Michael Sol Warren reports for NJ.com:


Get your green thumbs ready: Spring is here and New Jersey is giving 90,000 young trees away for free.


The state forest service’s New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign is handing out seedlings in communities around the state as part of a continuing effort to replace trees that were lost in Superstorm Sandy.


“Trees provide habitat for wildlife, clean the air we breathe, provide shade, reduce the damaging effects of wind, limit erosion and contribute to a healthier environment,” DEP Acting Commissioner Catherine McCabe said in a press release. “Equally important, trees beautify our communities and improve our quality of life in the Garden State.”


Each participating community has up to 2,000 seedlings to distribute. All of the seedlings are raised at the New Jersey Forest Nursery in Jackson. The types of trees available in each community depends on the location; the forest service assigns species based on what grows best in a given location. More than 30 species of trees are being distributed through the program.


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