Getting greener

Seeking to replace some of the estimated 7,000 trees lost in Middlesex Borough in recent years, the Environmental Commission will host its second Tree Giveaway on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The giveaway will take place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the borough’s Tree Nursery on Rock Lane. This initiative, spearheaded by EC Chairperson Clare Levourne, continues the borough’s efforts to improve the local environment and promote tree equity.

Middlesex’s green cover has been depleted by the loss of thousands of trees due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood wall project, severe storms and invasive insects.

Tree canopy deficits affect the borough’s lower-income neighborhoods particularly hard, leading to temperatures up to 11 degrees hotter than other areas, according to Levourne. These neighborhoods experience the “urban heat island” effect, where densely built environments with limited greenery trap heat, making it difficult for residents to stay cool. 

The commission’s goal is to cool these neighborhoods and help residents save on energy costs. “We want to provide relief to these communities by lowering energy bills, improving air quality, and reducing asthma rates,” said Levourne. 

Various types of trees are available through the giveaway. They include black cherry, black oak, hackberry, mockernut hickory, northern red oak, pitch pine, red mulberry, river birch, swamp white oak, sycamore, white oak, and white pine. Orders can be placed through an online order form.

Since its establishment earlier this year, the Middlesex Environmental Commission has made tree planting one of its primary initiatives. The first giveaway occurred in celebration of Earth Day and distributed hundreds of young trees. Levourne modeled the giveaway after Green Columbus, a program in Ohio that has distributed thousands of trees annually for several years. 

Initially, about 450 trees were acquired for the program – 300 were purchased, and the rest were donated by local residents and organizations. However, maintaining the trees has presented challenges. 

“Critters like rabbits and squirrels damaged some of the saplings,” Levourne explained. She recounted how rabbits nibbled at the lower stems, causing some to die, while squirrels thwarted her attempt to grow trees from acorns. Nevertheless, approximately 300 healthy trees are still available for giveaway.

Mature trees provide numerous benefits and are valuable town assets. One tree can absorb 10,000 gallons of rainwater per year. As the flood wall project continues, the commission anticipates the loss of tens of thousands more trees, adding importance to the tree giveaway.

Along with Levourne, the commission’s membership comprises Mike Schneider, Holly Muller, Greg Cosentino, Steve Ember, Gina Salgado, Borough Councilman Robert Dessino, and alternates Dan Cron and Andrea Murphy.

The commission’s work is not restricted to the tree nursery. Levourne and fellow commission members are focused on forming a Middlesex Green Team comprising high school students who would work to make the town more sustainable. 

The Green Team’s formation would allow the borough to participate in the Sustainable New Jersey program, which provides grants for local environmental projects. That would enable funding of additional Middlesex initiatives, including educational programs and environmental infrastructure improvements. 

One of the commission’s envisioned future projects is the restoration of Victor Crowell Park, focusing first on water quality improvement before aesthetic enhancements. Levourne has also suggested turning the park’s abandoned stone building into a nature center to further engage the community in environmental stewardship.

The commission’s ongoing projects include stormwater management. Last week, with the assistance of Rutgers University, the commission completed a rain garden at the Middlesex Library to capture runoff and mitigate flooding. This rain garden, fully funded by Rutgers, will help manage stormwater from the library’s parking lot, which can flood during heavy rainstorms.

Levourne, whose environmental journey began with the Rutgers Environmental Stewards program, remains optimistic about the future. She is determined to inspire the community, despite slow initial interest. 

Reflecting on her early efforts in 2017 to form a Green Team, she noted, “I didn’t get much support from the community or the borough,” she said. “But now that I show up to meetings, they call me the tree hugger.”

Through her persistence and the Environmental Commission’s efforts, Middlesex is steadily growing greener, tree by tree.

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