Tag: Hillsdale Environmental Commission

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The “Pre-Civil War” Survivor: 170-Year-Old White Oak Saved from the Ax in Hillsdale

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School Gets Educated : Hillsdale’s 170-year-old White Oak tree was supposed to be cut down for a school expansion

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hillsdale NJ, in an era where new construction often means “out with the old,” a piece of living history in Bergen County has just won a major victory. A venerable White Oak tree, which has stood guard in Hillsdale since nearly a decade before the Civil War, has officially been spared from the buzzsaws.

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A Civil War Survivor: Public Outcry Saves 170-Year-Old White Oak from $62M Hillsdale School Renovation

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Historic Legacy Under Threat: How Hillsdale Rallied to Save a 17-Decade-Old Tree

photo courtesy of the Hillsdale Environmental Commission

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hillsdale NJ, a majestic white oak tree, estimated to have sprouted around 170 years ago—before the start of the U.S. Civil War—has narrowly escaped the chopping block in Hillsdale. The ancient tree, located outside the George G. White Middle School, was slated for removal to make way for a parking lot and a retention pond as part of a massive $62 million school renovation project.

Thanks to a passionate public outcry and decisive action from local officials, the district is now working on a complete redesign to save the irreplaceable tree for future generations.

Continue reading A Civil War Survivor: Public Outcry Saves 170-Year-Old White Oak from $62M Hillsdale School Renovation