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Morristown Shade Tree Commission, school district win $202,400 state grant to plant 259 trees at three schools
Summary
The Morristown Shade Tree Commission and Morristown School District will plant 259 trees across three schools after securing a $202,400 Trees for Schools grant funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and administered through Sustainable Jersey, council heard Aug. 5.
Kristen Ace, chair of the Morristown Shade Tree Commission, told the Town Council on Aug. 5 that the commission and the school district were awarded a $202,400 Trees for Schools grant funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and administered by Sustainable Jersey. “We got one of the bigger grants,” Ace said, noting the commission helped prepare the application.
The project will install 259 trees across three schools: 104 at Sussex School, 76 at Alexander Hamilton School and 79 at Thomas Jefferson School. Ace said the grant covers deer protection, tree guards (“gators”), and watering for one year, and that the commission will work with the district for at least two years to ensure tree survival and integrate tree-related curriculum into classes.
Council members praised the initiative. One council member noted the long-term benefits for heat-island reduction and asked the Shade Tree Commission to involve neighbors during planting. The mayor and council highlighted the commission’s ongoing work and the ordinance that created the commission in 2013 as a successful local initiative.
No formal council action was required at the meeting; council members thanked the commission and encouraged public participation at plantings. The Shade Tree Commission will coordinate planting logistics with the school district and notify neighbors in advance.
