Free Tree Seedling Giveaways Begin Friday In Mendham, Chester

MENDHAM-CHESTER, NJ — Trees are an important part of the local ecosystem, and residents of Mendham and Chester can pick up some free seedlings to plant in their communities beginning Friday.

The Community Tree Recovery Program provides residents with seedlings to help re-establish neighborhood trees in places that have had trees die from floods, storms, or insect-related diseases. This national program is run by the Arbor Day Foundation, which the New Jersey Forest Service has partnered with for the last nine years.

This program has provided more than 800,000 tree seedlings in total to New Jersey residents.

Residents of any community can stop by one of the giveaways and pick up five young trees to plant, which will be tailored to the environment in Morris County. Here is when you can do so locally:

• Mendham Borough: Friday, April 12 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Public Works building, 37 Ironia Road
• Mendham Township: Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Municipal Building Parking Lot, 2 West Main Street, Brookside
• Chester Township: Sunday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Chester Library parking lot, 250 West Main Street.

There are seedling giveaways in several Morris County communities coming up this month, and residents can pick up five young trees to plant, no matter where they live in the county or state. Click here to see other free seedling giveaways in Morris County going on this April.

The Chester Township Environmental Commission is also holding their annual Native Plant Sale, with orders due by May 3. This sale isn't a fundraiser, but an opportunity for local residents to buy plants which support pollinators and birds in the community. This increases biodiversity and improves the overall health of the local ecosystem.