Egg Harbor City Identifies, Protects and Educates about Its Trees (Atlantic County)

Egg Harbor City is protecting its tree canopy and educating its residents on the benefits of trees. Led by its green team, SustainableEHC (Egg Harbor City), the city has organized and funded a number of model tree projects. Lincoln Park, located in the heart of the city, now has signage that identifies and teaches residents about its large trees. Egg Harbor Councilwoman and SustainableEHC Chair Nanette LoBiondo Galloway explained, “I went to Lincoln Park and was mesmerized by the soaring trees, many of which are about to be 100-years old, and I immediately thought residents should be able to identify them and learn more about their best habitats.”

Woodbridge Township Completes Local Health Assessment Plan and Achieves Gold Star in Health (Middlesex County)

In 2021, Woodbridge Township formed a Health Task Force to conduct a comprehensive review and develop an action plan for the health needs of the community. The task force members represent a cross-section of the community, including participants from the Mayor’s office, the Division of Engineering, the Woodbridge Department of Health and Human Services, Healthier Middlesex, medical institutions, the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign Committee, the high school, the Municipal Council, and more. This Health Task Force collected information through public surveys, data procurement and in-person outreach at events. 

142 NJ Teachers Attend Professional Development Day on Integrating Climate Change Education into the Classroom

Over 140 middle and high school teachers, supervisors and administrators attended one of two professional development days offered to review the new climate change education student learning standards, share strategies for integrating climate change education into the classroom and encourage students to take action on climate change. The in-person professional development days were held at Rowan University on January 10, 2023, and at The College of New Jersey on January 18, 2023.

Westfield Green Team Takes the Waste Out of Takeout (Union County)

The Westfield Green Team was determined to tackle the problem of takeout waste. Not sure where to begin, the group started with some research. They surveyed residents to understand how often they were ordering food for takeout and to gauge their interest in using reusable containers. The results showed that respondents ordered food between 1 to 3 times a week. Because most takeout containers are non-recyclable and not biodegradable, that meant a lot of food packaging was being thrown out each week. 

NJ Community Solar Project Finder Launched

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) launched the New Jersey Community Solar Project Finder in February 2023. This online tool allows New Jersey residents to search by zip code for community solar projects serving their community. NJBPU is partnering with Sustainable Jersey on this initiative. The tool includes an overview of community solar and frequently asked questions.