National Public Lands Day at Mapleton Preserve

Sat., September 26, 1 to 4 PM

Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands, Kingston Greenways Association, and the D&R Canal State Park will jointly sponsor a work session in the Mapleton Preserve. Meet us at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston, and choose the task that suits you: Brush cutting, Litter removal, vine clearing, tree planting or photo documentation.

Some tools will be available on site, but participants are welcome to bring their own favorites (loppers, saws, clippers, rakes etc). Work gloves, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats are advised. For more information, contact tari@kingstongreenways.org, or call the Park at 924-5705.

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers.

In 2008, 120,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, removed trash and invasive plants and planted over 1.6 million trees. It keeps the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the "tree army" that worked from 1933 to 1942 to preserve and protect America's natural heritage.

This annual event:

  • Educates Americans about critical environmental and natural resources issues and the need for shared stewardship of these irreplaceable lands
  • Builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community based upon mutual interests in the enhancement and restoration of America's public lands
  • Improves public lands for outdoor recreation, with volunteers assisting land managers in hands-on work.
To learn more, please visit http://www.publiclandsday.org/

Fall foliage walk with a history focus

Saturday, October 24h, 1:00 p.m.

The Kingston Greenways Association will be holding their annual Fall Foliage Walk on Saturday, Oct. 24th at 1:00 p.m. (The walk was rained out on Oct. 17th, so has been rescheduled.)

This year's event will be led by the D & R Canal State Park's historian, Vicki Chirco. This leisurely 2-mile stroll will start at the Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park, 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston, NJ.

We will proceed from the headquarters building through a portion of the Mapleton Preserve (the former Princeton Nurseries site) towards the canal towpath and the Kingston Canal House before turning back.

The fall foliage should be in full display so come enjoy an afternoon outdoors, learning a bit about the historic and natural resources of the D & R Canal State Park and the Princeton Nursery Lands! For more information, call 924-5705, or email tari@kingstongreenways.org