FRIENDS OF PRINCETON NURSERY LANDS BUTTERFLY WALK

Photo:Tasha O’Neill

Saturday, July 14, 2:00 PM

Join Frank Bader for an afternoon butterfly walk through the Mapleton Preserve. The leader for this walk knows his butterflies - he founded and has compiled the results of the Mercer Butterfly Count since 2003. Participants will explore the various habitats of the Preserve, and help to compile a list of the butterfly species found. Along the way, the group will take time to enjoy birds, wildflowers and any other natural phenomena observed. Those who have close-focusing binoculars and/or butterfly books are encouraged to bring them along.
Interested participants are asked to meet at the D & R Canal State Park’s main office in Kingston (located at 145 Mapleton Road) for this afternoon walk through the former Princeton Nursery site. Call 609-683-0483 for more information. Registration is NOT required, and admission is FREE!

NOTE: The rain date for this event is July 15th at 2:00.

A 19th Century Ice-Cream Social

June 23

A 19th Century Ice-Cream Social

It’s just not summer without ice-cream so let’s get busy and welcome the sea-son by whipping-up a batch “the old-fashioned way!” Kids, bring your parents and come prepared to help the D & R's Historian make (and eat - YUM!) this traditional summer treat. We'll churn ice-cream, play a few historic games and learn how this delicious dessert is made. The program begins at 1:00 pm and will be held at the park’s Kingston office (145 Mapleton Road). This program is open to children 5 YEARS OLD AND UP who must be accompanied by an adult. Advanced registration IS Required but admission is FREE! SPACE WILL BE LIMITED SO CALL EARLY AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT!

Compass Basics

July 7

Compass Basics

Ever wonder how to use a compass? Now is your chance. Join the Naturalist at the park’s Kingston
office (145 Mapleton Road, located approximately 4 miles north of Princeton) to learn about the basics of the map and com-pass.

Participants will learn how to interpret topographic maps and use a magnetic compass. Afterwards everyone will then try their new skills on a small orienteering course. This program will begin at 1:00 pm and is appropriate for ages 8 and over. The park will provide compasses for use during the program.

Story of the D & R Canal

July 21

Story of the D & R Canal: Come join the D & R Canal State Park's Historian for a PowerPoint talk focusing on the history of the canal. Both historic and modern photographs will be included to illuminate the waterway's past and present life. This hour-long adult afternoon program will begin at 1:30 pm and be held in the park’s education building located at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston. Come join us and learn about the old canal’s past through photographs. Here’s your chance to ask all those questions you may have about the waterway’s history. Registration is NOT required and admission is FREE!

History Walk ~ From Nursery to Canal

Aug 25
History Walk ~ From Nursery to Canal

Enjoy a round-trip walk with the D & R's Historian leading from the main office at Kingston to the canal towpath and the Kingston Canal House. Participants will meet at the new Kingston office located at 145 Mapleton Road at 10:00 am for a leisurely 2-mile round trip walk. The group will proceed from the headquarters through a portion of the Mapleton Preserve (the former Princeton Nursery site) towards the canal tow- path and the Kingston Canal House before turning back. Come enjoy a summer morning outdoors while burning a few calories and learning a bit about the historic resources of the D & R Canal State Park!

RHODODENDRONS AND AZALEAS IN NEW JERSEY: IT'S EASIER THAN YOU THINK

Wednesday, June 6th. 7:30 PM

Hank Schannen slide presentation:

“Rhododendrons and Azaleas in New Jersey: It's Easier Than You Think"

Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands Annual Meeting

Henry (Hank) Schannen, of the RareFind Nursery will present a lecture and slide show entitled “Rhododendrons and Azaleas in New Jersey: It's Easier Than You Think”, at the Annual Meeting of the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands, June 6th, 7:30 pm. The event will be held at Mapleton Preserve/D & R Canal State Park, 145 Mapleton Rd., in Kingston. It is free and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 609-514-2416 or www.fpnl.org


The speaker for this program, Hank Schannen, is a plantsman extraordinaire and the owner of the RareFind Nursery, located in Jackson, NJ. Mr. Schannen is a walking rhododendron encyclopedia – his expertise in this area is reflected by the fact that RareFind offers over 200 varieties of rhododendrons and 130 varieties of deciduous and evergreen azaleas. Judging from the photos in his nursery’s on-line catalog (http://www.rarefindnursery.com) the slides he will show should be visually stunning, as he shares with us the beauty of this genus. He will also provide handouts and information on planting and growing rhododendrons and azaleas, and provide copies of his nursery catalog.



BACKGROUND:

Hank Schannen is an avid rhododendron collector and hybridizer. His interest in rhododendrons and azaleas is very long standing. He joined American Rhododendron Society (ARS) in 1966, and has served on the ARS national board and as the president of the Princeton Chapter of this prestigious society. Hank currently serves as Chairman of the ARS Research Foundation, and is a Board member of the Rhododendron Species Foundation. He has personally introduced 10 new rhododendron hybrids and was a 1997 recipient of the Gold Medal of the American Rhododendron Society. He has a BS from Rider University and an MBA from Rutgers University. Interestingly, in his former life (BR-Before Rarefind), Hank Schannen was a marketing specialist and co-founded and served as President of the multi-million dollar market research firm Hase-Schannen Research Associates, in Princeton, NJ. Hank is a frequent and entertaining lecturer on the subject of rhododendrons, and also . collects Japanese maples, hollies and magnolias.



He is the proprietor of RareFind Nursery, which is located at the northwestern tip of the famous New Jersey Pine Barrens. The nursery, which is open to the public Wednesdays through Saturdays, is centered around a four-acre rhododendron display garden in a natural wooded setting. The garden is home to a large and diverse collection of shrubs and contains many thousands of rhododendron seedlings from their own hybridizing efforts. The nursery offers over 2500 types of unusual hardy plants, including over 200 varieties of rhododendrons, and 130 types of azaleas. Their offerings also include native perennials, trees, shrubs, dogwoods, magnolias, conifers, Japanese maples, variegated plants, shade plants and deer-resistant plants.

Mapleton Preserve/D & R Canal State Park , 145 Mapleton Rd., Kingston

Free. Open to Public.

Further information: 609-514-2416.

Event - Arbor Day Celebration

Saturday, April 28, 2-4 PM

This event is on as planned.

William Flemer, IV (a member of the Flemer family who founded the legendary Princeton Nurseries) will lead a recollection session with past Princeton Nurseries workers. Anyone who worked there is encouraged to participate, to share memories and/or photos. This event will be held in the Education Building at the new Headquarters of the D&R Canal State Park on Mapleton Road in Kingston.
In addition to the public, we hope that many people who contributed to the success of the Princeton Nurseries Kingston site will join us for this session. The history of Princeton Nurseries is intimately related to the history of those who worked there, and we would like to honor these stories.

A tree planting will follow. Princeton Nurseries, now located in Allentown, New Jersey, has provided a specimen tree to be planted for the 2007 Arbor Day Celebration at Mapleton Preserve. This continues its tradition of donating specimens for the nascent Flemer Arboretum, named for celebrated plantsman William Flemer, III, and his brother, the late Dr. John Flemer. Some of the most prized plants in American horticulture were developed in Kingston by William Flemer, III: Princeton Sentry® Gingko, Snow Queen Hydrangea, and October Glory® Maple.

After the planting, guests are invited to take a leisurely walk on the property, which will highlight the Nurseries' renowned specimen trees. All guests will receive a seedling tree to bring home and plant.

In 2005, Mapleton Preserve (the historic heart of Princeton Nurseries) was jointly purchased as open space, by the New Jersey Green Acres program and South Brunswick Township. The restored main office for the Princeton Nurseries Kingston site has now become the D & R Canal State Park Headquarters. Several other historic buildings dot the grounds, including eight greenhouses. If suitable funding can be obtained, they will be restored and put to nature-related use within the next ten years.

The Arbor Day celebration will be held at the Headquarters of the D&R Canal State Park, located at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston, and is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact us via the link above or through the Friends' web site (fpnl.org), or call Karen Linder at 609-683-0483.