Yesterday Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Donald Payne Jr., White House Senior Advisor John Podesta and, other officials joined with students from Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, a high-performing public charter in Newark, to plant a tree at Lincoln Park, which is across the street from Great Oaks High School. Newark community leaders also shared a sustainability lesson with the students, who were able to take a small sapling home with them.

The occasion coincided with the opening for applications to the Biden Administration’s initiative to increase tree cover in urban spaces , tackle climate change, and boost equitable access to nature. The effort offers community-based organizations, tribes, municipal and state governments, nonprofit partners, universities, and other eligible entities to share in $1 billion in grants.

“Since my days as Mayor of Newark, I have seen the transformative impact that planting trees can have for urban communities,” said Sen. Booker. “Studies have shown that trees save families money in heating and cooling costs, reduce air and water pollution, decrease the risk of respiratory illnesses like asthma, reduce flooding, and protect people from extreme heat. The Inflation Reduction Act’s $1.5 billion allocation to the Urban and Community Forestry Program will help us plant more trees across our communities, with a focus on overlooked and disadvantaged areas. This historic investment will help us tackle the most pernicious effects of climate change, move us closer to remedying environmental injustices in our communities, and pay dividends for generations to come.”

“It was an honor to have our High School students participate in this extraordinary event, where they helped plant the first street tree in Newark,” said Jared Taillefer, Executive Director at Great Oaks Legacy Charter School. “Our students had an incredible time meeting with and learning more about environmental sustainability from Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Donald Payne Jr., White House Senior Advisor John Podesta, and the many other officials and community leaders who attended. We are all looking forward to seeing a robust expansion of planted trees across Newark!”