PARSIPPANY — Boy Scout Troop 72 and Cub Scout Packs 177 and 215 joined together with the township’s Parks and Forestry Department to continue a longstanding tradition.
It was their biggest year yet. They had 30 Boy Scouts and Leaders from Troop 72, 19 Cub Scouts and family members from Pack 177 and an incredible 55 Cub Scouts and family from Pack 215.
In 1972, then-Parks Director Joseph Jannarone Sr. introduced an idea: presenting every third grader in town with his or her very own tree seedling. Over the passing decades, many trees in this town—a national Tree City USA since 1975—have grown from the plantings made by local school children.
For 2015, the tradition continued as the scouts gathered Thursday evening at the Parks and Forestry building on Knoll Road to prepare pine tree seedlings, which were distributed to third graders Friday, Arbor Day. The scouts have assisted in this endeavor for several years, and in that time have committed several hundred hours to this project alone.
