A Greenway on the Banks of Big Timber Creek in Deptford Township
upcoming events
PERMACULTURE IS THE SUBJECT OF WALK IN THE WILD AT OLD PINE FARM NATURAL LANDS TRUST SUNDAY, JUNE 16
Join Elizabeth Kligge at Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust for our “Walk in the Wild” on Sunday, June 16, at 2 p.m. for a Permaculture workshop. Permaculture (derived from permanent agriculture) is the design and maintenance of agricultural systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating agriculture, water harvesting, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, and aquaculture. The philosophy behind it is one of working with, rather than against, nature. In this permaculture short course, we will be distilling lessons found within a typical 72-hour Permaculture Design Course. The presentation will culminate in several hands-on design exercises.The workshop will be held both indoors and out, weather permitting, but the presentation will be held rain or shine. Please bring gardening gloves.
Elizabeth Kligge grew up gardening and exploring the local wild places near Reading, Pennsylvania. She learned her first wild plants from her parents, near the creek that runs through their land and eventually went on to study primitive survival and teach her own workshops across the United States. She is an avid naturalist with a particular interest in tracking, hunter-gatherer, and homesteading skills. She is also a certified permaculture designer.
We will meet 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. There is an additional small parking lot available at the end of Rankin Ave, one block from Pine Ave. Please check our Facebook for changes and directions. Information and questions: Charles White, 856-217-9138. Car pooling recommended. Free and open to all
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.