Green Team

About:

The Toms River United Sustainability Team (TRUST), also known as the Toms River Green Team, was created in 2012. Its mission is to assist Toms River Township to become certified under the Sustainable Jersey program and to maintain such certification. They are tasked with advising the Township governing body with recommendations to make the community more sustainable and overall a more livable community for its residents. They coordinate and collaborate with various environmental groups, Toms River Regional School System, and other community partners. They are an active committee that meets monthly.

The Green Team has been successful with achieving Bronze Certification for two rounds. The Green Team is currently working on achieving Silver Certification for the community. Benefits of becoming certified include being eligible for funding made available to certified communities under Sustainable Jersey and assisting the Township to improve its municipal score card, which makes the community eligible for state grant funding.

Other Achievements of the Green Team include:

distributing 6,000 tree seedlings to the public through a multi-year NJDEP grant program
Acquiring a $20,000 grant to assist the Toms River Regional School system to fix the storm damaged Poseidon Lab building for use by students and the Poseidon TRUST Speaker Series
Hosting a Green Fair for 3 consecutive years
Constructing a Community Garden at Riverwood Park
Hosting "water play" at the Game Night events in 2019
Hosting Spring 6 Challenge that encourages children and their families to explore Township parks during school spring break for two consecutive years.
Hosted Recycled Art Work (RAW) challenge for two consecutive years
Hosted 15 speakers covering various topics at the Poseidon T.R.U.S.T speaker series in 2018 and 2019.

Volunteers / New Members

We are interested in finding active members of the community that would like to share their talents with the Green Team. If you are an interested member of the public wanting to find out more about the Green Team and how to become a volunteer or member please email estahl@tomsrivertownship.com or sbaumgartner@tomsrivertownship.com.

Meetings

Meetings are held in the Poseidon Lab located at 511 Iron Street (small building in the parking lot behind the music academy) for the remainder of 2019. In November and December we will be meeting on the second Tuesday of the month. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

Green Business Award Recognition

The Green Team recognizes businesses that take steps to become more green. If your business is interested in being recognized please complete the following application and submit to Attention Erika Stahl, 33 Washington Street, Toms River NJ, 08753. Businesses that are selected for the T.R.U.S.T award will be presented with a framed award at a Township Council meeting.

Green Business Award Application

Community Garden

The Toms River Green Team has constructed a community garden in Riverwood Park (adjacent to the Soccer Bubble). If you are interesting in leasing a plot please complete the following application.

2020 Community Garden Application and Guidelines

Poseidon T.R.U.S.T Speaker Series

The Green Team began a speaker series in September of 2018 and has hosted a speaker each moth since that time period with the exception of June of 2019 and November of 2019. The next speaker is Cynthia Smith, Chairwoman of the Toms River Historic Preservation Committee. Cynthia will present on the Economic benefits of preserving history. Cynthia will present on December 12, 2019 at 7:00pm at the Poseidon Lab. The Poseidon Lab is located at 511 Irons Street (in the parking lot behind the Music Academy) located in downtown Toms River.

Toms River Green Fair

The Township Green Team successfully hosted its third annual Green Fair on October 12, 2019. We look forward to next year's Green Fair.