Volunteers are needed to set up a working group to study the idea of No Mow May in South Orange. What months would make sense for our climate? What local laws would need to be adjusted? How do we best communicate the practice to residents? How would a participant indicate their intentions? These and many other questions will need to be addressed to roll out an effective program that works for South Orange and we need interested locals to form a Green Team action committee. If you’re interested, please reach out via email – environmentalcommission@southorange.org
South Orange Celebrates Arbor Day by welcoming a new tree.
Members of the South Orange Department of Public Works, South Orange Environmental Commission, and Meadowland Park Conservancy gathered to plant the park’s newest resident, an Eastern White Pine, in celebration of Arbor Day. These days South Orange celebrates Arbor Day by proclamation of the Village President but the practice itself dates to 1872 when the Nebraska Board of Agriculture established a special day to be set aside specifically for the planting of trees.
South Orange’s newest tree was placed in the South end of Meadowland Park adjacent to the river where the Meadowland Park Conservancy is building upon an existing stand of older Pines to establish a unique evergreen area within the park. The eastern white pine is an especially hardy species native to North America which can grow as tall as 80 feet with a spread of 20-40 feet when fully mature. This little guy has a long way to go but will hopefully grow to the same height as its larger cousins nearby and be enjoyed by visitors to Meadowland Park for generations to come.
The DPW, Environmental Commission, and its Shade Tree Committee will be busy this spring as the Village plans to plant another 100 trees as part of the Village’s multi-year shade tree canopy restoration initiative to counter climate change and improve stormwater retention by increasing the number, frequency, and variety of tree species planted. In the meantime, you can visit our newest pine tree and welcome it to the neighborhood on your next stroll through Meadowland Park.
The new Eastern White Pine (foreground) poses with its taller cousins (background) and members of the Department of Public Works, Meadowland Park Conservancy, and Environmental Commission. Left to Right: Alex Sansiviero, Mike Yates, Linda Beck, Eastern White Pine, Walter Clarke, Don Franklin, Joe Foligno, and Dylan Costa.
Place sticks and leaves at the curb for Spring Cleanup April 3 through May 15
The South Orange Department of Public Works is running its annual Spring Cleanup from April 3 through May 15. That means all your fallen sticks and branches can be bundled and left curbside to be picked up and turned into mulch. Any remaining leaves can be bagged and left curbside to be composted into humus at the DPW yard.
Place branches curbside (4 inches or smaller in diameter).
Bag leaves in biodegradable brown paper (no plastic bags).
Neither item should go in the street.
More information on Spring Cleanup can be found in this news item. Info on other special recycling events and seasonal services can be found in the DPW web pages.
Our Annual River Clean Up Returns for its 13th Year Sunday May7th
If you have ever participated in River Day, you know that what you might find in our branch of the Rahway will surprise you. Last year volunteers removed the usual trash; bottles, cans, and wrappers, as well as bicycles, street signs, banners, ladders, gutters, rugs, and even parts of a signature South Orange gas lamp– all things which should not be in a river – all in an attempt to improve it for things that you should find in a river; clean water, fish, birds, aquatic plants (and sometimes, people). Now in its 13th year, River Day is a family-friendly event that brings together volunteers to clean up and celebrate our section of the Rahway River, through activities, education, music, and fun.
But picking up trash is just one part of River Day. If you want to learn more about the river just spend some time with the exhibits of the 7th grade scientists from South Orange Middle School. Now the first River Friendly Certified middle school in Essex County, SOMS students have been River Day contributors for years. Led by science teacher Anthony Cicenia, seventh graders have been schooling the rest of us on the watershed, stormwater runoff, the riparian zone, even the micro and macro invertebrates that inhabit our river. You can also learn plenty from the adults on hand from the Rahway River Watershed Association and the S.O. Public Library. Maybe music is more your thing? Come to hear DJ Preston Olson and Friends, courtesy of the S.O. Elks Club, as they provide the soundtrack for a Sunday afternoon.
“We’re excited to continue this tradition of the entire community coming together to clean up our local river while having a great time,” said Village President, Sheena Collum, “It’s a wonderful way to connect with our community and take action to protect our environment. When we’re at River Day, we’re all in!” Environmental Commissioner and River Day founder, Walter Clarke added “Last year we filled a one-ton dump truck with things that shouldn’t be in our river, and I was encouraged to see fewer plastic bags then in past years. This year, I’m hopeful we’ll see even less plastic and trash so attendees can more greatly appreciate the music, the exhibits, and the beauty of our river.”
It all happens Sunday, May 7th, 2023, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (Rain Date May 14th) at the Skate House by the pond in Meadowland Park (off Mead St.) in South Orange.
For updates, including Rain Date notification, follow the SOEC on Facebook or Instagram @sogreenteam or our website at https://sogreenteam.wordpress.com/
Learn about our river – remove the stuff that should not be in it – see more of what should be in it!
According to a recent press release, the Department of Environmental Protection is now urging New Jersey residents to check trees on their property for signs of beech leaf disease and report their findings to the New Jersey Forest Service. (Full Press Release below)
Beech Leaf Disease (BLF) has been confirmed in Essex and 11 other NJ counties. BLF is caused by a nematode which damages leaf tissue, causing leaf discoloration, leaf and bud necrosis, and eventually tree mortality after several years. At this time there is no known cure, however reporting new cases is important for scientists to understand BLF distribution.
What to look for:
Susceptible Species include American, European, and Oriental Beech.
Dark banding on the leaves visible on green and brown leaves, leaf edges can start to curl and become leathery in texture, leaf necrosis, thinning tree crown from the bottom up.
How to report:
If you suspect BLD, please contact the NJFS Forest Health Program at foresthealth@dep.nj.gov or 609-292-2532.
Summertime, and the living is easy, so why not take a walk in one of our local parks? While you are there, notice the local trees. They are very busy this time of year; photosynthesizing, absorbing water, sequestering carbon, producing oxygen, and being beautiful! As a start, here are a few noteworthy trees along with some of the value they provide to us annually expressed in dollars as well as measures for stormwater, air quality, energy, carbon and sometimes biodiversity*. If you have a favorite tree, in a park or elsewhere, let us know! You can also check out more noteworthy trees here.
*About the Numbers – Annual Benefit values are estimated using the National Tree Benefit calculator using data from our South Orange tree inventory in Tree Plotter (software licensed by our friends at Seton Hall University!). We can’t know exactly how old a tree is (without cutting it down to count rings) so where possible we’ve estimated the approximate age using the formula of diameter X growth factor. For more on that imperfect system, go here. Where biodiversity info is included, it comes from the research of Dr. Doug Tallamy and the National Wildlife Foundation Native Plant Finder.
Farrell Field Park – Tree #6359
The stand of Black Locust trees on the northern end of Farrell Field Park are beautiful in the summer when their elegant leaves create a frilly canopy above the sidewalk. But in winter the highly articulated bark and gestural branching of this species is revealed, imparting a fairy tale quality. Don’t forget to bring breadcrumbs…
Sassafras is a species of tree that is fun to say, highly aromatic, and sadly unusual in South Orange. There are as few as 30 in the present municipal inventory, about half of which can be found in Founders Park. This is a young group though, so the future of Sassafras looks as bright as their multicolored foliage in autumn.
One of our smaller, often overlooked parks, Carter Park in Seton Village, recently received a makeover which included the addition of three Flowering Dogwoods. These trees are young and represent the future of this important neighborhood park. Look for flowers in early spring. You can visit them now, just remember sunscreen, as it will be 15-20 years before you can sit in the shade of these beauties.
If you are careening down Flood’s Hill on a sled in Meadowland Park, you’ll want to avoid the big trees along Meadowbrook Lane. But, on a summer day, this colonnade of green canopy is a refuge of shade and beauty. This Pin Oak has stood here since the Flood family pastured their cows on the hill that now bears their name.
The SOEC is interested in pursuing the idea of a “No Mow May” effort in South Orange for 2023 and would like to assemble a working group to prepare for it now. Are you willing to be a part of making it happen?
The group would research the movement, ascertain best practices for our climate and community, and then make recommendations on how best for the SOEC to advocate and communicate in advance of the season in 2023.
Research and considerations include:
Potential efficacy in our community
Optimum timing for our climate, hardiness zone
Best practices
Existing SO laws regarding lawn maintenance
Communications with the administration and public
You may think of other issues to consider – that’s why we want your help on this team. Contact the SOEC if you are interested in volunteering for this project.
By now, we’re all coming around to realize the benefits of native plants. But even after passing new laws like this one by recently retired Republican Senator Kip Bateman to promote the sale of native vegetation at local garden centers, native plants can still be a little hard to track down.
“Locally grown plants are already adapted to the unique climate and landscape of New Jersey,” Bateman said. “Native plants will flourish here and help our state’s natural ecosystem thrive. Let’s ensure New Jersey’s indigenous plants continue to grow strong for generations to come.”
HOW TO GET STARTED!
You’ve seen our 8 step kid-friendly pollinator patch process either on this site or on our postcard handout. Immediately below is a more in depth, super handy guide on transforming larger portions of your yard from the NJ Native Plant Society – it even includes a sample landscape plan.
Additional info can be found on https://www.jerseyyards.org/ on how to get started and make plans and includes a plant search feature WITH PHOTOS (some others don’t have photos).
WHERE DO I GET PLANTS?
A record number of SOMA residents took advantage of the Great Swamp Watershed Association Native Plant Sale and its convenient pick up location at Founders Park last month. If you missed it, don’t fret! Here are some resources so you can up your native plant yard game:
Saturday, May 21 – 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Toadshade Nursery Plant Sale at the Glen Ridge Eco-Fair Ridgewood Avenue, Glen Ridge You can pre-order on the Toadshade website
Saturday, September 24 – time TBD Plant Sale, Seed Demo, and Kids’ Activities Newark Conservancy, Newark
Here are some places you can order natives online and have them delivered or visit to browse and fill your tailgate:
If you’re interested in joining the NJ Native Plant Society you do so on the website. For a downloadable list of educational and other events, click here.
South Jersey Transplant Makes Founders Park Debut on Arbor Day
When you are the scion of a legend the pressure to succeed is on from the start, but in this case, we won’t know if our new resident measures up for about 500 years. That is because the newest tree in South Orange is a sapling from the famous Salem Oak of Salem, NJ, a white oak under which Salem founder John Fenwick made a peace treaty with the local Lenni-Lenape in 1675.
Before the historic Salem Oak tree uprooted and collapsed on June 6, 2019, acorns were collected, raised as seedlings, and eventually distributed by the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery. Each New Jersey community expressing interest only got one so local tree lovers are rooting for this little sapling to survive and thrive. Only time will tell if its historic genes cause it to grow as large or last as long as its historic parent.
Jessica Miller of the Founders Park Conservancy displays the excellent root structure of the park’s newest Oak tree for Michael Candarella, Director of Public Works. Photo by Jeremy Moss
Thanks to the efforts of the the Founders Park Conservancy, the white oak sapling found a new home in Founders Memorial Park in South Orange where it was planted by the Department of Public Works on Arbor Day, Friday April 29th, surrounded by Village officials and admirers from the Recreation Department, Environmental Commission, and local park goers. Mayor, Sheena Collum, welcomed the new Villager, saying “Although tiny now, this tree has the potential to grace this location in South Orange for centuries, providing shade and beauty to this neighborhood and generations of future Villagers.” Village Trustee and liaison to the Environmental Commission, Bill Haskins, pointed out that “We know from our tree inventory, that this newbie will join 115 other white oak trees in South Orange, none as famous, but all equally as important for the role they play in supporting our community by filtering stormwater, moderating ambient temperature, sequestering carbon, creating oxygen, and increasing property values.” Though still just a tiny sapling, you can visit our new neighbor in the North East corner of Founders Memorial Park on Valley Street, or any of its more established woody mentors in any South Orange park from dawn to dusk every day and hopefully for the next 500 years.
Jessica Miller and Chris Black (far right) of the Founders Park Conservancy and Walter Clarke and Linda Beck of the South Orange Environmental Commission dig a small hole to plant a seedling from the historic Salem Oak in Founders Park. Photo by Jeremy Moss
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – Over a hundred SOMA Girl Scouts, Girl Scout family members, and other volunteers gathered on Sunday afternoon in Chyzowych Field in South Orange. The overarching goal was to celebrate women’s leadership for Women’s History Month. The result? They did what organized groups of women have done since the dawn of time: they got stuff done.
For the full piece and some photos of the event on TapInto, click here.
South Orange Environmental Commission & Green Team 