2017 ANNUAL REPORT Newsletter of D&R Greenway Land Trust Volume 27, Number 1 GREENWAYS Spring 2018 Land Preservation Update Since 1989 D&R Greenway has permanently preserved 299 properties, approximately 20,295 acres valued over $400 million dollars. Stretched into a four-foot wide footpath, D&R Greenway preserved land would be longer than the Appalachian Trail! Trenton Terminal Woods: From Idle Industrial Site to Conservation Asset wice a day, the Delaware River’s of D&R Greenway Land Trust. “Its tidal waters wash into and out acquisition provides a substantial Tof the Abbott Marshlands in public benefit for recreation and a complex process that cleanses the environmental protection. ExxonMobil wetlands of contaminants and depleted was enthusiastic to partner with us and resources while introducing the seeds we wanted to ensure this opportunity of new life. would not be lost.” Inside The latest addition to the Abbott The site is located where Lamberton Marshlands was preserved in just as Road ends at Duck Island, a 94-acre • 2017 Donors, Business Partners, and Volunteers complex a process. constructed wetlands. Technically A 6.5-acre wooded portion of the eight islands surrounded by two miles • Transformation of a Cow former Trenton Terminal oil depot will of serpentine channels, Duck Island Pasture to a Wetlands Meadow be reborn as a pedestrian gateway to the was created in 1994 to mitigate for • Newly Preserved Land in the Delaware River thanks to a partnership construction of I-295. Sourlands between D&R Greenway Land Trust and The D&R Canal towpath runs • Spring into Summer with ExxonMobil. through the Abbott Marshlands, Inspiring Art, Poetry Walks, “This urban repurposing of a former paralleling the River Line between and Talks industrial site was a challenge that D&R Bordentown City and Roebling Park, Greenway was happy to facilitate,” and will extend to Trenton’s Battle • Strange Inheritance shares Linda Mead, President & CEO Continued on following page Duck Island on left with access corridor leading from D&R Canal towpath (below image) to the Delaware River (photo: Jay Watson) D&R GREENWAY LAND TRUST NEWSLETTER ❧ SPRING 2018 1 greenways-layout-v9.indd 1 3/16/18 3:12 PM Trenton Terminal Woods Continued from page 1 Monument. The trail “ducks” under I-295 just above Duck Island. Preserving the Trenton Terminal woods will enable people to walk from the towpath through the woods and down a spur trail to the river. Interpretive signs are planned to provide context about the area’s natural and industrial history. The preserved site is entirely second- growth woods that nature has reclaimed from human disturbance. “If anything, this site has benefitted from the lack of attention it’s gotten over the years,” comments Dr. Mary Leck, Rider University Biology Professor Emeritus and renowned Abbott Marshlands Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) researcher. Like much of the riverine wetlands striking orange Harvester butterfly. necessary to assess the property’s risks. south of Trenton, the area that became Unique among North American “ExxonMobil staff worked with the Terminal was first cleared and butterflies, it is carnivorous: the us every step of the way to make sure drained for agriculture, then later caterpillars eat woolly aphids and scale that we were getting full disclosure on converted to industrial use. This portion insects, while the adults feed on aphid the environmental issues,” notes Jay of the Terminal was left undisturbed honeydew rather than flower nectar. Watson. ExxonMobil typically conveys long enough that woods grew up. The Saving this site, and with it the a property to a land trust only after site includes more than a few impressive diverse wildlife that depends on it, was all remediation has been completed, cottonwood trees and provides nesting ExxonMobil’s objective. The company with the exception in some instances habitat for Red-tailed hawks and partnered with D&R Greenway to of long term monitoring of the site. Warbling vireos. Among other species make that happen. Laura Napoli, D&R Greenway worked with an observed here, Dr. Leck notes, is the Environmental Science Associate, environmental remediation specialist explains that ExxonMobil works who concluded that passive recreation Saving this site, and with with accredited land trusts when “a on a walking trail would be a safe public it the diverse wildlife site to be divested has conservation use. Jay adds, “ExxonMobil removed attributes that we want to preserve.” all solid waste debris and provided that depend on it, was ExxonMobil joined the Land Trust funding for stewardship to set the stage ExxonMobil’s objective. Alliance about 10 years ago to establish for transfer to state ownership at the The company partnered such partnerships with their member appropriate time.” land trusts. Ms. Napoli relates that It takes expertise and creativity to with D&R Greenway to the company has since preserved view non-operating, surplus industrial make that happen. approximately half a dozen former sites not as permanent blots on the industrial tracts, including two on Long landscape but as candidates for Island that it helped restore to maritime preservation to enhance habitat and grasslands and one on Virginia’s recreation. Land trusts are especially Rappahannock River that conserves equipped to make reasonable the riparian viewshed from George assessments and find solutions to Washington’s birth farm located on the transition these sites to create a public opposite shore. benefit. Equally idled sites exist Trenton Terminal’s industrial elsewhere along the river, including history complicated the preservation the decommissioned PSEG Mercer process, but created an opportunity Generating Station. for D&R Greenway to facilitate a As D&R Greenway continues project for which public agencies lacked to widen the scope of preservation sufficient flexibility and risk-exposure potential, the possibilities for restoring capacity. D&R Greenway could move our landscape become as wide and deep Harvester butterfly (Feniseca tarquinius) swiftly while pursuing the due diligence as the Delaware itself. ❧ 2 D&R GREENWAY LAND TRUST NEWSLETTER ❧ SPRING 2018 greenways-layout-v9.indd 2 3/16/18 3:12 PM The Taplin Circle rank Taplin was a well-known and respected philanthropist All members of the Taplin Circle are invited to a Fwho was an early advocate for land preservation. His special reception annually where they hear about the vision and leadership resulted in the permanent protection of accomplishments that their support made possible and learn two signature Princeton landscapes, the Institute Woods and about upcoming projects before they are publicly announced. Coventry Farm. Please note that Taplin Circle members who have made a In 2004, D&R Greenway honored Frank Taplin’s memory multi-year pledge are listed here at their most recent payment by creating the Taplin Circle that recognizes individuals who level. Multi-year pledges in effect in 2017 are noted on page 8. share Frank’s commitment to preserving and caring for land by To request a correction to this donor list, please call contributing $1,000 or more to our annual fund. We express D&R Greenway at 609-924-4646. our deepest thanks to these individuals for their leadership in supporting the work of D&R Greenway Land Trust. Donations Received January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017 + First time donor John & Kathy Winant and the Carl Seiden and Vanessa Sandom Todd and Laurie Lincoln Winant Family Fund of the and the Sandom Seiden Family James and Cate Litvack TAPLIN CIRCLE Princeton Area Community Charitable Foundation Art Martin and the Martin Family LEGACY GIFTS Foundation Lawrence and Donna Steele Fund of the Princeton Area Jacqueline Strigl Community Foundation Anonymous TAPLIN CIRCLE Betty Wold Johnson and the Robert Edward and Penny Thomas and the Scott and Hella McVay and the CONSERVATORS ($5,000 Penny and Ted Thomas Fund of Hella and Scott McVay Fund of Wood Johnson III Fund of the TO $9,999) Princeton Area Community the Princeton Area Community the Princeton Area Community Foundation Kathleen Bagley Foundation Foundation Jeffrey and Betsy Sands and the Michael Bramnick and NRG Energy+ Christiana Walford+ Linda and Stephen Mead George H. and Estelle M. Sands Deb Brockway Tom Watson and Laura Napoli David and Sally Mikkelsen Foundation Theodore and Victory Chase John and Louise Wellemeyer Craig and Ann Muhlhauser+ Edward and Tracy Shehab+ Christopher and Barbie Cole and the Michael and Elyse Newhouse Griffin Cole Fund TAPLIN CIRCLE Lucy Anne Newman TAPLIN CIRCLE Patricia A. Cullen, Esq. and PARTNERS Stefan and Laura Ochalski ENVIRONMENTAL H. Stewart Wheller III ($1,000 TO $2,499) Tim and Sandy Perkins HEROES Thomas and Lynn Ebeling Kristin Appelget Leslie Davis Potter ($50,000 TO $99,999) Frederick and Gael Gardner and the Deborah Diane Bailey Howard and Alex Powers C. Schuyler and Liza Morehouse and Frederick and Gael W. Gardner Eric Batterman and Drew and Kathryn Ann Rankin the George G. and Elizabeth G. Advised Fund Catherine Schaeder Fred and Winnie Spar Smith Foundation Kenneth Guilmartin and Lyn Ransom Alice Bishop and the D.P. Miller Fund John and Carol Spears and the Alex and Laura Hanson and the of the Princeton Area Community John D. Spears Charitable Fund TAPLIN CIRCLE Alex and Laura Hanson CGF Foundation+ Austin and Ann Starkey STEWARDS John and Margee Harper and the Douglas Blair and Ann Reichelderfer C. Barnwell & Barbara Straut ($25,000 TO $49,999) John and Margaret Harper Fund and the Reichelderfer-Blair Fund William and Dede Sweeney of the Princeton Area Community of the Princeton Area Community Anonymous Foundation Foundation Rush Taggart and Dorothy Bedford Alan Hershey and Phyllis Frakt Virginia King Ted Boyer and Jane Rohlf Nathan Thomas and Amanda Lin+ Frances Preston Phyllis and Sy Marchand J. Douglas and Susan Breen Katherine Titus Jay and Amy Regan and the William and Geniva Martin Diane Burke Robert Tomaselli and Piper Sutton Foundation Michael Dawson George and Barbara Rovnyak Philip and Lisa Caton Estate of Ann Yasuhara Daphne Townsend John and Marjorie Wallace and the Jean Crane Jesse and Marissa Treu and the TAPLIN CIRCLE LEADERS John D.