Bayonne NJ Recognized As Bona Fide “Tree City” By Arbor Day Foundation Due To Prevalence, Centrality Of Trees
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Bayonne Earns Tree City USA Recognition from Arbor Day Foundation
Editor’s note: For those readers interested in the topic of regreening and regenerating the Earth, on an individual, county, city, and state-based level, the newest film from Woody Harrelson and the filmmakers who created a trilogy of inspiring environmental films, Groundswell releases on Prime Video next week. It follows many journeys that are happening simultaneously across the world, where regenerative farming techniques are really starting to take hold and cause a ‘groundswell’ of repair and regeneration. See what is being done already in the City with the newest tree canopy maps released by the Nature Conservancy. You can also see how King Charles of England has been doing similar things in those colonial locations that are part of the Commonwealth of Britain. His Majesty has been creating new environments, for plants, animals, and humans to coexist in ways we never thought possible. Then, you might want to take it to our own island’s Greenbelt evolution, or even to see what the City has been up to with installing their bee bunkers and bee hotels to try to bring that kind of tiny wildlife back, which can help restore our urban environment too. When it comes to your own home, Doug Tallamy’s inspirational journey around the US, as he helps people to create Homegrown National Forest, which will one day fully connect all across this great country, bringing with it the birds, bees, and other wildlife that will also regenerate and restore the ecological wastelands that were becoming common across the country and the world.
Mayor Robert Kubert announced that the Arbor Day Foundation named Bayonne a 2025 Tree City USA in honor of its commitment to plant, grow, and maintain trees to benefit its community.
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Its network of more than a million supporters and partners has helped the organization plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities across more than 60 countries. The Tree City USA program is now celebrating its 50th recognition season.
“For five decades, Tree City USA has rallied passionate local leaders to enhance he livability and sustainability of their communities. Tree champions like Bayonne are leading the way in a growing movement to shape a better future with trees and action,” said Michelle Saulnier, Vice President of Program at the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees are critical infrastructure, building resiliency and fostering good health in our nation’s cities. We’re proud Bayonne is among the Arbor Day Foundation’s growing network of communities dedicated to creating positive impact through trees.”
In a statement, the Arbor Day Foundation said, “In cities and neighborhoods, trees are proven to help mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and boost mental and physical health. When the right trees are planted in the right places, they can also reduce traffic noise, increase property values, and lower energy costs for homeowners.”
Mayor Kubert said, “On behalf of the City of Bayonne, I would like to thank the Arbor Day Foundation for recognizing our city’s efforts in support of trees. I would also like to thank the Bayonne Department of Public Works for its work with trees in our parks and throughout the community.”
To earn Tree City USA recognition, a city must “maintain a tree board or department, have a community tree ordinance, spend at least $2.00 per capita on urban forestry, and participate in an Arbor Day celebration.”
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global non-profit organization that inspires people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. The foundation fosters “a growing community of more than one million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees.” Describing its activities, the organization concludes, “For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.”
Banner Image: Tree lined park. Image Credit – Heyzeus Escribo
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City of Bayonne
Bayonne is a community that retains many of the elements of a small town. One and two family homes, small apartment buildings, and small business predominate. There is a population of 62,000 people who take pride in their hometown and its history. Bayonne residents and their ancestors moved to the city from many parts of the world. During colonial times and the first century of the American Republic, the Dutch, British, and Africans were the first groups to arrive after the Native Americans. Subsequent waves of immigrants came from all over Europe, especially between the 1880s and the 1920s. In recent decades, sources of immigration have largely been represented from countries in Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeastern Asia. Each group has left its mark on the cultural, religious and political life of the community.
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