Kids & Family

Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission Thanks Volunteers for Their Efforts

Without volunteers, the Environmental Commission couldn't have completed their tree plantings and tree survey projects.

To the Editor:

As the year comes to an end, I want to extend thanks on behalf of the Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission to the many volunteers who gave of their time and talents this year. In particular thanks are owed to Joyce Laudise and Lori Meier, who led the planning and planting of many of the shrubs and perennials at Peppertown Park. Thanks also to the volunteers who helped with weeding and planting at the park: Deborah Plotnik, John Laudise, Len Berkowitz, Ron Loria, Jaime Salazar, and Stephanie Zecca and the Girl Scouts.

In addition, I want to recognize and thank Eileen Ferrer of Hall’s Garden Center for her valuable advice on native plants for Peppertown Park and Tina Helmstetter of the Great Swamp Greenhouses for her assistance with the selection of plants.

A second major project of the Environmental Commission is the tree survey, which has identified and recorded more than 4,000 trees along the right of way in the Township streets. As part of this project volunteers have so far identified more than 60 trees as hazardous. The Township then hired a certified tree expert who evaluated this short list and marked almost all for removal. Thanks to Linda Allibone, Karen Anzalone, Len Berkowitz, Debbie DiMaggio, Larry Dzieskowski, Bev Hahn, Nancy Heide, Tina Helmstetter, Don Kern, Debbie Naha, Libby Reiss, and Peter Rinaldi. Trained by a certified tree expert in the identification of trees, hazard trees and the use of software to record the data, these volunteers have given many hundreds of hours on this project. We expect to complete it next spring.

With their help of these volunteers the Commission continues to protect and develop the Township’s natural resources. We could not have carried out these projects without them.

Richard Leister
Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from New Providence-Berkeley Heights