2024 Stream Cleanup Results

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Just over a week ago on a cold and damp Saturday morning on April 13th, the Green Team, Environmental Commission, and The Watershed Institute partnered to perform a cleanup of the Shabakunk Creek at Ewing’s Hollowbrook Community Center and its environs. This event was a part of a Stream Cleanup held every spring where volunteers from local municipalities come together to remove trash and debris from our local waterways to protect and preserve essential wildlife habitat, safeguard our water quality, help control flooding, and engage the citizenry in the beautification and care of our local environment.

This marks The Watershed’s 18th annual cleanup in local watersheds and the 5th in which Ewing participated.  Over the past decade, 8,700 enthusiastic volunteers have removed more than 152,000 pounds of trash from our communities.

Our haul this year totaled 1855 pounds of trash, removed by the 56 volunteers who braved the cold and drizzle. The most commonly found items included cardboard, glass bottles, and plastics. Special finds this year were air conditioner parts, a rusty bike, deer stand, lots of concrete (construction) waste, a mailbox, trash cans, a car bumper, bike crossing road sign, seed spreader, seat cushion, half of a ninja blender, a traffic cone, and chicken wire fence.

Ewing had the most pounds of trash collected for that first weekend of cleanups and we ranked 2nd in the number of volunteers who braved the cold and rain.  We thank everyone who so generously gave of their time at this event: local students, scout groups, corporate groups, families and, of course, our friends at The Watershed for organizing this once again and including us in this critical effort in watershed protection.

About The Watershed Institute

The Watershed Institute is a non-profit organization committed to keeping water clean, safe, and healthy. They wok to protect and restore Central New Jersey water and natural environment through conservation, advocacy, science, and education.

3rd Annual Ewing Restaurant Week Kicks Off This Saturday

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2024 Restaurant Week April 13 – 21.

Mayor Bert Steinmann, Ewing Township Council, and the Ewing Green Team announce a week+ celebration of great dining opportunities in Ewing with our 3rd annual Restaurant Week running from April 13th – 21st.

Ewing’s Restaurant Week is a week-long promotion bookended by two full weekends that features a dozen unique dining options in the community.  Treat yourself to breakfast out, grab a quick lunch, enjoy a delicious dinner dining experience, or even just pick up a dessert or treat – our participating restaurants offer a variety of culinary options. 

Restaurants will offer diners a variety of discounts, whether that be a small discount on a particular food item or a more robust pre-fixed price menu – encouraging Ewingites to ‘get a taste’ of what Ewing restaurants have to offer.  Chefs will prepare delicious menus at mouthwatering prices! All costs are exclusive of tax, beverages, and gratuity.  Be sure to check out in advance whether you need to mention “Restaurant Week” to receive your discount!

No tickets or special passes are needed. However, reservations are strongly recommended for those who choose to “dine in.” Contact individual restaurants to make your reservations. Specials for the week and restaurant contact information can be found at the bottom of the Restaurant Week page of ewingnj.org.

Jennifer Keyes-Maloney, Ewing Councilwoman, has contacted many of our local restaurants in town regarding their potential participation in this event.  She believes that it is possible that a few more restaurants will participate.  We encourage any late applicants to register their restaurant and specials ASAP (Restaurant Week) to be included in this event that is sure to generate extra traffic at your establishment. 

Mayor Bert Steinmann encourages everyone to come out and support the great restaurants in our community.  “Ewing Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to visit your favorite establishment or discover a new one.”

The Ewing Green Team is excited to introduce this fun new way for people to try some new places or revisit an old favorite. We hope you take advantage of these special offers. What a great way to try something new and support local businesses at the same time. Bon Appetit!

We Need You for Our Spring Stream Clean Up on April 13th!

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The winter is coming to an end and our thoughts are turning to spring, spring cleaning that is.

The Ewing Green Team has once again partnered with The Watershed Institute and Mayor Bert Steinmann to host our annual spring Stream Cleanup.  This year we will be cleaning the Shabakunk Creek in the area around the Hollowbrook Community Center.  It flows behind the Community Center, a lovely tributary of the Assunpink Creek.  From the Assunpink, the water ultimately flows to the Delaware River, the source of our drinking water.

We invite our friends and neighbors to gather with us on Saturday, April 13th to clean up our community and make our watershed a healthier and even lovelier environment.

2024 Stream Clean Up Flyer

This year marks The Watershed’s 18th annual cleanup during which some 8,700  volunteers have removed over 152,000 pounds of trash from local communities, helping to make our watershed healthier, protect our environment, and beautify our communities!

Thank You Giveaways!

Tees Not trees!  The Watershed will no longer be offering stream cleanup t-shirts, but rather cleanup volunteers will receive a complimentary tree sapling to say thank you for helping keep our waterways clean! This will reduce environmental impact and conserve limited natural resources. One cotton t-shirt takes 650 gallons of water to produce while a single oak tree can host 532 species of caterpillars, 147 species of birds, 120 species of mammals, and 60 species of reptiles and amphibians. In addition, one mature white oak can absorb over 2000 gallons stormwater per year which can reduce stormwater runoff pollution, flooding, and recharge groundwater.   

Stream Cleanup Details

Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Time: 9 – 11 am
Location: Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Road
Pre-registration is required to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Our cleanup is a rain or shine event. Always wear gloves (please bring your own) when picking up litter and avoid any direct contact with trash. Trash bags will be provided. Long pants and closed-toed shoes are suggested for woodier areas. The Hollowbrook grounds are often muddy closer to the creek, participants may be most comfortable wearing rain boots or similar waterproof shoes.  Don’t forget your (reusable!) water bottle.

This is an in-person program. Masks are optional. A parent or legal guardian is required to attend with all children. To attend this event, you must agree to the terms of the waiver included during registration.

We look forward to spring cleaning with all of you on April 13th!

Ewing Community Gardens Registration Set to Begin March 1st

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Spring is just around the corner and it’s time to get involved in community gardening in Ewing.  Mayor Bert Steinmann and Ewing Township invite interested residents to get involved in community gardening and register for a garden plot at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension.

Returning gardeners can register beginning on March 1st.  New applicants may register beginning March 15th.    Plots are limited, so come early.

There is an active gardening organization, the Ewing Community Gardens. Their mission is to promote public gardening in Ewing.  “It is not just about growing produce in the ground; it’s about growing community.”  They encourage all registrants to meet their neighbors and get involved.  Regular site clean ups will be held.

Ewing Community Gardens Spring 2024 registration flyer

Registration Details for the 2024 Gardening Season

The 2024 registration for garden plots at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension will begin in March in the

Office of the Clerk
2 Jake Garzio Drive
Ewing, NJ 08628

Plots are $5.00 each and you can purchase up to two plots.  (Park in the upper-level parking lot.)

Registration Dates

  • Friday, March 1, 2024, Registration will Open for Previous Year Plot Holders
  • Friday, March 15, 2024, Registration will Open for New Applicants

Owners of Plots in 2023 will have an opportunity to reserve their same plots from the prior year.

If there are still plots available on April 15th, 2024, you may purchase additional plot(s). Please call the clerk’s office at 609-883-2900 ext. 7618 to find out if more plots are available.

Requirements 
(No Exceptions Granted to Any of the Following Requirements!!)

  • You must be present to buy your plot(s).
  • Ewing Township residents only (proof of residency is required)
  • You must provide an Email Address. 

The official opening of the gardens is weather determined and announced later in the season.

About the Gardens

The Ewing Community Gardens are located on Whitehead Road Extension in Ewing.  They are enclosed in an 8’ deer fence and water sources are available.  Half of the plots are organic and no-till. 

For information about the Ewing Community Gardens Association email ewingcommunitygardens@gmail.com.  Look for the upcoming ad in the March Ewing Observer.

Kick the Habit: A Dirty Dozen of Common Gardening Bad Habits You Need to Kick

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Bad Habit #11

Landscape Fabric  

It’s a myth that landscape fabric prevents weeds.  Yes, they may initially, however, the fabric, once down, tends to stay in place season after season and that’s where trouble starts.  Issues include:

Weed seeds blow on top and germinate in the mulch layer sinking their roots down thru the fabric making it/them hard to remove. 

The roots of desired plants grow across and on top of the barrier.  Thus, they are not as deep in the soil as they should be.  The lack of deeply penetrating roots make the plant easily toppled by high winds and very susceptible to drought.  We want to encourage, not discourage, deep root growth. 

Landscape fabric prevents plants from spreading and naturalizing in your bed.  Worse, weed barriers are also sometimes impregnated with herbicides and fertilizers.

A major drawback of the practice is that it inhibits soil building.  When mulch is applied over the fabric it can’t decompose and contribute to building the health of the soil beneath it.  Many of the old weed fabrics aren’t water and gas permeable leaving the soil beneath dry and compacted.  This starves plants for water and nutrients and results in greatly reduced soil food web activity, noticeable by a lack of insect activity and earthworms.   When used on areas that hold on to excess water and become soggy, the weed barrier can trap water beneath it, creating a swampy mess, and a perfect breeding ground for some noxious weeds (e.g. field horsetail). 

A final observation is that many are plastic films, and you know what we think of plastic!!  They eventually break down and you find bits of plastic everywhere.  Landscape fabric is really hard to remove once it starts breaking down and depositing microplastics in the soil.  The long-term implications of the excess of microplastics in our ecosystems are yet to be fully defined, but we suspect that they are not good. 

Kick the Habit There is no magic solution that will eliminate weeds.  Apply mulch, more mulch, and more mulch still.  Wood chips, leaves, other organic materials such as pine straw and compost all will do a better job while eventually breaking down and building your soil.  Even stones and pea gravel are better.  Layer your mulch 2-3″ thick and very few weeds will get through.  Better yet, use a living mulch of native ground covers to outcompete the weeds and reduce the need to add brown mulch each season.  In summary, landscape fabric offers a short-term gain in return for a long-term problem.