Morristown Needs You: 3,000 Plants to Save This Fall

When Kristen Ace stood before the Morristown Council with an urgent message, she wasn't asking for money or equipment. She needed something more powerful: helping hands willing to dig in the dirt for their community's future.

The chair of Morristown's Shade Tree Commission announced a massive reforestation effort coming to the Jacob Ford property this October. Over just three days from October 10 to 12, volunteers will plant approximately 3,000 native plugs and seed flowers to establish a new meadow at the historic site.

Timing matters for this project more than most. Getting the plants into the ground before winter is critical for their survival, especially on the property's slopes where erosion could wash away unrooted vegetation.

"Getting the plugs in on the slope and getting that meadow started, secure before winter, is really important," Ace told the council. The Commission is casting a wide net for volunteers because the sheer scale of the work demands community participation.

This October planting represents just the first phase of a larger restoration vision. A November event will focus on planting bare-root trees, followed by a spring session to complete the remaining work and give the site a full growing season to flourish.

The Ripple Effect

Ace shared an unexpected bonus from another environmental initiative that hints at what's possible when communities commit to green action. Three years after Morristown implemented a leaf blower ordinance, she's noticed changes that go beyond noise reduction.

"The other bonus that I wasn't expecting was that I can now smell the flowers in my backyard because the air isn't laden with gasoline," Ace said. She's also observed less gasoline runoff during rainstorms, showing how small policy changes can create cascading environmental benefits.

The leaf blower example offers a glimpse of what the Jacob Ford reforestation could mean years from now. A thriving meadow will filter stormwater, provide habitat for pollinators, cool the surrounding area, and give residents a beautiful natural space to enjoy.

The three-day October event will transform bare earth into the foundation of a living ecosystem, one volunteer and one plant at a time.