The Adopt-A-Tree program allows residents to participate in revitalizing Glen Ridge's urban forest.

With a $250.00 donation to this program, a site-appropriate tree will be planted in front of your house adding to the quality of life in the Borough and making up for trees removed in recent years due to maple blight, inappropriate use string trimmers and other causes.

In addition to providing natural beauty, shade and improved air quality; the new trees will mitigate other elements of the Borough's infrastructure such as asphalt, concrete and over-head utilities. An environment absent of trees would be depressing and uninviting.

Residents can also assist in the revitalization of the Borough's trees by:

1. Watering recently planted trees in your neighborhood twice per week approximately five gallons of water from June through September.
   
   
2. Avoiding the use of de-icing compounds and lawn herbicides around the base of trees.
   
   
3. Monitoring the use of line-trimmers (weed-whackers) and mowing around the base of the tree in order to prevent damaging the tree bark. Line-trimmer damage can be further minimized by maintaining a 2"-3" thick mulch ring around the base of sensitive tree trunk, and will conserve water during periods of drought.
   
   
4. Utilizing proper mulching techniques around the base of the tree. Avoid the mulch volcano.
   
   
5. Contacting the Public Works Department if you observe a damaged, diseased and hazardous tree.
   
   

For further information or to Adopt-A-Tree, e-mail us at trees@glenridgenj.org.

The Public Works Town Yard, located at 122 Carteret Street, is open every second Saturday of each month from 9:00am to 1:00pm for residents to drop off their recycling and electronics.

In addition to regular recyclable materials, residents can drop off broken/unwanted electronic devices - anything with a plug. These items comprised of plastic, glass, aluminum and other materials can be recycled to be used in the the manufacturing of new items.

In addition to recycling opportunities, landfilling some electronic devices runs the risk of poisoning our environment.

Monitor picture tubes (Cathode Ray Tubes or CRTs) contain lead which left in landfills can leach into the ground, poisoning our soil as well as our water supplies.

Computers and other related equipment also contain hazardous materials such as lead, lithium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium and more. Proper disposal of such items is vital.

The next Recycling/Electronics Drop Off Day is May 14, 2011.

Essex County's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at the Fleet Maintenance Garage in Cedar Grove, NJ. (Get the details)

Last year residents from throughout Essex County brought in a total of 39 tons of material and residents from each of the county's 22 municipalities participated in the collection event.

"These events help us remove mountains of hazardous material from our waste stream and dispose of them in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner," said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.