ALLENTOWN — A $750 grant could bring environmental and aesthetic benefits to several Allentown sites, as officials prepare to plant trees in a cemetery that is more than 200 years old.
Using a grant from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions that promotes open space stewardship, the Allentown Environmental Commission will plant between five and seven native trees at the historic Episcopal cemetery and Heritage Park.
“We are looking at trees that are less likely to be diseased or subject to insect infestations. We haven’t really decided on specific trees, but there has been talk about flowering dogwoods,” commission Chairman Greg Westfall said.
Once the trees have been planted, they will bring a number of positive changes to the area, including providing shade and cleaner air, reducing stormwater runoff and creating habitats for wildlife.
In addition to beautifying a portion of the cemetery, some of the trees will also impact the recreational and picnic areas at Heritage Park.
The plan to plant trees in those two areas of the borough has received support from the Allentown High School FFA, Boy Scout Troop 180, the Allentown Lions Club, the Allentown Garden Club and the Allentown Village Initiative, Westfall said.
Westfall said members of the borough government have been supportive of the project and of the environmental commission’s previous efforts.
“Over the years, we have received a number of grants,” he said. “It has been a while since we have had this type of opportunity, so we are pleased to make it a community effort and do some good.”
Westfall said that in the upcoming months, the environmental commission will be working with the Allentown Historic Preservation and Review Commission and the Shade Tree Commission to plant a memorial tree honoring the lives of the late Betsy Poinsett and Mary Clark.
Westfall said the environmental commission will strive to follow its mission to “promote and enhance the environmental quality of the borough.”
Contact Andrew Martins at
[email protected].