340 Pine Avenue, Deptford, NJ 08096
A Greenway on the Banks of Big Timber Creek in Deptford Township
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Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust consists of 36 acres along Big Timber Creek in the Blackwood Terrace section of Deptford. The area is made up of woods, wetlands and a meadow, and there are trails for walking, a memorial bench by the creek for solitude, and a picnic table. This property was saved through the efforts of George and Lillian Willoughby who moved to Blackwood Terrace in 1954 and bought a house, at 340 Pine Avenue, which had been part of a farm. During the 1970s they formed a volunteer group to save the adjoining land with the help from New Jersey Green Acres. It wasn’t until March 1992 that the property was saved and the name Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust was created. As we are under the auspices of NJ Green Acres, the land trust is open to the public every day from dawn to dusk. Lillian passed away in 2009, George died in 2010 and their daughter, Sally, inherited the house.
In 2016 the trustees purchased the house from Sally with help from the Gloucester County Land Preservation program and NJ Green Acres. The Board of Directors uses this house, now known at the Willoughby House, for monthly membership meetings, committee meetings, our work days on the third Saturday of the month and our monthly programs on the third Sunday of the month known as Walk in the Wild. There are trails for walking – there is a main trail that loops around in a large circle and several trails that branch off. There is an entrance at the end of Rankin Avenue with a parking lot. We invite you to visit and walk the trails, fish in Big Timber Creek, and listen to the birds, sit on the memorial bench, or enjoy a picnic at the picnic table.
Our Mission
Old Pine Farm
Old Pine Farm
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 headw
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
Old Pine Farm
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 Cre
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.