Useful Links
D&R Greenway Land Trust works to preserve and protect a permanent network of natural lands and open spaces in central New Jersey. Our mission is to provide appropriate public access to these areas and encourage active lifestyles and a greater
 |
|---|
appreciation of the natural world.
D&R Greenway has constructed approximately 20 miles of trails in partnership with our trails volunteers and site stewards. Take a walk through one of our preserves!
Greenway Meadows, which surrounds D&R Greenway Land Trust's home in Princeton, is a wonderful place to explore and play. In 2001, D&R Greenway Land Trust led the preservation of the 60-acre Robert Wood Johnson estate. When completed, 55 acres were deeded to Princeton Township, creating Greenway Meadows park.
The remaining acres surround a circa-1900 barn that D&R Greenway retained and renovated. In 2006, the Johnson Education Center opened to provide a home for D&R Greenway and a focal point for land preservation and stewardship activities throughout New Jersey. Here, state, county, and municipal officials, non-profit organizations, individuals and landowners partner to formulate landscape-scale preservation projects to benefit communities throughout New Jersey.
Princeton Township owns and manages Greenway Meadows park. They have incorporated walking paths, playground equipment, picnic areas, playing fields and public restrooms into the rolling, natural landscape. D&R Greenway has installed native plantings, the Edward T. Cone Grove, the Hartman Garden Path, the Carroll K. and Frederick P. King, Jr. Terrace, the Ellsworth Terrace, and Meredith's Garden for Inspiration - filled with native plants and nature-inspired sculptures - integrating the public park with the Johnson Education Center.
Announcing our 2013 guided Greenway Walks! Please RSVP, as some walks have a limited capacity. Call us at (609) 924-4646 or send us an email to reserve your spots, and make sure to include the number of people and which walks you would like to RSVP for!
Click here to download a PDF listing of all of the walks (updated 4/16/13).
1. Sourland Birds and Botany, Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve
Tuesday, May 14th
9:00 - 11:00am
Leaders: Jim Amon, Director of Stewardship and Sharyn Magee, Ornithologist
The Sourlands Preserve is part of the largest intact forested ecosystem in central NJ. The trail network takes you across streams and around boulders, in a peaceful setting where surrounding development has occurred more slowly than in other areas. On this walk, you will learn about the plants native to this ecosystem, and, with luck, see some migratory songbirds on their way north from their wintering grounds.
Location: Mountain Rd., Hopewell, NJ 08525
Directions: From Route 518 in downtown Hopewell, turn onto N. Greenwood Ave. (Hopewell-Wertsville Rd.) and take a left on Mountain Rd. The trailhead and parking will be on your left.
2. Butterflies at the Beagle Club, Plum Brook Preserve
Saturday, June 15th
10:30am - noon
Leader: Diana Raichel, Conservation Biologist
Management of our Beagle Club conservation easement results in a rare scrub-shrub habitat type that attracts a wide variety of butterflies, such as the red spotted purple. On this walk, you will learn about the other species that benefit from this habitat as well as the advantages of promoting native pollinators.
Location: Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, NJ
Directions: From County Route 523, turn northward onto Ferry Rd. Take Ferry Rd. about a mile and three-quarters and turn into a driveway on the left marked as the Beagle Club entrance.
3. Native Plant Nursery Tour and Garden Walk
Wednesday, June 19th
5:00 - 6:00pm
Leader: Emily Blackman, Native Plant Nursery Manager
Why is genetically local seed ecologically important? What are the details of the propagation process? Learn the answers to these and other questions at a behind-the-scenes tour of our nursery, and see some established native plant gardens at the D&R Greenway headquarters. Plants and our guide to gardening with native species, Plant Local, will be available for purchase.
Location: Johnson Education Center, One Preservation Place, Princeton, NJ 08540
Directions: From Route 206, turn on Elm Rd. and turn left on Rosedale Rd. Look for the D&R Greenway sign on your left.
4. A Sense of Wonder - The Third Annual Family Picnic and Exploration on the Stony Brook at Greenway Meadows (NEW!)
Co-sponsored by Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
Thursday, July 11
Picnic at 5:30pm, family exploration of the Stony Brook at 6:30pm
$5 per person donation requested for the walk at 6:30pm
Leader: Jeff Hoagland, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
Explore the interplay between children and waterways through this unique collaboration between two premier environmental organizations. Join Jeff Hoagland, Naturalist and Education Director at the Watershed Association, as he shares his knowledge and lifelong passion for these environs with children, families and adults. Bring a picnic to eat on the Carroll K. and Frederick P. King, Jr. Terrace at D&R Greenway's Johnson Education Center.
On the walk, meet some of the Brook's many inhabitants, and observe the dynamics of her flow as she courses toward Lake Carnegie. Participants will learn how and where to find stream life, and using small nets, will have the opportunity to meet some creatures up close. This will be a nice, ambling exploration. Old sneakers (or boots) are ideal for this walk, allowing participants to explore the shallows of the Brook.
Location: Johnson Education Center, One Preservation Place, Princeton, NJ 08540
Directions: From Route 206, turn on Elm Rd. and turn left on Rosedale Rd. Look for the D&R Greenway sign on your left.
5. Perseid Meteor Shower Watch, St. Michaels Farm Preserve
Monday, August 12th
10:00pm - midnight
Leader: Jay Watson, Vice President
Offered in partnership with the Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton, join us for our second annual Perseid meteor shower watch. This year, at our St. Farm Michaels Preserve in Hopewell, central New Jersey’s big sky country. The hilltop location gives one of the best views in the area. Bring lawn chairs and flashlights!
Location: St. Michaels Farm Preserve, near downtown Hopewell, NJ 08525
Directions: From 518 in downtown Hopewell, turn on Aunt Molly Rd. The preserve entrance and street parking will be on your right, with additional parking in a field on your left.
6. Urban Park Creation in Bordentown City
Saturday, September 7th
10:00 - 11:00am
Leader: Diana Raichel, Conservation Biologist
See an urban park creation and ecological restoration project in the making at Lime Kiln Alley Park in Bordentown City. Over the last several years, we preserved parcels along freshwater tidal Blacks Creek to create a greenway in this historic area. More recently, in partnership with the City, we have converted these once highly disturbed properties into parkland that benefits both human and wildlife communities. Come see the progress and hear about the next steps!
Location: Lime Kiln Alley/Federal St., Bordentown City, NJ 08505
Directions: From Princeton, take 295 south to exit 57A for 130N towards Bordentown. Keep left at the fork and merge onto 130N. Turn left onto Farnsworth Ave., then turn left onto Federal St. Continue straight to Lime Kiln Alley. Park at the base of the hill.
7. Native Seed Production, St. Michaels Farm Preserve
Sunday, October 6th
2:00 - 4:00pm
Leader: Bill Flemer, Manager, St. Michaels Farm Preserve
The St. Michaels Farm Preserve is home to grassland birds, sustainable farming, a future “edible hedgerow”, and our bulk native wildflower and grass seed production project. On this walk, join us to tour the seed production fields when they are in full bloom and walk the trail network while learning about the history of the preserve.
Location: St. Michaels Farm Preserve, off of Hopewell-Princeton Rd., near downtown Hopewell, NJ 08525
Directions: From Princeton, take Carter Rd. north towards Hopewell. Carter Rd. will become Hopewell-Princeton Rd. near downtown Hopewell. Meet in the fenced St. Michaels parking area on your right.
8. Fall Foliage and Land Stewardship, Cedar Ridge Preserve
Saturday, October 12th
9:30 - 11:30am
Leader: Jim Amon, Director of Stewardship
Stewardship refers to activities that care for and improve land for the benefit of people and wildlife. At our Cedar Ridge Preserve, pictured right, we successfully created vernal pools for amphibians and turtles, enhanced the wildflower meadow’s species diversity, and are working to establish a native reforestation area. On this walk, you will learn about this stewardship work surrounded by Cedar Ridge’s spectacular fall foliage!
Location: Van Dyke Rd., Hopewell, NJ 08525
Directions: From Route 518 near downtown Hopewell, turn onto Van Dyke Rd. The trailhead and parking lot will be on your left at the bottom of the hill.
9. Focus on Seed Collecting, Cedar Ridge Preserve
Sunday, November 3rd
1:30 - 3:30pm
Leader: Emily Blackman, Native Plant Nursery Manager
Late fall is a great time for seed collecting, when summer-blooming plants’ seed matures, such as the meadow species in our Cedar Ridge Preserve. Examples include Boneset, Asters, and Milkweeds, whose exotic looking pods produce seed with silk-like threads to aid wind dispersion. Join us to learn how to recognize mature seed and learn about plant strategies to increase the chances of seed survival.
Location: Van Dyke Rd., Hopewell, NJ 08525
Directions: From Route 518, turn onto Van Dyke Rd. The trailhead and parking lot will be on your left at the bottom of the hill.
Take Your Own Walk
Featured Walk:
The Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail
A crisp fall day in October 2010 marked the
dedication of the Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail
In autumn 2010, the Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail was dedicated in Greenway Meadows park. The mile-long Trail begins at an allée of century-old hybrid sycamore trees, moves up the hill past newly planted American chestnuts and loops a meandering mile down through a meadow. Forty-eight poems feature the work of poets from fourteen countries and cultures. The common thread is the poet’s close read of some aspect of the natural world. The Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail speaks to the symbiotic relationship between art and nature. Please visit Greenway Meadows to fully experience the Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail. The trail is easily accessed from the lower parking lot at Greenway Meadows. Walk up the path, past the playground and soccer fields. Look for an allee of large Hybrid Sycamore Trees to start exploring the Poetry Trail.
 |
The documentary, Transplanted Trees, by David Kelly Crow, assisted by cameraman Raja Kayithi, takes viewers to the stunning Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail, a 1.5 mile maze of paths that wind among the grassland of the 55-acre Greenway Meadows Park off Rosedale Road in Princeton. The Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail was inspired and designed by Scott and Hella McVay in partnership with D&R Greenway Land Trust. It extends into the surrounding park from D&R Greenway's Johnson Education Center.
Filmed live on April 15 of this year, "Transplanted Trees" follows native American poet, storyteller, and author Joseph Bruchac as he leads a large group of Princeton area residents, poetry aficionados, and nature lovers along the trail, stopping at 23 of the 48 poetry "markers," which feature poetry from around the globe and across time. Each of the poems was chosen for how it speaks to and about nature. Bruchac stops with the group at the markers and takes turns with several other area poets and writers, including Jim Haba, Penny Harter and Nupur Lahiri, to read the poem aloud, accompanied only by the sound of the breeze, the birds in the trees, and a Native American flute played by Bruchac's son, Jesse.
The film may transport you to a place of simple beauty, a little peace, and perhaps inspiration. DVD copies of the film are available for purchase for $20 each by calling D&R Greenway at 609.924.4646, or visiting the Johnson Education Center. Click below to view the film in its entirety:
Transplanted Trees from Princeton Community Television on Vimeo.
Other walks on D&R Greenway preserved lands:
St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell, New Jersey
 |
|---|
The 340-acre St. Michaels Farm Preserve is officially preserved, and the public is invited to walk on trails through the non-agricultural open space portions of the property for walking, horseback riding and nature study. D&R Greenway requests that anyone who wants to see the property stay on existing farm roads. Please visit during daylight hours. Please keep your dog on a leash due to the presence of ground nesting birds. Dogs can and will hurt ground nesting birds. Thank you for your help in protecting the wildlife that exists on the preserve.
Click here to open a map of St. Michaels Farm Preserve Trails (2012).
D&R Greenway welcomes the community to our St. Michaels Farm Preserve. The majority of the property between Princeton Avenue and Aunt Molly Road is protected with a farmland easement. Wooded areas are preserved for conservation. You may walk on old farm roads and along hedgerows and in the wooded areas. Please respect the farm fields. The Diocese of Trenton has retained ownership of the 20 acres closest to town as shown on the map. This area is not open for public access.
Cedar Ridge Preserve in Hopewell Township, Mercer County
 |
|---|
Click for the profile of this preserve
Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve
Take a walk in the Greater Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve in Hopewell and East Amwell Townships!
 |
|---|
Click here to open a color map of trails connected to the Northern Stony Brook Preserve.
Click here to open the Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve brochure with information about the wildlife, history, and trails of the preserve.
The Northern Stony Brook Preserve trail profile - East Amwell Township, Hunterdon County
Sourlands Foothills Trail trail profile - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Dry Run Creek Trail in West Amwell, Hunterdon County
 |
|---|
Trail profile and directions on the NJ Trails website
Rawlyk Preserve in Kingwood Township, Hunterdon County
 |
 |
|---|
The Rawlyk Family preserved its farm in 2006. The land has been in the Rawlyk family since the mid-1920s. This preserve serves as a demonstration to other landowners of how they can restore native grassland and wetlands. There are woodlands, grasslands and wetlands that can be seen by walking a loop trail. Click here to open a trail map. A parking area is located off Hampton Road in Kingwood, New Jersey. Wear comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes - certain trails can be wet. Click here for directions to the Rawlyk Preserve.
To find more trails in central New Jersey:
New Jersey Trails Association offers free resources for trail guides and maps. NJ Trails Association is a group of non-profit organizations, led by D&R Greenway Land Trust, that encourages families and individuals to get outdoors and experience preserved lands close to home.
See the NJ Trails Association website to explore over 80 walking trails in central New Jersey!
I place my feet with care in such a world. - William Stafford
I reach, I touch, I begin to know you. - Muriel Rukeyser
Friends for the Marsh sponsors events all year long in the Hamilton - Trenton - Bordentown Marsh
Click to Visit our Partners Page to learn more about Friends for the Marsh
 |
 |
|---|
WALK THE TRAILS IN AND AROUND PRINCETON
The year 2009 marked the 20th anniversary of D&R Greenway's founding and the 175th anniversary of the D&R Canal, which inspired our first preservation goal to permanently protect the land surrounding and buffering this important water resource. Sophie Glovier, an active supporter of D&R Greenway and former trustee, is the author of a new trail book, Walk The Trails In And Around Princeton. Sophie along with Bentley Drezner, a well-known photographer, compiled some wonderful trail guides, along with interesting highlights along the trail. You may click here to e-mail a request for the book or call 609.924.4646.
In 2009 Packet Magazine featured this book - Click to view/download article