FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                     
May 27, 2020
 
New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign Provides Free Tree Seedlings to Residents in Morris Township
 
Morris Township, NJ – 1,000 free tree seedlings will be available to Morris Township residents this weekend as part of the New Jersey Forest Service’s New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign.  The seedling distribution is a joint effort of the Morris Township Environmental Commission and the Department of Parks and Recreation.
 
From 10:00 am to 12:00 Noon on Saturday, May 30, 2020 residents will be able to pick up tree seedlings at the Streeter Pool Parking Lot, 2 Inamere Road, Morris Township, NJ.  Residents may receive up to five seedlings, selected from the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery for success in the Morris County area. For Morris Township’s distribution on Saturday, we will be distributing Mockernut Hickory, Hackberry, Pawpaw, Red Bud, Kousa Dogwood, and Persimmon tree seedlings.
 
This will be a drive-through distribution event. Residents do not have to exit their cars to receive their seedlings; they will be delivered to the car by volunteers.   Participants will be waiting in line to receive their seedlings in their cars in the Streeter Pool parking lot.
 
Pre-registration is not required and the Seedlings will be available on a first come, first served basis until they are gone.  They come with instructions on how to store, care for, and plant the trees. The guides help residents choose the right place on a property to plant a tree while keeping in mind the tree’s full-grown size in the future. Residents should plant the seedlings within two days after pick-up in order to prevent the roots from drying out.
 
The goal of the Tree Recovery Campaign was originally to distribute over 600,000 tree seedlings to New Jersey residents over the course of six years. That goal was met last year. With natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, and the damage caused by several new invasive insects to New Jersey such as the emerald Ash Borer, our state needs more new tree seedlings than ever before. Therefore, the campaign is moving into its 7th year. 
 
The program is a joint effort between municipalities such as Morris Township, the New Jersey Forest Service, New Jersey Soil Conservation Districts, Sustainable Jersey, Arbor Day Foundation, FedEx, and International Paper.
 
When properly planted and maintained, trees can be assets to a community. They improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood or business district, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.
 
The 67,150 seedling trees planted in 2019 are estimated to reduce carbon dioxide by 87,064 tons, reduce non-carbon dioxide air pollution by 379 tons, save $12,024,729 in energy costs, and intercept 1,444,796,059 gallons of rainfall.

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Morris Township Parks & Rec, 973-326-7371, www.morristwp.com