WEC newsletter Edition 1

Page 1


TheWayneEnvironmentalCommissionwas establishedbyTownshipordinanceasaquasiautonomousbodytoengageinvarious environmentalactivitiesaimedatprotecting naturalresourcesandpromotingtheirwiseuse. Commissionersservewithoutcompensation, butWayneTownshipprovidesaminimal budgetaryallowanceforcertainadministrative andeducationalexpenses.Thecommission consistsofsevenmemberswhoserve staggeredthree-yearterms,withonemember alsoservingasaplanningboardrepresentative.

Someofthepowersanddutiesofthe Commissioninclude: Gatheringinformation

Offeringadvicetootheragencies

Acquiringlandandendangeredopenspace withtheTownship’sapproval

Makingrecommendationstotheplanning boardand/orMayorandCouncilregarding thedevelopmentanduseofsuchareas

TheCommissionmembersarededicatedto addressingtheenvironmentalconcernsofthe Townshipandprotectingtheenvironmentfor futuregenerations.

LeifSkogberg,Chair

VoulaPapadopoulos,ViceChair

JoshuaMorris,Secretary

FrankTroia PlanningBoardMember

MariaAgapito

WECNewsletterEditor

JakeHiguera

StudentMembers

AlisonJordan (WayneHills)

AveryDerstine(WayneValley)

AbhinavJacobs(PCTI)

CouncilLiaison

FrancineRitter

HistoricalFoundation

WEC joins Earth Day celebration at Laurelwood Arboretum

OnApril27th,2024theLaurelwoodArboreturm celebratedEarthDay2024withatheme“Planet vs.Plastics”,thiseventwashostedbyFriendsof LaurelwoodArboretum andsponsoredby

Packanack Day ! - July 20, 2024

At Packanack Day, an annual festival held in one of Wayne’s most populous subcommunities, Wayne Environmental Commissioners Abhinav Jacobs and Voula Papadopoulos manned the Garden Club booth. Representing Wayne Grounded, Abhinav Jacobs, Francesca DiGiovanni, and Morgan Lee, ran a station letting kids planttheirownnativeplants!Kidswhostoppedbywenthomewithabiodegradable planter and a smile on their faces. Wayne’’s pollinators will sure be happy to have somepollinator-friendlynativeflowersaroundtown GlenwildGardenCenter&NurseryofBloomingdaleand BartlettTreeExpertsofDenville.Theeventfeaturedvicinity tours,educationaldisplaysandinformation,naturecrafts andartprojectsforchildren,storytimefortots,naturethemedraffleitems.TheWayneEnvironmental Commissionerswerepresenttoshowtheirsupport. Thecommissionershadtheopportunitytomeetmembers oftheWaynecommunity.

Ontheothersideofthetable,kidslearned aboutcompostsciencefromVoula!Thekids gotachancetoseewormsinaction,and learnedabouthowdecomposerscontribute tohealthiersoil!Wormsaeratethesoil,break downgrassclippingsandotherorganic matter,andexcretecastingsthatadd nutrientstothesoil.TheGardenClubthanks theWayneGroundedvolunteersformanning theirfunandinformativebooth.

WEC Commissioners Mr Leif Skogberg & Ms Voula Papadopoulos hosting the WEC table
WEC Commissioners Jake Higuera & Dr Agapito
WEC Commissioners Voula Papadopoulos & Abhinav Jacobs Wayne Grounded Staff: Abhinav Jacobs, Francesca DiGiovanni, Morgan Lee Source Compost: Voula Papadopoulos

WEC commissioners showcased

@ TAPinto Wayne - 08/09/2024

WAYNE,NJ-TheChairpersonoftheWayneEnvironmental Commission(WEC)willbesittingonthetownship'snew MasterPlanSteeringCommittee,helpingtoshapethe futureofWayneTownship (ReadMoreinLink)

The Rutgers Study: A Catalyst for Wayne Township's Infrastructure and Impervious Cover Management

Astheamountandintensityofrainincreases,sodoesthetotalvolumeofwater washingoverourroads,parkinglots,roofs,driveways,andotherimpervioussurfaces. Thisstormwaterpicksupandcarriespollutantsandsolidsoverthesurface,through ourstormwatersystems,andtoourlakes,rivers,andstreams Toaddressthisissue, WayneaskedRutgersCooperativeExtensionWaterResourcesProgramtoprepare reportstoserveasthebasisforfurtheraction.

ThislinkcontainstheImperviousCoverAssessment(ICA),ImperviousCover ReductionActionPlan(RAP),andGreenInfrastructureFeasibilityStudythataimto identifytheamountofimperviouscoverandtherunoffvolumeandprovidea blueprintforimplementinggreeninfrastructurepracticesthatwillreducetheimpact ofstormwaterrunoff Checkoutthereports,learnabouttheimperviouscoveraround Wayne,andfindouthowyoucanhelpwiththepreviouslymentionedlink!

Local Volunteering Organization - Wayne Grounded Est. 2024

Runbyagroupofpassionatehighschool students,WayneGroundedseeksto promoteecologicalwellnessby reintegratingnativeplantsandfinding creativeusesforinvasiveplants.Sofar, theyhaveruneducationalcamps, garbageclean-ups,andcommunity gardeningevents. Learnmoreatwww.waynegrounded.org

https://waynetownship.com/

WEC Commissioners @Tapinto

WECParticipation

Taking Out Invasive Species and Planting Natives

WhatisanInvasivePlantSpecies?

1.

Non-native to the ecosystem under consideration (e g , New Jersey)

2.

Likelytocauseeconomicorenvironmental harm or harm to human health upon introduction

Thesespeciescanoutcompetenativeplantsforresourcesthroughaggressive ornovelreproduction,environmentalendurance,and/orlackofnatural predators.

Theyachievethisby:

Changinghabitatstructure

Alteringsoilchemistry

Dominatingavailablespace

Absorbingsunlightorshadingotherplants

Moreefficientlyutilizingnutrients

October:

UpcomingEvents

NatureJournaling:AProfessionalDevelopmentWorkshopforK-12Educators October4@4:00pm -October5@3:30pm

"HowtoCreateaNo-FussWildlifePond"webinarbyPatSutton,Wednesday,Oct 9,7:30pm, Registeratnpsnj,org.

FieldForestryandClimateChangeWorkshopOctober10@4:00pm-October11@4:00pm

WayneEnvironmentalCommissionMeeting-Tuesday,October22,2024

MeettheWEC@theWayneFarmer’smarket-Saturday,October19,9amto2pm, -Freebaby NativeTreegiveaways

WayneGroundedCommunityGardening-Saturday,October26th,2024 Registerat www.waynegrounded.org

November

WayneEnvironmentalCommissionMeeting-Tuesday,November 19,2024

December

WayneEnvironmentalCommissionMeeting-Tuesday,December 17,2024

Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica
English Ivy Hedera helix
Japanese Stiltgrass Microstegium vimineum
Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria

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