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On September 29, 2023, the Housing Authority of the City of Elizabeth (HACE) and Groundwork Elizabeth were joined by local and national leaders for the microforest kick-off celebration at Kennedy Arms Apartments. The project was made possible in partnership with The City of Elizabeth, Kean University, and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and financed as part of a $367,000 Climate Preparedness Land Restoration Grant from Groundwork USA.
Microforests are small urban forests placed within environmentally challenged areas of cities to absorb carbon emissions, combat air pollution, and provide a host of additional benefits. New Jersey is perfect for these tiny forests, seeing that it is the nation’s most urbanized state. HACE and Groundwork Elizabeth, alongside other partners, celebrated the microforest built upon land at Kennedy Arms. This microforest is one of four that will be made possible by a Groundwork USA Climate Preparedness Land Restoration Grant using the Miyawaki method developed in Japan as a guide.
“We’ve been a longtime partner of Groundwork Elizabeth, having worked alongside them to mitigate air pollution and provide services and programs for our residents,” said William D. Jones, Executive Director of HACE. “When they approached us with the microforest concept, we knew it was the perfect fit for HACE; a step to improve the health of our residents within the entire Elizabeth community.”
Jonathan Phillips, Groundwork Elizabeth Executive Director, explained the importance of this project, “We are extremely grateful to Groundwork USA for awarding us with the Climate Preparedness Land Restoration Grant for this microforest at Kennedy Arms and three others as part of our ‘MicroForests for MacroSolutions’ initiative. We are making great strides through these and other efforts alongside Groundwork affiliates to address climate change and environmental conservation.”
“I commend the City and Groundwork Elizabeth for their remarkable cross-sector synergy and tireless work on behalf of Elizabeth residents, which has resulted in yet another Jersey ‘first,’” said Governor Phil Murphy. “New Jersey’s first microforest will help improve air quality and combat the urban heat island effect in Elizabeth while providing residents a place to recreate and connect with their fellow community members. Such invaluable assets are especially critical in our environmental justice communities, which have lacked access to green space and its accompanying physical and mental health benefits for far too long.”
Please refer to additional quotes on behalf of the Mayor of the City of Elizabeth, Groundwork USA, and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, as well as a list of other organizations in attendance at the event, in the post-event press release.
In addition to HACE’s first microforest at Kennedy Arms, HACE’s second microforest at O’Donnell Dempsey Apartments was completed in October 2023. Groundwork Elizabeth will maintain the microforests until they are self-sustainable in 3-5 years, which is the typical amount of time a microforest needs to become self-sustainable.
Groundwork Elizabeth is credited with establishing the first microforest in the state of New Jersey and HACE is one of the few housing authorities across the nation that can boast two microforests, and both are located at senior complexes.
Nomination Title: HACE and Groundwork Elizabeth’s Microforest Kick-Off Celebration
