On Sunday, November 6, 2022, the International WeLoveU Foundation (WeLoveU), and design firm HDR, Inc. (HDR) acted against deforestation and climate change by planting trees around Shepherd Lake in Ringwood State Park in Ringwood, NJ. In recent years, the park has suffered severely from an Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation. Originally from Asia, the invasive beetle feeds on and eventually kills all species of ash. The EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the United States and Canada since 2002.  

Lending a Helping Hand  

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, ash trees are one of the most valuable and abundant North American woodland trees: estimates of the total number of ash trees decimated by EAB in the United States range between 7 and 9 billion. To date, more than 500 ash trees have been removed and thousands of others are at risk and will eventually fall in Ringwood State Park alone. More than 100 volunteers from WeLoveU’s Ridgewood chapter and HDR united to plant 30 large New Jersey native trees, such as Black Gum, Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Sweetgum, Dogwood, Birch, Pine, Amelanchier, and Eastern Redbud’s. The trees of varying sizes ranged from 5’ to 16’ tall.  

The volunteers formed groups of three to four people to tackle hole digging, rock removal, planting, and finally securely filling and covering the trees with compost and mulch. Home Depot offered their support with tools to perform the planting, and many local nurseries donated trees to the cause. Home Depot sent a few store managers over to dig in and help plant trees. 

Ringwood Councilwoman Michelle Kerr joined and gave a helping hand with her family and said, “Thank you for getting this together! Thank you for inviting me and for teaching me about what the WeLoveU Foundation does.” 

Manpower Meets Expertise 

Before the event, non-ash tree species, more likely to survive and native to New Jersey, were selected by HDR Landscape Architect Barbara Barnes, RLA, LEED AP. WeLoveU coordinated the logistics of the tree planting since it falls under its Clean WORLD Movement, a worldwide effort to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection in the face of climate change. HDR brought the technical expertise needed to support the successful tree planting. HDR Senior Environmental Scientist Kathy Drury led a tree planting demonstration for volunteers from start to finish. The united volunteers were able to finish planting in a record speed in about an hour and a half! 

HDR’s NY & NJ Area Cross Sector Manager Dave Davis said the tree planting was a very important event to restore the plants in the park that were devastated by the EAB. “It’s important to give back and improve the environment.” 

HDR’s Water Business Group Manager Joyce Mariani, PE said, “You made it so easy to come here. It was really a wonderful partnership and I could not have asked for a better partnership with you doing a program like this. We want to thank you very much for doing this. It’s really programs like this that make us a better place and we look forward to doing many more of these with you.” 

A Higher Purpose 

The volunteers planted within integrated teams and were part of something much bigger than themselves. Trees benefit our society by improving air quality and mitigating stormwater and flooding by absorbing excess water. They provide shade, enhance aesthetic beauty, reduce erosion, provide food, and much more.

Ringwood State Park’s Superintendent Eric Pain was in awe of the final result. He said, “On behalf of New Jersey’s State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites and Ringwood State Park, we would like to thank the International WeLoveU Foundation and HDR for partnering with us today at the Shepherd Lake Recreation Area for a volunteer tree planting.”  

WeLoveU and HDR believe the trees will grow healthy and strong. The volunteers look forward to returning to the park in Spring to see them in full bloom. The partners will continue to make united efforts that benefit the environment in the future.