any flowering plants or much seasonal interest, so we did our best to make sure the new plantings will provide more dynamic color from spring to fall.
We, also, won a grant from the program last year. Once this years project is completed, we will have reforested nearly 3-acres of land within South Orange by planting just over 1000 plants between the two projects.
Reforesting within Urban Towns
South Orange isn’t the standard place you might think of reforestation happening. It is highly urbanized and getting denser by the minute. Reforestation projects always seem to be occurring out in rural areas where traffic is low and people live far apart. And though less dense areas have big chunks of land for such efforts, urban places need to find as many opportunities for this type of project as they can. The benefits from trees in urbanized places are well documented.
Reforesting within Urban Towns
South Orange isn’t the standard place you might think of reforestation happening. It is highly urbanized and getting denser by the minute. Reforestation projects always seem to be occurring out in rural areas where traffic is low and people live far apart. And though less dense areas have big chunks of land for such efforts, urban places need to find as many opportunities for this type of project as they can. The benefits from trees in urbanized places are well documented.
Reestablishing tree coverage has huge benefits for the natural and human world. Our Clark St project will act as a green infrastructure as much as a reforested plot of land. Green infrastructure is the practice of using more natural methods to manage stormwater runoff. The trees we plant will absorb, filter and store more water than the current conditions of the site. This is particularly important for urban areas. They always have greater amounts of their land surface covered with things like roads, houses, driveways and sidewalks than their more country cousins. More surface coverage means more runoff, so more stormwater manage means less flooding downstream. Other benefits include better air quality, carbon sequestration, noise abatement, increased biodiversity, public health and beautification of neighborhoods.
Funding and Planting
The Roots for Rivers program only provides funding for plants, tree tubes and delivery of the materials. Labor and design services are volunteer-based and community-driven. That means that all the holes that need to be dug to plant the trees will be dug by residents and volunteers. Last year, nearly 50 people came out over a series of weekends to plant the flora. This year, we will need just as many people. This type of grassroots effort is good for towns. It roots a sense of ownership to improving the places we live. It’s also just really awesome to get your hands dirty for a very good cause.
Funding and Planting
The Roots for Rivers program only provides funding for plants, tree tubes and delivery of the materials. Labor and design services are volunteer-based and community-driven. That means that all the holes that need to be dug to plant the trees will be dug by residents and volunteers. Last year, nearly 50 people came out over a series of weekends to plant the flora. This year, we will need just as many people. This type of grassroots effort is good for towns. It roots a sense of ownership to improving the places we live. It’s also just really awesome to get your hands dirty for a very good cause.
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