Mercer freeholders laud Baldpate volunteers

By: centraljersey.com
The Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders recognized the work of the County Park Commission, the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space and over 100 volunteers for the recent reforestation project at the Ted Stiles Preserve on Baldpate Mountain at a December meeting held in Princeton Borough.
Kevin Bannon, director of the Mercer County Park Commission, and Jennifer Rogers, county naturalist, were on hand to offer details about the reforestation effort.
Ms. Rogers was quick to recognize Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) as a partner in the project. FoHVOS, which is part-owner of the preserve along with the county, Hopewell Township and New Jersey, was awarded a $17,500 grant from Conservation Resources, Inc to participate in the Raritan Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership’s habitat and restoration plan. Mercer County provided matching funds ($8,800) through a US Fish & Wildlife contribution that provided technical services and planting materials.
The county and FoHVOS coordinated four volunteer work days in October to complete the planting. Over 116 individuals from local corporations and organizations volunteered 300 hours to help plant 1,660 trees and shrubs, including 300 persimmon and 840 oak trees. FoHVOS and the county each provided 60 hours of matching work hours
Those in attendance to receive their certificates were: Patricia Sziber, executive director of FoHVOS; Barbara Bromley, Mercer County horticulturist representing Master Gardeners of Mercer County; and Allison Roth and her daughter Gwen Price, representing Lawrence-Ewing Trenton Girl Scout Troop 71452.
A group of nine hunters from the Baldpate Mountain Deer Management Program also volunteered time, but was unable to attend and sent a letter to be read into the record honoring the project and thanking Ms. Rogers for her efforts. Organizations that participated by volunteering on Baldpate but were unable to send representatives included Pennington Girl Scout Troop 71313, Educational Testing Services and Rosetta and Merck.
Freeholder board meeting dates can be found on the board’s website at http://nj.gov/counties/mercer/officials/freeholders/about/what.html.