2016 Open Space Stewardship Grant for Environmental Commissions Awarded to Princeton
The Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) has announced that the municipality of Princeton has been awarded a $1,500 grant to revitalize and build public awareness of the trails of the 100+ acre Woodfield Reservation.
The grant request was prepared by the Princeton Environmental Commission in collaboration with Friends of Princeton Open Space and was selected from over sixty other applications. The Princeton Environmental Commission, Friends of Princeton Open Space and Hamilton Building Supply Company will also contribute funds to this community project.
The Woodfield Reservation is a beautiful piece of open space covered with a mature forest with trees including large tulip poplar, beech, oak and hickory. In much of the preserve there is a full understory of shrubs, ferns and wildflowers including Mayapple, Trout Lily and Jack In The Pulpit. Woodfield’s wetland areas drain into several streams and two chains of ponds that feed into the Stony Brook. Visitors can hike to distinctive rock formations Tent Rock and Council Rock. Areas of the trails can be wet, and boardwalks constructed with the help of this grant will allow walkers to enjoy the trails without braving the mud.
The first part of the trail restoration will begin in June, and volunteers are needed to assist with this project. Interested community members should contact info@fopos.org or 609-921-2772 for information on workdays which are being scheduled for the second, third and fourth weekends in June.
The Woodfield Reservation can be accessed via entrances off the Old Great Road and Drakes Corner Road, and more information on the park including trail maps can be found at http://njtrails.org/trail/woodfield-reservation-princeton-day-schoolpond-view/
The mission of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions is to achieve responsible and sustainable use of New Jersey’s natural resources and protection of environmental health. The Princeton Environmental Commission is comprised of volunteer Princeton residents who are appointed by the Mayor.
The PEC was established to advocate for the protection, development and use of natural resources, including water resources, located within Princeton. Friends of Princeton Open Space founded in 1969, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization devoted to acquiring open space for preservation, protecting natural resources, maintaining and extending trails and providing environmental Education.