FOPOS

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS

AT MOUNTAIN LAKES

The long driveway leading up to Mountain Lakes House is a popular stretch for walkers. Starting June 28, however, this normally peaceful stretch will become increasingly populated with construction vehicles.

Princeton Township will be installing a new sewer line to the house, and some more tree removal will be done in preparation for the dam restoration work beginning in July.

The public is encouraged to use alternative trails through Mountain Lakes and Community Park North. Volunteers with FOPOS have cut a new trail that heads into the preserve about 100 feet to the left of the gateway entrance at 57 Mountain Avenue.

Awards Given for Bridge Concept and Installation

This from Wendy Mager, president of Friends of Princeton Open Space:

On May 24th, the Princeton Township Committee specially recognized Helmut Schwab, Robert von Zumbusch and the Friends of Princeton Open Space at its meeting for their contributions to the creation of the Stony Brook footbridge near Jasna Polana/the Hun School, and for developing the concept of a loop trail around Princeton.

Helmut came in for special commendation as the person without whom it would not have ever happened and for his long years of work on the project, and Robert for his help as a member of the Historic Preservation Commission in working out those aspects of the project.

Robert Kiser, the Township Engineer, received an award from the NJ Engineers’ Society for this project. A lot is also owed to Anthony Soriano, another member of the Engineering Department, who – starting when he was an intern – successfully put together grant applications that provided 80% of the total funding.

ONGOING IMPROVEMENT IN TRAILS

AT MOUNTAIN LAKES

This spring was highly productive for the Friends’ trail crew, led by Ted Thomas and Clark Lennon, as spirited weekend workdays and Clark’s ongoing work with a brush cutter have improved the comfort and walkability of trails on some 300 acres of township land. Thanks to stepping stones and boardwalks, mud season at Mountain Lakes is now less muddy. Volunteers rose to the challenge of the many trees felled in windstorms, by relocating some trails and removing fallen trees crisscrossing others.

Though popular trails around the lakes will be closed during the dam restoration beginning in July, there are many other routes through the scenic congregation of preserves known as Mountain Lakes, Tusculum, Community Park North and Witherspoon Woods.

RE-LANDSCAPING OF MOUNTAIN LAKES HOUSE TAKES SHAPE

A combination of planning and spontaneous action is steadily shifting the landscape around Mountain Lakes House towards native species. FOPOS board member Tim Patrick-Miller is leading efforts, with contributions of plants coming from various sources, including ten flowering dogwoods from the township nursery.

Annual Meeting

FRIENDS OF PRINCETON OPEN SPACE

held its annual meeting Sunday, April 18, 2010 at

Mountain Lakes House. FOPOS president Wendy Mager provided a review of the year’s accomplishments, and guest speaker

Carleton Montgomery,

Executive Director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, gave a talk entitled

Saving the New Jersey Pinelands:

Success Against All Odds, or

The Road to Ruin that's Paved with

Good Intentions?

A Merry Crew Improves Trails

at Mountain Lakes Preserve

Those seeking a relaxing walk at Mountain Lakes and adjoining preserves will have noticed many improvements to trails of late. FOPOS board members and other volunteers have been hard at work bridging muddy sections and removing invasive shrubs along the trails. The above photo is from Nov. 22. Left to right are Clark Lennon, Ted Thomas, Andrew Thornton, Wendy Mager and Nick Wilson. Also Charlie (the one wearing a fur coat). Not shown, Eric Tazelaar.

Banners on this website created by FOPOS’s 2008 summer PICS intern Sarah Chambliss, a student at Princeton University

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