West Orange to receive grant from bank to support community green spaces

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WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange has been selected by TD Bank to receive a 2022 TD Tree Days grant, according to a recent press release from the township. The grant is a community-based program, created in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. It helps expand urban forests and green spaces in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. The grant will provide West Orange’s Watchung Heights neighborhood with the planting of 34 trees along Whittlesey Avenue, Watson Avenue and High Street this October.

“By working with the township of West Orange to improve green spaces in residential neighborhoods, we are not only protecting the environment but also helping people and communities thrive,” said Shelley Sylva, head of U.S. corporate citizenship at TD Bank. “We are thrilled to be able to bring back the in-person volunteering opportunities TD Tree Days provides and incredibly grateful to all of our volunteers and colleagues for their generous support helping to create a more vibrant and sustainable tomorrow.”

TD Tree Days is the bank’s flagship volunteer and urban greening program. It has brought together thousands of volunteers from Maine to Florida and has been a major contributor to the TD Ready Commitment goal of planting one million trees across North America by 2030. This year, West Orange is one of 19 organizations and municipalities in the United States awarded a TD Tree Days grant.

“We are grateful to TD Bank for selecting West Orange as a grant recipient and for their investment in our community,” Mayor Robert D. Parisi said. “Our residents will benefit from their ongoing commitment as it enhances the quality of life and adds value to the neighborhood.”

Photos Courtesy of Joseph Fagan