HAMILTON — The new Tulpehaking Nature Center will open to the public on Oct. 11.
Owned by Mercer County and operated by the Mercer County Park Commission, the Tulpehaking Nature Center will be the educational gateway to the Abbott Marshlands.
Formerly the Hamilton-Trenton-Bordentown Marsh, the name Abbott Marshlands pays tribute to Charles Conrad Abbott, a 19th and early 20th century naturalist, archaeologist and medical doctor who lived on the bluffs near the marsh and wrote about it extensively. With 3,000 acres of tidal streams, rivers, marshes, swamps and upland forests, Abbott Marshlands — less than three miles from the city of Trenton — is considered one of the most significant wildlife habitats in New Jersey, according to a news release from the D&R Greenway Land Trust.
"Mercer County is excited to expand its robust nature programs to our new Tulpehaking Nature Center," said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes. "This beautiful new classroom and meeting space adds an important recreational resource, especially for children from nearby Trenton, and will serve as a window to one of our richest natural habitats."
Mr. Hughes credits the success of the project "to our steadfast public and private partners, especially D&R Greenway Land Trust and the Friends of the Marsh."
The project was more than 20 years in the making.
"We began by engaging the community in cleanups and canoe trips to create awareness about the significance of this natural and historic treasure in our backyard," said Linda J. Mead, president and CEO of D&R Greenway Land Trust and a member of the Abbott Marshlands Stewardship Council. "That led to the dream of a place where people could come to learn and appreciate the special qualities of the marsh."
Visitors to the Tulpehaking Nature Center will walk through a demonstration native plant garden filled with bluestem, switchgrass, blueberries and eupatorium, plants that are indigenous to the marsh. There is a gazebo for group orientation and educational programs, and rain barrels collect runoff from the gazebo roof. Nature Center Manager Kelly Rypkema envisions projects where participants can paint rain barrels, as well as guided tours, interactive exhibits and other hands-on programs.
"People connect to nature in different ways," said Ms. Rypkema, who has a master’s degree in biology and previously worked as a naturalist at Heard Natural Science Museum in McKinney, Texas.
Many of the materials from the 1961 house were retained, such as hardwood flooring, a slate entryway and a fieldstone fireplace. The addition, with bamboo flooring, includes a screening room with an 80-inch LCD screen and seating capacity of 50, wooden banquettes, a double-vaulted ceiling and large windows for bird watching. There will be a library, a display of Native American artifacts dug from the property, a laboratory with microscopes and rotating exhibits.
"The goal is to whet appetites for what can be seen in the marsh, where visitors can continue to explore, observe and discover," said Ms. Rypkema.
Rider University Professor of Biology Emeritus Mary Leck first began taking students to do fieldwork in the marsh more than 30 years ago.
"My introduction to the marsh was with a Rider student interested in an independent study project. Since then scores of students, from elementary to university, have come to learn about wetlands and the plants and animals that live there," she said. Ms. Leck’s students have experienced the tides, including getting stuck in mud. They have marveled at the lush growth of plants — the wild rice grows more than 10 feet tall in a single season.
"It was a group of students, twirlers and band members from Trenton Central High School, who totally got into exploring a new muddy terrain in hip boots, that made me realize the educational potential of the marshlands for kids who live so close by," she said.
The Tulpehaking Nature Center will provide a focus for school groups. It will be a destination for local students to become familiar with a natural landscape so that they can become the next generation of scientists, wetland managers, and citizens who understand why water and watersheds are so important.
"Repeat visits are necessary for establishing strong bonds," said Ms. Leck, who has championed the Friends for the Abbott Marshlands. "I hope that some young person is so totally turned on by wetland plants that he or she devotes a lifetime to studying them. I hope, too, that the joy of seeing a spider web, a new leaf in the spring, or even ice left by the ebbing tide will be the experience of all who open their hearts to the rich tapestry of life and history found there."
How it all fell into place "is a great story," said Lisa Fritzinger, supervising planner for the county, who manages open space acquisition and master planning for the park department. When D&R Greenway Land Trust helped to secure $500,000 Green Acres funding from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for a nature center and Mercer County matched the funding, the announcement was made at Watson Woods in Roebling Park — part of the marsh — in 2006. Several who attended noticed, just at the edge of the public land, a three-bedroom single-family ranch house on one acre for sale.
"Building a new structure in the marsh could have been difficult because of it being wetlands and because of the archaeological importance, so this was the perfect solution," said Ms. Fritzinger. "We went to the realtor and bought the property — it couldn’t be in a more ideal location."
An archaeological study by Trenton-based Hunter Research found Native American artifacts, providing an important educational opportunity about the history. The Tulpehaking Nature Center honors the Native American inhabitants of the land 13,000 years ago. Tulpehaking means "Land of the Turtle." The Abbott Marshlands logo includes four icons that represent the area: an egret, pottery, marsh grasses and a turtle.
"The story we’re trying to tell is that man has been here throughout time, and there’s a relationship between the land and the people," said Ms. Fritzinger. "The land provided Native Americans and European settlers with food. We’ve altered the land, changing it over time. Through education, we want people to recognize the importance of the land and its resources and become better stewards to protect it."
The nature center was first proposed by Dennis Whigham and Robert Simpson in a 1975 project report.
"It’s long overdue given the archeological and natural significance of the Abbott Marshlands," said Ms. Leck. "Its existence in 2014 is due to the hard work of many, who have given time and other support for educational initiatives. These include colleagues at Rider University; a number of organizations and partners, such as D&R Greenway Land Trust, and representatives of municipal, county, and state governments; and since the 1990s, a very special cadre of volunteers who have made programs for school groups possible, and who have led numerous field and canoeing trips."
A "Family Fun Day" is planned for the Saturday, Oct. 11 opening, with live marsh animals, guided trail tours, prizes and giveaways. Kayak tours will be offered on Sunday, Oct. 12.
"There will be lots of opportunities for people to learn about the marsh and enjoy it," said Ms. Rypkema. "It’s one of the most significant birding spots on the East Coast, and we want to share that."
The opening of the Tulpehaking Nature Center is the centerpiece of the Fall 2014 celebration of the Abbott Marshlands that also includes an exhibit at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, and World Rivers Day and other programs that feature the natural and cultural history of the area.
For more information, visit www.marsh-friends.org.

