Children and young adults enrolled in the
Millburn public school district tend to be extremely successful individuals bent on improving the world in a variety of creative ways. Three such students are: Brannon Cho, Erik Lamp and Nils Sohn.
Cho, Lamp and Sohn were state finalists in the Siemens "We Can Change the World" challenge (
siemens.discoveryeducation.com). These three dedicated individuals researched the Norway maple tree and discovered that it was hazardous to other plant life because of the inky, unusual shadow its branches cast over them, preventing the other plants from absorbing sunlight. The tree is not native to the area, yet the three young men noticed that it was prevalent in the Poet section and the South Mountain Reservation. Calling themselves the Team Millburn Mustangs, Cho, Lamp and Sohn made a street distribution. The street distribution pointed out where Norway maples and other trees are concentrated in the township, and is now used as a reference for Millburn’s forester Tom Doty. Advised by Doty and Millburn Middle School teacher Michelle Cho, the students weathered the cold and rain to walk around these neighborhoods, leaving surveys in biodegradable bags for residents asking if they would be willing to replace their Norway maples with native trees that would be provided by the Shade Tree department. The boys’ efforts did not go unnoticed. A whopping 87% of the residents acquiesced.
The
township of Millburn/Short Hills is very appealing to potential new home owners interested in investing in real estate in the New Jersey area because of efforts such as these.