Love Your Park Day!

57 Mountain Ave,Princeton NJ 08540

12 February, 2022

Description

A volunteer day in nature. Show your LOVE for nature this Valentine's Day! Join us on Sat. February 12 for Love Your Park Day!, a volunteer stewardship event hosted by the Friends of Princeton Open Space, a nonprofit dedicated to land preservation. On February 12, we will continue our work in the 25-acre Riparian Restoration Project located at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve in Princeton, NJ. Volunteers will work under the guidance of our Natural Resources and Stewardship Director, Anna Corichi, to identify and remove target invasive plant species, such as burning bush (Euonymus alatus) and wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius). 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 "LOVE" to the Other Information section) and complete the waiver form below the volunteer form. If you have difficulty, please email [email protected]. 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. Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS), founded in 1969, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization devoted to acquiring open space in Princeton for preservation, protecting natural resources, maintaining accessibility to trails, and providing environmental education. Throughout the Princeton region, FOPOS works with groups to support efforts to preserve and protect open space and the environment. In 2019, FOPOS will celebrate it's 50th year.  Since its founding, FOPOS 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 $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. If you have an interest in spending time outdoors, enjoying nature and making a difference in the community, please contact us at [email protected] to get involved in trail-building and ecological restoration.