Community Tree Planting at Surrey Place East

Cherry Hill is asking volunteers to plant trees at Surrey Place East Open Space on Sunday, April 26, with work starting at 1 p.m. (chnj.gov) The planting is scheduled to run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the access point between 309 Longstone and 321 Longstone Drive in Cherry Hill. The township’s event calendar lists online registration for the site. (chnj.gov) The Cherry Hill Environmental Board and the Department of Public Works are running the effort. The township says volunteers should dress for outdoor work, bring a pointed shovel, and bring a wheelbarrow if they can transport one. (chnj.gov) The Surrey Place East planting is one stop in Cherry Hill’s 2026 “Branching Out” campaign, a township tree program that focuses on restoring shade in streets and open spaces. The township says the initiative is funded through its tree ordinance and tree fund, which require developers and contractors to plant replacement trees or pay into the fund when trees are removed. (chnj.gov, chnj.gov) Township officials have tied that work to canopy loss and heat exposure in neighborhoods with fewer mature trees. Cherry Hill’s 2022 tree ordinance cites an American Forests Tree Equity Score of 87 out of 100 for the township and frames trees as a public health, environmental, and economic asset. (chnj.gov) This spring’s community planting schedule includes April 18, April 26, May 2, and May 17, with May 23 listed as a rain date on the township’s event pages. The township says projects generally last about one to two hours and recommends volunteers be at least 12 years old. (chnj.gov, chnj.gov, chnj.gov) Cherry Hill has paired the volunteer plantings with other tree distribution events this month, including a free street tree giveaway and a seedling giveaway at Croft Farm. The seedling event on April 26 is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon and is limited to Cherry Hill residents, with 300 tube seedlings available first come, first served. (chnj.gov, chnj.gov) For Sunday’s event, the ask is simple: show up ready to dig at Surrey Place East and help add new trees to a neighborhood green space. (chnj.gov, southjersey.media)