This story was produced in collaboration with CivicStory as part of the New Jersey Sustainability Reporting project. It was originally published in August 2023 and has been updated with additional information. On a hot summer morning, a dozen residents of Scotch Plains gathered under tall shade trees near a pavilion and picnic area in the largest preserved green space in their town — Brookside Park. The brook that gave the lush park its name winds through the area near a baseball and softball field surrounded by green grass and towering trees. But, on this morning the residents gathered in the…