On Saturday, October 26th, the Franklin Township Shade Tree Commission planted over 100 more trees at the South Middlebush Tree Farm. These trees were donated by the Lion's Club for "Make a Difference with Trees" day, a program sponsored by the New Jersey Tree Foundation.

Together with the 100 trees planted for Arbor Day and the remaining Liberty elms, the tree nursery is now home to almost 250 trees. Recently, the Shade Tree Commission won a grant from the National Tree Trust for 300 tree seedlings for planting in the Spring. This will bring the total of trees at the nursery to almost 600, a number that the Commission wishes to maintain as the trees mature and are replanted in parks and streets, while being replaced with new seedlings.

According to Mike Orsini, chair of the Shade Tree Commission, the idea of creating a tree nursery originated from the observation that too few seedlings survived when planted directly on site, and the cost of planting more mature trees was too expensive to plant more than a few each year. It was originally envisioned to start a similar project on a tract of Township-owned open space. However, the labor and material necessary for such an undertaking, as well as the cost, was not immediately available from the Township or the Department of Public Works. The offer to use part of the South Middlebush Tree Farm solved this problem and allowed the Commission to start work. Should the resources become available, the Commission still plans to start a similar project on Township-owned lands.

Without the commitment and dedication of Al Galdi, owner of South Middlebush Tree Farm and vice-chairman of the Shade Tree Commission, this undertaking would not have been possible. He donated his time and labor, mulch and material for a deer fence to make the project happen.

It is anticipated that within 2-3 years, the Commission will be able to transplant up to 50 trees a year from the nursery to public land. The commission will then replace these trees with new seedlings, creating a constant supply of new trees for the Township.

In addition to the National Tree Trust grant, the Commission is also competing for $8000 of additional grant money from the State Forestry service. Part of this money would be used to fund completion of a new five-year Community Forestry Management Plan. Having an approved plan allows communities to compete for grants to fund various projects. The Commission also plans to pursue designation of Franklin Township as a Tree City USA community for 2003.