RUMSON-A blustery day in Rumson did not dampen the spirits of supporters celebrating Arbor Day on April 29. Thanks to a student-led fundraiser named “Buck$ for Bark,” the local community gathered to plant 20 new trees on the Deane Porter/Forrestdale school campus.
The fundraiser was the brainchild of Shade Tree Commission chairman Stephen Barrett. With the support of the borough Shade Tree Commission, Rumson school administration, the Parent-Teacher
Organization, and Student Government Association(SGA), the group raised $6,200, exceeding their original goal by over 70%.
Local landscapers donated equipment, planting materials, and a day of labor to make this project happen. The school maintenance staff,
Shade Tree Commission, and Rumson Garden Club volunteers will work together to ensure the trees are watered throughout the spring and summer.
The ceremony was led by superintendent John Bormann, and was attended by Mayor John Ekdahl, the kindergarten class, and representatives from the PTO, SGA, Rumson Garden Club, Rumson Board of Education, the Shade Tree Commission, as well as volunteer landscapers and parents. At the close of the ceremony, student representatives from each grade placed a shovelful of dirt on one of the newly planted trees.
Bormann summed up the spirit of the occasion: “It was with great pride to see our school community come together under the “Buck$ for Bark” initiative to plant trees on our school property. To many Arbor Day is about the planting and growing of a tree, for the students
of Rumson it became about the planting of an idea and growing a sense of community.”
