By Maddy Vitale
Sea Isle City is giving away seedlings during an Arbor Day Celebration hosted by the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission, the Sea Isle City Garden Club and the Sea Isle City Historical Society & Museum on April 27.
The public is invited to pick up their trees from noon to 1 p.m. in the Historical Museum’s Memorial Garden located behind the Sea Isle City Library at 4800 Central Avenue.
There are 1000 trees, including oaks and sycamores. Some other varieties include beach plums and bayberry trees, which are good for protecting the dunes, said former Sea Isle Mayor Mike McHale, a member of the city’s Environmental Commission and chairman of its Shade Tree Committee.
McHale, who helps direct the event, said seedlings will also be given out from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday during the city’s beach cleanup and May 19 at the Garden Club.
He and other volunteers are picking up the seedlings Thursday. The trees come from the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign in partnership with the New Jersey State Forest Nursery. The program helps communities replace trees that were lost during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
“We want people to be able to plant these trees. A lot of them are available for people to plant off the island,” McHale said. “We have to do our part to take care of the earth and one of our goals is to increase the canopy.”
Last year McHale said they gave away 1,500 seedlings. “We got really hearty, fantastic seedlings last year,” he said. “We will show the people when they pick them up how to plant them and keep them moist. In the beginning they need a lot of water.”
During the Arbor Day Celebration, trees will be dedicated during the ceremony, McHale noted.
After the celebration in the Memorial Garden, complimentary refreshments will be served inside the Historical Museum, where guests can explore the museum’s collection of artifacts and historical photos.
“It is a combination of the Garden Club and the Historical Museum going this. It is an important event.”
For more information about Sea Isle City’s 2018 Arbor Day Celebration, call the Historical Society at 609-263-2992 or visit www.seaislemuseum.com. To learn more about the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission call 609-263-2081. To contact the Sea Isle City Garden Club call 609-263-3331.
Sea Isle Library and Historical Museum - 4800 Central Avenue, Sea Isle City, NJ
