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 resolution copies of the photographs by clicking on them.

Our 21st annual hike featured the Loveless Nature Preserve, little known trails of Central Park, and the dedication of the trolley greenway bridge over Five Mile Run. There were about 25 hikers. Nick Loveless, who ensured the preserve's creation, spoke about his recollections of the trolley line when it was active during the 1930s. He bore witness to the last run of the trolley, Princeton to Trenton at 11:30 PM on October 31, 1940.

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

For our 22nd annual hike we circumnavigated Colonial Lake. Nine hikers were there to enjoy a beautiful fall day exploring the lake and learning about its history, geology and ecology.

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

Our 23rd annual hike took us to the Bossio-Salt Preserve where we explored the newly preserved woods. Click on our flyer to the right to dowload the high resolution PDF.

For each of the past 24 years the Lawrence Greenway has led a hike to introduce the public to walks in different parts of the township. This year’s 2.6 mile hike in October started in Village Park and crossed Keefe Road into the Pole Farm section of Mercer Meadows. Once considered for playing fields, it is now fields of wildflowers with footbridges over wet areas. An observation tower provides a wide view.

The amiable group of 20 hikers chatted and identified birds and plants along the route. We saw harriers and heard mockingbirds; there were crabapples, bottle gentian flowers and oyster mushrooms.

There were informational displays about the AT&T Pole Farm history along the walkways. Township Historian Dennis Waters pointed out a downed pole left lying in the woods. In the November 20 issue of the Lawrence Ledger it was reported that Karen Reilly found a stone with the carving of a face “upright atop a fallen wooden telephone pole.” On our hike, two of the bridges had trolls at their bases. It brings back memories of the crop circles in 1997. Hmmmm, art in the park?

Looking back on a quarter of a century of past greenway hikes, the attendance has varied. They were all enjoyed, but we attracted the most walkers on the two occasions when the Trenton Times ran an article about our hike (from Rider to Trenton State College in ’95 and the Mercer Meadows Hike looking for short-eared owls in ’08).

We’ve hiked trails in most of our parks (Central Park in ‘91 and ‘05; the Johnson Trolley Line in ’97; Drexel Woods in ’98 and ‘03; Turtleback Park in 2000; Carson Road Woods and Shipetaukin Woods in ‘03; Delaware & Raritan towpath in ‘04; Loveless Nature Preserve in ’05, ’07 and’11; the Pole Farm in ’08 and ‘14; Maidenhead Meadows in ‘10; Colonial Lake in ‘12; the Salt/Bossio Preserve in ‘13; Village Park in ’14.).

Our hikes have also introduced the public to the campuses of local schools (Rider and Trenton State College in ’95; Notre Dame High School in ’94 and ’03; The Lawrenceville School in ’99)..

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