Friends of Princeton Open Space
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) is committed to making open space accessible and welcoming to people of diverse groups, including all ages, ethnicities, races, and income levels in the Princeton community.  To that end, FOPOS held a series of events to introduce and welcome Communities of Color to the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve; became a member of the Outdoor Equity Alliance and serves on its Advisory Board;  provided stipends for youth from communities of color to work as interns at Mountain Lakes Preserve; and endeavors each year to hire a diverse group of college-age interns to work and study under the supervision of the Director of Natural Resources and Stewardship, Anna Corichi, during the spring, summer and fall.  We helped the Municipality obtain a grant of over half a million dollars to rehabilitate the ecology and improve visitors’ experience of Community Park North, which is very close to the part of Princeton where many of its Hispanic residents live.  FOPOS was a partner in the acquisitions that created the Mt. Lucas Preserve, and is working with the Open Space Manager to create trails there that will be easily accessible to two of Princeton’s affordable housing developments.  And we are currently a partner in the acquisition of 90 acres on Herrontown Road that will be easy for affordable housing residents at Griggs Farm and in neighboring Montgomery Township to visit.  We created footbridges at Mountain Lakes Preserve to make trails more usable by people for whom rock crossings of streams are too physically challenging, and have proposed to the Municipality a long-term plan for a better-constructed and more sustainable crossing of Mountain Brook.  FOPOS is working to diversify its board of directors to reflect the composition of our community and is committed to continuing this work.