Annual Report July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021
The New Jersey Tree Foundation is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees in New Jersey's most urban neighborhoods, where the need is greatest. Through tree planting, volunteerism and partnerships, we assist numerous communities in improving their environment and quality of life.
Urban Airshed Reforestation Program
Before & After: 4th Street in Camden comes alive after installing and planting enhanced tree pits.
Enhanced Tree Pits Provide Amazing Benefits In fall 2020, we created nine large, enhanced tree pits at the 4th & Washington Park in Camden. Enhanced tree pits are large cutouts in the sidewalk that capture stormwater runoff during rain events. Since the tree pits are larger than a standard 4x4 square, we planted trees, flowering shrubs and perennials to provide pollinator habitat. This project transformed 12-foot-wide, hot, barren sidewalks into a cool, shaded oasis.
When Technology and Trees Combine Everyone should have a park within a 10 minute walk from their home. Partnering with the NJ Conservation Foundation and using their new Conservation Blueprint, an online interactive mapping tool, we worked with longtime tree friend Kelly Negron to plant trees along 24th & Howell Streets. The new trees will provide a shady walk for residents as they stroll to the new 26th & Howell Street Park, where we previosly planted trees in 2019. Old Park Springs to Life with New Trees Farnham Park, located in the Parkside neighborhood of Camden, has walking trails, a splash park, and many old growth trees. Sadly, through age, disease and severe storms, many of the older trees have died. Working with Parkside in Business and Community Partnership, we planted 35 native species including river birch, hophornbeam, and red oak trees. This planting adds to our 2018 tree planting of 34 large shade trees, helping to increase shade while allowing plenty of room for outdoor events, festivals, and activities.
Kansas Road Gets New Spring Trees Karina Garcia lives in Fairview, a tiny neighborhood in the southernmost section of Camden. Her community had very large green-strips, but no trees. Karina became aware of the NJ Tree Foundation years ago when her father planted a tree at his home in Camden. The NJ Tree Foundation worked closely with Karina, going door to door to gather signatures and flyering the neighborhood to see who else wanted a tree. On April 24th, over 50 volunteers planted 10 trees along Kansas and Tuckahoe Roads. Beautiful, ornamental flowering cherry and dogwood trees now line Karina’s street, some still in bloom on planting day.
Urban Airshed Reforestation Program FY 20-21 Planted 253 trees and maintained 113 trees with 533 volunteers who contributed 1,143 hours of service valued at $32,621 and acquired $3,160 of in-kind support!
Renaissance Trees Program
Pomona Avenue Tree Planting After years of inactivity the Pomona Avenue Block Association reactitivated in 2020, and their first action was to plant 16 trees. Oaks, maples and ornamental trees immediately transformed the barren block into one filled with color and life. The residents were so invested in the health of the trees that they purchased watering bags and developed a watering schedule to ensure their trees thrive. As these trees mature they will create a beautiful canopy over the block, providing shade and clean air for decades to come.
Fisherman’s Park Tree Planting Fisherman’s Park, situated along Gardner's Basin in Atlantic City, is subject to frequent flooding. What to do? Plant 15 large-growing trees to help absorb stormwater and reduce the risk of street flooding. Working with the Atlantic City Shade Tree Committee, volunteers from the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, Reed’s Organic Farm, Stockton University, and Atlantic City employees all came together to help plant the trees. Eight different species were planted throughout the park, providing habitat and food for wildlife, and ensuring a diverse tree canopy.
Newark Downtown Planting Newark’s bustling downtown now has 22 beautiful trees to calm traffic and busy folks alike. We kicked off the spring planting season with the Newark Downtown District to address the severe lack of tree canopy in the area. Much of the area is prone to flooding, so flood-tolerant species were chosen. European hornbeam, maples, blackgums & littleleaf lindens will soak up rainwater, reducing flooding and stormwater runoff. The downtown area is the heart of Newark, so a great number of people will enjoy the shade, beauty and clean air these trees provide.
Mercer Street, Gloucester City Tree admirers Joyce and Bill, shade tree committee members, and city residents, planted 41 trees along Mercer Street in Gloucester City. Bill, a decadeslong resident of Mercer Street, and Joyce of the Gloucester City Shade Tree Committee took the lead on encouraging residents to plant and maintain the trees. Bill explained that years ago the street had a beautiful canopy, but it was lost over the years to mature trees dying off or being removed by utility companies. To bring life and color back to the block, ornamental flowering trees were planted in front of homes. These trees will stay small and not interfere with overhead wires, avoiding utility conflicts as the trees mature. Renaissance Trees Program FY 20-21 Planted 160 trees and maintained 25 trees with 296 volunteers who contributed 785 hours of service valued at $21,351 and acquired $1,090 of in-kind support!
Green Streets Summer 2020 saw the Green Streets crew partnering with Rutgers Water Resources Program to conduct maintenance on 34 rain gardens across New Jersey. The rain garden ‘boom’ has been a benefit to the state, helping to reduce street flooding due to historical rain events. But we all know maintenance is key, and our Green Streets crew and program staff were on it! Weeding, re-planting, mulching, and inlet/outlet cleaning kept Crew Supervisor James, Dimidroff, and several seasonal crewmen busy.
Woodbridge rain garden maintenance.
Right-of-Way Pollinator Pathway Pilot Program On a warm September morning, the Green Streets Crew, along with partner group volunteers, planted 1,200 perennials to attract birds, pollinators and other happy critters to a section of PSE&G owned right-of-way in New Brunswick. Partnering with the Garden Club of New Jersey, PSE&G, Rutgers and others, volunteers planted four pilot plots of pollinatorattracting perennials. Rutgers will collect pollinator data on the plots and, due to the success of this project, other sites are being scouted for additional planting locations.
trees. This is our third tree planting in the park, and we hope there will be several more to help build the canopy of this Olmsted oasis. Street trees were planted in Haddon Township and Interlaken, while a community garden in Mt Laurel also received some needed shade. Over the winter months the crew continued to prune our 9/11 Living Memorial – A Grove of Remembrance, while also taking time to rest and rejuvenate for the upcoming spring tree planting season. Our spring 2021 tree planting season was back in full swing as the Green Streets crew planted 422 trees in ten towns. We begin each season with a tree planting at Liberty State Park, training new crewmen on proper planting techniques. Hackberry, elms, poplars and other native trees were planted to shade the Nature Center walking path in preparation for the grand opening of the revamped Center. James, Jawar, Dimidroff and Ceabert also planted in a new park this season – Maplewood Memorial Park - a beautiful green space cared for by a group of volunteers who plant and maintain this urban oasis. Street tree plantings took place in Delanco, South Orange, Haddon, Dumont, Glen Ridge and Woodcliff Lake. Rain garden maintenance once again ended our season with the Rahway rain garden receiving much love in the form of weeding and mulching. Additionally, five bioswales in Highland Park were pruned, weeded and mulched in preparation for a re-planting later in the summer.
Pollinator Pathway Project
After our “silent spring” due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was energizing to plant trees again in fall 2020! James, Dimidroff, Steven and Michael took all the safety precautions while planting 401 trees in eight New Jersey towns. In Woodbridge the crew planted 123 native shade trees in several township parks, creating shade, fall color, and beauty. Trenton’s Cadwalader Park was planted with 32 beautiful shade
Green Streets crewmen Dimidroff, James and Ceabert plant a sycamore tree to create future shade. Green Streets Program FY 20-21 Planted 823 trees in 18 towns, generating $226,402 in revenue from planting and maintenance contracts.
Maintenance Matters Clip. Clip. Streets in Camden, Newark, Trenton & Gloucester City are looking sharp. Trees pruned & mulched. Tree beds weeded and cultivated. Continued maintenance is critical for young trees. NJ Tree Foundation staff partnered with city residents and shade tree commission members to conduct early pruning, tree bed care, and general maintenance on close to 150 trees. As NJ cities and towns develop more green infrastructure projects, these also need maintenance. Newly planted rain gardens are beautiful until they are not - weeding, mulching and general maintenance are crucial for rain gardens to function properly.
Before & After Rain gardens need a bit of love throughout the growing season. An hour each week, from spring until fall, could have kept this garden beautiful and functioning. Our Green Streets crew helped weed, mulch and maintain this rain garden along with the street tree bioswale (below left).
Donors Anonymous Kristin Ace Philip Arrigo Robert Bartosz Robert Bell Barbara Bour Meredith Brown Greg Casagrande Bill Comery Joseph Chomski Mary Denver Marie DiLeonardo Fozan Ehmedi Barry Emens Jon Faronea Mark Franz Frank Gallagher Marian Glenn Joshua Goldman Rick Henkel Wiebke Hinsch David Hoy Emily Huddell Debra Italiano Carolyn Jacoby Nancy Jakubczyk Lyle Jensen Robert Jonas Marian Jones Jay Kaplan Michelle Kasperowicz Boris Kofman Phillip Kuehne Beth Kwart Claire Laskoski Gregg & Jean Lehmberg Christine Lemberg Corey Lilliston Peter Lindenfeld & Mary Clurman Eleanor Liscio Andrew Lowry Bill Matulewicz Scott McElhone Mike Medea Margaret Middaugh Ken Musgrove Susan O’Brien Kimberly Parker Sam Pesin Thomas Pfister Karen Reetz Mariluz Rivera Janine Schaeffer Richard Serpe Karen Sheehan Bonnie Simms Gus Slotman Charles Sullivan
Carmelo Tabone Meredith Thayer Adrienne Terpak Susan Wessel Thomas Williams Michael Zichelli Fran & Ellen Zinni Pam Zipse Walter Zipse
Tributes in Memory Luke Austin in memory of Kenneth Stanford Christine Simms in memory of Wayne Simms Cindy Barbera-Brelle in memory of William Brelle Robert Chagnon in memory of Elba Perez-Cinciarelli Trish Cuadrado in memory of Molly Jaworski Stephanie Greenwood in memory of Dorian Johnson Edward Kulick in memory of Alfred Rogers Eleanor Liscio in memory of Roland Adam Bordi Eleanor Liscio in memory of Cassandra “Sandy” Reynolds Eleanor Liscio in memory of Donald Wayne Midgette Eleanor Liscio in memory of Huguette S. Stone Jennifer Maupin in memory of Frances Gadomski Barbara Morgan in memory of Leona Fedak Danielle Niosi in memory of Brian O’Leary Christina Pierre-Noel in memory of Christiana Faith Calixte James Salerno in memory of Thomas Salerno Tiffany Sorto in memory of Ana Sorto Helen Tarr in memory of Al Rogers Pam Zipse in memory of Phyllis Davidson Pam Zipse in memory of Lou Fest Pam Zipse in memory of Maria Knupple
Tributes in Honor Paul & Carol Daw in honor of The Daw-Niv Family Robert Jonas in honor of Estelle Anderson Robert Jonas in honor of Lisa Simms Katherine Meeks in honor of Michael Moran Sangeetha Srinivasan in honor of Smruthi Arun
Grantors & Corporate Sponsors Arbor Day Foundation Atlantic County Utilities Authority Amazon Smile Build Jakes Place Community Foundation of New Jersey Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Henry E. Niles Fund IBM Employee Charitable Campaign Johanette Wallerstein Institute Johnson & Johnson Network for Good NJ Employees Charitable Campaign NJM Insurance Group One Tree Planted PayPal Sierra Club West Jersey Chapter Target Circle TD Bank TreeCycler Wells Fargo William Penn Foundation USDA Forest Service
In-Kind Donations American Water Anonymous, North Camden resident Camden City Department of Public Works Coretta Scott King planting Girl Scout Troop 61042 Gloucester City DPW Karina Garcia Kelly Negron Mead street resident Miller Fabricators “Mr. Pool” Newark Downtown District Newark DPW Parkside Business & Community in Partnership Pino Rodriguez Pomona Ave Block Association Residents of Bergen Square neighborhood Seeds of Hope
Partners and Volunteers Atlantic County Utilities Authority Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha American Forests Americorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Program AT&T Atlantic City Shade Tree Committee Atomik Energy Dance Team Beautiful Mead Street Block Club Bradbury Landscape Building Communities
Partners and Volunteers, continued Camden Academy Charter High School Camden City Department of Public Works Camden Clock Chasers Camden Community Partnership Camden County Certified Gardeners Camden High School Camden Lutheran Housing Block Supporters Center for Aquatic Sciences Central High School Alumni Association Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo) Church of God in Christ City of Atlantic City Colliers Engineering Cooper Medical School Cooper Poynt School Data Processing Display Girl Scout Troop 61042 Girl Scout Troop 96323 Gloucester City Shade Tree Committee Gracious Center for Learning and Enrichment Activities Haddonfield Branch Managers Robert Half HDR Heart of Vailsburg Block Club Coalition High Tide Herbal Iglesia Ni Cristo-Church of Christ Islamic Relief Jersey Cares Katz Dalsey Scholars L3 Harris La Casa de Don Pedro Lambda Sigma Upsilon Lanning Square West Residents Assoc. LSU Latino Fraternity Miller Fabricators Muslim Center of Middlesex County Newark Downtown District NJ Urban & Community Forestry Program NJTF alum Elena Lopez One Tree Planted Petey Greene Program Pomona Ave Block Association PowerCorps Camden Princeton University Reed's Organic Farm Residents of 6th & Bailey Residents of 24th & Howell Streets Residents of 2800 blocks of Tuckahoe Road and Kansas Road Residents of 39th Street & Jersey Ave Residents of Bergen Square Residents of Lanning Square West
Residents of Parkside neighborhood Ron Jaworski Foundation South Jersey Land & Water Trust New Jersey Tree Foundation South Jersey Volunteers 576 Leesville Road Stockton University Jackson, NJ 08527 Sustainable South Jersey www.njtrees.org Temple Sholom Social media: @NJTrees Temple University The Building Blocks of NJ Board of Trustees The Nature Conservancy The NoBrakes Organization Jay Kaplan, President TransUnion Robert Bartosz Unified Vailsburg Services Org. William Comery Valley National Bank Cory Lilliston Volunteer Center of South Jersey Peggy Middaugh Watershed Ambassadors
Mark Franz, Treasurer Lenny Ward Pam Zipse, Secretary
Staff Lisa Simms, Executive Director Meredith Pichini, Urban Airshed Reforestation Program Director James Cunningham, Urban Forestry Technician Beth Kwart, Development Coordinator Crystal Wessel, Renaissance Trees Program Director
Thank You Volunteers! For FY 2020-2021, the NJ Tree Foundation worked with 829 volunteers who contributed 1,928 hours valued at $53,972. The Tree Foundation and our volunteers also acquired $4,250 worth of in-kind donations & services.
NEW JERSEY TREE FOUNDATION STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021
SUPPORT AND REVENUE: Government Grants Corporation and Foundation Grants General Support and Contributions Contracts and Service Revenue Contributions - Gifts In-Kind Other income Net Assets released from restrictions
Unrestricted
Temporarily Restricted
Total
$
$ 214,526 173,248 (387,774)
$ 214,526 181,491 22,945 221,032 16,250 1,081 $ 657,325
8,243 22,945 221,032 16,250 1,081 387,774
TOTAL SUPPORT AND REVENUE
$ 657,325
$
-
EXPENSES: Trees and Plant Materials Shipping and Freight Landscaping and Concrete Educational Materials & Programming Planting Tools & Field Supplies Uniforms Cell Phones Salaries and Wages Payroll Taxes Payroll Processing Website Staff Training Insurance Printing Professional Fees Computer Expenses Trucks & Equipment Expenses Staff Travel to Worksites Office Supplies and Expenses Food - for Workshops & Programs Pass-thru Grants Depreciation Outside services Miscellaneous In-kind Contributions
Program Services $ 166,767 9,700 65,016 1,491 10,518 1,176 3,154 269,562 22,454 3,325 1,213 716 54,041 3,313 1,802 1,061 32,464 8,794 826 221 23,000 20,871 2,038 5 16,250
General & Administrative $ 49,069 4,087 605 6,645 138 9,655 662 92 -
TOTAL EXPENSES
$ 719,778
$
70,953
Total $ 166,767 9,700 65,016 1,491 10,518 1,176 3,154 318,631 26,541 3,930 1,213 716 60,686 3,451 11,457 1,061 32,464 9,456 918 221 23,000 20,871 2,038 5 16,250 $
790,731