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Borough of Ringwood Initiates First-In-State Regional Approach to Lake Management Through Public-Private Partnership (Passaic County)

A provider of drinking water to millions of New Jersey residents, the Borough of Ringwood is situated in the heart of the New Jersey Highlands and is home to several public and private lakes that sit within the Ramapo Mountains. In order to take an active role in the management of these natural resources located within multiple watersheds, the Borough of Ringwood was the first municipality in New Jersey to take a regional approach to private lake management through a public-private partnership with lake associations. In 2019, several lakes in northern New Jersey suffered from long-lasting harmful algae blooms. In addition to impacting the aesthetic condition of a lake, cyanobacteria from the blooms produce toxins that can cause a host of health issues in humans and animals that come in contact with the water. The Borough of Ringwood obtained a grant from the New Jersey Highlands Council and hired Princeton Hydro to assess the health of six waterbodies in the town and to make recommendations. The 2021 Report: An Assessment of The Lakes And Watersheds of Ringwood Borough details the results of mapping, modeling and monitoring efforts in each waterbody and its respective watershed. The Borough used the report to apply for grant funding made available through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 (h) of the Clean Water Act.  An award decision is expected in summer 2022. Additionally, this project serves as a model for other Highlands-based lake communities, including four other townships and one county, with more communities to soon follow. Sustainable Ringwood supported this work by developing flyers, community presentations, social media posts, a poster and a brochure: Maintaining Healthy Lakes: What You Can Do at Home. These program materials were funded in part through a $2,000 Sustainable Jersey green team support grant funded by the PSEG Foundation. The Borough of Ringwood is certified with Sustainable Jersey and received ten certification points for this work under the action: Innovative Community Project.

Newark’s First Avenue Elementary School Displays Sustainability Excellence at Green Fair (Essex County)

On June 2, 2022, the First Avenue Elementary School held its inaugural green fair. The Student Sustainability Ambassadors showcased their projects that spanned a variety of focus areas including energy, waste, climate change and health and wellness. Pre-kindergarten students used recyclable materials to make flowers and bugs; first graders discussed how to turn disposable household items into something new and useable; second graders created wind turbines that turn wind into energy and middle school students made paper. The students did a practice green fair a few weeks earlier because they had a very impressive guest coming; New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy Murphy visited the school to see first-hand how the school is incorporating sustainability and climate change into the curriculum. First Avenue Elementary School is one of only two schools in Essex County that have achieved Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification at the prestigious silver-level. Sustainability leadership comes from the top at First Avenue School as Principal Rosa Branco provides support and encouragement to staff and students. Music teacher Jenna Sandman coordinates the sustainability efforts of school’s green team and serves as a motivating changemaker. First graders Allyson, Thiago and Angelina discussed the recycled art projects on their table for visitors. They explained, “Earth is our planet. We can’t go live on another one so we have to take care of it.” First Avenue School is participating in the EmPowered Schools Program, which provides free support and resources to educate students in saving energy and money in their schools and homes. Second graders Chris and Daniel expertly described the benefits of wind turbines. They said that making and learning about wind turbines made school more interesting and fun.

Medford Township Adds Warning System to Better Respond to Extreme Weather Due to Climate Change (Burlington County)

As the impacts of climate change in New Jersey increase, municipalities are finding ways to prepare for major weather events prior to the arrival of hazardous conditions. The Medford Township Emergency Management Team, under the leadership of Fire Chief Robert Dovi, collaborated with the Medford Environmental Affairs Advisory Committee (EEAC) on an important community resiliency project, made possible in part through a $10,000 Sustainable Communities Grant administered by Sustainable Jersey and funded by Atlantic City Electric. The project includes an intelligent weather station and the addition of a lightning detection system to Medford’s Freedom Park. “With the addition of the severe weather warning system, people who use the park and the dog park, as well as the surrounding homes and businesses, will benefit from an early lightning alert that allows them to return to their homes or vehicles within a safe amount of time. Signs in the park provide instructions on the system with scannable bar codes,” said Apolonia Galie, EEAC chair. The Medford Township Online Weather Center and Lightning System are great resources for residents and are connected to a larger network of weather monitoring by Earth Networks that provides modeling that aids timely preparation and implementation of emergency plans. “We take the threat of severe weather events seriously and I hope this project will protect not only residents and visitors to Medford but also contribute to the safety of people across Burlington County. It is important to be proactive,” added Fire Chief Dovi. Medford Township is certified with Sustainable Jersey. For more information on the current Sustainable Communities Grants cycle, visit the current funding cycle page.

Six Schools Recognized for NJ Student Climate Challenge Action Projects

Student team winners and their teacher mentors, from high schools and middle schools across New Jersey, were honored by New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy for their Student Climate Challenge action projects on June 8, 2022, at an awards ceremony hosted by the Drumthwacket Foundation. The Central High School Youth Environmental Society Team from Hopewell Valley Regional School District was the first-place winner in the high-school category. This student team authored a 28-page Climate Action Proposal that addresses clean energy, clean transportation, sustainable food use, sustainable school grounds and more. After presenting their plan to the Hopewell Valley Board of Education, the students are working to get the plan adopted. Dr. Rosetta Treece, Superintendent of Schools for Hopewell Valley Regional School District said, “The amount of research the students put into the proposal was very impressive. We look forward to future collaborations together.” First Lady Tammy Murphy said, “It’s an honor to join these bright young minds as we celebrate their hard work on the New Jersey Student Climate Challenge action projects. Let these projects show that our state, and the world, are in good hands with the generations of climate leaders who will come from New Jersey.” Watch the impressive videos from each of the six winning teams: 2021-2022 School Awardees. Teachers and students should plan now to participate in the New Jersey Student Climate Challenge for the 2022-2023 school year--updated information will be posted by early October 2022 at bit.ly/NJStudentClimateChallenge.

Grants to Improve Air Quality and Energy Performance in Women- and Minority-Owned Small Businesses

The School and Small Business Energy Efficiency Stimulus Programs are part of a $180 million grant initiative for New Jersey schools and women- and minority-owned small businesses to improve the air quality and energy performance of their buildings. The programs provide grants for up to 75% of costs to maintain, repair or replace HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems and install energy efficient and water-conserving plumbing fixtures and appliances. These programs improve the health and safety of eligible schools and small businesses while creating jobs for labor-intensive projects. Sustainable Jersey green teams and municipalities can help eligible businesses learn about these grants by sharing program information. Learn more: NJCleanEnergy.com/SSBStimulus.