Sustainability in the community

February’s Sustainability Spotlight features Cleaning Outcha Closet, a local thrift market group based in Highland Park, focused on eco-friendly shopping.

Read more

Nominate a resident, business, or organization for an upcoming Sustainability Spotlight here.

View Sustainable Highland Park’s 2025 accomplishments presentation here

November’s Sustainability Spotlight features the Highland Park Native Plant Sanctuary. Read more.

Nominate a resident, business, or organization for an upcoming Sustainability Spotlight here.

October’s Sustainability Spotlight is Highland Park resident Will Payne and his Little Free Garden on North 2nd just north of Lincoln. Read more here.

Nominate a resident, business, or organization for an upcoming Sustainability Spotlight here.

SHP intends to join the international Repair Café organization. At Repair Cafés, people bring their damaged articles, such as clothes, jewelry, bicycles or small appliances, and skilled volunteers with tools help with the mending and fixing.

We are looking for volunteers to help make the SHP Repair Café initiative possible. Please contact John Caputo at johncaputo55@gmail.com for more information.

Also contact John if you would be interested in going together to the Repair Café in

Mark Lesko has been running the cleanups twice a month for years and is looking for 2 dedicated volunteers to assist with setting up the check-in table, signing in volunteers, and breaking down the table/helping  load his car after each cleanup.  Cleanups are typically the 1st Saturday and 3rd Sunday from 10 am – 12 pm (9 – 11 am in the summer). He’s looking for one Sat. volunteer and one Sun. volunteer. You can

You’ve got garden questions, we’ve got answers!

Reach out if you need help with:

• vegetable or fruit gardening
• tree care
• plant pests and diseases
• weed and insect ID and control

Email: mastergardeners@co.middlesex.nj.us or call 732-398-5220 with your name and town of residence. Include a detailed description of the problem in the email and any photos that would be helpful.

Our July Sustainability Spotlight is Mark Lesko, a 50 year Highland Park resident and member of SHP, who for for over 14 years has organized community clean-ups across town. Read more.

Have a resident, business, or organization you think should be featured for next month’s Sustainability Spotlight? Nominate them here.

Our June Sustainability Spotlight is Emma Shannon, a junior at Highland Park High School. Read more.

Have a resident, business, or organization you think should be featured for next month’s Sustainability Spotlight? Nominate them here.

We are heartbroken by the passing of our former Chair, Tina Weishaus. Tina dedicated her life to pushing the world toward justice with heart, persistence, and vision. She passed peacefully on May 28, 2025, surrounded by family. We honor her extraordinary legacy of sustainability, equity, and community. She will be deeply missed. Tina was honored by Sustainable Jersey as a Sustainability Hero for her impactful leadership with Sustainable Highland Park. Read the full piece here.

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been awarded the Highland Park Park Partners Grant for our Raritan Avenue Rain Gardens Revitalization Project, submitted by Mark Lesko, Josephine O’Grady, and Chris Perez! This grant will help us restore the rain gardens’ ability to manage stormwater, add beautiful native plants, and create hands-on volunteer opportunities for our community. Thank you to everyone who supported this effort. We can’t wait to get started and share more!

Thanks to a partnership between Sustainable Highland Park, the Highland Park Public Library, the Good Earth Community Garden, and Raíces Cultural Center EcoCulture, the Seed Library is now open for donations and free seed sharing. Donate or pick up seeds from native plants, fruits, and vegetables at the library or during SHP tabling events. Learn more and see donation guidelines.

Our first sustainability spotlight is the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership (LRWP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to restore, enhance, and conserve the natural resources of “New Jersey Watershed Management Area 9” (the Lower Raritan Watershed) through science-based stewardship, education, and innovation. Read more.

Have a resident, business, or organization you think should be featured for next month’s Sustainability Spotlight? Nominate them here.

Members of Sustainable Highland Park, the Board of Health, and the Environmental Commission have joined together to form the Borough’s Gas Leaf Blower (GLB) Task Force. The group is exploring community and environmental concerns related to gas-powered leaf blowers and identifying ways to promote healthier, cleaner, and quieter landscaping options. The GLB Task Force held one public information session at the library and is planning additional public meetings. The Task Force encourages residents to fill

There are several reasons to skip the gas-powered leaf blower. More information and alternatives here.

Do you dread raking leaves each fall? Be sustainable and save your back by leaving them alone! For more information, check out Do Less this Fall and Leave Those Leaves on Your Lawn and this article by EcoWatch.

Did you ever wonder what to do with items that didn’t sell at a garage sale? Here are some great places to donate items you’re done with!