Mark Gallagher joins the Friends for the Abbott Marshlands

The Friends for the Abbott Marshlands (FFAM) is pleased to announce the addition of Mark Gallagher to their Board of Trustees. “Mark is a pioneer in the field of restoration ecology, and helped get the conservation science movement off the ground in the 1980s… He has overseen wetland and terrestrial ecology projects at Princeton Hydro, including many complex restoration projects that require unique solutions. He is extremely knowledgeable about local, state, and federal regulations, especially when it comes to ecological impact. Mark has made a positive impact on water quality and wildlife, designing and permitting hundreds of acres of restoration, mitigation, and enhancement projects throughout the Northeast.” (https://princetonhydro.com)

Mark had received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NJ Highlands Coalition recognizing his decades of work protecting environmental, cultural, natural and scenic NJ resources. In his role as Cofounder and Vice President at Princeton Hydro, Mark knows the land at Abbott Marshlands – Roebling Park through the treatment and ongoing eradication of invasive phragmites (Phragmites australis).. Although there is a subspecies of phragmites that is native in the U.S., it is rare. The invasive species is not a valuable food source for waterfowl. It grows quickly into a monoculture, blocking out the native species which animals depend on for survival. Removing the invasive species was paramount to allowing the native seeds in the marsh’ banks to have a chance to grow. Seeds like wild rice and others have indeed grown with access to sunlight and nutrients in the marsh. The Friends for the Abbott Marshlands feel fortunate to have Mark’s experience and expertise as an addition to their executive board.

One of two recent FFAM events was a successful, sold-out fundraiser at the Tulpehaking Nature Center at Abbott Marshlands – Roebling Park, Hamilton. Trivia Night host, Rightous Jolly, kept the group laughing on November 2; food and drinks were enjoyed by all, and the top teams scored well in their overall knowledge. The Friends for the Abbott Marshlands members appreciated donations from corporate sponsors: PSEG, NJM Insurance Group, Wegmans and Salon Bellissimo. They thank Mercer County Park Commission; Kelly Rypkema, director and the staff at the Tulpehaking Nature Center, the FFAM Fundraising Committee and volunteers. They especially are thankful for their guests in support of the nonprofit’s mission to preserve, protect and allow all to enjoy the natural beauty of the marshlands.

The second event was the visitation of published author and botanist, Jared Rosenbaum of Wild Ridge Plants, who presented an excellent, thought-provoking talk on Wild Plant Culture at the Tulpehaking Nature Center at Abbott Marshlands – Roebling Park, Hamilton. Participants were able to purchase an autographed copy of his book, “Wild Plant Culture: A Guide to Restoring Edible and Medicinal Native Plant Communities”. Integrating restoration practices, foraging, herbalism, rewilding and permaculture, the book is a comprehensive guide to the ecological restoration of native habitats in any location. Jared Rosenbaum is also a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner. He is a founding partner at Wild Ridge Plants LLC, a business that grows local ecotype native plants using sustainable practices and he performs botanical surveys. Besides Wild Plant Culture, he also wrote a children’s book The Puddle Garden, about native plants and wildlife.

Just where is the Abbott Marshlands? The Abbott Marshlands are situated in Lenapehoking, the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Lenape. The lands include over 3,000 acres of open space along the Delaware River in Central New Jersey. Although a satellite view of the area quickly reveals its ecological unity, the land parcels are actually divided among two counties, four municipalities, and numerous landowners. Crisscrossed by a canal, a railroad, and even a major highway interchange, the essential nature of the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River becomes evident. It provides rich habitat for a wide variety of birds (an Important Bird Area), fish, mammals, and plants. FFAM is the only organization whose sole focus is the promotion and stewardship of the entire marshlands. It consists of locations at Roebling Park, Bordentown Bluffs, the D&R Canal towpath, the Crosswicks Creek tidal water trail near the Delaware River, Northern Community Park in Bordentown and a portion of Duck Island’s trail system, Trenton.

Visitors to the unique freshwater tidal marsh of the Abbott Marshlands remark on it being an urban oasis, a critical wildlife habitat in the Delaware River’s estuary to be relished and protected. The public is invited to join in this important endeavor. For more information, visit https://abbottmarshlands.org/volunteer-opportunities/ and join one of the free walks.

FFAM’s efforts include a volunteer trail stewardship program, an active calendar of programs on marshlands ecology and history, and other community outreach activities including an upcoming biennial juried Voices of the Marsh photography exhibition in 2024. FFAM coordinates their work with Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Ave., Hamilton; the Mercer County Park Commission, the Delaware and Raritan (D&R) Canal State Park, the City of Bordentown and Bordentown Township. The Abbott Marshlands Cooperative Stewardship Council members include representatives from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the D&R Canal Commission, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Mercer County, and local municipalities of Trenton, Hamilton, Bordentown City and Bordentown Township. The website, https://abbottmarshlands.org, provides extensive information regarding ecology, cultural history, archaeology, recreation, education and stewardship.

Historically, on December 8, 1976, the Abbott Farm Historic District, became the first National Historic Landmark in New Jersey, designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is a unique archaeological site, recognized as the site of the largest Middle Woodland village of its type on the east coast of the United States. It was named after Charles Conrad Abbott, whose early archeological work, and writings from the 1850s on, spurred much research there.

What we call the Abbott Marshlands was previously known as the Trenton Marsh or the Hamilton Marsh or sometimes the Hamilton-Trenton-Bordentown Marsh. In 2011, a coalition of marsh supporters, working on an interpretive plan for the marsh, saw the opportunity to change the name to the Abbott Marshlands, to acknowledge the historical and natural significance of the area.