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About Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands
History of Princeton Nurseries
Aerial photo of former nursery lands
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October
Nursery News
Historic Princeton Nurseries artifacts acquired for Kingston Site: Sadly – Princeton Nurseries Allentown has now closed its doors forever -- it held a final auction of its equipment on June 11. Needless to say, FPNL president Karen Linder did not keep her hand down during the bidding, as one of FPNL’s key goals is to collect and preserve key items that can be used to understand and interpret the history of the Princeton Nurseries Kingston Site. Among the artifacts acquired are a large safe (circa 1925-1935), used in the Kingston Office, a very heavy anvil once used in the blacksmith shop, several old tools, a 1910 vice, two boxes of old catalogs for tractors and other nursery equipment, a 1980 Ford truck, a large Princeton Nurseries sign (11” x 6’), and a pallet of the same wormy mahogany that is used for the distinctive paneling in the Headquarters building. We are grateful to Bill Flemer, Ivan Olinsky and the staff of Princeton Nurseries for donations of some of the items, moving assistance and for help in identification of “old stuff” from the Kingston site during the auction and afterward, as well as for past donations of Princeton Nurseries trees. Thanks are also due to Ken Larini and his staff from Larini Sunoco for transporting the truck at a discounted rate, to Art Caola (We Secure It) for expertly moving the very heavy safe, to Dave Reed and his crew from Mapleton Nurseries for help transporting the other items, and to the D&R Canal State Park staff for graciously working with the various “movers” to get our new artifacts back home to Kingston. Combined with the three historic tractors and 1942 truck acquired last year, we now hold an excellent collection of Princeton Nurseries artifacts for a future interpretive center.
Propagation House - photo by Steve Millner Restoration of the Propagation House: Significant funding ($290,000) has been released by the New Jersey State Legislature, allowing the first phase of the restoration of the Propagation House. These funds were obtained from a Garden State Preservation Trust Fund Capital Grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust. Only 60 historic sites in New Jersey were selected for funding, so this a great honor. The grant application for this work was submitted by South Brunswick Township’s Historic Preservation Commission in June 2008. Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands played a major role in the preparation of the successful application. The money will be matched by a $290,000 from the Endowment Fund that was donated by Wm Flemer’s Sons Inc. when the property was preserved. Initial efforts will focus on stabilization and exterior renovation of the propagation house and restoration of one of the attached greenhouses. Vote “Yes” Nov. 3rd for Clean Water, Open Space and Historic Preservation: Funds for Propagation House restoration and the Cultural Landscape Report were provided from the Garden State Preservation Trust, which was established by a voter-approved ballot initiative to preserve open space, clean water, farmland and historic sites in New Jersey. Unfortunately, this fund is now out of money. You have an opportunity on the November ballot to vote YES to continue such funding. On June 25th, the NJ Assembly and Senate voted with bipartisan support to let voters decide on a $400 million bond issue to renew the Garden State Preservation Trust, which would ensure that vital preservation efforts continue. The proposed bond would cost households just $10 per year. If voters don't approve the 2009 ballot measure and new funds, the state's preservation efforts (and ours) will grind to a halt. We urge you to “Vote Yes” on Public Question #1 on the Nov. 3 ballot. For additional info, see <njkeepitgreen.org> the website for New Jersey’s Keep it Green Campaign. Recent Events at the Princeton Nursery Lands
Volunteers on trash patrol J. Michalik National Public Lands Day: On 9/25/09, Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands (FPNL), Kingston Greenways Association, and the D&R Canal State Park jointly sponsored a work party in the Nursery Lands for National Public Lands Day. It was a beautiful, breezy day to be at the Princeton Nurseries Kingston Site; wonderful weather for stewardship. We are very grateful to the 21 eager volunteers who participated in this event, including two children, who pitched in energetically! Everyone found their own special way to contribute to the effort to protect and beautify the site for the enjoyment of all.
Dave Reed digging tree holes
Bug’s Eye View: On August 8th, FPNL sponsored a special “Bug’s-Eye View” macro photography workshop led by Wil Hershberger. This expert in insect song and photography shared his skills and knowledge with 15 eager photographers.
Workshop presenter Wil Hershberger A “classroom” session exploring equipment, techniques, and ways of handling small, difficult subjects at close range was followed by an outdoor photography session. We had some magnificent and willing subjects that day, including the stunning newly emerged Imperial Moth and lyric cicada whose images were captured by workshop participants Ted Settle and John Feist. To view some of Wil Hershberger’s stunning insect photos, along with sound recordings of their songs, we highly recommend the following link to his website. Eagle Scout Project – Flemer Arboretum Restoration: As many of you know, much of the landscape at the Princeton Nurseries Kingston Site fell into disrepair after Princeton Nurseries left the site in 1995. This once beautiful swath of land, punctuated by tree rows, had become overgrown with weeds and undesirable plants. Brian Dixon of Boy Scout Troop 90 (Kendall Park, NJ) wanted to see this land returned to its original splendor, so took on the task of helping to restore the arboretum as an Eagle Scout project. With the help of his troop members and their parents, along with FPNL volunteers, Brian held three work sessions in May and June. One key task was to clear a row of flowering crab apples from their shroud of vines. The before and after photos below show the amazing transformation – Thanks so much to Brian and his hard working crew! Events at the Princeton Nursery Lands this Fall
Sat. Oct. 17th, 1:00 pm: Fall Foliage Walk with a History Focus: The Kingston Greenways Association annual Fall Foliage Walk will be led this year 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 Sat. Oct. 24th, 8:00 am: Fall Bird Walk with John Maret: Join John Maret and the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands for an early morning bird walk through the Mapleton Preserve. The Preserve and its surroundings contain both wooded and grassland habitats – the varied offerings of evergreens, hardwood trees, open fields and bountiful berries draw many species of birds, ranging from sparrows to hawks.
Palm Warbler --Brenda Jones On the walk, the group will be watching for bird behaviors that provide clues to identification, as well their songs and call notes. Learning these sounds takes a good pair of ears and lots of practice. John Maret, the leader for this walk, has “educated ears”, is an excellent birder and a fabulous teacher. Meet at the D&R Canal State Park Headquarters/Mapleton Preserve, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston. The event will be held rain or shine. It is free and all are welcome. Call 609-683-0483 for more information. Sat. Nov. 7th: Natives of New Jersey and the Importance of Biodiversity: Robert Wells, Kingston resident and Associate Director of Arboriculture Outreach of the Morris Arboretum, will be at the old Princeton Nursery headquarters located at 145 Mapleton Road in Princeton (now the Kingston office for the D & R Canal State Park) to discuss NJ native plants and the importance of biodiversity. The presentation will last ~45 minutes. Time to be announced (check http://www.dandrcanal.com/programs.html#calendar for updates). Afterwards visitor are encouraged to explore the trails in the Mapleton Preserve. Registration is NOT required and admission is FREE!
Sat. Nov. 14th, 10:00 am: Kingston Loop Trail: Join the naturalist and historian of Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park in a walk along the loop trail system in Kingston, NJ. The trail leads through the historic D & R Canal State Park, Mapleton Preserve (former site of Princeton Nurseries), Cook Natural Area and Middlesex County Open Space Park, Heathcote Meadow Preserve and is ~3.5 miles along mostly dirt/gravel pathways and is along flat terrain. The program will start at 10:00 am. Participants will meet at the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park’s Kingston Office located at 145 Mapleton Road. Pre-registration IS REQUIRED (609-924-5705). Weather permitting. Sun. Dec. 20, 7:30 am: Kingston segment of the Audubon Christmas Bird Count: The Christmas Bird Count is an early-winter bird census, where volunteers count every bird they see or hear all day in a specified area, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the counting area that day. More than 50,000 observers participate each year. If you want to join us for the 2009 count, call Karen for more information at 609-683-0483. It is a great way to hone your birding skills and to get to see corners of the Nursery property you might not have visited! You need not bird all day, and experience is not required. |
