Outdoor Equity Alliance Planting Rally Brings out Dozens of Trentonians to Invest in the Future of Trees for Trenton
On Saturday, October 26, Outdoor Equity Alliance and New Jersey Tree Foundation co-led a tree planting rally along West State Street.
“Thank you to all our partners who helped put together the day’s planting – New Jersey Conservation Foundation, the City of Trenton, the Watershed Institute, Isles,” NJ Tree Foundation Community Program Director Crystal Wessel said.
Wessel led demonstrations for tree plantings to dozens of Trenton community volunteers – including several students from Mercer County Community College, TCNJ, and the Upward Bound high school program. The volunteers gathered along West State Street between Calhoun Street and Richey Place to plant 45 trees. The planting was part of an ongoing effort to plant 1,000 trees across Trenton over three years.
Two species of trees were planted – Red Maple and Honeylocust. These trees will serve to shade the street including some of the area in front of Foundation Academy (shade trees can cool city streets by as much as 20-45oF, according to the EPA). They will also soak up rain water (especially during heavy rains) and clear the air, which is vital for residences along busy West State Street. All of the trees planted are native trees, which means they are able to withstand extended drought periods, including the dry October we’re currently experiencing.
“We really appreciate you all coming out here and doing work to protect our communities from a changing climate,” Co-executive Director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Jay Watson, said to the day’s attendees.
“That’s what this is about,” said Aaron T. Watson. “This about creating a legacy, you know we owe it to the future and to the present, but certainly to the future – to replant trees to make sure that by the time our kids and grandkids grow up, it’s going to be a nice new succession of big, beautiful trees within the city of Trenton.”
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