A Greenway on the Banks of Big Timber Creek in Deptford Township
upcoming events
FROG AND TOAD EXPLORATION DURINGAN EVENING WALK ON SUNDAY, APRIL 14
Frog and Toad Exploration is the subject of the monthly Walk in the Wild on Sunday, April 14, at Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust, Deptford. New Jersey is home to 17 species of frogs and toads, each of which can be identified by its characteristic calls. Since they are identified by their vocalization, the Walk will convene at 7 p.m. when they begin calling. We will have a short discussion, listen to recorded tapes of calls and then walk down to the Old Pine Farm waterfront area to experience some of these calls firsthand. We will be out in nature in the dark, so please dress accordingly and bring a small flashlight.
Our leader, Carl Ford, holds a degree in Horticulture from Rutgers and has spent his working years as a nurseryman in Salem County. After retirement, he spent ten years as a citizen volunteer in the Calling Amphibian Monitoring Project (CAMP) to identify and estimate numbers of each species over a predetermined 15-mile route in Cumberland County. This is part of a national program and data collected submitted to the national database.
We will meet at 7 p.m. at the Willoughby House at the end of Pine Avenue, off Good Intent Road in Blackwood Terrace, or you can put "340 Pine Avenue, Deptford" into your favorite mapping service. Please check our Facebook for changes and directions. Information and questions: Charles White, 856-217-9138. Carpooling recommended. Free and open to all.
REMEMBERANCE DAY TO HONOR GEORGE AND LILLIAN WILLOUGHBY ON SUNDAY, APRIL 7th
A Remembrance Day to honor George and Lillian Willoughby will be hosted at the Willoughby House at Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust on Sunday, April 7, 2019. George and Lillian were one of the founders of the Old Pine Farm, an area of 36 acres of open space along Big Timber Creek in the Blackwood Terrace section of Deptford. The Willoughby House is also part of the land trust which was the home of George and Lillian from 1954 to 2011.
The day will begin at 1 p.m. with a pot luck lunch. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to share. Bring your favorite stories and quotes of George and Lillian to share with old friends, new friends, colleagues, acquaintances and relatives from across various organizations to which they belonged. We also encourage photos and videos. Following the sharing there will be a guided walk on the main trail of the land trust.
The Willoughby House is located at the end of Pine Avenue, off Good Intent Road in Blackwood Terrace, or you can put "340 Pine Avenue, Deptford" into your favorite mapping service. There is an additional small parking lot availableat the end of Rankin Ave, one block from Pine Ave. Please check our Facebook for changes and directions. Information and questions: Sally Willoughby at 856-889-4160.
Our Mission
Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust is dedicated to the continued care of the woods, wetlands, and meadow it manages. We are continuing to acquire additional lots to connect the original Old Pine Farm acreage to a larger trail network running through the Blackwood Terrace area. We also strive to create a deciated green trail from the headwaters of Big Timber Creek to the Delaware River.
Currently, Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust is working toward the immediate goals of obtaining additional property to complete the greenway, as well as the purchase of Willoughby House.
Old Pine Farm
Consisting of more than 45 acres of land, Old Pine Farm is one of the few remaining natural and protected areas along the highly developed tidal portion of Big Timber Creek. It offers a variety of terrain, including a meadow, woodlands, and wetlands, while being surrounded on three sides by many acres of fresh water in the Big Timber Creek.
The original Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust includes land contiguous to the Big Timber Creek and the Willoughby property, roughly 33 acres. In 2001, the trust purchased an additional 5.1 acres south of Good Intent Road along Bayer Avenue, creating an area called Greenway I. After this purchase, the trustees established a goal of developing a trail to connect Greenway I to the original 33 acres. This lead to the 2003 purchase of another 9.6 acres of land at the end of Second Avenue. This property, Greenway II, adjoins Greenway I. In 2006, an additional 3.3 acres of land between First Avenue and McNaughton Avenue was obtained, creating Greenway III.Acquiring these properties can take up to several years per property, since the process involves getting approval from the New Jersey Green Acres program, finding funds for payment, having the land appraised, and doing a title search.