16 New Trees on Morningside Road

Today, September 30th, 16 public trees are being planted on Morningside Road. The company in charge of the tree planting is Northern Nurseries from Somerset, NJ. Humberto, pictured here driving the fork lift, explained to me that these are October Glory Maples and that all the trees are being installed with previews authorization from homeowners. October Glory Maple Trees quickly mature into a pleasing oval shape and are ideal landscaping trees that require minimal attention. The description below is from arborday.org

A very fast-growing Red Maple cultivar. This ever-popular maple should be considered as a beautiful shade tree addition to any yard. Glistening dark green leaves in spring, summer turn radiant red late fall and last several weeks. Tiny, conspicuous red flowers bloom in spring. Showy red fruit attract many birds and other wildlife. Grows 40'-50' high with a 25'-35' spread. Tolerant of many soils, but prefers slightly acid and moist conditions. Plant in partial shade to full sun.

I applaud Verona homeowners and authorities for improving the environment and beautifying our town by planting these 16 trees!

Green Buildings Open House, October 3

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) invites the public to visit a local sustainable building at Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona and across New Jersey to talk with energy-saving experts during the 2009 Green Buildings Open House from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday October 3.

Search NESEA's database of Green Buildings Open House sites to find the ones nearest you and to read a description of each site's sustainable features. NESEA works with over 60 local organizers and member businesses to market the event, increase participation and promote our members services. Many of the sites were designed and/or built by NESEA professional members. Over 15,000 people toured the 600 sites in October 2008.

For more information visit www.nesea.org or call (413) 774-6051

2nd Treasured Tree of 2009

A beautiful Japanese Maple tree is the second Treasured Tree designated by the Verona Environmental Commission this year. The tree is located in the front lawn of a wonderful house from 1919 located at 82 Morningside Road. It belongs to Pamela and David Blake who moved to Verona in 1981. The specimen is a large Acer palmatum, a species native to Japan, Korea and China.

If you would you like to nominate a tree please write to the VEC at veronaenvironmental@gmail.com. To see photos of all the treasured trees of Verona please visit the VEC website or click here.

From left, Francesca Cortese, Verona Mayor Teena Schwartz, VEC Co-Chair Cinzia Cortese, homeowners David and Pamela Blake and VEC Chairman Jerry Shimonaski.

The Natural Wonders of New Jersey

I received the following announcement today:

The Grover Cleveland Park Conservancy is sponsoring an illustrated talk on The Natural Wonders of New Jersey by Dr. Emile DeVito, manager of science and stewardship at New Jersey Conservation Foundation on Thursday October 15th at 7:30pm in the Pond House at Grover Cleveland Park for all those interested.

Location: Grover Cleveland Park is located in Caldwell along Brookside Avenue and in Essex Fells along Runnymede Road. Click here for a map of the park.

Directions:
From the south : From the intersection of Eagle Rock Avenue and Roseland Avenue, take Roseland Avenue north approx. 1 mile to Borough Place, turn Left; bear Left onto Runnymede Road; continue to end, turn right onto Brookside Avenue. Park is on right. From the east or west: From the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Roseland Avenue, take Roseland Avenue; make immediate Right onto Westville Avenue; after Westville Avenue turns left, stay straight onto Brookside Avenue. Park is on left.

Harvest Fest in Bloomfield

Today we visited Bloomfield's Harvest Fest on Broad Street between Liberty St. and Park Ave. The kids had fun at the amusement park rides and got sticky with old fashioned cotton candy. There were plenty of vendors, live music and exhibits by local organizations. Bloomfield Open Space Trust Fund had an interesting display pointing out how few green sites remain undeveloped in town. This is a new organization focused on expanding open space and recreational areas.

The fund is created from a tax levy of 1 cent per $100 of assessed value. Thus a house...will be charged approximately $15 on their annual tax bill to fund the savings account.

By having this fund they are also entitled to borrow more money from the State's Green Acres Program and at more convenient rate than if they did not have the fund. Also present were: Bloomfield Recycling Committee, the Essex Green Party and Greener Bloomfield -they promote sustainable living, working and community in Bloomfield.

Visit Greener Bloomfield at this weekend’s Harvest Fest and get a free compact fluorescent lightbulb from Project Porchlight! We’ll be in the Quad between the Civic Center, Library, and Children’s Library along Broad Street on Saturday and Sunday, Sept 19-20, from 11am to 6pm. Stop by to get your bulb, and also get information about making Bloomfield greener by reducing vehicle idling, saving water, and more.

There is still time to enjoy the fest tomorrow when composting demos will take place and Bloomfield residents can even order a compost bin for just $35!

New "No Idling" signs

I love the 3 new signs recently installed in front of Forest Avenue School. The pictured sign is replacing the former "No Parking". This is a helpful remainder of how unhealthy is idling for drivers and even worst for kids. EPA statistics are a real eye opener. You can find a local presentation about vehicle pollution in the Verona Environmental Commission website:

Check out Idle Free Verona (pdf), a new presentation by the VEC and the H.B. Whitehorne Middle School Environmental Club. According to the EPA, an idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollution than one traveling at 30 miles per hour. Learn what Verona kids are doing to reduce air pollution and how you can help!

The new rules are being enforced, specially the "No Parking" part of it at pick up time. According to police officers it is not safe to have such activity of vehicles in a narrow area crowded with elementary school students (plus a lot of younger siblings). Mr. Valente, the school Principal, makes a good argument: there is only space for about 6 cars to park there anyway, so those drivers will have to find another spot. Personally, I am glad to walk or park near by to keep kids safe.

NJ Children Health Expo on Sept. 12 and 13

A friend just sent me the following announcement:

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in collaboration with Newark Mayor Cory Booker invite the public to participate in Saving Our Kids, Healing Our Planet (SOKHOP) expo. SOKHOP is not just another Green Conference! This two-day event sponsored by New Jersey Medical School's Department of Pediatrics, the Autism Center, the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the City of Newark is the first green children's health expo in New Jersey. SOKHOP is at the forefront of a new movement focused on sustainable living practices and it features over 25 top presenters in the fields of preventative pediatrics, nutrition and the environment.

The event is for the whole family and will take place on the Campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ on September, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13. Enter through the Oral Health Dental Pavillion 50 12th Ave. Level B, Newark, New Jersey 07103.

For more information visit http://www.sokhop.com/

Back from the Farm

We are back from Watkins Glen, New York, where we spent a few days visiting the Farm Sanctuary and the State Park. The Farm Sanctuary in NY is the home of 700 rescued animals, all adorable. There is another Farm Sanctuary shelter in California with 400 rescued animals. The New York 175-acre farm is in the charming Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York, just west of Watkins Glen. It is a 4 hours drive northwest of Verona. When the shelter is full, rescued animals are placed for adoption. Since 1986, over 1,500 farm animals had been adopted through the Farm Sanctuary’s network. We stayed in one of the cabins of the farm's bed and breakfast. At the entrance there is a beautiful visitors center called "People Barn" with plenty of information, guided tours of the shelter, a "kids corner" and a gift shop. Volunteers must be over 12 years of age but our kids insisted and joined a group of children collecting apples to feed the pigs. The staff at the farm is very knowledgeable and the animals are highly huggable and fun to be around. We also visited Seneca Lake and Watkins Glen State Park, the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks. Within two miles, the glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. I highly recommend to visit Watkins Glen and spend some time at this wonderful "farm animal paradise".