Committeewoman, Students Honored on Arbor Day

It was all about trees and the people who love them at the seventh annual Montville Township Arbor Day Event on Friday. Montville Township Committeewoman Deb Nielson was this year’s honoree for her work with the Environmental Commission and for forming the Montville Sustainability Committee.

Also honored were three third-grade students whose posters exemplified this year’s theme, “Trees are Beautiful in Montville.”

“People look at trees and think they are beautiful," Nielson said. "They look at the aesthetic qualities and that qualitative aspect: fall foliage and spring flowers. But in addition to that, they have quantitative aspects. You can quantify that trees in public areas and on lawns allow homes to sell faster. They also add to the value of a home anywhere from 7 to 19 percent.”

Nielson said over a 50-year lifetime, a tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion.

“I am a strong advocate for recycling," she said. "Recycling of paper products instead of discarding them into the trash makes sense in terms of sustaining our existing forests.”

According to Nielson, Montville recycles approximately 1,500 tons of paper and cardboard annually.

“Our local goal is to increase this figure, " she said. "The town implemented a new 'single stream' recycling program whereby all items can be co-mingled. The once per week Wednesday pickup is to make recycling as convenient as possible thereby encouraging greater participation.”

An honorary plaque and a newly planted chokecherry tree, a permanent honor on the municipal grounds, are the culmination of  Nielson’s 20 years of environmental advocacy in Montville Township.

“I am a landscape architect, so I have been involved since my college days and I am also involved with trees through volunteering,” Nielson said. “I moved to Montville 22 years ago and in 1991 I wanted to get active in the community."

Nielson is also a licensed professional planner in the state of New Jersey.

"The first board I was appointed to was the Environmental Commission," she said. "I served on the Environmental Commission from 1991-2004 and during that time I became chair of the Environmental Commission. We did a lot of good things. We initiated Tree City USA. It lapsed a little while then Michele Caron resurrected the Tree City USA designation for Montville. She initiated the Arbor Day celebration and the contest for the kids, which is wonderful.”

The three young artists were awarded at the ceremony. Emily Defazio of Valley View won first place and Lillian Wu and Nina Chirico, both of Hilldale, tied for second place. Defazio’s poster and blue ribbon will be displayed in the Municipal Building for the entire year.

Michele Caron, vice president of the Montville Township Environmental Commission and member of the Montville Township Women’s Club, worked with Dr. Paul Fried, superintendent of Montville Township Schools, to come up with the poster theme.

Holding an Arbor Day event and education of the public regarding the value and care of trees is part of the criteria for Tree City USA designation, according to Caron. Another basic criterion for a town to belong to this national association is simply to plant trees.

Caron said trees are important in Montville because it uses an aquifer, but the town has recently had to purchase reservoir water to supplement new growth. She said many residents in the municipality have their own wells which is “a wonderful water supply.”

Caron said, “trees help the rain percolate into the ground and filter the water through the roots, so it becomes purified again. Trees help pull surface water down into our aquifers so it won’t go into drainage ditches."

The Women’s Club sponsored the event and served refreshments. They gave away balsam evergreen saplings to good homes. They even inspired a local resident to get involved, club member Linda Peskin said.

“The new member saw the Women’s Club celebrating Arbor Day, was inspired, and decided she wanted to help the community," Peskin said.