The Delran Green team celebrated a successful year at Brewery 33 in December 2025. Members look forward to new projects in 2026, including continued state accreditation of its Urban and Community Forestry Plan and a residential tree planting program with Fernbrook Farms Nursery.
Trees are like children. They start small and grow overtime.
Thanks to the Delran Green Team and a grant from the New Jersey Shade Tree Federation, kindergarteners at the Millbridge Elementary School were able to plant trees to create a Kindergarten Grove. The first set was planted in 2023.
“The idea was to invite the current kindergarten class to help plant trees that they will be able to watch grow as (they) grow older,” Green Team member Al Carp explained. “Imagine coming back as a senior in 2036 or 2037 and saying ‘I planted that tree.'”
The Kindergarten Grove was initially going to be at Millbridge, but due to maintenance challenges there, the Green Team is moving to program to the township’s parks with the class of 2038.
Carp presented a rundown of everything the Delran Green Team has been up to, as well as what is in store for 2026 and beyond at a township council meeting on Feb. 10.
The team is in charge of tree-planting efforts in the town. In 2018, Delran created its first Urban and Community Forestry Plan, approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The plan expires this year and the team is currently working on updating a new plan.
“This plan identifies actions we plan to take to manage and protect our trees,” Carp noted. “It maintains our accreditation with the state by having an approved plan.”
To maintain state accreditation, the Green Team submits an annual accomplishment report.
“Delran is required to have an inventory of our trees as a prerequisite for our new plan,” Carp said.
In 2022, the team completed a new inventory of the trees in the town’s parks and playground areas. It did not include the trees in natural areas like Lake Lonnie and Swedes Lake.
“Since 2022, many trees have been removed and new trees have been planted,” Carp pointed out.
The team’s goal is to work with the township on needed revisions and submit a new plan by the end of this year. Carp noted that the group has been advised that the plan will need to comply with the municipal stormwater permit.
The annual accomplishment report is more than just paperwork, Carp said.
“It’s a snapshot of how our town has been growing greener, healthier and more connected,” he stated.
The Green Team planted 41 trees in 2024 at various parks, including Conrow Road Park, Summer Hill, Princeton Park, and Faunce Street Park. Trees were also planted at the municipal building and arboretum.
Dying trees were removed, some trees were planted as honor trees and some were planted to enlarge unforested areas that have been mowed by the Department of Public Works. In addition, 86 trees were planted as part of the Vermes Field Soccer project. The year 2024 saw a total of 127 new trees.
The team unveiled a Trees of Honor program in 2023 that enables residents to support the group’s tree efforts while recognizing a loved one.
“All donations go to the Delran Tree Trust, a dedicated fund to purchase, plant and maintain trees in our township,” Carp remarked. “What makes this program truly special is families and friends. They don’t just watch, they help plant trees. They turn a remembrance into a living experience.”
For a donation of $350, a tree will be planted in the park of one’s choice and a customized gold leaf will be added to the memorial tree at the municipal building.
Students at Delran High have started to create tags for each new planted tree through the school’s FabLab.
“Every tree we plant becomes part of Delran’s living history,” Carp assured.
The Green Team got a grant from Sustainable Jersey in 2025 to plant a microforest as a natural climate solution. Plans evolved after PSE&G gave the team 25 trees as compensation for tree removal. They were planted at the rear of the wildflower garden on Route 130 jughandle at Chester Avenue to help enlarge an existing forest.
The team shifted gears and sought arboretum accreditation. This year, it planted 29 trees in the arboretum and 10 were donated by the Burlington County Bridge Commission.
“We’re also planting flowering shrubs and neighboring perennials,” Carp said, adding that participants in a rain barrel workshop also planted hundreds of bulbs.
Donated wildflower seeds were spread.
“We can’t wait until spring … it’s going to be spectacular,” Carp enthused.
In 2026, the team will launch a residential tree planting program with Fernbrook Farms Nursery, where the town buys its trees.
“Residents will be able to choose from a selected list of trees specifically selected for our growing town,” Carp reported. “Large shade trees, medium shade trees, flowering trees, upright narrow trees, evergreen or fruit trees. You’ll choose a planting location and Fernbrook will plant the tree. They want to ensure the right tree is planted in the right location. They will handle the mark out and planning that includes a one-year guranteee.
“It’s an easy way for homeowners to help grow Delran’s (tree) canopy in their own yard.”
Cost will vary from $150 up to $385. Residents and the public are invited to join the team at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 25 as it celebrates Arbor Day at a future site of the arboretum.
“Hopefully some of our trees and plants will be in bloom,” Carp said. “Our mayor (Barnes Hutchins) will read our proclamation, and we will plant a few trees. After, we will host a walking tour to show off many tree species planted throughout the site.”
Delran submitted its application to be a tree city in 2025, the town’s fifth year as a Tree City USA community.
“That’s something to be proud of,” Carp claimed. “We’re not just planting trees, we are making shade, cleaner air and memories and legacy.”
The Delran Green Team is a volunteer committee appointed by the mayor and council. Meetings are the second Wednesday of the month.
