Friends of Princeton Open Space, a nonprofit dedicated to land preservation, is hosting a Day of Service in Nature in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On Monday, January 17, help us continue our work on the Riparian Restoration Project: Restore the Lakeshore! at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve in Princeton, New Jersey. Volunteers will work under the guidance of our Natural Resources and Stewardship Director, Anna Corichi, to identify and remove invasive plants species, such as burning bush (Euonymus alatus) and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora). We will also install deer-exclusion caging around native tree and shrub saplings to protect them from browse and rut.
Riparian areas play an important role in improving water quality by slowing down stormwater and filtering out pollutants before they enter the water system. Water that flows through Mountain Lakes Park ultimately finds its way into the Raritan River, an important drinking water source for central NJ. Riparian areas also provide critical habitat for a diversity of birds, insects, and aquatic life. Our work will help to prep the site for the next planting phase, as well as protect this important resource.
All ages welcome -- children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.
In addition to pre-registering via eventbrite, we need a completed waiver form located on our website. Please click here to complete the volunteer form (simply add "MLK DAY" to the Other Information section) and complete the waiver form below the volunteer form. If you have difficulty, please email info@fopos.org.
BYO: If you are not yet vaccinated for COVID-19, please bring a mask. Be sure to BYO water bottle and work gloves to the stewardship sessions. We recommend wearing layers and work boots/sneakers. We ask that if you are feeling sick, have traveled, or have potentially been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, to please stay home and join us at another time. PLEASE COMPLETE THIS WAIVER FORM AND BRING WITH YOU.
Meeting Location: We meet at the Mountain Lake House Parking lot, 57 Mountain Ave, Princeton NJ, and then walk over to the project site as a group. Be sure to drive down the long paved driveway entrance to the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, marked by a series of white mail boxes, the gravel parking lot is on your left about a 1/2 mile down the driveway.