Green Team

Meetings

  • 5:30 pm
  • 2nd Wednesday of every month
  • October through April:
    Borough Hall
    100 Belvidere Avenue
    1st Floor Conference Room
    Washington, NJ 07882
  • May through September:
    Veterans' Park

Members

  • Gary Pohorely, Chair
    Term: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025
  • David Butler, Vice Chair
    Term: January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027
  • Josephine Noone, Secretary
    Term: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025
  • Michael Franks
    Term: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025
  • Suzanne Marr
    Term: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025
  • Sheri Musick, Council Member
    Term: January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025
  • Brian Bond, Borough Manager
  • Louann Cox, Mayor
  • Melanie Thiel, Washington Borough Business Improvement District (WBID)
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Washington Borough Business Improvement District - Green Team

The Washington Borough Green Team was formed in 2013. We immediately began work on projects to promote sustainability. The committee was officially established as part of the Borough government, by ordinance in July 2017, allowing us to work in conjunction with the Washington Borough Council, Mayor, Borough Manager, and Washington Business Improvement District (WBID).

The Green Team often collaborates with local businesses to promote downtown and local shopping in support of our local economy!  We started the Sustainably Green Music and Arts Fest (green festival) held annually, on the 3rd Saturday of June. The festival kicks off our seasonal Washington Borough Farmers' Market, which runs through the end of September / early October, depending on the first frost.

In 2019, we led the efforts to obtain Sustainable Jersey Bronze Certification, a three-year designation awarded by The College of New Jersey Sustainability Institute. We achieved recertification in 2022. The Green Team has also been awarded three Sustainable Jersey $2,000 grants to improve our Farmers' Market, and for plantings of native species at the Shabbecong and Veteran's Parks. We were recognized by the Karen Nash Memorial Butterfly Garden in 2019 for our commitment and volunteerism to the greater Washington community. In April of 2021, the Green Team was recognized as a Community Partner by the WBID, and in February of 2025, our Vice Chair David Butler received the WBID’s Community Partner Award.

The Green Team is developing a trail system at Shabbecong Mountain Preserve, an 80-acre wooded Borough-owned property with small streams, wetlands, and boulders. The Green Team has cleared a two-mile loop trail at Shabbecong Mountain Preserve. The entrance is located at the end of Nunn Avenue. The trail is open to the public during daylight hours for hiking, walking, and enjoying nature. Wear comfortable, waterproof footwear. Follow the cleared path and look for the blue blazes on trees.

We hold monthly meetings which are advertised in the Washington Messenger and on the Washington Borough website. Meetings are usually the 2nd Wednesday of each month at Borough Hall, October through April.  From May through September, we meet at Veterans' Park as we do weeding / clean-up, planting, mulching, and watering to maintain the Park. We are a passionate and committed group of volunteers. More volunteers are always needed!

The community of Washington Borough, has launched a partnership with the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat™ program to become healthier, greener, and more wildlife-friendly by committing to create wildlife habitat throughout the community while also educating and engaging residents.

 

To become certified as a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat™ Washington Borough is calling on its residents, businesses, and places of worship to certify their own properties at NWF.org/Certify 

A wet area of the trail is crossed by a well-constructed path made of wooden planks.
Leafy trees and underbrush line either side of a trail through the woods.

Washington Public Library Celebrates Community Wildlife Garden On September 27, 2025, at 11:00 am, the Washington Borough Green Team celebrated the new Community Wildlife Garden at the Washington Public Library (WPL) with an official ribbon- cutting celebration. The library property is a certified National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Wildlife Habitat, which people can visit to see how they can turn their properties into wildlife habitats which provide the four basic elements that all wildlife need to thrive: food, water, cover, and places to raise young, while integrating sustainable gardening and landscaping practices. Members of the Washington Borough Green Team will also provide ongoing educational programs at the library to teach people how to turn their properties into wildlife habitats. This Community Wildlife Habitat was made possible through a $2,000 grant from Sustainable Jersey funded by the PSEG Foundation. The Washington Borough Green Team, members of the Warren Garden Club, and other community volunteers planted perennials based on the designs created by David Hyde, owner of Well-Sweep Herb Farm, and Tomas Gonzales, Master Gardener for the Karen Nash Memorial Butterfly Garden at Memorial School. Plants and materials were purchased from Peacefield Gardens, Donaldson’s Farm and Well-Sweep Herb Farm. The Washington Borough DPW assisted with preparing the planting beds and maintaining the grassy areas bordering the garden. In 2023, the Washington Borough Green Team registered Washington Borough to become a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Community Wildlife Habitat with the support of our mayor and council. Please help Washington Borough become certified as a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat™. We need 150 people to certify their properties to achieve our goal. Go to NWF.org/Certify to learn how you can create a healthier, greener and more wildlife-friendly community one property at a time. Residential and commercial properties as well as non-profits can participate. In photo left to right: Tracy Quamme (WPL staff), Sheryl Newman (WPL Trustee), Ethel Conry (former Mayor), Heidi Kaiven (WPL Director), Sherri Musick (Deputy Mayor), Kevin Noone (WPL Trustee), Josephine Noone (Green Team), Louann Cox (Mayor), MaryEllen Hackett (Warren Garden Club), Suzanne Marr (Green Team), Bob Valinski (WBID), Diana Dove (Dove Environmental & KNMBG), David Butler (Green Team)

Ribbon Cutting copy