Princeton|Local Event
Volunteer to Help FOPOS Plant Trees in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve
Join Friends of Princeton Open Space for a community volunteer event at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve in Princeton, NJ.
Volunteers will work with the stewardship team at the riparian (lake and stream-side) restoration project sites. We'll be planting native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns and then installing cages around native plants to protect them from deer & beaver browse.
Volunteer with the Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) on Saturday, October 17th. There will be two volunteer sessions; the morning session is from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the afternoon session is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Come to one or both. Bring a friend! Groups are welcome.
What to bring: Bring water to stay hydrated. If you have them, please bring planting tools, garden gloves, a mallet, wire cutters, a trowel, and/or garden pruners. We’ll have extra tools and gloves on site, but if participants are able to bring their own, it will help us work more efficiently. We’ll be planting and protecting trees and shrubs.
What to wear: We'll be working off-trail in the woods. We recommend wearing long pants and sturdy boots/shoes, as this will provide the best protection from any mud, thorns, ticks, and/or poison ivy.
Directions: We will meet at the Mountain Lake House parking lot, located within the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Here is a link to the parking lot location on Google Maps & Apple Maps. The address of the Preserve is 57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540; this will bring you to the entrance of the Preserve, not our meet-up location. To get to the Mountain Lakes House parking lot, look for the white gate along Mountain Avenue, marked by a series of black mailboxes along the road. Drive slowly down the long paved driveway. The gravel parking lot will be on your left, approximately 1/2 mile down the driveway.
What to expect: During this volunteer session, we'll plant native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns in our 25-acre riparian (lakeside and streamside) restoration project. We'll start with a brief introduction, then walk to the restoration site, where our stewardship team will show you how to plant, mulch, and protect native plants from deer browse with protective cages. You can apply the stewardship skills you gain during these sessions to restoring and maintaining habitat in your own backyard or other community green spaces!
We look forward to seeing you, and we appreciate your help restoring our local ecosystem!