November 21, 2012

Volunteers Work in Princeton’s Preserves After Devastation of Superstorm Sandy

CLEARING THE TRAILS: The fury of Superstorm Sandy caused considerable devastation at Princeton’s natural preserves. Volunteers, led by Princeton Friends of Open Space Trailblazers, have been working since to restore the trails and clear the areas of brush and debris. Shown here are Dana Oley and Brian Rosener of Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, who are among those who have helped with the effort. (Photo by Eric Tazelaar)

Since the destruction of Superstorm Sandy, anyone attempting to walk the paths of Princeton’s preserved woods and natural areas hasn’t gotten very far before encountering a fallen tree trunk. The record-breaking storm left its mark on Witherspoon Woods, the adjacent Mountain Lakes Preserve, and Community Park North, making paths normally strolled by nature-lovers and dog-walkers impassable.

But almost daily since the storm passed, volunteers have been working in the woods with chain saws and brush-clearing equipment to help bring the area back to normal. The Friends of Princeton Open Space Trailblazers, joined by other helpers, are opening up or rerouting paths affected by the fallen trees.

“It’s a pretty remarkable group of people,” said Fred Spar, a board member of Friends of Princeton Open Space. “They have been out there, keeping the trails clear, for a number of years on a regular basis. But since the storm, several people have been there almost daily and a fairly large crew comes out on weekends, six or eight people at a time. Some are from Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, and others who just heard about it show up to help. It’s been a huge help.”

Those who don’t frequent the woods may not realize the extent of the damage. “It’s pretty bad,” Mr. Spar said. “There are areas where it was just like dominoes — one tree fell, and the next one, and then the next one followed, and so on. Just beyond Mountain Lakes House, there’s an area where there were mostly conifers, and it’s just devastated. It’s all gone. There are many places where you start out following a trail, and then you have to stop.”

The cleanup continues, and more volunteers are needed. “The storm caused the loss of access to some beautiful natural areas that a lot of people in the community have come to enjoy,” Mr. Spar said. “It’s sad to see all these great trees fallen and paths obstructed. We still need help, and we welcome anyone who wants to volunteer.”

To join the effort, contact info@fopos.org.


May 23, 2012

President of Princeton Open Space Finds Liz Lempert Open, Thoughtful

To the Editor:

I write to urge my fellow Princetonians to support Liz Lempert for mayor in the coming election. As the president of Friends of Princeton Open Space, I have attended many Township Committee meetings during the time Liz has served on Committee, and have also worked with her on a number of important land preservation projects and conservation issues. I have been consistently impressed by Liz’s openness, thoughtfulness, quickness to grasp an issue, and ability to see things through. She is responsive to citizen concerns, and concerned about our most vulnerable citizens.

Liz has been a leader in working to protect the eastern Princeton Ridge and create a Princeton Ridge Preserve. This benefits our town in many ways, not just because we have more passive-recreation open space and preserved critical habitat, but because the protected lands provide “environmental services” such as flood protection, carbon sequestration, counteracting the urban heat effect and reducing the public costs of too-intense development. Liz is knowledgeable about environmental issues, but she is not a one-issue person, and to my observation she contributes in all of the areas that Committee takes up.

My husband knows Liz through his work for the Friends of the Princeton Public Library, where she is an active volunteer and supporter. Liz obviously appreciates the important connections between libraries and the welfare of children, and makes time in her very busy schedule to support this critical institution.

We are blessed in Princeton to have many capable and intelligent individuals who are willing to run for and serve in our government. I believe that Liz is a standout even in this outstanding field.

Wendy Mager

Cherry Hill Road

May 9, 2012

Friends of Princeton Open Space Thanking Firefighters at Mountain Lakes

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Board of Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS), I write to thank all those who responded quickly and effectively to the fire that broke out in Mountain Lakes North in Princeton Township on the afternoon of April 14. The responders included the Princeton Fire Department, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, and firefighters and equipment from Hopewell, Lawrence, West Windsor, Princeton Junction, Blawenburg, Ewing, and as far away as Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

Due to the extremely dry conditions and the fact that this is parkland, the fire could have consumed much more than the approximately 3.5 acres that ultimately were affected. Fortunately, the dedicated and skilled personnel who responded prevented that from happening.

FOPOS has already consulted with Dr. Emile DeVito, manager of Science and Stewardship of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, and Leslie Sauer, a respected expert on forest restoration, about the consequences of the fire, since FOPOS has “adopted” Mountain Lakes North through the adopt-a-park program (along with Mountain Lakes Preserve, for which FOPOS holds the conservation easement). Fortunately, the principal victims of the fire were low-growing invasive species and there was not a great deal of damage to larger trees. We expect to bring ideas for restoration of this area to Township staff and Committee in the near future.

Again, thanks to all who helped protect our park and nearby areas from the flames.

Wendy L. Mager

President, Friends of Princeton Open Space