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Middlesex Borough Environmental Commission
By Clare Levourne, RES Class of 2017, Certified 2019
After attending the Rutgers Environmental Steward (RES) program in 2017, I was inspired to create a Middlesex Borough Green Team as my project. Unfortunately, there was little interest, so I created a Monarch Waystation Garden at the public library instead. While tending the garden, I became friends with Holly Muller, a library employee and RES alumni.
In 2021 the mayor sent a request for volunteers to re-establish the Environmental Commission after an e-coli issue at the local lake. I applied, along with Greg Cosentino, my RES classmate from town, but was told there was not enough interested people for the Commission. I reached out to my regional coordinator, Michele Bakacs, to hopefully find more people, but found out just 3 Middlesex Borough residents had taken the program.
The Army Corps of Engineers Green Brook Flood control program was regaining momentum in town. Finding out that they’ve removed over 35 acres of trees, I thought Middlesex should have a Tree Planting program. I discovered Green Columbus on social media and how they successfully give away 3000 trees each year! I developed a similar plan and shared it at our borough council meetings and asked about re-establishing the Environmental Commission. I started a Facebook group, Go Green Middlesex, to inspire and connect with like-minded people in town.
Through these efforts, I was able to connect with enough people interested in serving on the Environmental Commission. It was the end of the that mayor’s tenure, so he requested we wait until the following year. The new mayor was supportive and even put re-establishing the Environmental Commission as part of his election platform.
On March 26, 2024 eight members of our community were appointed by the mayor and council after a 17-year span of inactivity. This dedicated and diverse group of individuals stepped forward to work with the administration and the residents of Middlesex. Many of them hold their own expertise in the field of environmental and conservation affairs.
I look forward to rebuilding the tree canopy while providing community outreach events such as educational seminars and eventually starting a Green Team. My goal is to encourage other citizens to incorporate environmentally responsible practices into their homes, properties, and daily lives. Together as a concerted effort we can protect and improve the quality of life in our town eventually branching out to surrounding communities with citizen science projects and other volunteer participation.