Preserving Land To Preserve Rivers

The Passaic River Coalition’s Butler Forest Preserve & Butler Raceway are two preserves which are contiguous (connected).

Combined they have a combined acreage of 14.9 acres.Four of those acres are deciduous wooded wetlands.

The preserve is Butler, NJ and these areas were purchased to prevent the development of townhouses and provide protection for the Pequannock River.

At PequannockRiver.org, we are reminded that the area around that river and the Wanaque River is often called the "Heart of the Highlands."

Average citizens may not consider the importance of the lands surrounding rivers when they think about preserving the river itself.

This particular area provides critical water supplies to millions of New Jersey citizens.

It also serves as a refuge for sensitive wildlife endangered, threatened and thankfully stable including otters, eagles, bears and bobcats.

Though some of this area seems quite rugged, other sections are at the edge of suburban sprawl. It is quite rugged at the headwaters on Hamburg Mountain, but the flood plains of eastern Morris County are much more suburban. The latter area is also one that continues to demand more land and water for growth.

Pequannock River

Want to learn more and explore the area? Check out their site and events calendar for meeting, hikes and information.

NJ Urban Forests and Saddle River County Park

The purpose of NJ Urban Forest site is to raise awareness for what is in our own literal and figurative backyards.

They point out some economic incentives: "Tax Ratables are often king more than not it seems. Open space is the best ratable. NJ is the most populated state in the country and should preserve it’s remaining natural areas."

An example is Bergen County’s Saddle River County Park. This 577 acre linear greenway parallels the Saddle River and  has 6 park areas, a historic site and an easy to walk 6 mile  paved path used by bicycles, pedestrians and skaters.


Though it is hardly the wilderness, it was a great place to take my kids when they were younger for some easy fishing which is allowed throughout the park.

Adults will need a license at the trout-stocked Saddle River and Ho-Ho-Kus Brook as well as the three ponds found throughout the park. The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook is trout stocked from Whites Pond in Waldwick until its confluence with the Saddle River.

Winter Birding at Brigantine Island

Marbled Godwits and Western Willets:  Image:Harvey Tomlinson

At Forsythe NWR (Brig), New Egypt, and Brigantine Island near Atlantic City, birders are enjoying winter birding.

From the Voice of NJ Audubon hotline, we find reports of "19 MARBLED GODWITS, 73 WESTERN WILLETS, 240 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, and 5 WESTERN SANDPIPERS" earlier this month.

Reports also have useful links like a Feb. 13 report of BARNACLE GOOSE, PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, PACIFIC LOON, NORTHERN LAPWING, CRESTED CARACARA, RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD.

Not to ignore Northern NJ - there were also sightings from the NJ Meadowlands (DeKorte area) on Feb. 10 including a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK a mixed flock of HORNED LARKS, SNOW BUNTINGS, and one LAPLAND LONGSPUR; an unseasonal GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and a flock of 40 COMMON REDPOLLS. 

NJ Land Conservation Rally 2013

NJ Land Conservation Rally

March 9, 2013

Connecting People with, Land, Nature and Each Other

One-day educational conference about preserving New Jersey’s open space and farmland

NJ Institute of Technology - Newark, New Jersey

Registration is open!

For morning workshop descriptions, click here >>

For Lightning Round and workshop descriptions, click here >>

For field trip descriptions, click here >>

For presenter biographies, click here >>