Spring Ephemerals: Catch Them While You Can |
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Spring ephemerals are perennial plants that bloom early, before trees leaf out, then fade away in the summer. Get to the Drew University Forest Preserve now to see some beautiful and ecologically important native flowering plants you won't find in other New Jersey forests, because they've been eaten by deer, overtaken by invasive species, or eliminated by paving or construction. Here are two you'll see: |
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Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
are imperiled in New Jersey. Plant these rare beauties in your yard to help restore their population, and enjoy their stunning early color every year before the rest of your garden reawakens. |
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Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), a lovely early bloomer, is not a true ephemeral because it doesn't go dormant and disappear after flowering: its foliage thrives through autumn. Its seeds are spread by ants (so thank an ant when you see Bloodroot!). |
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How to get there: Enter Drew campus at the intersection of Madison Ave. and Lancaster Rd., then keep going straight until you reach the Zuck Arboretum gate (past the sports fields and the Simon Forum and Athletic Center). Here's a trail guide. |
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Friday, April 22, 2:00–5:00 pm
At Sunday Motor Co. Café
FREE
Join us for our second annual EV Expo! On Earth Day, the eye-catching cars parked outside Sunday Motor Co. Café in Madison won’t be gas guzzlers. Owner Nick Vorderman is partnering with the Environmental Commissions of Madison, Chatham Borough and Chatham Township to host this informative showcase of electric cars and e-bikes.
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Composter Sale ends April 25 |
We're selling a 100-gallon backyard composter at a discounted price ($99 vs. $127 retail). Farmer Shaun's favorite model, your purchase will support Grow it Green, the urban farm in Morristown, and help reduce food waste and methane emissions from landfills. |
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Volunteers needed April 25–29 |
Call for Native Plant Sale Volunteers:
We have over 22,000 plants arriving in trays of 50 that need to be labeled and organized into orders for customer pickup. This massive undertaking requires many hands and we need your help! Please sign up for a 2-hour slot (or two) at Great Swamp Watershed Association headquarters (568 Tempe Wick Rd., Morristown). |
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Yard Sale sign-ups end April 27 |
Monetize your spring clean-out, give no-longer-needed items a new life, and support an outstanding organization in the process: List your yard sale to get on the map for this spring's Madison-Chatham Town-Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, April 30. The fee is only a $10 tax-deductible donation to the Great Swamp Watershed Association. Previous yard sales have attracted hundreds of shoppers from PA, NY and all over NJ! |
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April 23 & 30: Get free tree seedlings at J&M |
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From 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on these two Saturdays, the Friends of Madison Shade Trees and J&M Home and Garden are teaming up to give away red oak (Quercus rubrum) and red maple (Acer rubrum) bare-root seedlings to Madison residents. (Rain dates: Sundays, April 23 and May 1). Limit one per customer, while supplies last. Take advantage of this opportunity to get a free tree and free tree care advice! |
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Also, this spring, Madison residents who purchase from J&M a native hardwood shade tree to be planted in their yard will receive a 10% discount on the tree from J&M, and $200 from the Friends of Madison Shade Trees toward the purchase and planting costs.
Fun fact: Native red oak is New Jersey's state tree! See more native canopy trees recommended by the Friends of Madison Shade Trees and Madison's Shade Tree Management Board.
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Invasive Plant of the Month: Fig Buttercup |
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Also known as Lesser Celandine, fig buttercups (Ficaria verna) are a European plant that blooms briefly in spring and then goes dormant. More prolific than dandelions—just look at the stream bank at the library—fig buttercups should be dug out before they spread across lawns and flower beds. Like other invasives, they offer no habitat benefits for birds or pollinators, and they crowd out beneficial native species.
What you can do:
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Order Your Save the Drew Forest Yard Sign Today |
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Free with a donation to FriendsOfTheDrewForest.org. You'll raise awareness about the forest and defray costs for local education and outreach. |
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Zoom Into an Environmental Commission Meeting |
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Got ideas?
We want to hear them.
Zoom into our next Environmental Commission meeting:
Thursday, April 28 @ 7:30 pm
You don't need to volunteer, just share your thoughts and ideas (and volunteer if you like!).
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Do you know someone who'd be interested in receiving Madison Environmental Commission's newsletter?
If so, please forward this email and let them know they can sign up here to receive future issues. |
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Follow @GreenMadisonNJ on social media for the latest eco-tips, events, discussion & more.
We want to hear your thoughts there, too!
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