So Long, Summer

By Samantha Bean

It never fails to amaze me that when you introduce yourself to someone for the first time and you begin to share stories and vignettes, you eventually strike a chord with them about something you both have in common.

This very same thing happened last weekend when I met with several other hikers on the Force of Nature hike series hosted by Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS). All of us drove different roads and we all parked with our various makes and models of vehicle. And yet, once we got to talking and loosening our muscles before the two-hour climb to the top of Baldpate Mountain, we quickly shared our stories about what was present in our lives and families. 

As we went around in a circle and rolled our shoulders and breathed in the humid Sunday morning air a common theme of transition arose from all of our stories. Some of us were in the process of moving our children into college dorms. Some across the country, others, just across the state line...but equally as tough. Others were in the process of visiting colleges a year before the big graduation. Some of us were transitioning our kids into middle school while others were simply trying to transition the thoughts of no more lazy summer mornings. Morning that will soon be hectic dashes to the bus stop with the hopes that lunch wasn’t left on the kitchen counter.

Romy takes opening selfie after we stretch

Our stories shared, and our muscles slightly warmed up, it was time to move on and begin the hike through the Ted Stiles Preserve on Baldpate Mountain. At the Summit trailhead, I began to notice another moment in transition. The leaves on the trees, reacting to the shortened days and longer nights were just beginning to show their crimson and amber colors as the green slowly fades to memory.

The first few feet of the trail begin with giant flat topped boulders that poke out of the dirt at perfect stepping intervals. Neat, I thought. The trail was bone dry in the late August heat, yet I wondered if mid-April these stones offered safe passage across a wet portion of the trail, at the base of a mountain. Indeed, a mountain it was and I was impressed that even in a short amount of time my heart was pumping. The incline hadn’t stopped yet.

Further along the trail which I began to notice was heavily trafficked by both walker, dog, and trail runners alike, the trail itself began to transition. At first, just a narrow path through towering tulip poplar trees soon became much more rocky. Even an Icelandic pony would find the boulder-strewn path quite a technical one. A few times, more giant boulders strategically placed as a one- or two-step staircase further up the mountain. Moments later, it was apparent that these stone placements were not nature’s work, but the careful and very well executed work of trail builders. Ahead of us was a boulder staircase that a first glance may look like a post glacial retreat relic. Yet, nearly impossible to imagine that so many flat topped rocks could arrange themselves so neatly, and so precisely that upon traversing them, not one wiggles, moves, or wobbles. Reaching the top of that man-made Mercer county wonder, you can’t help appreciate what work and labor went into making that. No wonder this trail is so well utilized. It is beautiful!

Hawk watching

Red-tailed hawk

Not much time left to catch our breath, we carried on up the trail and I began to take note that those trees around us are enormous. Climbing still, the trees still had many feet above us. At this point, the trail offers you a long route (Northwest Loop trail) or a shorter Blue trail taking you directly to the summit to reach the viewpoint. We opted for the longer route. Further ahead, the trail meanders through the old summer house estate and pond of the Kuser family. Proudly reigning in his domain, a red-tailed hawk perched happily on the open branches of an old tree. The raptor grabbed our attention for quite some time. He didn’t move, nor did we. Our hearts needed a break, and dare we move, he might fly away. Yet, this bird was enjoying his slow Sunday just as much as we were.

Only a few paces later we took a pond-side break for some meditation and quiet reflection, led by our trail guide Romy Toussaint of RomYoga in Lawrenceville. The pond was so quiet and so still, broken only by the constant call of the cicada. As we transitioned out of our five minute meditation, it was time to keep climbing. The summit wasn’t far.

Walking a little bit further, this preserve covering close to 1800 acres was

starting to show its expanse. We continued through the open field of the old estate and into a lush grassy meadow. The yellow of the season was beginning to overtake the purple bergamot that was present before. At the top of the mountain, a long line of huge white pines mark the edge of the meadow. While in the other direction, a sweeping vista of the Delaware river in the distance. I can only imagine what this view will look like once all the leaves start to turn and the greens begin to fade away.

Our hike was taken to new level now as we traversed down the meadow and through the dense wildflowers and grasses. We stopped for a moment at the Strawberry Hill Mansion, headquarters to FoHVOS to admire the restored garden of native plants. A perfect sycamore in the middle of it all offering plenty of shade throughout the long day and dappling the array of native plants like beardtongue, monarda, and swamp azalea. Once the garden of the Kuser family estate, time took its toll and much was left untouched and as such, became overrun with invasive species. Today, thanks to FoHVOS and volunteers, this garden is regaining its beauty and harboring a home for butterflies and other pollinators.

Following the trail back down the mountain, and even more carefully executing the boulder stairs, I could feel a sense of completion. The heat not bothering me, I knew that all too soon, the air wouldn’t smell of humidity and wildflowers, it would take on a whole new smell. As the trees transition into fall and the humidity decreases we remember how short the season of summer is and how all too quickly we are forced back into raincoats and boots and hot tea. For now, I’ll enjoy this heat while it’s here and worry about leaving lunches on the counter when the time comes.

The next hike in this series falls on Sunday, September 30th at 1pm.  This 2-mile forest bathing experience will at a surprise location in Hopewell Township. Location information will be shared closer to the event date.

 Please click here to register.

Letting the Sky Tell Time

By Samantha Bean

Weekends are often a time of recharging and taking the time to do things we can’t fit in during the hectic weekdays. And if we’re lucky, we can silence our alarm clocks for a change of pace. On this particular Sunday, I was afforded the unique opportunity to not be jarred awake by a vibration across the room. Instead, I tried to guess the time of day based on the sounds of the birds and the light in my room peeking through the curtains. I honestly couldn’t tell if it was 6:15am or 8:15am. This was the first sunless morning we have had in several days.

On my way to the third hike of the season with the Force of Nature hike series hosted by Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space, I was driving along accompanied by the Beatles tune on the radio, Here Comes the Sun. I was feeling optimistic, yet when I got to the parking lot, I left my sunglasses behind. As we began to greet each other in the parking lot, I was certain the sun would be out by the time the 2-mile hike concluded and I had already penned in my head the name for my post-hike blog courtesy of the Beatles. I could picture the blue sky one and half hours from now.

Romy Toussaint, our hike leader from RomYoga in Lawrenceville began our hike with some welcoming remarks and simple stretches to get our blood flowing. We began to listen to Romy talk about finding our strength and our energy. And more importantly, where we get it from. Listening to her analogy about power and how we tap in to it, I watched the energy of an unfamiliar bird fly over head.

The Mount Rose Preserve is a combination of trails all stemming from a large abandoned parking lot (soon to be completely dug up and converted to a meadow). As we finished our stretches and our introductions, within seconds of entering the trail, we were greeted by someone else who was waiting for the sun. A lovely black swallowtail was complacent and completely willing to allow several iPhones delicately go right up to her. Usually these papillons are so fast bouncing from plant to plant, but this one...still chilled from the night was simply waiting for her wings to dry.

As the trail meandered through eastern red cedars and across dry stream beds, we came across the fenced in area of a shrub and native plant restoration project, courtesy of FoHVOS. As we stopped, we looked up to the sky at the possibilities of the rumble of distant thunder. We kept walking and quickly dismissed the idea as not one of us was prepared with rain gear.

Smart weed and stilt grass lined the well-marked trail, and we were soon greeted with a little light refreshments, sadly of the non-native variety. Standing out amongst the greenery...the most vibrant beautiful shade of fuchsia: the tiny wineberry. Resembling a miniature raspberry, these hikers’ delights were a welcome treat along the trail. Some were easily accessed, others tucked away behind thickets and thorns, far more than just off the beaten path and unreachable.

After taking a picture of these delectable forage finds, and yes, eating half a dozen, I quickly checked the weather radar. I showed the radar scan to my hiking partners. As red as the wineberries we just ate, there it was, a band of thunderstorms making their way across the central part of the state. Wonder no more, that was indeed thunder we heard in the distance not too long ago.

Deciding to quicken our steps, we hiked further along the trail into an area of black walnut and beech trees. The trail was now free of grasses, but filled with leaf detritus and black walnut halves. I touched the smooth bark of perfect specimen of beech tree, a sullen yet warm light gray color. The bark, unscathed from the usual haphazard carved initials of lovers nearly began to mirror the color of the sky above. Walking deeper into the forest at a faster clip—focused on beating the deluge to our dry cars—our hearts began to pump a little faster and we began to feel like we were hiking all day as the forest hue took on a dusk-like undertone. I jokingly remarked: “Did anyone pack a flashlight?”

On a prior hike, I quipped, “when you are in the forest, do you hear the rain coming down through the leaves before you feel it on your skin?” Well, my question was answered at this very moment. And the third or fourth dry creek bed that we crossed would be dry no more. Our last two hundred yards of our hike we definitely got showered on. But not before we had time to stop along the one shaded, boggy pool where we were lucky enough to see a painted turtle. This little guy was just as adorable as Mr. July should be on any wildlife of New Jersey calendar. No bigger than a lime, this turtle was patient enought to be held and photographed, but swam away in a lick to hide back away in the stones and grass of the small stream.

Our hike culminated with rushed waves and hugs and a hurried goodbye. Yet when I sat back in my car slightly dampened and cool, I was refreshed from my morning hike and taking the time to be in nature, and yet all too quickly placed back into the daily motions of a Sunday. Thankfully, I did not wear a watch and I may not for the rest of the day. I’ll know for sure what time of day it is all too soon on Monday morning when I hear that vibration across the room.

This hike is one in a series of six hikes presented by Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space and their Force of Nature Hike Series for Women and Girls. Join us on the next hike with Forest Bathing & Stream Side Meditation, August 26, 9:00am at Baldpate Mountain.

Still Waters Run Deep

By Samantha Bean  

Ash Tree at Thompson Preserve

The second installment in the FoHVOS Force of Nature Series began under the upturned leaves of the ash trees reaching up tall at the trailhead of the Thompson Preserve.  As the silvery backs of the leaves took over their bright green flipsides, we wondered if the hike might turn into a hustle of dodging raindrops. Thankfully, for the ninety minutes that followed, the Thompson Preserve remained dry. Well...dry from up above that is.

Romy from RomYoga of Lawrenceville opened the hike with some welcoming remarks and reminded us to be alive in the moment and to be thankful or grateful, or both. Next, some simple movements with shoulders, hips, and knees. Then we did our ultimate best to loosen the toes and roll the ankles. A task much more suited to bare feet. As we loosened our ligaments as much as our tread-heavy hiking boots could possibly allow, our senses started to notice something. It’s a feeling you don’t get inside the quiet walls of a yoga studio.

Made it to the trail!

While the chatarunga dandasana was not present and we didn’t hear the pit pat of barefeet around on hardwood floors that usually accompanies your first few yoga stretches, we were able to notice other omnipresent sounds that we tend to drone out. The wind whistled through the limbs at this force of wind velocity as much as it did through the leaves. There were birds everywhere and I even caught the brief coo of a rooster way off in the distance.

We finished our less than limber stretches as our gear was rather limiting, and then Romy headed us off in the direction of the trail.

While the clouds were able to withhold the impending rain that was forecast, the ground below was just not able to hold anything more. There were puddles of mud within the first fifty paces. While our feet did their best to avoid mud sinkholes, our senses began to pick up another token. The soon-to-be-summer air was alive and swirling with honeysuckle and multiflora rose. While not well-received in the native plant community, the scent by itself was. It lingered with the hike for the next mile and a half. And we all noticed it. It was subtle, but nonetheless a harbinger of warm nights and late sunsets.

At the end of first meadow, the trail takes a turn and offers the opportunity to move into the forest. The slight slope of the trail meant that the footing was drier yet the same scents swirled around from canopy to forest floor. The shift in topography also indicated that the downhill hike might bring us to a stream very soon. But first there was a presence in the forest in the shape of a dead tree. He was begging to be named. The wide trunk, the daft opposing limbs in the exact placement on his midsection as if to say “Whatever…!” Maurice Sendak no doubt could have used this tree as a character study.

As the trail moved deeper downhill, the wind dissipated, and instead the flow of water could be heard before being seen. The mighty Stony Brook, tested to the hilt in the past few months was running heavy. The water was not chocolate milk colored but a fresh crisp color and the water was bouncing happily over Sourland rocks and moving fast in the shallows. A few more steps along the trail and an Eagle Scout project in the form of a narrow yet sturdy bridge gave safe crossing over a steep ravine that, in the past, required

Grateful for Eagle Scouts

a leap of faith and a Hail Mary to cross on ones’ own. A little further downstream, the water quieted. There was no cascade. No bouncing bubbles of white froth over rocks. And the color changed. At this point, the wind and the birds took over their leading role as the sounds of the Thompson Preserve. The deep water was one of many areas of the Stony Brook where shallows and pools coexist in one rapidly and constantly changing stream bed. An enthusiastic crew of volunteers from Bloomberg, stewardship staff and board member, Ruth Jourjine, completed a stream-side restoration project for this very reason....to aid in erosion and streambed changes. The project involved the removal of invasive plants and

Giant birds nest sculpture

the planting of native ferns and deer deterrent foraging fences. A giant birdnest fashioned out of twigs and vines completes the area. After seeing the restoration in place, we kept our pace and moved on. 

Heading back uphill and leaving the windless stream banks, the hike comes back out to the far side of the meadow and farm fields from which we started. The wind was still swirling like mad and the mud underfoot returned. The wildflower meadow restoration project that took place several years ago is at this point--an inch above knee level. I’ll give it three weeks before the wildflowers are over my head.

Meticulously planting our feet around bogs of mud and perfect imprints of various dog paw prints, we wandered back through the meadow and the trail towards our cars and ultimately, our daily life. But for a little over an hour, we got to immerse our senses in the sounds and smells of an outdoor yoga hike. One with elements not found within the walls of a studio.

Thankfully, and just in time, another Eagle Scout project was underway. Wood chips were now being spread over the dense muck that more resembles thick chocolate pudding than a trail. With time, and hopefully a little less rainfall, the trails on this hike will be dry and the only thing holding water will be the deep pools of the Stony Brook.

The third hike in this series falls on Sunday, July 15th at 9am at the Mount Rose Preserve in Hopewell. A 2-mile wellness hike that will include a guided meditation and forest bathing experience. Please click here to register.

Note: FoHVOS Force of Nature was inspired by a national campaign started by REI to encourage women and girls to get outside and play...putting women front and center, and hosting classes and events nationwide.

July Force of Nature: Katherine Dresdner

Photo by Benoit Cortet

If you have taken a walk on beautiful preserved land in Hopewell Valley, odds are that FoHVOS July Force of Nature, Katherine Dresdner, has had some hand in preserving it.

From the time she was a child, Katherine’s life experiences seemed to lead and prepare her for her great achievements throughout Hopewell Valley.   

Katherine’s earliest memories include being with her grandfather in his garden and learning about trees and plants with her mother, a landscape designer, who always caught and released insects rather than killing them. These models helped shape her law career, which focused on protecting land and life. 

Katherine began litigating complex environmental cases in the 1980s. Some of her cases uncovered webs of corruption and mismanagement akin to the plots in movies like Erin Brockovich and A Civil Action. 

The Chemical Control Corp. (CCC) was one such case. In early 1980, 60,000 55 gallon drums leaking toxic waste exploded violently during the night and burned for two days spewing toxic smoke and particulates, endangering communities in Elisabeth and Staten Island.  Katherine successfully litigated the only CCC civil case, representing residents and a Red Cross volunteer who all suffered health problems caused by exposure to the toxic smoke. She shared her legal work to help firefighters and first responders when they developed cancer from their exposures to the toxic materials. 

Katherine obtained court orders for records that revealed the involvement of organized crime, corruption, and mismanagement: the CCC was taken over from the owner at gunpoint by an organized crime family; the CCC incinerator contracted to destroy the chemical wastes from Fortune 500 companies never functioned. PCBs from PSE&G were dumped by CCC for years through a hidden pipe into the waters of the Kill Van Kull. 

The NJ DEP issued violations, then decided to take over the site. Katherine proved the state's takeover of CCC from its organized crime owners was not used for intended cleanup but instead stored hazardous wastes brought from other dump locations to CCC. Katherine employed aerial photography grid analysis that proved 30,000 more drums were staged at CCC during the state's "clean up." Katherine also met with whistleblowers about the site conditions and obtained photographs of the site showing many leaking drums two days before the explosion. A state official had recorded a video taken the same time as the photos, but the video disappeared from the state evidence locker. The loss of this key evidence uncovered by Katherine was investigated in a hearing by the NJ State Senate Judiciary Committee, but the tape was never found.   

The last case Katherine litigated before moving to Hopewell Valley in 1998 involved helping young families in Franklin, Gloucester County who were sold starter homes without being told their new homes were built on a toxic landfill. The families had wells drilled into the landfill, and their water and soil were contaminated with chemicals. The families only became aware their homes were in a landfill when one morning men in full body hazmat suits came to their neighborhood to take water and soil samples. 

Katherine got involved through a state police lieutenant familiar with her CCC case work, who asked her to represent the families. The case took 10 years but Katherine saw it through from beginning to end. Her work exposed a web of silence by the landfill landowner, the developer, town and county officials, insurance agents, realtors, and law firms, all of whom were interconnected by family or business relationships. Her work continued when she had to sue the insurance company to pay the families the judgment she obtained for them. Every family was able to move to a safe home.

At the same, FoHVOS was winning our own 10 year battle, led by FOHVOS President Ted Stiles, that culminated in the property acquisition by Mercer County in 1998 that created today’s Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain.

As Katherine settled into Hopewell Valley, we would join forces as she got involved in local land conservation efforts. Katherine worked on the St. Michaels Preservation committee with many local families who cared about the land. Working with Sophie Glovier, then Development Director at D & R Greenway, together they raised the millions of private funds needed to save St. Michaels. Katherine believes local fundraising and community involvement differentiated the St. Michaels project from other preservation efforts.  The new model inspired the entire community -- senior citizens, school children, and every age in between, raised money for a common goal. 

Katherine volunteered for a year at D&R Greenway and at the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed for 10 years. Katherine would draw from the St. Michael’s collaborative community based model in her crusade to save the land that became the Mount Rose Preserve. She was inspired by Ted Stiles' vision of preserving the Carter Road site along with contiguous farmland and open space parcels linking the Valley to the Sourland Mountains.

While serving as general counsel for the Hopewell Valley Citizens Group, Katherine donated all her legal work on this project since 2007.  HVCG formed during a contentious land use battle challenging Berwind Property Group's approved office park and proposed high density housing development slated for both sides of Carter Road in the former Western Electric/AT&T corporate campus. After winning in the NJ Supreme Court, Katherine proposed purchasing the land to settle the litigation. New Jersey Conservation Foundation partnered with HVCG as the lead land trust partner on the purchase. Katherine worked closely with NJCF executive director Michele Byers.

Katherine's vision of this project was regional in scope. She assisted in negotiating the northern loop of the 22 mile regional Lawrence Hopewell Trail with the landowners, and gained support for the land preservation project from Mercer County and all five surrounding municipalities. Overall, a dozen public entities and nonprofit organizations, as well as 130 private donors, and the Robert Wood Johnson 1962 Charitable Trust collaborated on a $7.5 million land purchase.

The Mount Rose Preserve is now a 400 acre public park and Katherine continues to work to raise donor and grant funding to cover additional land stewardship. FoHVOS Stewardship Director Mike Van Clef prepared a 10 year stewardship plan for Mount Rose. NJCF and FOHVOS are primarily responsible for stewardship, restoration, and trail work. The Mount Rose Preserve is currently owned by NJCF, FoHVOS, Hopewell Township, and Mercer County.

Partnering with NJCF added special significance to the win.  NJCF Executive Director Michele Byers was married to Ted Stiles and shared Ted’s vision for the preservation of Mount Rose. Katherine is very pleased that she was able to “complete the circle” by seeing the mission through with Michele.

At a FoHVOS event in 2015 both Katherine Dresdner and Michele Byers were presented the prestigious Jack Gleeson Environmental Award for a lifetime of achievement as an environmental activist.

An excerpt of this article appears in July's Hopewell Valley Neighbors magazine.

The Secret Forest

 By Samantha Bean

Pond in the Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain

One of the best kept secrets of New Jersey is its endless opportunities for exploration in a vast array of well-marked meadows, hills, deciduous and coniferous forests and rocky hillsides. The latter thanks to the immense amount of rock that makes up most of the Sourland Region. 

I am going to let you in on another amazing secret: getting back to nature while walking these trails grounds you. And when there are tiny pockets of glistening sunshine that make it down all the way to the forest floor from the dense canopy above...it’s just magic.

On a humid yet breezy Sunday afternoon I had the unique privilege of seeing these magical sun jewels dotting the trail that I hiked with several other women and our leader, Romy Toussaint, of RomYoga in Lawrenceville. A force of nature in her own right, Romy guided us on a forest meditation that began right at the head of the trail. 

Our connection to earth and the sounds that we could hear right from the beginning followed us throughout the two-hour hike in the Ted Stiles Preserve area of Baldpate Mountain in Titusville, NJ. This hike is one in a series of six hikes presented by Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space and their Force of Nature Hike Series for Women and Girls.

Trees swaying in the wind

The cacophonous symphony of birds around us, and the back and forth communication of a gray tree frog was just the beginning. Gone was the rush of traffic noise or the mindless dings of smartphones or the sounds of anything battery- or electrically-powered. We connected with our deep breaths and recognized our gratitude for the ability to be enveloped in nature’s symphony. We then turned our backs to the parked cars and the high wires above our heads and the far-off sound of a lawn mower to begin our journey. As we walked, the wind was swaying the leaves back and forth and the ominous darker clouds made me wonder: when you are in the forest, do you hear the rain coming down through the leaves before you feel it on your skin?

Thanks to the five prior days of off and on showers and occasional downpours, the trail began as a rocky and sloppy first half mile. So rocky in fact that when you cautiously placed each foot in and around or sometimes directly on a rock, your feet began to reverberate with a nature-induced foot massage. The small tennis-ball sized boulders protruding out of the muck and slop were a welcome feeling to the flat pavement we are so accustomed to feeling. Then, at times there was the melodic sound of rushing water over protruding roots and down small rivets created during the last flooding downpour only days ago. Our leader cautioned us to place our steps with intent and traverse the downhill spots with slanted foot. A straight foot tends to slip more. Noted. Around us, we were surrounded by towering tulip poplar trees and Eastern Towhees chiming in with their notorious “drink-your-teeeea!!!!” call. As the trail narrowed, the canopy above seemed to open more and I saw the first glimmers of bright blue sky that I had seen in five days. It was a stunning blue.

Romy & Emma -uprooted tree

After a steep uphill climb to rejoin the Ridge Trail, we stopped for a moment to catch our breath and admire the force of nature right in front of us: a blowdown from either Sandy or some other monster supercell storm. The uprooted tree created its own form of art right there with the root system still intact looking like something Dorothy would encounter before she finds the Tin Man in the forest. Turning east, we meandered down a drier trail and over and under a few more downed trees. 

Pond where we meditated

Mostly walking downhill at this point, we found ourselves on the property of an abandoned summer house of an old estate. Sitting on the ledge of a tattered spring house we again took the time for the silence to embrace us. A two-minute meditation was interrupted only by a fish jumping after a large upside down wasp that clearly couldn’t swim. I was amazed that I heard nothing but wind, birds, frogs, and the sounds of deep breaths.

Continuing back around past the old house, we headed back to conclude our Sunday in the forest and hiked back up toward the artistic uprooted tree that clearly should have its own name. Catching a glimpse of the high tension wires through the trees, I began to realize that the trail was nearing its end. Romy ended our forest bathing experience with some stretches and parting good-byes. I encourage everyone to experience the same sounds and feelings. Truly feeling the force of nature right here in New Jersey. It’s our secret.

The third hike in this series falls on Sunday, July 15th at 9am at the Mount Rose Preserve in Hopewell. A 2-mile wellness hike that will include a guided meditation and forest bathing experience. Please click here to register.

Note: FoHVOS Force of Nature was inspired by a national campaign started by REI to encourage women and girls to get outside and play...putting women front and center, and hosting classes and events nationwide.

June Force of Nature: Gretchen Kish

photo by Benoit Cortet

Gretchen Kish was born and raised in Titusville, NJ.  She grew up in a house that backed up to the woods and her first job was as a gardener at Washington Crossing Park.  It was there that she learned that horticulture could be a college major.

Gretchen’s lifelong passion for both Hopewell Valley and improving its landscape made her an easy choice for our June Force of Nature.

Gretchen and her husband Jon founded Nectars Landscape & Design and in addition to helping our area improve its landscaping, she very generously gives back to the local community.

Her personal philosophy is in line with FoHVOS stewardship objectives. We both want to restore Hopewell Valley lands. Gretchen enjoys educating others on the importance of landscaping with native species and said that people are receptive if you come to them as a knowledgeable person.  

She shared, “People worry that larger beds require more maintenance, but that’s not true, because when the right plants are planted and allowed to mature, the bed space actually uses less maintenance and requires less resources to maintain.”

Applying these principles, Gretchen initiated an expansive design for Bear Tavern Elementary School to create a new outdoor classroom that will be implemented over several years at no taxpayer cost.

BT Outdoor Classroom rendering

As part of our Community Conservation initiative, FoHVOS is partnering on the first phase of the project by administering a very generous grant from Janssen Pharmaceuticals to include healthy habitats.

Gretchen has prepared a beautiful design and selected native plants and trees that will attract pollinators, butterflies, insects, and birds. She collaborated with FoHVOS Stewardship Director Dr. Mike Van Clef who advised on best practices to maximize the ecological benefits.

The Bear Tavern project will also rely on grant money from the BT PTO, The College of New Jersey, and the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation for the pond and classroom features.

New Pond at Bear Tavern

While Gretchen and Jon have a successful landscape and design business, they recently opened a home and garden retail location on River Road in Titusville.  Jon shared that it was all about that specific location. They had their eye on it for years.

Gretchen’s vision is to transform their amazing home and garden store into a community meeting place. They are beautifying the lot and creating shaded area to bring people in for networking, garden clubs, lectures, classes, and events.

Nectars is teaming up with the Hopewell Valley Arts Council and sharing their lovely space for events to further enrich the Hopewell Valley community.

Throughout her life, Gretchen has witnessed the significant growth of our Valley.  Past expansion has brought both positive and negative change. She believes that the right people representing our community can ensure new growth is done thoughtfully.   

Her commitment preserving the land and character of Hopewell Valley makes Gretchen Kish our FOHVOS June Force of Nature.

A version of this article appears in the June issue of Hopewell Valley Neighbors magazine.