by Ben Alter

The LSRPAF (Licensed Site Remediation Professionals Association Foundation) has issued the first of two payments to three environmental commissions in the State of New Jersey. The $1,000 checks represent most of the $1,500 being awarded through a grant program established by ANJEC, the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions.  Each of the projects is located on remediated property.  Let’s take a look at the projects being funded.

A Demonstration Garden in Glen Ridge

The Glen Ridge Environmental Advisory Committee is constructing a demonstration garden on a half-acre lot that was the site of a former train station. The portion of this project funded by the LSRPAF is the creation of a pollinator area, which will run the length of the adjacent parking lot. This area will create a critical link in the emerging Glen Ridge Pollinator Pathway, which is part of a larger regional undertaking to create a corridor of properties -- private residences and public spaces -- that provide safe habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects.

A Rain Garden in Lambertville

The Lambertville Environmental Commission will rehabilitate a fenced rain garden on the west side of Cavallo Park. Cavallo Park underwent remediation due to the presence of high concentrations of lead and beryllium in the soils. The project entails adding a variety of deep-rooted native plants that will thrive in this environment and allow the soil to absorb and filter stormwater, while providing habitat for wildlife.

A Reading Garden in Teaneck

The Garden Club of Teaneck (GCT) is housed on land previously used as a sewage treatment plant. The GCT will convert a currently weed-filled section of land into a “reading garden.” This reading garden will have a “Little Public Library” that will house garden and nature reading materials; signs with information about native plant species, pollinators and what people can do locally to support the environment; and interactive “storyboards” that encourage children to read and learn about the natural world around them.

The projects are slated to be completed by June 2023.  Once completed, the three environmental commissions will receive the remaining $500 from the LSRPAF.

To learn more about the Foundation and its efforts to improve New Jersey’s environment and to offer scholarships to the next generation of environmental consultants, go to LSRPA.ORG and click on the Big Green Button. To learn more about ANJEC, go to ANJEC.ORG.

Photo Credit: Anne Lazo