nature – Sustainable Ewing Green Team

Ewing Township Marks Arbor Day 2026

April 16, 2026Leave a comment

It’s All About Trees

Ewing Township will mark Arbor Day 2026 with our annual tree planting and celebration of joining the ranks of Tree City USA communities across the nation. To earn Tree City USA recognition, a city must uphold four core standards including maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and participating in an Arbor Day celebration. Ewing is proud to celebrate this community effort in maintaining and expanding our community tree canopy.

“Earning Tree City USA recognition is something we take pride in because it reflects real work happening on the ground here in Ewing. We understand that trees are not just about aesthetics — they are critical to how we manage stormwater, reduce flooding, improve air quality, and keep our neighborhoods cooler and healthier. Our investment in maintaining and expanding our tree canopy is part of a broader commitment to building a stronger, more resilient community for our residents.” Mayor Bert Steinmann.

Mayor Steinmann continued: “This recognition would not be possible without the ongoing efforts of the Ewing Green Team and the Ewing Environmental Commission, who continue to lead the charge on environmental stewardship in our community. Their work, along with initiatives like our ‘250 Trees for 250’ campaign, is helping us grow our canopy in a thoughtful, strategic way while also engaging residents in the process. It’s a true community effort, and one we’re committed to continuing.”

Ewing’s Green Team and Environmental Commission have been celebrating Arbor Day with ceremonial tree planting since 2018. Members of both Boards combine funds to donate a tree every Arbor Day, and have it planted in one of Ewing’s parks to serve as living reminders of the work that they do.

This Arbor Day the two boards will once again join Mayor Bert Steinmann, members of Township Council, and other dignitaries in marking the day with the annual tree planting on Saturday morning, April 25^th. A number of red maple trees will be planted near the front of John S. Watson Park off of Lower Ferry Road. This park’s tree canopy has been particularly hard hit by the loss of numerous Ash trees, due to the impact of the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect that has plagued Ash tree canopies across much of the country.

To date, the boards have been successful in completing a tree allée of Princeton Elms at the Bejamin Temple House at Drake Farm Park added a couple of Black gum trees to Watson Park, and contributed a tree to the front of the small parking lot along Upper Ferry Road in front of the ½ -mile paved path loop at Veterans Memorial Park.

Arbor Day History

Arbor Day is celebrated internationally on the last Friday in April. It’s a day to plant new trees, care for existing ones, celebrate their benefits as we educate the community as to their role in benefiting our environment.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Its network of more than a million supporters and partners has helped the organization plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities across more than 60 countries. The Foundation’s Tree City USA program is now celebrating its 50^th recognition season. The anniversary underscores the program’s rich history of growing healthier, greener, and more resilient communities through urban forestry.

“For five decades, Tree City USA has rallied passionate local leaders to enhance the livability and sustainability of their communities. Tree champions like Ewing are leading the way in a growing movement to shape a better future with trees and action,” said Michelle Saulnier, Vice President of Programs at the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees are critical infrastructure, building resiliency and fostering good health in our nation’s cities. We’re proud Ewing is among the Arbor Day Foundation’s growing network of communities dedicated to creating positive impact through trees.”

In cities and neighborhoods, trees are proven to help mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and boost mental and physical health. When the right trees are planted in the right places, they can also reduce traffic noise, increase property values, and lower energy costs for homeowners.

Join Our 250 Tree Campaign!

This Arbor Day we put forward an additional “ask” to Ewing community members. In celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday, the Ewing Green Team and Environmental Commission are working with our Mayor and Council, local businesses, and residents to reach an audacious and worthy goal – planting 250 new trees in Ewing!

Our ask: Give America the best birthday gift ever. Plant a tree!

We can’t do it alone. We need your help! To help us achieve our shared dream of a more beautiful, healthy, and environmentally friendly Ewing, we ask that you take a simple but important step: Plant one tree!

To learn more, go to https://ewinggreenteam.org/250-tree-campaign/. Take our pledge to plant and plant your tree today!

Additional Materials

Arbor Day Proclamation by the Mayor and Council #26R-84

It’s All About Trees! Tree planting tips from the Ewing Green Team.

It’s April! Celebrate Native Plant Month

April 11, 2026April 11, 2026Leave a comment

Fill Your Landscape with Native Plants to Sustain Our Native Wildlife

April is officially Native Plant Month, and the Ewing Green Team encourages you to fill your garden with beautiful NJ natives this spring.

Benefits

Native plants play a critical role in supporting a healthy environment and thriving wildlife populations. They are also underrated beauties that, once established, weather the vicissitudes of climate change better than non-natives. They generally have deeper root systems, which can search down for water in times of drought such as we are experiencing now. They also anchor in and absorb stormwater runoff during times of excess rain, all while offering support in terms of food, cover, and shelter to our declining wildlife populations. They require fewer artificial inputs: no fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, no soil amendments, and limited watering. Finally, they offer a truer enjoyment of the natural world as we experience not only its beauty but also a deeper connection to nature as we observe our landscape used as habitats. We urge you to plant natives because wildlife matters and is worth protecting.

What exactly are native plants? And why are they important?

Plants are considered to be native to an area where they occurred naturally over time and developed symbiotic relationships with insects and other wildlife that have evolved with them. This may take hundreds of years in a particular area or region. A generally accepted definition includes only plants found in this country before European settlement. And, plants that are native to other areas of the country such as the west or northwest, may be native to the United States, but are not considered to native to our area in New Jersey. Some plants may have a very wide native geographic range, and others may be much more limited. When selecting plants for your garden, it is important to pay attention to their native range and to choose plants that are native to our Central Jersey area (see the Native Plant Society of NJ lists).

Keystone Natives

While our NJ natives always provide sustenance for some wildlife, there are some that provide special ecosystem value for their relative biomass, supporting the greatest number of wildlife species. They are called keystone native plants and are critical to the food web, and necessary for many wildlife to complete their life cycles. Every region of the country has different native plant communities. (Here in Ewing, we are in the Eastern Temperate Forests, Ecoregion 8. )

If you have the room, you will get the biggest wildlife bang for your buck if you join us in our 250 Tree Campaign and plant a native tree. The Red oak (Quercus rubra) is NJ’s state tree and is particularly beautiful, but there are numerous oaks that are native to our state that provide great wildlife value. The Northern red oak grows up to 100 feet tall and is a good choice for a street tree because it is salt resistant. Oaks in general support over 436 species of caterpillars alone. Willows (in the shrub category) support 289 species. And then there are the flowering perennials. Top among them are the goldenrod and asters, Black-eyed Susans, and more. This author particularly loves the perennials that flower later in the season as they support butterflies and other insects as they begin their fall migrations or prepare for the winter hibernation.

Ewing residents can make a difference in our home landscapes. As invasive species overrun more and more of both our cultivated and wild spaces, native species that support local biodiversity play an increasingly important role. We ask that during Native Plant Month you dedicate some space to native plantings, whether it be a container, your patio, or yard and help sustain our wildlife.

Protect Our Local Watershed at Our Annual Stream Cleanup in Ewing

March 10, 2026Leave a comment

Calling all our Ewing Friends and Neighbors: Let’s work together to show the Shabakunk Creek some much needed TLC on Saturday, April 18^th 9-11 am. Pre-registration required.

Cleanup days are a good time for Ewing residents to get out into the environment and experience nature while working to protect our important natural resources. Volunteers walk along specific stream segments and pick up trash and litter. This event, run by Mayor Bert Steinman and the Ewing Green Team, in partnership with The Watershed Institute has been run in a number of Ewing locations over the years resulting in the removal of over 9200 pounds of trash during this event alone.

Additionally, over the past decade, The Watershed Institute’s annual cleanups have coordinated the hard work of over 9,700 enthusiastic volunteers who have removed more than 166,000 pounds of trash from our local area communities.

The Ewing event this year will concentrate cleanup efforts at the Shabakunk Creek at the Hollowbrook Community Center and its environs, at 320 Hollowbrook Drive, Ewing.

Pre-registration is required!

This is a rain or shine event. Long pants, gloves, and closed-toed shoes are highly recommended. Please don’t forget to bring the gloves and 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.

Thank You Giveaways!

Trees NOT Tees! The Watershed will continue to offer cleanup volunteers a complimentary tree sapling to say thank you for helping keep our waterways clean! They will not be offering stream cleanup t-shirts as they typically do to 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.

Event Summary

Event: Stream Cleanup at the West Branch of the Shabakunk Creek.
Date: Saturday, April 18^thTime: 9 – 11 am
Location: Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Drive, Ewing.
Cost: a couple of hours of your time
Pre-registration required: Click Here

Plant a Tree in Ewing for America’s 250th Birthday

August 21, 2025Leave a comment

It’s not too early to get started!

In celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday, the Ewing Green Team and Environmental Commission have joined forces with the Mayor and Council, local businesses, and residents, to promote an audacious and worthy goal – planting 250 new trees in Ewing!

Our ask: Give America the best birthday gift ever. Plant a tree!

There are many reasons to plant a tree: trees purify the air, mitigate the effects of climate change, and prevent stormwater runoff while increasing the value of your property and beautifying your neighborhood for generations to come. In fact, studies have even shown that trees enhance your mental and physical health.

DID YOU KNOW that Ewing’s tree canopy cover is low compared to the average statewide in New Jersey? (27.4% vs. 40%)

OUR GOAL: to inspire 250+ Ewing residents, businesses, and organizations to plant or pledge to plant at least 250 trees in town. This can be on your own property or by donating to plant a tree in one of Ewing’s parks and public lands.

It will soon be peak Fall planting time and we encourage you to let us know of your tree planting plans by taking ourPLEDGE TO PLANTa tree in your yard for our 250 Tree Initiative! We urge you to join with us and make your new tree one of the official 250 Trees for America’s 250th! Just click the link to fill out our quick, simple form and become a part of our movement to plant 250 trees in Ewing.

Sign the pledgeand then let us know when you have planted your tree(s). We will provide the encouragement and the know-how: from choosing your tree, planting it, and taking care of it.

We need your help! Help us meet our goal of planting at least 250 trees before the end of 2026. Ewing businesses: look for ways that you can participate in our 250 Trees for America’s 250^th Campaign coming soon. For more information email us at ewinggreenteam@gmail.com.

Additional Resources

Check out Ewing Township’s Caring for Your Trees webpage at ewingnj.org/caring-for-your-trees for detailed information. The page covers a wide variety of tree topics including regular maintenance, pruning (say no to tree topping), mulching tips (no volcanoes!), choosing your tree, and much more.

It’s April! Celebrate Native Plant Month

April 3, 2025April 3, 2025Leave a comment

Fill Your Landscape with Native Plants to Sustain Our Native Wildlife

April is officially Native Plant Month, and the Ewing Green Team is committed to increasing awareness of the critical role that native plants play in supporting a healthy environment and thriving wildlife populations. During this month, and every month, we encourage you to learn about the benefits to our local ecosystems gained by planting native trees, shrubs, and perennials that support bees, birds, butterflies, and all wildlife.

What could be better? Native plants are underrated beauties that, once established, weather the vicissitudes of climate change better than non-natives. They generally have deeper root systems, which can search down for water in times of drought such as we are experiencing now. They also anchor in and absorb stormwater runoff during times of excess rain, all while offering support in terms of food, cover, and shelter to our declining wildlife populations. They require fewer artificial inputs: no fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, no soil amendments, and limited watering. Finally, they offer a truer enjoyment of the natural world as we experience not only its beauty but also a deeper connection to nature as we observe our landscape used as habitats. We urge you to plant natives because wildlife matters and is worth protecting.

What exactly are native plants? And why are they important?

Plants are considered to be native to an area where they occurred naturally over time and developed symbiotic relationships with insects and other wildlife that have evolved with them. Since evolution is not a quick process, this means over hundreds, or even thousands, of years in a particular area or region. Only plants found in this country before European settlement are generally considered to be native to the United States. And, plants that are native to other areas of the country such as the west or northwest, California… may be native to the United States, but are not considered to native to our area in New Jersey. Some plants may have a very wide native geographic range, and others may be much more limited. When selecting plants for your garden, it is important to pay attention to their native range and to choose plants that are native to our Central Jersey area.

Did you know that New Jersey is home to over 3000 species of native plants (as defined by the New Jersey Native Plant Society), offering tremendous variety as well as diversity of habitat and sustenance to the critters that evolved alongside with them? Mercer County also has its own unique set of plants defined as native to the county.

Since New Jersey’s animals, insects, and microorganisms have evolved in conjunction with our regional gasses, ferns, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees, they have developed symbiotic relationships and depend upon each other for their survival. Our native plants will attract and feed birds, bees, butterflies, small mammals in your yard and you can feel good about sustaining the food web in the habitat they need to survive.

So, how to choose

wildflower garden — Rudbeckia and Echinacea

If you have the room, you will get the biggest wildlife bang for your buck by planting a tree, particularly oaks. The Red oak (Quercus rubra) is NJ’s state tree and is particularly beautiful, but there are numerous oaks that are native to our state that provide great wildlife value. The Northern red oak grows up to 100 feet tall and is a good choice for a street tree because it is salt resistant. Oaks in general support over 436 species of caterpillars alone. Willows (in the shrub category) support 289 species. And then there are the flowering perennials. Top among them are the goldenrod and asters, Black-eyed Susans, and more. This author particularly loves the perennials that flower later in the season as they support butterflies and other insects as they begin their fall migrations, or prepare for the winter hibernation.

Members of the team will regale you with their favorites during the coming weeks. Through our promotion of Native Plant Month, Ewing and its citizens can engage and make a difference in our home landscapes. As invasive species overrun more and more of both our cultivated and wild spaces, native species that support local biodiversity play an increasingly important role. We ask that during Native Plant Month you start to dedicate some space, whether it be a container, your patio, or yard to make a difference and sustain our wildlife.