Garwood, Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is seeking volunteers to assist in reforesting a portion of Unami Park on Saturday, October 21st. Volunteers will work with and be guided by staff of the Union County Department of Parks, Recreation and Facilities and the New Jersey Tree Foundation to ensure proper planting of the trees. The planting will start at 9:00 a.m. and all tools, gloves, snacks, and refreshments will be provided.
“This will be an excellent opportunity for residents of Union County to join us in our efforts to ensure that the forest in Unami Park will continue to provide a cooling environment for visitors and a suitable habitat for birds and other wildlife,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.
The forest understory was removed from a portion of Unami Park many years ago to make way for a picnic area that was never built. Though local Boy Scouts and park neighbors, with permission from the County, have planted and cared for tree seedlings in recent years, most of the trees in this area are now advanced in age. As the trees die, and there are no understory trees to replace them, the forest will turn into an open lawn or meadow. This would result in less shade and cooling for the park and neighboring homes, less uptake of surface water by the tree roots, and less habitat for songbirds and other wildlife.
Reforesting Unami Park and other areas of Union County will increase the environmental, social, and economic benefits for all residents. By planting trees, we improve the environment by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, provide natural filters for our water, create homes for wildlife, and quantify one of our greatest natural resources. The societal and economic benefits of trees has been studied over the past several decades, proving that seeing green improves our communities, reduces crime, increases our healing and overall health, increases the value of our properties, attracts people to our business districts, and most importantly, improves our quality of life.
In addition to providing technical and organizational support to the Unami Park project, the New Jersey Tree Foundation is providing 15 trees for planting. The New Jersey Tree Foundation is a statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, enhancement and development of urban and community forestry activities in New Jersey through education, volunteerism, community outreach, partnerships and grants. The Tree foundation is committed to providing exceptional forestry programs, services and opportunities to New Jersey’s cities and towns.
Union County is a very active partner in the New Jersey Tree Foundation’s Second Cities Initiative, which is a program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Over the next year, Union County will be working to establish a second 5-year Community Forestry Management Plan. County staff will attend forestry seminars, share information about trees with both students and residents, and explore additional funding opportunities to continue the reforestation efforts.
For further information regarding this event, please contact the New Jersey Tree Foundation’s
programs can be requested from Shannon Buckley, Outreach Coordinator, at (609) 439-1755 or
at njtf-sbuckley@yahoo.com. |
