Photo by Tom Kranz
Fanwood plants seedling from 500 year old oak tree
Borough of Fanwood
Members of the Fanwood Shade Tree Commission, the Borough Council and students from Nettingham Middle School planted a seedling from the legendary Salem Oak, a tree that stood for more than 500 years in Salem, New Jersey and was part of the state’s early history.
Before the tree fell in 2019, acorns were recovered by the NJ Forestry Service and planted. They germinated into seedlings which were then given to interested municipalities throughout the state. Fanwood Shade Tree Commissioner Steve Falco took possession of the seedling and cared for it over the past year until bringing it to Borough Hall this afternoon for planting.
Students from the Nettingham Middle School Environmental Club assisted in planting the seedling and mulching it.
Councilwoman Kathy Mitchell read from the tree’s certificate of authenticity, issued by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection in 2022. Councilwoman Trisha Walsh was also present, along with Shade Tree Commission Chair Joanne Muoio and Master Tree Steward Dean Talcott.
The Salem Oak was believed to be one of the oldest white oaks in New Jersey standing when John Fenwick arrived in 1675 and signed a treaty with the native Lenni Lenape people under its branches. Fenwick was the leader of a group of Quakers who emigrated from England and established Fenwick’s Colony, the first English settlement in Western New Jersey.
