The Wesley Bishop Park in Moorestown will be the place to be on Arbor Day, April 24. Moorestown will not only be celebrating its 25th year of being a Tree City USA community, but it is also where the 2015 State Arbor Day Celebration will be held. Moorestown hopes to plant around 50 to 100 trees that day.
“I’m extremely proud that we can bring the state celebration here. Moorestown has been a Tree City for 25 years. The whole town believes in trees, and it is an honor to have the celebration,” John Gibson, chairman of the Moorestown Tree Planting and Preservation Committee, said.
To help raise funds for those trees, the committee is hosting a fundraiser on Tuesday, March 24 with the Iron Hill Brewery, located at 124 East Kings Highway in Maple Shade. For everyone who has dinner at Iron Hill on that day and presents a Give 20 Percent coupon, Iron Hill will donate 20 percent of their food bill to the committee, which will be used for the purchase of trees for the event.
“They can enjoy a meal and also support the township and help us buy 50 to 100 trees,” Gibson said.
So far, the committee has been accepting donations for trees, but things have started slowly. Give 20 Percent coupons are required on Tuesday, March 24 for the committee to receive a donation. The coupons can be found on The Moorestown Sun website.
“It is a fun way for the community to get together to support a good cause. It’s a nice night out with friends and neighbors, and we hopefully will see them again on April 24,” Kathy Logue, a member of the committee, said.
Since 1949, the Legislature has set aside the last Friday of April as Arbor Day to promote tree planting and to encourage residents throughout the state to honor trees. The 2015 State Arbor Day Celebration being held at Wesley Bishop Park, located on Church Street near Foster Road, on Friday, April 24 will start with tree planting around 8 a.m. and the ceremony around 11 a.m. Moorestown was selected to host the 66th Arbor Day to help celebrate its accomplishments in building a sustainable urban forest canopy and for being a Tree City USA community for 25 years.
The event will be held rain or shine.
“I always say ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.’ Trees provide mostly good things. They increase property value, provide shade and create cleaner air. Arbor Day is a good day to plant a tree,” Gibson said.
“The whole idea and spirit of Arbor Day is to remind everyone to plant a tree because of the many benefits of a tree for its lifetime. It will create a better environment for all of us, and for the young it creates a wonderful childhood memory that hopefully gets passed along,” Logue said.
Although it is not final, there are plans to include state, county and township officials and have speakers who will give a speech and present awards. There will be the planting of a ceremonial tree as well. The committee is also working with local schools to bring children for possible poem reading or musical entertainment. Refreshments, which are donated by local businesses, will be available, too.
Other than needing donations, the committee is also asking for volunteers to help plant the trees it is able to purchase.
“It will be a lot of fun that day. We’ll hopefully have over 100 volunteers planting 100 trees,” Logue said.
“We have all of the equipment. People just need to show up and help us plant,” Gibson said.
The Give 20 Percent coupons can be found on The Moorestown Sun website at www.moorestownsun.com, and search “Arbor Day Fundraiser.” Be sure to print it before going to Iron Hill Brewery, as the flyers will not be handed out on the premises.
For those who just wish to donate, donations can be made by sending a check to Moorestown Tree Committee, 601 E. Third St., Moorestown, NJ 08057. Please make checks payable to Township of Moorestown marked for Arbor Day 2015. If you would like to donate actual trees, please contact the committee to coordinate delivery.
“I encourage everyone to come out on April 24, enjoy the celebration, plant a tree and help donate to get a greater appreciation for trees and what they do for our community,” Gibson said.
