Free tree seedlings will be available to Ocean City residents on Monday, April 8, as part of the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., residents will be able to pick up tree seedlings at City Hall at 861 Asbury Avenue or the Ocean City Community Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue.
Seedlings, available on a first-come, first-served basis, come with instructions on how to store, care for, and plant the trees. The guides help residents choose the right place on a property to plant a tree while keeping in mind the tree’s full-grown size in the future.
Residents should plant the seedlings within two days after pick-up in order to prevent the roots from drying out, according to a city news release.
The Tree Recovery Campaign has distributed over 828,000 tree seedlings to New Jersey residents over the course of 11 years. With natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, and the damage caused by several new invasive insects to New Jersey, the state needs more new tree seedlings than ever before. Therefore, the campaign is moving into its 12th year, the release says.
The program is a joint effort between towns, the Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program, N.J. Forest Service Nursery, New Jersey Soil Conservation Districts, Arbor Day Foundation, FedEx, Texpo Energy and Tomorrow Energy.
When properly planted and maintained, trees can be assets to a community.
They improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood or business district, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits. the release says.
For a list of all distribution locations across the state, visit www.forestry.nj.gov or www.facebook.com/newjerseyforests.
For any questions, call 609-399-6111, ext. 4334.
