Donate a Tree
We’re committed to planting over 6,500 native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers within riparian zones at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve in Princeton. Riparian areas exist along the water’s edge and play an important role in protecting water quality. The water that flows through Mountain Lakes Park ultimately finds its way to the Raritan River which is an important drinking water source for central NJ. In healthy riparian zones, the root systems of native plants, along with soil microbes, work to slow stormwater and filter out pollutants before they can enter the waterway. Riparian areas also provide critical habitat for a diversity of birds, insects, and aquatic life. Help us restore the lakeshore by donating a tree today!
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Black willow is a majestic tree, with drooping branches and an open crown. Fast-growing and found along the water's edge, its shallow and spreading root system helps to stabilize stream banks and prevent soil erosion. Willows are among the first plants visited by bees and other spring pollinators. They are also a favorite of beavers along the shoreline of Mountain Lakes, who consume their inner bark for food and fell trees to build their dens.
With your support, FOPOS can plant more black willows and protect them as they establish.
Photo credit: Green Thumbs Garden
Hearts-a-Burstin’ (Euonymus americanus)
Hearts-a-Burstin’, also known as Strawberry Bush, is a spectacular native understory shrub! We call this plant our 'native Burning Bush,' as it shares a genus with the widespread invasive species, Euonymus alatus, commonly known as Burning Bush.
This native plant naturally occurs in thickets along forested slopes and in moist woods. It prefers some shade and can tolerate periods of drought as well as a variety of soil types, including clay. Its brilliant red fruits and seeds are eaten by songbirds, wild turkeys, and small mammals who help disperse the seeds.
Donate this specimen to help restore the understory! Support Princeton’s birds and wildlife, while also bringing beautiful colors to Mountain Lakes Preserves’ riparian zones.
Photo credit: Anna Corichi, FOPOS
Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
Sweetbay magnolia is a beautiful, multi-stemmed understory tree that produces large, fragrant white flowers in the spring. Its blooms attract many different pollinators including butterflies, beetles and bees and it is a host plant to the exquisite sweetbay silkmoth. Its cone-like fruit produces bright red berries in the fall that provide food for a variety of birds, such as the Eastern kingbird, wood thrushes and warblers. Help us populate the riparian area with sweet-smelling magnolia blooms!
Donate Materials to Protect Tree Saplings
Your donation will provide materials such as caging and stakes to help protect and nurture young tree saplings, shielding them from deer browse and beaver chew.
Additionally, select trees along the bank will be painted with a sand and paint mixture to create a protective barrier, preventing beavers from damaging trees as they forage for food and make their dens.
Donate materials today to help trees grow!
Photo credit: FOPOS