Sourland Conservancy

Last updated
Sourland Conservancy
Formation1986;37 years ago (1986)
FounderRobert Garrett
Type Nonprofit
22-3707157
Headquarters Hopewell, New Jersey
Region served
The Sourlands
Executive Director
Laurie Cleveland
Website https://sourland.org/
Formerly called
Sourland Regional Citizens Planning Council

The Sourland Conservancy is a non-governmental, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to protect, promote and preserve The Sourlands, [1] a region encompassing Sourland Mountain in central New Jersey.

Contents

The organization is currently headquartered in Hopewell, NJ, and will be moving to a historic property in Skillman, NJ, in partnership with the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum. [2] [3]

One of the threats that the Sourland region is facing is tree loss due to the Emerald ash borer. In 2021 the conservancy was involved in a project that planted ten thousand trees in The Sourlands. [4] [5] Another ten thousand trees were planted in 2022, bringing the total to over 25,000 trees planted over 3 years. [6]

History

The organization was founded in 1986 by a group of local residents concerned about unsustainable development pressures. Originally called The Sourland Regional Citizens Planning Council, in 2013 it was renamed to Sourland Conservancy. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princeton, New Jersey</span> Borough in New Jersey, United States

Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of which are now defunct. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 30,681, an increase of 2,109 (+7.4%) from the 2010 census combined count of 28,572. In the 2000 census, the two communities had a total population of 30,230, with 14,203 residents in the borough and 16,027 in the township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morris County, New Jersey</span> County in New Jersey, United States

Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about 30 mi (48 km) west of New York City. According to the 2020 census, the county was the state's tenth-most populous county, with a population of 509,285, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 17,009 (+3.5%) from the 2010 census count of 492,276, which in turn reflected an increase of 22,064 (+11.6%) from the 470,212 counted at the 2000 Census, Morris County is part of the New York metropolitan area and is divided into 39 municipalities, with many commuter towns but no large cities. Its county seat is Morristown, in the southeast. The most populous place was Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, with 56,162 residents at the time of the 2020 census, while Rockaway Township covered 45.55 square miles (118.0 km2), the largest total area of any municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camden, New Jersey</span> City in Camden County, New Jersey, United States

Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the nation's sixth most populous city. At the 2020 United States census, Camden was the 14th-most populous municipality in the state, with a population of 71,791, a decrease of 5,553 (−7.2%) from the 2010 census count of 77,344, when it had been ranked 12th in the state by population, which in turn reflected a decline of 1,984 (-2.5%) from the 79,318 counted at the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the population was 71,773 in 2021, making it the 513th-most-populous in the country. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828. Camden has been the county seat of Camden County since the county was formed on March 13, 1844. The city derives its name from Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden. Camden is made up of over 20 neighborhoods. The city is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Windsor, New Jersey</span> Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, US

West Windsor is a township in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located within the Raritan Valley region, the township is an outer-ring suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 29,518, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 2,353 (+8.7%) from the 27,165 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn had reflected an increase of 5,258 (+24.0%) from the 21,907 counted at the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Nature Conservancy</span> Global charitable environmental organization

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. As of 2021, it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Palisades (Hudson River)</span> Steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River

The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs stretch north from Jersey City about 20 miles (32 km) to near Nyack, New York, and visible at Haverstraw, New York. They rise nearly vertically from near the edge of the river, and are about 300 feet (90 m) high at Weehawken, increasing gradually to 540 feet (160 m) high near their northern terminus. North of Fort Lee, the Palisades are part of Palisades Interstate Park and are a National Natural Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drumthwacket</span> Historic house in New Jersey, United States

Drumthwacket is the official residence of the governor of New Jersey. The mansion sits at 354 Stockton Street in Princeton, near the state capital of Trenton. It is one of only four official governor's residences in the country not located within their respective state capitals; the others are in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Jersey</span> Place in New Jersey, United States

Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of Central New Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Pennsylvania Conservancy</span> Private nonprofit organization

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) is a private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. WPC has contributed land to 12 state parks and conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands. The Conservancy plants and maintains more than 132 gardens in 20 Western Pennsylvania counties, as well as planting thousands of trees through its community forestry program. WPC has protected or restored more than 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of rivers and streams. In 1963, Edgar Kaufmann Jr. entrusted Frank Lloyd Wright's masterwork Fallingwater to the Conservancy. The house was called the most important building of the 20th century by the American Institute of Architects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edison station</span>

Edison is a commuter railroad station in the Stelton section of Edison Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. Located at the intersection of Plainfield Avenue and Central Avenue, the station is served by New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Line. Amtrak trains cross through but bypass the station. Edison station contains two side platforms, both high-level for handicap accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (accessible). The next station north, towards New York Penn Station is Metuchen while the next station south, with service towards Jersey Avenue station in New Brunswick and Trenton Transit Center is New Brunswick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgewater Commons</span> Shopping mall in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States

Bridgewater Commons is a fully enclosed shopping mall located in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. The mall is located at the intersection of Route 22 and Route 202/206 and borders I-287. The mall opened on February 26, 1988 and has a gross leasable area of 900,000 sq ft (84,000 m2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sourland Mountain</span> Geological formation in New Jersey, US

Sourland Mountain is a 17 miles (27 km) long ridge in central New Jersey, extending from the Delaware River at Lambertville to the western end of Hillsborough Township near the community of Neshanic, through Montgomery Township and into Hopewell Township in Mercer County. It comprises the largest contiguous forest in Central Jersey, nearly 90 square miles (233 km2) in area. The highest point is only 568 feet (173 m) above sea level, but the way it rises steeply from the surrounding farmland has earned it the title of 'mountain'. The ridge itself sits within a larger area of rough terrain called The Sourlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princeton Battlefield</span> United States historic place

The Princeton Battlefield in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, is where American and British troops fought each other on January 3, 1777, in the Battle of Princeton during the American Revolutionary War. The battle ended when the British soldiers in Nassau Hall surrendered. This success, following those at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, and the Battle of the Assunpink Creek the day before, helped improve American morale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sourlands</span>

The Sourlands is a region in the US state of New Jersey that includes portions of Hunterdon County, Mercer County and Somerset County. It is centered on Sourland Mountain and comprises parts of Lambertville, East Amwell, West Amwell, Hillsborough, Hopewell Boro, Hopewell Township, and Montgomery Township. The region is flanked by the Hopewell Fault to the south and Amwell Valley to the north that runs from Mount Airy to an area just west of Flagtown and a diabase formation running from Lambertville to Mount Airy. The Sourland also include a hilly area towards the southwest called Pleasant Valley, with a number of farms. Although much of the Sourlands is not conducive to farming, Pleasant Valley and the slopes on the surrounding ridges have a number of farms. The slopes of the ridge to the north are also home to Unionville Vineyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquand Park</span> Arboretum in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey

Marquand Park is a 17-acre (69,000 m2) arboretum and recreational area located in Princeton, New Jersey. It contains walking paths, a baseball field, and attractions for children such as a sandbox and a play structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swaminarayan Akshardham (North America)</span>

Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey, is a Hindu mandir (temple) complex. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, one component of the campus, was inaugurated and opened to the public on August 10, 2014 as the world’s largest Hindu temple outside India. The Mandir is geographically situated at the heart of the U.S. Northeast megalopolis and with relative proximity to Newark International Airport, which handles nonstop flights to India.

Little India, Edison/Iselin, also known as Oak Tree Road, is a predominantly South Asian shopping, business, and dining district centered on a road, designated County Route 604, situated in Middlesex County, in Central New Jersey, and set amidst a suburban residential region home to many South Asian families. One food and entertainment critic has named the "atmospheric" Little India as one of the "50 Best Reasons to Live in New Jersey."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum</span> United States historic place

The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) is a history museum located in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township, New Jersey, United States. The museum is located at the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, an African Methodist Episcopal church constructed in 1899. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 2021.

References

  1. Swenson, Shea (April 5, 2021). "How the Sourland Conservancy Fights Ecological Threats". New Jersey Monthly.
  2. Levin, Anne (April 13, 2022). "Preservation of Historic Property Is Result of Collaborative Purchase". Town Topics.
  3. "Historic Farmstead to Tell the True Story". New Jersey Stage. April 7, 2022.
  4. "10K trees planted in the Sourlands (part 1)". The Courier-News. 29 November 2021. pp. A1.
  5. "10K trees planted in the Sourlands (part 2)". The Courier-News. 29 November 2021. pp. A8.
  6. "More than 25,000 New Trees (and counting) in the Sourlands!". MercerMe. December 22, 2022.
  7. Arntzenius, Linda (n.d.). "The Sourlands – A Place of Refuge at Princeton's Doorstep". Princeton Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2022.