A Greenway on the Banks of Big Timber Creek in Deptford Township
upcoming events
WILDLIFE TRACKING WALK IN THE WILD AT OLD PINE FARM NATURAL LANDS TRUST SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Join Elizabeth Kligge at Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust for our “Walk in the Wild”
on Sunday, February 17th, at 2 p.m. for Wildlife tracking workshop. Animals live secret
lives all around us. Wildlife tracking is about building relationships with those animals
through the clues they leave behind. Being able to interpret what we see brings the stories
of the landscape to life and makes us better stewards of the land. In this workshop, we will
be focusing on track identification for over 20 common local species. All attendees will
leave with an at-a-glance field guide to animal tracks. Attendance is free. Suggested
donation of $5-$20, sliding scale.
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
OLD PINE FARM CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL WALK IN THE WILD PROGRAMS IN 2019
For the past two and half years, the trustees of Old Pine Farm Natural Lands
Trust have been hosting “Walk in the Wild” on the Third Sunday each
month on a variety of subjects concerning the land, water, air, fire, wild
edible foods, etc.
The trustees are planning 12 more “Walk in the Wild” in 2019 and are
considering the following subjects: Acorn Flour, Wild Root Beers, Frogs,
Birding, Cordage and Knots, Primitive Fire Starting, Open Fire Cooking,
and Wild Edibles for three seasons.
Charles White, chair of the Walk in the Wild program, comments:
Walk in the Wild is a fun and educational way to help people get back in
touch with the land. Old Pine Farm is uniquely situated to provide an easy
access to nature and a chance to literally walk in the wild.
All programs start at 2 p.m. We meet at the Willoughby House, 340 Pine
Avenue, in the Blackwood Terrace section of Deptford. Car pooling
recommended. Free and open to all. We advertise on Facebook and the
website Oldpinefarm.org.
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.