ONE THOUSAND TREES: The Watershed Institute and its partners embarked last week on a tree planting project in Cadwalader Park that aims to increase Trenton’s tree canopy and combat climate change while adding 1,000 trees throughout the city in the next three years. (Photo courtesy of the Watershed Institute)

By Donald Gilpin

With a plan to plant 1,000 trees in Trenton in the next three years, the Watershed Institute, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF), and other partners began planting trees last week in Cadwalader Park to improve climate resiliency and enhance the environment.

“At the Watershed we really believe that trees are such an important component of the green infrastructure that protects our waterways and so important as we enter this year of climate change,” said Watershed Chief of Operations Sophie Glovier.

She emphasized the many benefits to the community that trees provide, including keeping temperatures cooler, mitigating flooding by slowing down rainfall and sucking up water, and improving water quality.

“We’re really excited to be part of this effort, to get trees into the ground and also to be working with community members to educate them about all the benefits of trees and the importance of taking care of them,” she said.

Glovier went on to point out that, according to the Tree Equity score published by American Forests conservation organization, Trenton has a tree canopy that ranges from about 10 to 20 percent. The goal is 40 percent. Princeton ranges from about 37 to 40 percent.

“Trees will be so important for resiliency to climate change and making our urban areas cooler and healthier, so this is a really important project that we feel strongly about,” she added.

Over the next three years the $1.3 million project, funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Natural Climate Solutions Grant Program, will enable the team of the City of Trenton, NJCF, Isles, the New Jersey Tree Foundation, Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space, the Outdoor Equity Alliance, and the Watershed Institute to add 1,000 trees to the cityscape.

New trees will be planted in parts of the city where there are few to no street trees, but the first plantings are focusing on reforesting parts of Cadwalader Park.

“When putting this grant request together, we assembled the very best organizations working in this space to join this project,” said NJCF Co-Executive Director Jay Watson. “These organizations are all dedicated to a green and healthy Trenton, and I am so happy that we begin with this initial planting of 100 trees in Trenton’s crown jewel, Cadwalader Park.”

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora voiced his enthusiastic approval of the project. “Cadwalader Park is one of Trenton’s most important public open spaces and is loved by many,” he said, as quoted in a Watershed Institute press release. “We are very fortunate to have so many nonprofit partners working with the city to restore the landscape in this incredible historic park. This planting 100 tress is just the beginning of a three-year project that will see a thousand shade trees planted across the city for our residents and visitors.”

About 80 staff members from the partner organizations with a host of volunteers gathered on Tuesday, May 7, for the initial plantings in Cadwalader Park. They were led by the street tree crew from the NJTF. “We all went out and worked on getting the trees into the ground,” said Glovier.

There is a detailed plan concerning where the trees will be planted and different approaches that will be necessary to plant them based on underground conditions. Plantings planned for the parks, like Cadwalader, can often be carried out by community members, but most street trees will need to be planted by professionals.

“It’s all focused on getting the trees in at times when it’s going to rain more in the spring and the fall, but we’re going to be working with community members on education on a year-round basis,” said Glovier.

Looking ahead, NJTF Executive Director Pam Zipse pointed out, “The long-term benefits of air filtration, stormwater interception, and contributions to the local ecosystem will extend far into the surrounding neighborhoods for decades to come.”

Isles CEO Sean Jackson added, “We know the lack of trees makes Trenton hotter and more polluted. Isles’ Trenton Climate Corps team is proud to join with our partners to plant these 1,000 trees bringing healthy change for our families and climate relief to all of Trenton.”

Watershed Executive Director Jim Waltman applauded the project and the partnerships involved. “Trees address numerous environmental problems by soaking up floodwaters, capturing carbon dioxide from the air to protect our climate, and cooling our cities in the summer heat,” he said.

By 2050 the new trees are expected to sequester nearly three million pounds of carbon dioxide, reduce two million gallons of stormwater runoff, and intercept more than 14 million gallons of rainwater, according to the Watershed Institute press release.

“Another great part of this is the connections that are made between the different groups,” Glovier added. “It’s good community building.”

In other news from the nonprofit environmental organization, the Watershed Institute held its 75th anniversary celebration and annual meeting on May 13 at the Watershed Center in Hopewell Township. Among the leaders and partners honored at the event were Shereyl Snider, community organizer with Urban Promise, Trenton/East Trenton Collaborative; Lawrence Township Environmental Committee Chair Annette Loveless; and, for contributions in environmental education, Slackwood Elementary School Principal Jeanne Muzi and Stephen Laubach, director of sustainability and science teacher at the Lawrenceville School.