Are NJ Pinelands a Renewable Resource?

Trees are a very important part of our environment. They provide shade, homes for animals and filters for our air. We make furniture out of trees, and paper, wood for heating purposes and the occasional campfire.

When you think Jersey Shore, trees may not come to mind, but we do have them. Most along the shoreline are for decorative purposes, but just inside on the mainland, we have our Jersey Pines and a very well endowed Pinelands area. Hidden among the pines are lots of creeks for kayaking and campgrounds for hanging out and enjoying those iconic camping weekends.

Aside from these, trees also serve as a heat source for those with fireplaces and wood stoves. One in particular called a pellet stove, invented in 1973 and went into production in the 1980s, offers a cheaper way to heat your home or at least have the ambiance of a fire. There are different kinds of pellets, many are made from sawdust, ash or other forestry waste. The pellets represent a cheaper way of heating a home and provide a more sustainable use.

There are lots of native trees to the Jersey Shore. If you are considering plantings for your home, consider the native list provided by the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. Some of my favorites are the red maple, the white birch, the common juniper, the holly tree, oak and cedar trees.

So when I say… “Go take a hike”… I mean it affectionately and among our Jersey trees.

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Native Plant Society of New Jersey:

www.npsnj.org/pages/nativeplants_Plant_Lists.html

Stafford Township:

Tree City USA: https://stafford I.gov/296/Arbor-Day

Adopt a Tree: www.staffordnj.gov/418/Adopt-A-Tree

Arbor Day 2019: April 26, 2019

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