The Alternative Press

LIVINGSTON, NJ - Several members of the Livingston community met at the Livingston gazebo on Wednesday, April 28th, to plant a cherry tree in celebration of Arbor Day. Those in attendance included Mayor Arlene A. Johnson, Township Manager Michele E. Meade, Superintendent of D.P.W. Michael Anello and Tree Specialist Albert Werner.

This year, there have been 150 trees that have been taken down in Livingston because they were not doing well.  With the help of the town and the community, Mayor Johnson, Michele Meade and those mentioned above are continuing to form a program that will actively replant trees in the area and maintain their vitality over the years. The trees that have been taken down will be replaced by healthy new trees in the spring and the fall. The plan is to replant 85 new trees in the spring and 85 in fall.

The new program will entail doing research in the area and determining (from analyzing different soil capacities) where the trees will be most able to survive.

In the area surrounding the Livingston gazebo, several trees have already been planted. Some of these trees were donated by various members of the community, Girl Scout Troops, the Board of Education or the town itself.

"Since Michele has been acting manager, Livingston has been actively into tree planting," said Superintendent Anello. "Hopefully, in time, we can get everything in shape. We need to determine...what is needed to accommodate them."

The cherry tree that was planted for Arbor Day at the gazebo has a life expectancy of between 60-70 years.

"We have to make the effort to replace all trees that need to be replaced," explained licensed tree expert Albert Werner. "In this area, we have a need to replace the Norway Maples which have all died out. We will take a look at the specified area and determine which tree will live well in that particular type of soil."

There are less than 500 licensed tree experts in the entire state of New Jersey. "Livingston is so excited to have one in our own backyard," said Township Manager Michele Meade. "I want to thank Al and his team for working so hard to make this day and this program doable."

Livingston has also recently been named a proud partner of Tree City USA. This is a program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, which provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in thousands of towns and cities. Through an extensive application and requirement process, Livingston is now a member.

"I am really grateful to be a part of today and now also a part of Tree City USA," said tree planter and expert Werner. "The program is a huge step forward."