Epic! They are spearheading the creation of thriving urban forests across New Jersey while bringing communities and neighborhoods back to life!
Crystal from the Foundation and Jeff from Forest Hill, Newark ran a great tree planting last Saturday. A lot of internal and external community involvement. I am already breathing easier. We can't rest, though, our urban landscapes need more trees with the right tree in the right place.
I went to the Harvest Fest - Camden plantings on 10/30/21. We planted many fruiting trees around Mastery Highschool, and Esperenza gardens for the citizens of Camden. It was fun, surprisingly quick, and fulfilling knowing that the tree will help the community when they fruit. The only minus was the mosquitos but that's not in their control lol.
This is a wonderful group! My children and I planted trees and they had so much fun plus they are helping to do their part to help our environment. NJ Tree Foundation is well-run, organized, and an overall excellent non-profit!
I really enjoy working with the NJ Tree Foundation. The plantings are always well organized and well attended. Helping to beautify our NJ cities and fight climate change at the same time is a win-win!
We own a flooring company and have been wanting to give back to earth by planting more trees. We came accross NJ Tree Foundation and love what it stands for! We enjoyed the experience of physically being able to plant trees! All the material was available and they were very informative and helpful in the process. Thank you NJ trees! -Sparkle Floors and Carpet
The New Jersey Tree Foundation has made some great changes in the Vailsburg neighborhood of Newark over many years. Our community gardens contain thriving fruit trees planted several years ago. The tree foundation has helped neighbors identify locations that need trees and residents who can care for them to restore the leafy cool feeling of the neighborhood . On May 15, we helped plant trees along Mead St., 18th Ave and Lenox . Neighbors were delighted to see the trees and when we put on the "gators" to help keep them watered, several residents came out to ask about how to use them and called on their children to learn what to do. So this effort isn't only about beautifying the neighborhood and cleaning the air, it's also about building community and helping young folks take ownership of their environment We learned a lot about tree planting and maintenance and it was great to have the training session and all the needed tools available to make the process go smoothly.
Great people here at NJ Tree Foundation! I had an incredible time digging with these fine people. I plan on going again and possibly bringing some friends with me. - Jared
I've been volunteering with the New Jersey Tree Foundation for a few years now, they are some of the most passionate people I've ever had the pleasure to work alongside of.
They are well managed, with plantings happening every weekend during the spring and fall. They teach you how to plant the trees and they set up areas for you to do so. We have also spent time cleaning up the areas around the trees, making things cleaner and friendlier!
Volunteering with New Jersey Tree Foundation is a great experience. The tree planting sessions are well organized and you learn how to properly plant trees and about the value of trees while making a meaningful difference in the community. I highly recommend it.
The New Jersey Tree Foundation Inc, it's Coordinations, in particular Crystal Wessel have done an excellent job in putting real world trees that work in our various urban environments.
I have volunteered over the last three years and always ensure to attend any tree plantings in Newark and in other local areas that are within a reasonable distance.
It is great to see that numerous and varied sites are selected. The trees are of various species and types, the planning and location placement contribute to enhancing the selected sites.
Working with Crystal and her team is always pleasant, engaging, informative, and educational.
I always look forward to the New Jersey Tree Foundation coming to Newark to continue to place beautiful trees in many of our neighborhoods and business districts.
Thank you for dressing up and beautify our great city so those visiting can enjoy Newark as much as we do!
The NJTF made space for me and 30 of my classmates to work together and plant trees in Camden. The work they do for the community is truly amazing. They not only bring people together but they also are making the city a more livable, greener place. They taught us the skills we needed to learn, supplied us with tools, and even generously gave us t-shirts and hand sanitizer. It was a truly great experience that I am extremely thankful for!
Girlscout Troop 96323 had an awesome experience planting trees in Camden on 10/24/2020. These girls had fun, met some amazing people, learned a new skill, and walked away with a better appreciation for trees. Thank you so much for the opportunity!
The NJ Tree Foundation helped bring the Park at 4th & Washington ALIVE! Their organization and knowledge was the key to having a successful Volunteer Day for our group. These trees will give shade and curb appeal for years to come for this community in Camden!
Had a great experience planting with New Jersey Tree Foundation in Newark. They were very informative and taught everyone how to plant trees correctly. Met a lot of friendly people and had a good time while beautifying a street with trees.
I helped plant trees with them at Fisherman Park in Atlantic City. They were informative, friendly, and helpful. I managed to forget my jacket and wallet in the park. They called me and even came to my home to return it.
I volunteered in Camden NJ in September of 2020 and had a wonderful experience. I learned a lot about trees and tree-planting, and also learned that NJ Trees has planted close to 300k trees in their years of operation! Happy to add one to that list.
NJTF helped me organize my block to plant beautiful trees. The final product was beautiful! I couldn't be prouder!
I volunteered with NJ Tree Foundation for street tree plantation events in Newark. It was truly a fulfilling experience. Elena and her dad are amazing coaches and gave their all to guide volunteers in planting the trees correctly.
This has has to be one of the best non-profit organizations that I have worked within the last 10 years. Elena and the entire organization help me Revitalize my community with these floral trees. It was great getting to school involved and that initiative belongs to the New Jersey tree Foundation. I recommend that any Community leader that is interested in revitalizing the neighborhood please work with the New Jersey tree Foundation. You will not be disappointed in their expertise and willingness to work with the community to plant the best trees for the environment. I am planning on working with them and the upcoming 2018 calendar year. The New Jersey tree Foundation is the absolute best.
Miguel Goyco
Thank you to NJ Tree Foundation, Elena Lopez and all the 40 +
Volunteers that came out on the planting day to beautify our neighborhood with 5 Zelkovas 5 cherries surrounding
3rd ave and Garside St and 6 fruit tree's in our community garden
This will create a beautiful area for our children and senior citizens of our community. Thank you very much Elena López you are a blessing to our community keep up the good work !!!
I still got more space !!! LOL
from the Community to the Community
one Step at the Time,
Little by Little will get it Done !!!
Thank you NJ Tree Foundation you guys Rock !!!
My name is Tariq Raheem, and I am a very happy with the tree planting experience. From beginning to the end of the process, Elena and the NJ Tree Foundation worked very hard to make sure that the neighbors on my block fully understood the impact that more trees would have on the block. She also helped residents by accommodating specific needs of the homeowners. For example, she made sure that the new crop of trees were selections that were fruitful, and that the trees did not grow so tall that they would grow into the utility wires.
As President of the Eastern Parkway Block Association and on behalf of all the 16 neighbors on the block that planted trees I thank the scores of volunteers that worked with us to dig and plant trees on Green Day. The pouring rain that morning did not stop good people from serving. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The Tree planting was truly awesome! Elena Lopez and her assistant Wayne were fantastic teachers and coordinators, they needed to be as they had quiet a variety of Volunteers with varying skill sets. They were assisted by our local Scout troop, whose leaders channeled the boundless energy of all of these great Kids into the digging and watering of the trees. Volunteers came from other parts of Jersey ( which Rocks !) and together with my neighbors ( some of whom I met for the first time ) participated in this wonderful planting. I am a recent resident of New Jersey and as of that Planting a very Proud one. Thank you
The NJ Tree Foundation has done an excellent job in bringing our streets back to life. The trees offer a new look and our neighborhood residents see not only the beauty in the trees but also to health-related impacts associated with them. 40 volunteers with the Foundation were just out to plant 60 trees and residents remarked all day on how wonderful the transformation is.
Thanks, NJ Tree Foundation!
NJ Tree Foundation events integrate outside volunteers and local community members. Events are well run and fun. I always leave a planting session feeling happy and restored and leave behind a new piece of nature.
Coordination of events is done perfectly! Volunteering is fun and safe for all ages. Great organization and extraordinary work and support offered following up after events is extraordinary!! Jessica Franzini is Awesome and one of a kind!
Excellent Event - Every time I work with this organization everything runs perfect! Jess does an amazing job coordinating!
The staff at NJ Tree Foundation are super friendly and competent! I've been volunteering with them for two years and feel very fortunate that I went to so many fantastic volunteer experiences with them!
One superior and rare characteristic about the Volunteer Coordinator is that she works really hard to get the right amount of volunteers show up. Everyone has an opportunity to work at each event without straining too hard to plant all of the trees in time.
Keep up the great work NJ Tree Foundation!
I gotta say, that the N.J Tree foundation did a fenominal job. Along with Jessica and Jose. Who have to be two of the most hard working people I've met in a long time. The volunteers did an amazing job as well. I've got no negative comments to say. My Congregation, Pastor and I, are so humbled by your help, donation and time you guys spent with us. I look forward to to volunteering in the near future. The trees are great. We have hotten alot of comments and questions about your foundation. Which I've gladly shared. Thanks again for your time and hard work.
My children and I have been volunteering for years! The NJ Tree Foundation has given us the opportunity to give back and beautify our community and it's done in a way that's sustainable. The work done by the NJ Tree Foundation will be enjoyed by generations!
My sons and I have participated in several tree plantings organized by the NJ Tree Foundation. The experience is both uplifting and inspiring. Having the opportunity to meet and work alongside so many wonderful people from the community, as well as see the difference that trees can make to their lives and their neighborhoods is simply priceless.
The NJTF is a wonderful organization that is having a tremendous impact on communities - both the community benefitting from the trees as well as the community of volunteers taking time to pitch in. In addition, the NJTF helps educate all of those involved. The actual planting can be a little strenuous at times for some, but the team from the NJTF always makes sure everyone is safe and well informed on how to properly do the work.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences and I look forward to doing so again in the near future.
I first learned of this good organization while volunteering for a different organization (Jersey Cares) . As a Newark NJ city resident I loved the idea of planting trees in Newark. At the event, Elena Lopez invited me to a class to learn more about trees.
I registered and have learned so much. Sadly next week is the final week.
Was glad to learn about trees and grateful I never bought a tree to plant on my property before taking this class! Now that I have Elena's good class under my belt I know what I need to do: find out from city where I can plant, how to plant (lots of details to know).
I was touched they provided dinner for us all, and from a local restaurant!
I look forward to volunteering my time with this fine organization. I salute NJTF for recruiting Elena. She is a wonderful face for your organization: she tells and shows and she is a marvelous instructor.
I look forward to looking into all the resources Elena provided at this course.
The New Jersey Tree Foundation is top-notch in every way. They led us step-by-step in getting 10 trees planted on Emerson Place in Newark after years without replacement of trees that had died or been damaged. From the inquiring first phone call for help to the last handful of mulch around the trunk, Elena Lopez and her cadre of volunteers were instrumental in getting the job done with and for us. The NJTF runs smooth, clean and lean.
Everyone associated with the NJTF is warm, friendly, helpful and willing to share their time and talents.
I have worked with NJTF for almost 3 years now. The concept of the organization is unbelievably well received by residents of Camden, the staff is top notch when organizing and training during the planting events, and the events themselves are fun and give the residents of the neighborhood a chance to work together with one another, have peace in some tough communities, and enjoy the natural beauty of a big green tree. Donate to NJTF, and volunteer during their events. You will be doing something extremely important for those who have the privilege of caring for the trees once they're planted. God bless!
The New Jersey Tree Foundation has gone above and beyond to support the young adults that serve as members of PowerCorps Camden. Jess and her team partnered with us in trainings and in an incredibly impactful tree planting in Von Nieda Park in Camden. The knowledge, support and hands on experience that NJ Trees has provided to our members is unmatched.
The NJTF has assisted the City of Camden in planting well over 5,000 trees citywide. These trees continue to improve Camden's neighborhoods and parks years after being planted.
The professionalism demonstrated by NJTF's staff and volunteers is truly amazing. I recommend the NJTF's tree planting services to any entity looking to plant trees.
I SO WAS SO HAPPY TO BE A PART OF, THAT CLASS I LEARN SO MUCH THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I LEARN HOW TO MULCH.
The tree planting is a wonderful addition to our space which, just a few months ago was nothing but another vacant lot in the Ironbound section of Newark known as East Ferry. Decades of pollution from local industry, railroads, Newark International Airport, trucks, cars and even an incinerator have sadly defined our neighborhood. The 10 fruit trees added to the Urban Farm & Farm Market Space have brought a small orchard to this neighborhood! There are few words that could truly express how amazing that is for our community; to be able to sit and chat under an orchard tree, to be able to enjoy and literally, be nourished by the fruits of the community's labor that planted it and tends to it, to bring green to a city of asphalt and concrete are just a few of the ways the trees donated by NJ Tree Foundation have positively impacted to our community.
The New Jersey Tree Foundation is a non profit to be celebrated as the premier exemplar of what it means to serve our great residents through taking action to create massive, powerful, environmental impacts for all people for years to come! Having planted 40 trees with this great foundation I have not only found profound fulfillment in my life but I have experiences first hand how transforming planting trees is for all people. Students gain a deeper understanding of just how critical trees are for all living things. Parents feel connected to their community and feel a sense of pride as they take action to reverse climate change. Elected officials see concrete positive change occur and support these efforts with full force. Most importantly carbon footprints are reduced, our environment is expanded, our air cleaned, our heating bills reduced, crime plummets, and community is built tree by tree person by person. I implore you and your organization to get involved, support the foundation with generous financial and material contributions, and to join forces with this great organization run by amazing, honest, hard working, and socially and environmentally conscious people!
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Our school has planted over 20 trees with the NJ Tree Foundation and we have had amazing success! Because of the hard work and great leadership from Director Lisa Simms and Newark Renaissance Tree Program Leader Elena Lopez the Central Ward of Newark will have cleaner air, healthier people, and fresh fruit for years to come. They are true champions of the Green Revolution!
Volunteering with the New Jersey Tree Foundation has been one of my life's best experiences. I have done a lot of volunteering, but this gig brings instant results. Where else can you participate in the transformation of a block of row homes in just three hours? Jessica is simply the best person to work with, and the people who show up to help from colleges, schools, organizations, and the neighborhoods are wonderful to talk to, plant with, and get to know. You start on time, finish on time, and there's a little something for everyone to do. I know because I cannot actually shovel for too long, due to physical size, but I'm busy doing tasks that go into the effort. I have also learned how to plant trees, a terrific and transferable skill. Camden is happening, so. . . see you on the street.
We absolutely love volunteering here with Jesscia and all the rest of the volunteers.
When we show up with the trucks and the trees and all the neighbors and the kids come out, its just magical. A celebration of life indeed!
NJ Tree Foundation actually transforms lives! and when we transform lives, we empower not only the people and the community itself but it even expands to all those peole just watching us. Its expansion, its thriving. There aren't enough Kudos in the universe to thank Jessica and The NJ Tree Foundation for all their outstanding, good and MAGICAL works.
For the past several tree planting seasons, my classmates and I have been attending NJ Tree Foundation volunteer events in Camden. We love it! It's such a good time. The Tree Foundation has everything you need - shovels, brooms, rakes, gloves, water - and there are always residents at the event thanking us for volunteering. We get started right away, digging holes and planting trees, and are always finished by noon. I like that it's something me and my friends can do together to make a difference.
NJ Tree Foundation 10/22/2013
Thank you Alexander! We enjoy working with you and your excellent school! ~ Lisa S., NJTF