This conference will now be recorded. Thanks. The notice has been This is the March 5th meeting of the Sha Tree Commission of the Township of Ocean. The notice requirements for the open public meeting for this meeting have been satisfied. Copy of the annual notice was sent to the Asbury Park Press and the
Coaster posted in town hall and filed in office clerk on June 23rd, 2025. This meeting will be recorded and available on Ocean Santic's YouTube channel. So, uh, to start with, we'll do a roll call. Should have done that first
probably. Chairperson Coloulton is here. Members Cronheim Gordet >> here. >> Gordon >> here. >> Karns, we'll go through that. Lutz, uh,
Ken sent a thing saying he was in traffic. >> Yeah, I saw that. Armstrong. Okay. Um, he may have had the same problem because uh I spoke to him today and Councilwoman Taler Rico joining us.
>> I'm here. Thank you. >> Hi. And uh Okay, that being said, um we we may as well start with the usual uh pre-report. Bill Brooks can't join us tonight.
>> No, >> but he did. The minutes. >> Oh, the minutes. Will that pass them already? Okay. Yeah. Minutes for approval. Okay. Well, on top of that, my printer wouldn't let me print until about five minutes before, so I haven't had a chance to read the minutes myself.
>> Do you want to table it until next month? >> I finally got it to uh print out so we can uh >> I wasn't there so it doesn't matter. >> Right. So, it would be only be and Mosha wasn't there at the last meeting either. Okay. >> So, do you want to table it? We will
table the approval of the minutes until our next meeting. >> Okay. >> I wonder what the next thing is that's not going to work on my computer. >> You >> Oh, that's that's that's constant. I don't count that one.
>> Okay. >> Okay. So, uh so Bill couldn't be here, but he did leave uh send in a written uh thing to note about applications that he would have seen. So he says there was a
moderate amount of first he's saying there was a moderate amount of tree damage associated with the blizzard of 26. This is mainly confined to conifers such as white pine, white spruce, leeland cypress and several other species of furs and I saw that on my own street. There was also significant
amount of damage done to deciduous hardwoods that had structural deficiencies that had not been addressed or corrected. The damage to conifers was both total failure at grade which means so on our tree and limb loss due to the heavy snow loads. Damage to deciduous
trees was mostly major limb or leader failure due to structural deficiencies in the tree which were exacerbated by the heavy snow load. So that you know that it wasn't even snow, right? that freezing rain. It really did that stuff to us.
And he also noted that there has been a marked increase in tree removal applications for construction projects that he sees, which means those are ones that are not part of board applications. And twist vast majority of these are for new swimming pool construction,
although I'm pretty sure no one's going to be going swimming for at least a few weeks. Okay, so the next item on the agenda is the community forestry management plan. So we spent a lot of time on that and as it turns out we uh had our
community forestry management plan first it was reviewed came back in for for additional changes and comments due to their comments. We put the comments back in and the management plan was approved and uh there's a thing that goes out to
all the towns uh from you know community forestry and the D and in the very first paragraph of that they noted a few towns that had their CFMP approved and we were one of the ones that got listed. All I can say to that is whoopee.
Okay. better that we have it approved and we can, you know, that's a hurdle that we can get rid of. We don't want have to get a new one for another five years. Well, actually, it's more like four years because the first year uh of the plan is technically the year that you
write it. So, so I've got that. Hold on a sec. Be right back. I'll call you later. Okay. Okay. So, uh,
so the next thing is the, uh, the planning committee that Patty usually gives a report, but Patty is not here yet. Hopefully, she'll join us, so we don't have that. The next one on this is
the uh, the New Jersey urban community forestry uh, continuing education units. So each year we always wind up at the end of the year even though we only need to get eight CEUs across at least two people total have to
get some kind of CU. So one guy could get seven, one guy could get one. Um we sort of dotted that. Okay. But there was actually one I didn't get a chance to do but there was actually one today. But the two that are easiest to get are one is called something like urban forestry
today which comes out of the University of Massachusetts and the other one is from uh New Jersey Forestry Association or something like that called backyard forestry or something like that. Anyway, I'll send out when I get the little notific.
Uh the ones from Massachusetts are at lunchtime which makes them pretty convenient. the 1 hour things whereas the other ones I think sometimes which are on the third week of the month I think uh or whatever else uh you know or u you know for maybe a little bit longer
than that. Okay. And uh and the next thing I have is that just on the agenda right now is that the New Jersey urban and community forestry annual report uh is something that had to be submitted
and we I submitted that successfully before February 14th or something like that. So that's uh those are the main things that were on the agenda. So, we sort of whipped through things pretty quickly uh today,
but there's other things that we have to discuss. Okay. So, one of the things is um and Gene Armstrong's not here right now, but um one of the things that's happened on the commission is that Jack Karns, whose um
term was up in January, uh was did not was not renewed. So, we have an actual opening on the uh Shhatri Commission and I was I'm expecting uh that Jean,
who's their alternate uh would fill that space. So until uh we we can figure out what's going on there, uh people can suggest make suggestions on who they would recommend to fill
either a seat on the commission or a uh or become an alternate. So uh so we have that as a as a uh a thing to concern ourselves with. So, um,
so let me just open the floor then to any of the members have anything else worth mentioning? Probably a few things will pop into my head as usual, but um, anyone else have something they want to address uh, specifically.
Okay, that said, another one of the things that we we have to look into, as we've talked about many times, has to do with the issues of shade trees and uh that are on, you know, uh in the town's rightway, but in front of people's homes
and so on and so forth. And the question is whether that's responsibility of the homeowner or the township. Okay. In our in our town, the ordinance states that that's the the funding the town's supposed to do that work, but then build the people whose house it's in, you
know, it's it sits in front of. Okay. So, I've um I've been threatening to send out a list of uh how to contact people in all the different towns in Mammoth County. And I'm going to I I found again where I stashed the list.
I'm going to send that out to everybody. I'm going to ask everyone to, you know, ask for volunteers to make some calls and determine how many towns uh do it our way and how many towns have full respon total complete control and responsibility
uh for using the right awaying with the township. Uh Bill Brooks made a few calls uh related to that also and I'll get his specific data also. So, uh,
okay. Okay. So, let's Okay, let's talk about a couple other things then. Uh, one of the things that we usually do, and I guess I'm going to send this around also, but um, every year we give out seedlings, right? The third graders get seedlings and historically they they were free
from the state and so on and so forth. I'm not sure that they've renewed that program, but I've got to find out. And the other one is the township has purchased uh seedlings that we give away sometime around Earth Day. I'm looking at the list of seedlings.
New Jersey State Forestry Nursery in Jackson, every year they grow a whole lot of seedlings and usually have a very nice selection of trees to pick from. Last year we had about five or six different trees that we ordered from them that we gave out. Okay, this year the only tree that they have in that
program is uh Cirus Ruber, the red northern red oak, which is the state tree. And uh that's it's a nice tree. Although Bill Brooks tells me that there's there's two basic oak families, red oak
and white oak families. They different oaks are gathered together in those groupings. Must be similarities they have. and the red oak family has been having problems with something called bacterial wilt, you know. So maybe in the long long run that may not be the
best tree to be planting. So that's one thing to think about. Then they also do have though a certain quantity although I see when I looked at it the other day it's diminishing. They have those little tubing things. Okay. And so that may be what we have to go
with uh with those things, you know, or maybe we can find that's from the state's forester nursery. There may be some other nurseries that do seedlings. There's one I found in South Jersey that we got some things from uh a few years ago
and uh and see what what the story is or whether there's anything for the third graders. I thought they told me not, but then I saw something that talked about something like that when I was looking just two days ago and I've got to call the uh the the nursery uh to ask what's
going on. What just happened here? Can't touch it. Can't touch anything these days. Okay. So, let me just say it's nursery. Okay. So, uh so that's that's something now. So, that
means that when we do give out the trees, um usually the garden club supports that, but any of the other members that uh that have come on have been helpful, too. So, you got to figure that that's mostly going to be
around the Earth Day, which is the last Friday in April, I think, or something like that. So, probably be the Sunday after that is the most likely date that you would do that. >> Sunday after Earth Day. >> Uh, yeah, that's like two days after
Earth Day. >> Okay. >> Now, it all depends. Now it depends where we get the trees because the uh forestry nursery you know when they do certain things they they sort of distribute things up to a certain date
and then they stop. Okay. However, I know that then it's just a question of finding a refrigerator to put things in if they're barro seedlings. Now the tublings can be watered more easily. So that's that might not be so terrible either. But I know that I had some
seedlings from one of the uh previous things that I left in my refrigerator in the basement, my spare refrigerator, and they were still good uh you know, in when I potted them up in August or something like that. You know, that's
how they grow. In fact, they grow them through the w you know, they get them in the winter and they sort them out. I'm not sure when to actually harvest them, but uh but they keep them in a giant refrigerator, you know, uh all through the season, through the
winter. And one of the things that they do is that helps with that, I think, is they actually dip the roots in one of these uh polymer gels. sort of keeps the moisture on roots so that they're not just totally dried up like it would be
if you picked the something out of the ground, threw it on the ground, and it'd be totally, you know, dried up a couple of days later. >> Question. >> Excuse me. >> Would that be okay? Can I ask a question? >> Yeah, anyone can.
>> Okay, great. Um, the question is, I know we brought this up last meeting, but is there any way instead of like giving out the seedlings or the saplings at, you know, like Earth Day uh, event, if we
can get like social media, we could put out there um, you know how they do it with like St. Patrick's Day or any other event, if you're coming to it, you sign up. So the resident would have a email and they could send an email and say,
"Yes, I would like to be on the list to receive one of those trees and then we would know like an estimate of how many people um you know would of the residents in town that would like a tree and that would give us more of an idea
of how many and then we could also give them out at the event and that way we'd be able to see if there'd more people would want a tree. I don't know if that >> I think I think that Well, I think that trying to do that like already a month
ago or so, you know, before we uh even ordered them might be a little might be a little difficult, you know, >> but I know on social media that uh Municipal Ocean Township website, you know, they put up stuff all the time and
even like the rec center and human services and they get a good amount a response. So, I was just wondering if that might be something that would be helpful because then maybe the residents would hear about it more and then sign up um and more trees could be
distributed. But I think it's like what would we do that? I mean, I could talk to our town manager, but um when would that when would be the best time for that to occur? Well, what I'm saying is well, for example, I noticed that
already they only were going to they only were growing about seven varieties, three of which were pines. >> Uh, and except for the pines, almost everything else is already gone. Uh, not not available. Like they had red buds. If you remember the red buds, got the
nice pink flowers around the before the dogwoods do and so on and so forth. Those are no longer available. And uh, and so on and so forth, you know. So it's it's it's it gets gets tight with with ordering. As a matter of fact, we probably should have ordered something already,
>> but uh >> Okay. >> You know, so that so that gets that gets hard to to do. And the response I mean, we get we get a reasonable number of people that do come, but it's not as great as we've had in in some other years, you know.
But, uh, >> could we put this maybe I don't know for next year or maybe in the fall? I don't know the planting schedules, but I do know that if we put it out there to the residents and said, you know, we have a
month, we're going to collect names, addresses, phone numbers, if you would like a tree, I think there would be a lot more uh response. >> Yeah, we got remember these trees. You gota remember these trees are 10 inches tall. Okay. They're they know.
>> And we gave out and we gave out, >> you know, people took home five or more or more v various trees, you know, uh because we got, you know, and last year we did we didn't uh we still had plenty left over
and uh some got potted up and some, you know, would just um eventually so long I was going to, you know, was carrying holding on to some of them. Uh but but it's a good it's a good it's a good program and I'm not sure we've got
the you know who's the manpower. We've been ask people to volunteer to sort all these things out but so far it's there's only been me and maybe the you know some of the garden club members that are working this issue. >> Okay. So I guess my my last question
would be is there a way to find out how many we would be able to receive? Well, we can get we can get as many as we want to purchase. That's what we did last year. We purchased I think let's see. Well, the the schools we purchased about 300 and something for
the schools and then I think we purchased another 300 to distribute and we distributed maybe 200 or so that distributed if that on the day we were giving them out. I don't even think we gave that many out this
year. some reason it was it was not a good the day we were giving them out was not a pleasant day. It turned out it wasn't rainy, >> but it was was not, you know, was cool and not particularly pleasant. >> We we we know how much we purchased. >> Steve, you got to be a little louder,
Steve. I can't hear you. I can't make you out. >> We we've got some history. We know how much we purchased and about how many left over. So, we can we can sort of figure what we need from there. Right.
>> It's just thought, you know, but I know if there was a running list of like, hey, we have 50 residents that would like a tree, then maybe we could add the 50 onto, you know, the 500 that you're ordering. Um, it's just a thought.
>> Well, I think No, what I'm saying is if 50 extra more people had come, we would have had trees for them, you know. So, it wasn't a thing. You know, we try to do it. Um maybe it's a little overkill even, but we had uh we had whatever varieties we had. We had a when the
people came, they had a picture of what that tree is going to look like and then information about the tree and so on and so forth, which we put up as a big, you know, like a big poster kind of a thing. And uh so it's generally been been reasonable at uh it's just a question of
the day, you know, and who can make it. But it's not like we ran out of trees and people left disappointed. I I totally hear what you're saying. I'm just saying for people that can't make it to that event, like how would they be able to receive
the trees if we don't have like a running list or an email that they can send their request to? >> Well, the question is who's who's going to handle all of that? >> Who's going to deliver it? Well, I mean, I could ask I could
definitely ask Gabe Brown, you know, who who could do that. It would be one simple email and anybody that would want a tree would just send an email to that. You know, >> I'm talking about I'm talking about when the people come to get their tree when they decide they want it on Thursday the such and such who's going to be manning
the trees. >> Oh, I can ask Gabe Brown if you like. I mean, it's up to you guys. I'm just >> Chris. I think I I don't know. It's it's it's I think it's a good idea to ask uh how many people want to so we can make sure that they know when it's happening because usually what happens is
>> I run out to the I run out to the forest green nursery sometime in the the middle of the week. >> I get the trees. I put them in the refrigerator >> at the senior center and then we get them out. Got to get, you know, we got to get the table set up
and all this sort of stuff which the recreation helps with. garden club works on it, you know, and uh that's that's a lot of work and it's one day. So, I'm not sure what we're going to do on a you know, it's not like we keep these things just hanging out, so to speak, but it's worth I think it's worth possibly
putting something out right now to try and solicit how many people are going to be interested because they may have forgot they may forget about it and so on and so forth. I think that aspect certainly is a good thing because we put we post this thing on ocean cares, we post it on uh you know various you know
other things and so on and so forth. >> So would you be the one to send that email or did you want me to do it >> to >> who who would the email go to? Well, the email would go to probably
Dave Brown just suggesting, you know, what we're talking about that we would like that the the township to send out an email to remind residents that, you know, Earth Day is coming, the event, the date, and if anybody would like a tree, they could pick it up on Earth Day
event and to send your name, you know, just to kind of reserve it. And that way we would get an idea anyway of how many people would be interested in picking up their tree. I know more people would probably come to Earth Day if they knew they reserved a tree.
>> I don't know. >> Does the township have a comprehensive list of the emails of all the residents? Well, we the office of emergency management whenever there was an issue that was going on. There was
>> I don't know. I think you should ask the manager if he wants to send an email to everyone in town. That that that might be a little, >> you know, it wouldn't be an email, >> but I think I think the town's website the town's website itself and we and the
uh the shrier commission has its own email that things come to. So, we could people could say that they're interested in a tree and if we >> have figured out what we're going to be buying at that time,
>> um we could possibly add that in there and then tell them this, you know, when it's going to be available and so on and so forth. >> What if we make sure >> and they could respond back to us, you know, and we could we'd make sure that those people who did respond,
you know, had that variety, assuming we had enough of them. Like last year the main tree I ordered was white dog woods, >> right? Do you have an email? >> But this year I don't think available. >> Excuse me. >> Do you have an email that is that
something you would like? Like if they put it up on the town uh Facebook page and with your email that you have for the Shade Tree Commission and then residents respond to your email. Is that what you're suggesting? No, I'm suggesting we just we just posted as a
norm. >> Yes, >> May I interject here for a moment. Grace, we have done that in the past where they have reserved a tree and they picked it up at the um pickup spot where
we do Yes. at the pickup event which when we do like Norm said we do it at the senior center >> and they or we do it at Greenfest and then they come they came to pick it up. >> The email that it goes to the shade tree
commission email is monitored by me. It comes to me. So I have we have it is we did get a lot of people. We did get a response but not everybody showed up that reserved a trick.
>> Was that a you like a big uh amount of trees? Was that a large amount? >> It it was a fairly decent amount. Um but they registered with me. Norm had the list. Quite a few people showed up. But then again, like I said, a lot of people
did not show up to pick up their trees and we were left with an abundance left over. So, >> yeah, even when Norm orders this, the amounts that he orders in previous years, it it's publicized pretty well on
social media and on our website. And, you know, looking for that response, we still have leftover trees. Not everybody shows up. And it all depends on weather, too. If it's nasty out that day and the event's cancelled, so then you're stuck with trees and keeping them somewhere
because it's difficult being in the um senior center refrigerator because somebody's got to go over there and get them. It's not like there's somebody there to pick them up at all times. There's no >> They were only kept in a senior refrigerator for days,
>> right? like like from Wednesday to Sunday >> prior to the event. Yes. >> We never storing them is not really feasible. >> Yeah. >> And then having people come and get them. There's nobody there. You know, everybody works during the day. So
>> we were fortunate to get the volunteers that we get from the garden club and and from the commission itself to be there on one day. >> So >> right, we had we had extra ones. I kept some. Diane Sermont kept some. Diane Sermont, the garden club advertised that
there were more that the stuff was still things were still available, but she we still wound up with some that never went. But that's okay. Having too many that you don't give away every one of them is better than not having something for everyone would want.
>> Right. Right. Looks like Stephen wants to speak. >> He's got his hand raised. >> Say that again. >> Uh, Stephen, go ahead. >> Oh. Oh, there it is. I I've never paid attention to that.
>> Oh, took it down. >> Steve, before your arm falls off. Yes, sir. >> Let's take it down. But yes, as Donna just said, I mean, we we advertise it heavily. It's advertised in the
all of the advertisement that goes out about the event itself. So, you know, and and so much weather related, it's a difficult it's a logistical can be a logistical nightmare to try to collect the list and make sure
that there are people there to distribute. Yeah, when we when we do it, let's see. I think we usually say 10 to 2 uh is what we did last year. And people and a couple people showed up like, you
know, right before and uh after that, you know, by after 1:00, we were sort of just hanging out. Um I'm not sure too many people came after 1, but we stayed until two anyway. But it's always it's always a good thing
to do. You know, we don't we we really should have a better program, but we just don't have public works or whoever to do do this stuff. We you know, we could start a nursery. Uh you know, we tried that one year in the things we
planted them out at the Joe Player Park. I think probably before it was called Joe Player Park. And uh but we never really dug them up and planted them anywhere. So it became a sort of a forested area, you know. And now with the deer and how hungry they are, you have to provide some kind of protection
for anything you plant because there are no such things as seedlings. If you go into the park and walk around and you look at the woods, there's usually any normal healthy woods has seedlings coming up and everything. There are no such things coming up in Joe player parks woods.
Right. There's there's no understory. There's no understory in the park. And that's going to be an issue in the next 10 to 15 years. >> Yeah. Beyond that, you know, correct? >> Yeah. Someone, I forget who was telling
me, someone else came who was knew things, you know, was driving down Deal Road and just looked the park, you know, just look as they were driving by and said, "Oh, you have a deer problem." You know, just from that. >> Yeah. That was four or five years ago.
>> Right. Right. Hasn't gotten better. So, uh, yeah, but I think the whole program has been a good program over the years. You know, I the the thing I'd really like to know is how many of those
trees really became trees. So, uh, >> we'd be lucky if it's 10%. >> Yeah, that would be good. you know, although I do I tell people not to just plant them in the ground if they can or especially if they take a bunch of them to get like three gallon containers like
you buy a plant in you know thing that looks like a small buck you know buck kind of a thing plant them in there so you could put them together so you can water them more easily and so on and so forth to protect them from deer and everything and then when they get bigger plant them out where you want them and
then protect them again from the deer but they got a bit I think it's better chance of survival than if you just plant them in the which they'll still survive if they're not molested. >> Norm, how long does it take for one of
the seedlings to mature into, you know, an adult tree? Like two to five years or >> Well, I've got turns out one of the things that I got about three or four years ago >> was a Salem oak seedling. A Salem oak,
>> okay, >> was this giant oak that has its own website. Okay. That's from pre-colonial times in Salem, New Jersey. >> Unfortunately, that tree some number of years ago, maybe four, five years ago, it went down,
>> but they had a bazillion acorns from that tree. So, the forestry nursery gave out. So, I've got somewhere, which I probably would take me a while to find, you got a certificate, this was a sale ceiling, and all that sort of stuff, right? So, I >> put it in a pot and I grew it up bigger
and so on and so forth. Now it's in a much bigger pot, what you call a 15 gallon container. >> And coming out of the coming out of the container now it's maybe well it's maybe tall as I am but it's it's container that's maybe 18 in high
or 20 in high or so. So it's you know it's gotten to maybe let's let's call it four four to five feet. But and I intend one of these days to have an event where we plant the Salem milk seedling at the in Joe player park somewhere.
>> But right now it's still only as thick as like the the trunk of the tree is still only >> maybe not I don't think it's quite an inch >> big, you know, >> but it's big enough that you could plant, but you'd have to build a
structure around it to keep it safe and so on and so forth. Gotcha. And >> that was, you know, so uh but once they get in, once they get established, they do grow reasonably, but there's still not going to be a tree. Like if you go to a nursery and buy a tree that say
like a 2 inch in diameter tree, you know, >> you know, that thing's that thing's been there for, you know, >> so well well they they actually grow them pretty quick because they're feeding them properly. You know, they're doing everything they've got to do. So they can get them to grow pretty quickly. But if you just naturally have
one in the ground that that could still could I don't know maybe maybe it could get to be a big that tree. I don't know but I've never really thought about it. Seven or eight years maybe more. I don't know. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I have to I should ask
that question. I honestly don't know. >> Yeah. So, but it's a good but it's a it's a good thing to do, you know, but the selections they have right now. I'm kind of disappointed in the state forestry and nurseries uh selections for this year. I think part of their problem
is that overall over the years the state they've been they've been underfunded or they can't or even if they had funding they can't get enough people to to come and work there. Well, you can always remember the the old saying, you you don't plant trees
for yourself, you plant trees for your grandchildren. That's correct. But we can't ask our grandchildren uh what they'd like yet. Many people, if you know what I mean. So, you have to you have to make a decision and put it somewhere in and try
to take care of it. That's the key thing. you know, it's somewhere bigger than >> it would be good for the instructions for planting the trees would include the fact that people should plant them in a pot first and then transplant them when
the tree gets strong enough. >> Well, but yeah. Well, they don't have to be. I mean, so this the instructions that we get from the there's instructions that the forestry nursery and other places have for planting a tree, right? But it's sort of this, but
this the rules are still the same. And and I try to mention that to people that come and get them from here. But you're right. Maybe we should create another our own uh separate little sheet to augment the kind of things that we've been giving out.
And don't forget, we've given away a seedling to every third grader for about 40 years. 30 or 40 years, I think, maybe more. So I wonder how many of those is, you
know, how well those things have. >> You know, would kind of be cool would have like uh Facebook or social media where people that have had these trees, you know, taken the seedlings or and planted them like pictures of what they
look like now because 40 years ago, I mean, wow, we could have amazing trees. And I say this because my husband actually planted a tree with his um boy scout troop. This is at least 40 years
ago. And every time we walk through Pa Park, he shows me that tree and he's very proud of it because it's huge. >> So I think that would be so cool to have that just because >> Right. I had the same thought. I had the same thought. We're talking about putting qu things on the town's website,
right? I think that would be a good one to talk to Tracy about to uh >> yeah and I >> who got third grade trees, you know, to to give it tell us about it and their experience and how is it today and so on and so forth. I think that would be a
>> because you know it means it it it has value and it means something to these people because now they're you know 30 years 40 years later they see that tree and it reminds them of you know that third grade or fourth grade class and the people that they went to school with
and it brings up memories and I think that's a beautiful kind of um memory to have. So I will talk to Trac or do you want to Norm I don't want to step on toes? No, I think >> I think it's that would be that would be
an excellent thing to start with, you know. Now, one of the things I learned when we were doing the uh comm community forestry management plan and other things, you know, that Arbor Day, they're big on Arbor Day programs. Now,
this time many many many years ago, we there was a giveaway to to the third graders, I think, at the road that leads to the what used to be where the mulch pile used to be. You know, right there at that corner, there's a little shed there. We had a thing and we gave out little seedlings to to kids who showed
up that day and so on and so forth and everything. And that was probably that was an arbor day kind of a program. Matter of fact, I've got to I want to try and talk to the schools when we give them all the third grader stuff. I'm just curious what exactly kind of program other than give out the seedlings what the schools are actually
doing with it because I know some of the people I don't know if people know Megan Edson but she's very big in the middle school you know about they've got a nursery a far you know garden there and other things that they're doing over there and uh but in the when we give out the third graders to the three
elementary schools the question is you know what do they have a program or not and if they don't we should because they ask one of the things they asking these annual reports is what was your arbor day program you know and so on and so forth and uh when we going to plant we should plant a specific tree in a
specific place every year have a program and so on and so forth would be a good thing to do also you know so it's all all those kind of things we we probably could get a little more active >> uh and doing >> norm
Ken had to redesign his backyard because of one of the tublings that his daughter planted. I think that tree finally died, you know, 30 years later. But still,
>> it's possible, you know, he probably was, you know, blaming himself since he was part of those giveaways, you know, they had. >> But, you know, no good deed goes unpunished. They say, you know, >> that must have been one of them.
But uh you know what what can I say? Okay. Um does anyone have anything else they want to discuss specifically? >> Norm can you go over the uh seedlings
that are available for the third grade? >> Well, um I don't I don't have I don't currently have right in front of me uh thing. Give me one second here. Let me go do this. >> And what date will they be giving out to
the third graders? >> Well, the third graders get them. Historically, it's been the Arbor Day week. That same thing when I I would get the >> Okay. >> And when I get the ceilings, uh, you know, the week before Arbor Day
theoretically is when I get them and then I and that's a sort of the time they want to do something. And then we I get them. I usually wind up the ones for the school system. I usually wind up putting uh near by the middle school
on this west side of the parking lot. There's a shed kind of thing there and then they pick them up. I coordinate that with uh with Pet Sullivan, you know, and then they distribute them to the schools from there usually, you know. Although one year I was away and I
had when I ordered them from this other nursery because this the other nursery wasn't going to have anything. Um, I think they got I was going I had to be out of town, too. So, they wound up being shipped to to him at at the high school and he got them
distributed. >> But that's but it's but it's the idea is for it to be sort of an orbit program. That's why I'm curious to see what what they actually do do. Give me one second while Mosha was asking that question. Let me just quickly go. >> Yes. Yeah. And if you do need help, you
know, bringing them over to the school or whatever, you know, let me know. I I'd be more than happy to help. >> Okay, that sounds good. Let's see. Let's do this. Let's see. Does does anybody know what's happening
over at Fireman's Pond? I came by today and it was pretty much empty. >> Which pond? >> Fireman's pond. >> I saw that, Steve. It's I I know nothing. I guess I'll f We'll find out
in the Environmental Commission meeting. >> I was a little surprised to see that it was empty. It says the dredging of Fireman's Pond on the website. It looks like the dredging is going to start March 16th. So, I don't know if that's part of why
it doesn't. >> Here we go. So, Arbor Day is Friday, April 24th this year, >> right? Yeah. No, so the tublings, they only had northern red oaks. The things that are still available in tublings, it says, are northern red oaks, white oaks,
chestnut oaks, shortleaf pine, pitch pine, and lali pine. The only other things they were growing was swamp white oak, eastern red bud, and gray birch, which are out of stock. Okay. Um, so that's what I was saying. They
they they used to have a p many, you know, 20 25 different trees. Oh, and they also have hemlock in 3-in pots. But hemlock are uh first of all they're pricier but other than that um hemlocks have a problem with an
insect called the willadelgid. That means you got to treat them you know eventually even though they're beautiful evergreens you have to treat them annually or buy them whatever it is. So it's it's not something you'd want to just give out to to to regular people
anyway. So that's that's what they have. That's why I'm thinking of possibly using another nursery or something. And so we'll have to see what we do. So, but we've kind of have to but I'm going
to have to order these before too long cuz it's uh you know it's only 6 weeks from now or so that we'll be giving them out. Let's go back to the meeting, you know, the third grade things. So, one of those would be the third grade
things that we would give out. You know, now I got to find out they may have some other program. They've historically had some other program. I thought I asked whether they were going to have a third grade program and they'd said no. But now when I looked just now, it still had some kind of third grade thing. So, I got to call and find out if maybe
they've got some other thing going on that I was unaware of. This year, I asked Pat Sullivan, let's see, he told me, I forget what the number was, but I think it was a little over 200 third graders this year. I think so. All right. So, no one I guess none of we
barely made our quorum today. >> So, we we did get a meeting in and uh >> Okay. So, then it was actually one other thing and actually what the other thing was. Okay. So, >> excuse me, Norm. >> Yes.
>> Jean emailed me and said he was unable to figure out goto platform. So he's he's he won't be here, >> right? Yeah. I can I I've I can definitely uh bond with that possibility,
you know. >> Yes. >> Course. Uh maybe it's same thing, you know. It used to just just clicking it used to work all the other times we did this, you know. So we'll have to figure out what happened there. But the thing I was going to
>> I still had no problem. This is the thing I was going to say. So it turns out our April meeting is what's the date of April meeting as of now. Donna, right? We moved it to the 9th. >> Let me look. I believe it's the 9th.
Norm, >> let me look on the website. >> Move it to the nth. We moved it to the ninth because Thursday was the first day of Passover. Okay. >> Right. Right. Right. As it turns out, I guess I didn't look at my my phone or was done indep whatever, but it turns
out the knife is sort of also uh well, it's still Passover until it's the last day of Passover. So,
Passover is not actually over until after sundown on the 9th. When does it start, Norm? >> It starts be It starts the evening of
the uh >> you know the day before the evening before like it starts the evening of April 1st would be the start. >> Oh, >> okay. It starts on Wednesday evening would be when it starts which is why I'm
not bowling on that Wednesday. and uh and it doesn't end until after sundown or so the next Thursday and pay attention to
but that means I probably would I wouldn't be attending. Okay. And >> so you would need to have somebody >> Well, I'm just saying >> that's a tough one. It's something we have to uh think about, you know, of course I'm going to bring it up again at the Environmental Commission meeting
also. And maybe the real date we should have picked. >> Would we be able to postpone it until April 16th? >> Well, that's what people will have to discuss. You know, maybe we have to backtrack on the shri commission date
when we talk to on the other one. Hopefully the taxes are done and sent. >> Yeah. Well, you know, if they're not sent by the evening of the 16th, you know, what's another day after that?
>> Hopefully the 15th, the 15th, >> right? That's what I'm saying. So, if on the 16th, you know, if they're not done by then, another day isn't going to make any difference. got to got to file for an extension. >> Right. Right. Right. Anyway, so we'll
have to figure some of those things out. Okay. So, we're sort of uh at the end. Does anyone uh have anything else to add? >> I think it's about time to move for a journment.
>> Okay. So um motion Steve moved for adjournment here too. >> Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. But you want to have a second motion. We after you second it then vote. Yes. >> Okay. I I'll second.
>> Okay. >> I'll second. >> Okay. All in favor of adjourning? I >> Okay. >> Okay. Hey everybody. >> Okay, so everyone can breathe everyone.
>> We have no meeting. Okay, motion. Thanks for joining us.