the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hillsdale NJ, The National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization, is pleased to announce that “2 Chestnut Street Green” in Hillsdale, New Jersey, has successfully created a Certified Wildlife Habitat through its Garden for Wildlife program. Additionally, 2 Chestnut Green has been co-certified with NWF’s state affiliate The New Jersey Audubon.
Two Chestnut Street Green is the last tract of pristine woodland in the 20-square-block tract in Hillsdale and neighboring Washington Township known as the “tree section” because most of the streets are named after tree species. It is under threat now as the Borough of Hillsdale has offered the undersized lot, home to 20 fully grown trees including a magnificent white oak, to Habitat for Humanity for the development of one unit of housing. The tract is also home to various animal, plant and bird species, including a Barred Owl which is an official Threatened Species in New Jersey. The property was one of about a dozen considered.
NWF celebrates this effort to create a garden that supports birds, butterflies, bees, frogs and other local wildlife. Every Certified Wildlife Habitat garden provides natural sources of food, water, cover and conserves water and does not rely on pesticides.
“Anyone, anywhere can restore wildlife in the homes and communities, “said NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski. Whether your garden is in a suburban yard or rural plot of land, you can make a difference for local wildlife. Creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat is fun,” he added
“Residents have been maintaining this undersized lot for generations, from clearing fallen tree limbs, planting, sustaining wildlife and carefully guarding against littering and use of any pesticides at all. We are proud of this designation and are steadfast in our belief that the destruction of twenty fully grown trees and eviction of wildlife is a price too high to pay for one unit of housing, especially where there are other options,” said Dennis Cesa, resident of the street for 30 years.
“We hope this designation is a celebration of our beloved environment rather than a eulogy for it. There must be a better way,” he added.
The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization, uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. The residents of Chestnut Street in Hillsdale and Washington Township are concerned citizens committed to those same principles, albeit on a much smaller scale. No one can do everything but everyone can do something.
Welcome, our good friends and neighbors in nearby Ridgewood (via the Ridgewood blog, below.) Thank you for adding your voices to ours. Many more are joining the chorus. They are your trees too and if can happen here it can happen there. The razing of twenty fully mature trees including one magnificent white oak and eviction of various forms of plant, bird and animal wildlife, including a Threatened-Species Barred Owl, is too high a price to pay for one unit of housing shoehorned in only by the grace of overly generous zoning variances that will cause even greater flooding in an areas that already does so in times of heavy rain. It is insanity, not to mention a serious crime against Mother Nature and thus, us. She is waiting on a friend – some of us will not let her down including now, you. She will not forget. PLEASE CLICK –> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKLVmBOOqVU
This is great however there is no escape of urbanization of Bergen county and NJ. More concrete, less trees but the screaming environment nuts do not really care. They feel good about banning plastic bags but are the first to sacrifice nature if it fits their insane agenda. It’s very sad.
We cannot just stand by and say nothing. “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing” as Thomas Jefferson said. May be corny and square, but we do believe it. And if, in the end, we lose at least we will be able to sleep at night knowing that we did the best that we could — no one can do everything but everyone can do something, even as small a gesture as letting the mayor, council, and Habitat know that this is wrong.