The Friends of Anderson Park took delivery earlier this week of 22 trees, which will more than replace the ten that fell during superstorm Sandy last fall. Some have already been planted, and others are scheduled to hit the ground on Friday and over the weekend.
Species include pin oak, Kentucky coffee tree, Shumard’s oak, sugar maple, evergreen, London Plane, and blackgum. They were selected because they either follow (or are a close substitute for those named in) the historic 1904 Olmsted planting plan. Many of the new trees are sizable, with caliper measurement (trunk diameter at four inches from the ground) of about six inches, and a few of the trees approach 20 feet in height.
All the trees were paid for through fundraising efforts of the Friends of Anderson Park, which includes raffles, a spring donation drive, and regular donations. One family funded the entire acquisition of seven pine trees, and two other families sponsored a tree each; all wished to remain anonymous.
The conservancy and volunteers will be planting six trees tomorrow to mark Arbor Day, with help from the Girl Scouts and the Side Door Middle-Schoolers, between 3:15 to about 4:15. All 22 trees are expected to be planted by next Tuesday.
Photo by Scott Kevelson
The Friends of Anderson Park is a model civic organization. Their accomplishments, and teamwork are exemplary.
They love the park, are well organized, and are of a single mind and goal.
It is the kind of organization that we see so few of these days.
And the care they take of the park is wonderful. The park is well taken care of, and well planned. It is beautiful!
And …. this is done with volunteers, and the support and encouragement of the County.
I wish this success story could be replicated throughout Montclair.
Love the park, and the organization. I hope the town won’t get it wish for a parking deck across the street. There are better spots for one, if one is even needed.
Hmmmmm…..
Ugly parking deck. High expense to the public. No one wants it. Government project.
Beautiful park. No expense to the public. Everyone wants it. Resident project.
We might be on to something here!
The Friends of Anderson Park should take a bough.
On the right side of the photo that accompanies this article you can see the edge of a building. This is the condo complex in the cul-de-sac (Preston Place) that comes off Valley Rd., at the corner where BrIck Lane is located. It is 7 stories tall, much taller than any possible buildings the new master plan envisions, and it is directly across the railroad tracks from the park. It was built in 1964.
The Master Plan allows new buildings that would be about 2/3rds the height and people are apoplectic.