Winslow Township is one of only 25 New Jersey municipalities to receive the certification.
Winslow Township recently achieved a silver-level certification from Sustainable Jersey, one of only 25 municipalities to receive the certification this year. According to its website, Sustainable Jersey is a nonprofit, organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. Winslow Township will be honored at the Sustainable Jersey Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 15 in Atlantic City with Mayor Barry Wright accepting the award.
Wright is very proud of his town’s achievement and said it was a community effort.
“Winslow Township takes responsibility in sustaining the environment and our community very seriously,” Wright said. “We could not have done this without the community’s participation and help. This is a true example of what can be achieved when we all work together toward a common goal such as this to move our township forward now, and in the future.”
To achieve silver-level certification, Winslow Township completed a balance of the required actions to meet the minimum of 350 points, ending up with 415 points. Some of the sustainable projects that went toward accumulating those points were conducting educational programs surrounding water conservation and recycling, installing LED street lights and implementing an app called “GOrequest,” where residents can send alerts and pictures to the township notifying them about issues such as potholes in the roads, and then they can track the progress of getting it repaired.
In addition, the township also completed a flood risk assessment and climate adaption review, upgrades to buildings for energy efficiency and a sustainable land use pledge.
Another project Wright and Winslow Township took on to make the community more environmentally friendly was replacing the equipment at Daniel Calabrese Memorial Park in Sicklerville.
“The equipment was splintering and wasn’t the healthiest thing for children to be on,” he said. “We replaced it with a beautiful playground, all made out of environmentally safe materials.”
One of the biggest environmental events of the year is the township’s Green Fair, which has taken place the past three years in April. The fair provides activities and educational opportunities for kids and adults on how they can help the environment.
“We had games for the kids such as what they thought was recyclable and what they thought was trash, and talking to them about turning off the water when they brush their teeth to conserve water,” said Karen Bringhurst, township clerk and a head organizer of the event. “We also had New Jersey American Water Company come out to talk to everyone about other ways they can conserve water.”
Wright said it is imperative to teach the residents, and especially the youth, how to make the community more environmentally friendly.
“One of the most important things we can be doing for the community and our youth is to pursue a clean environment, sustainable environment and energy sources to educate our young people how important it is,” Wright said.
