FOPOS relies on the help of volunteers to help achieve our mission. Throughout all four seasons, FOPOS offers regular volunteer sessions as well as scheduled group volunteer opportunities. Volunteers work under the guidance of FOPOS’s stewardship team to assist with a variety of conservation projects at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve in Princeton, NJ.

2025 Land Steward Sessions

Below is a list of our upcoming volunteer events. Click the name of each session to sign up:

Volunteer Groups and Additional Information

Volunteer Groups: Looking to volunteer as a group? Families, students, community and/or corporate groups, please complete this Volunteer Group Interest form. Or, you can email info@fopos.org with “VOLUNTEER” in the subject line.

Weekday Volunteer Crew: If you’d like to join our small crew of weekday volunteers, please email info@fopos.org with “Weekday Crew” in the subject line.

Join our Volunteer List: If you are unable to attend the sessions above and would like to join our volunteer list, please fill out this Volunteer Application or email info@fopos.org with “VOLUNTEER” in the subject line.

Trail Building: Are you especially interested in trail building? Please email us. You can work with our trail building team to help create and maintain hiking trails for the community to enjoy! Join us on most weekends to clear paths, build boardwalks and stream crossings, and improve access to the Preserve’s 8 miles of hiking trails.

Join us on February 1st for MLK Day of Service: Land Stewardship Volunteer Session

On Saturday, February 1st we are hosting two volunteer sessions. Session 1 is from 10am - 12pm and Session 2 is from 1pm - 3pm. This MLK Day of Service was originally scheduled for January 20th but was postponed to February 1st due to unsafe weather conditions at the Preserve. Can you join us?

Volunteer Information

Current Scope of Work: Our current focus is on a 25-acre riparian restoration project that buffers Mountain Lake and portions of its feeder streams. Riparian areas play an important role in protecting 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 New Jersey. Riparian areas also provide critical habitat for birds, insects, and aquatic life.

Volunteers will help to identify and remove invasive plants, as well as assist with native tree plantings and the installation of deer exclosures. The stewardship skills learned at these sessions can easily be applied to restoring habitat in your own backyard.

Please complete our ONLINE WAIVER before your session. If you would rather fill out a paper waiver, please email us. Waiver completion is required. This waiver needs to be completed once per calendar year.

BYO: Be sure to bring a water bottle and work gloves. We recommend wearing long sleeves, long pants, and work boots/sneakers--this will best protect you from thorns, ticks, and poison ivy. We ask that if you are feeling sick or have potentially been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, to please stay home and join us at another time.

Meeting Location: Unless otherwise noted we meet at the Mountain Lake House Parking lot, 57 Mountain Ave, Princeton NJ, 08540. Here is a link to our event parking lot location on Google maps. You can make your way down the long paved driveway entrance to the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, marked by a series of black mail boxes. The gravel parking lot is on your left about a 1/2 mile down the driveway.