Friends of the Lawrence Greenway

ANNUAL WALK at the Pole Farm

Though the owls and the harriers failed to show, our 2008 Annual Walk was a success with about 80 people participating. The walk was during the late afternoon of December 28, 2008 at the "Pole Farm" of Mercer County Park Northwest. Many walkers were unfamiliar with the park and were glad to learn about this "hidden" treasure.

The "poles", seen below, were for the AT&T transmission station at this location for phone calls to Europe (the receiver was in Netcong, NJ) from the late 1920's until the 1970's. We have a brief history (PDF file) of this property.

The walk was led by Jennifer Lear, the naturalist for the Mercer County Park Commission. We were especially honored to have Charles and Dorothy Bryan, the second of three Bryan family generations to farm the land, participate and contribute their knowledge of the land and its history.

As to the birds, they can be seen most other days. The harriers are generally hunting in the fields on either side of the path from the parking area to the trail loop (see map on right) during the day, and the short-eared owls should appear from January to March in the same location, but not until a half-hour or so before sunset.

For higher resoulution copies of the photos below, click the captions.

Map of 2008 Walk in Mercer County Park Northwest

The above map is available for download as a PDF (8 MB) or a JPG (5 MB) file. The JPG may be easier to print.

The group at the start of the walk.

Another view of the start.

Jenn makes an observation.

Charles and Dorothy Bryan farmed the land under lease from AT&T.

Peter Wood planned the route for the walk.

Mercer County Park Naturalist Jennifer Lear.

Jenn, bird book in hand, makes her point.

The ever animated Jenn.

Sunset, when the owls should have been about.

David Mizenko and Anne Demarais organized the walk.

ANNUAL WALK at the D&R Canal State Park

Our annual walk was on the new 60 acre addtion to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. Our walk featured the 6.5 acre Borrow Pit Pond which apparently was excavated between the late 1970s to late 1980s. Click with your left mouse button on the map to the right to download a copy (Adobe PDF format). You can also view high resolution copies of the photos below by clicking on them.

Peter Wood, who cleared the trail for the walk, leads the way around the pond.

Walkers take a break for a photo!

Walkers pose in front of the pond.

An old road on the property leads to the pond.

ANNUAL WALK at Maidenhead Meadows

It is often difficult to notice wildlife on a hike with more than a dozen friendly participants. Nevertheless, the 20th annual greenway walk in the Maidenhead Meadows Park revealed much wildlife presence.

As cars were pulling in to the parking area, a large owl flew off. Other birds that were later heard were phoebes and red-winged blackbirds; black vultures were later seen over the field.

There were deer, turkey and raccoon tracks in the muddy parts of the path; fox scat was seen. We heard the sounds of spring peeper frogs and either wood or chorus frogs.

Much of the walk was through the rows of trees planted when part of the property was a tree nursery. There are pin oaks, white pine, sweet gum, birch, white oaks, yews. Blackberry and raspberry stalks, multiflora rose and poison ivy also abound.

The far end of the walk took the walkers past the markers for an aerial photograph that will indicate the areas delineating the future playing fields and the Lawrence Hopewell Trail route.

Click on the map to the right to view it as high resolution PDF. You can also download high copies of the photographs by clicking on them.