Our Mission

FOPOS, founded in 1969, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization devoted to the following:

In Princeton:  Acquiring open space for preservation, protecting natural resources, maintaining accessibility to trails, and providing environmental education. 

In The Princeton Region:  Working with groups to support efforts to preserve and protect open space and the environment. 

Since its founding, Friends of Princeton Open Space has helped to establish over 1,000 acres of parkland and a network of trails that nearly encircles Princeton.  Through grants and the contributions of hundreds of people in the community, FOPOS has helped to raise over $4.5 million for the purchase of land and acquisition of easements on properties that might have been bulldozed for development.  In addition to land preservation, FOPOS also leads in stewardship, from creating and maintaining hiking trails, boardwalks and footbridges, to the removal of invasive species and the replanting of native varieties.  FOPOS also sponsors community programs and activities, such as nature walks and educational workshops, and advocates for governmental actions that protect our water, land, animals and plant communities.