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.

Bringing Back the American Chestnut Tree - In the Hopewell Valley

by Tom Ogren

American Chestnuts

The Hopewell Township Environmental Commission and Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) teamed up in early May to plant 170 American chestnuts at the Fiddler's Creek Preserve (opposite Baldpate Mountain.) The preserve features a fenced in 40-acre former farm field which is the site of a large scale re-forestation effort by FoHVOS and the Mercer County Park Commission. Over 7,000 trees and shrubs have been planted by volunteers at the site since 2011.    

Chestnut planting at Fiddler's Creek

Environmental Commission member Mike Aucott initiated the chestnut planting project and directed the planting at several locations throughout Hopewell Township. The planting of the chestnuts this May at Fiddlers Creek Preserve was done by volunteers and FoHVOS Stewardship Director Mike Van Clef. The photo at right shows the location of where some chestnuts were planted. Similar groupings of planting sites were scattered throughout the enclosed area. The plastic tubes tied to stakes were placed on top of the chestnuts to protect them from being eaten by squirrels.                                                            

Stately American chestnut tree
from decades past

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) is a large tree in the beech family native to eastern North America.  Before the species was devastated by chestnut blight, an invasive fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range and was considered the finest chestnut tree in the world. It is estimated that between 3 and 4 billion American chestnut trees were destroyed in the first half of the 20th century by blight after its initial discovery in 1904. Chestnut blight is caused by an Asian bark fungus introduced into North America on imported Asiatic chestnut trees. 

Appalachian family with
American chestnut tree

The planting at Fiddler's Creek is part of a large scale cross breeding effort to plant thousands of chestnuts throughout the Northeast. This effort is spearheaded by The American Chestnut Foundation which has pioneered a backcross breeding technique in an attempt to restore the American chestnut to its original habitat. What was done at the Fiddler's Creek Preserve is the first time hybrid chestnuts have been planted in New Jersey using this technique. A second stage involves the planting of hybrid chestnut seedlings several years from now, which will cross breed with the trees planted from chestnuts.

Hopefully we can bring this prized hardwood tree back to the Hopewell Valley!

(Hikers can access Fiddler's Creek Preserve and a small parking area from Fiddler's Creek Road via a dirt driveway about a quarter mile east of the Baldpate Mountain entrance.  A small Fiddler's Creek Preserve sign marks the driveway entrance.)

Tom Ogren has been a FoHVOS Trustee since 2007 and is a former Pennington Borough Council member. In his free time, you'll find Tom planting trees and building trails in preserves throughout our Valley.

                         

                                    

Meg Gorrie: A Force of Nature

 photo by Benoit Cortet

While everyone in the area is familiar with the SBMWA Kate Gorrie Butterfly House or has driven past the prominent sign for D&R Greenway Kate’s Trail, few are aware of the wider life-changing impact both the Gorrie family and their daughter Kate have made on our community. I approached Meg Gorrie and asked her to share her important story. 

This was a difficult story to write for many reasons. First, its prominence and weight demand that I get it right. Adding to my challenge is that Hopewell Valley Neighbors magazine shares my Force of Nature stories with a limit on space.

In the past, I have permitted the magazine to cut my feature to meet its space constraints but instead for this piece, I offer a new solution -- a magazine excerpt.

Below please check out three sections.

• Meet The Gorries shares the family introduction to Hopewell Valley.
• Kate’s Legacy is a standalone section for Hopewell Valley Neighbors.
• The Family Today shares their continued strides and impact.

Meet The Gorries

Meg and Tom Gorrie moved to Hopewell Valley, New Jersey for its excellent schools. They arrived when Alex, their oldest son, was in 4^th grade. Within a year, Meg was Hopewell Elementary PTO President.  

The twins Kate and Rob, who had been born on Christmas Day, also attended HES.  Once the twins entered middle school, Meg became heavily involved with the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association.

At the same time, Tom was overseeing global businesses for Johnson & Johnson. He was also the Chairman at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and served on their Board for 17 years.

Meg and Tom were the perfect balance of Yin and Yang.  Tom oversaw medical advances immersed in the whirlwind existence of air travel around the world. Meg was grounded in education and the environment.  Their history of healing, people and land, foreshadowed their eventual story.

The twins also had their own unique balance. They shared that special twin connection, were both smart, and inherited mom’s love of environment. Rob had lots of friends and enjoyed challenging his teachers. Kate was popular with peers and teachers alike.

“I couldn’t wait for teacher conferences,” Meg beamed, “They all began with what a joy Kate was!  Everybody loved her.”

All the Gorrie children attended The Hun School of Princeton. The twins were both in the environmental club. By the time started they their senior year, Meg was on the education committee at The Watershed.  

Meg recalls, “While on sabbatical from The Watershed, Jeff Hoagland traveled to nature centers all around the country and he was over the moon about these indigenous species butterfly houses. When I told Kate about it, she said, ‘Mom, you’ve got to do this!’ We were so excited. We talked about it all that Fall.”

In addition to being an excellent student, Kate played field hockey and co-managed the boy’s ice hockey team with her friend Lindsay.   

On the afternoon of December 22^nd 1997, Kate and Lindsay were in a one-car accident. The cause was unclear, but Lindsay was driving and may have swerved to avoid a deer. Kate was killed instantly when the car hit a tree.

Losing a child is the most devastating experience that a parent can face.  Compounding their unimaginable grief was the challenge that Rob’s birthday was still Christmas Day and he felt that he’d lost his other half.

Christmas was Kate’s favorite day of the year and the family knew she would want them to go on, so they still celebrated the day as best they could in the wake of their tragedy.

Kate entrusted a powerful legacy and purpose to all of those she left behind.

Kate (Gorrie family photo)

Kate’s Legacy

Kate was loved by all who knew her.  To get a better sense of Kate, consider that each year Hun presents “The Katherine Wright Gorrie ’98 Memorial Award.”  

Awarded to a member of the senior class who best exemplifies the qualities of Kate Gorrie. These include a love of family and friends, respect for the environment, joy and radiance of expression and demeanor, integrity, and sincere desire to acquire and impart knowledge.

The Hun School’s response to Kate’s death was sensitive and helpful. Tom and the headmaster, Jim Byer, and others spoke at the funeral. They opened Russell Hall for the reception.  

Meg and Tom arranged a scholarship and a friendship garden in Kate’s honor. The scholarship allows a student to attend Hun who otherwise could not.

Kate’s field hockey coaches initiated The Hun Run in her memory.  Her classmates have continued working on The Run for Kate committee for the past 20 years.

The friendship garden was formed because Kate was loved by all and was everybody’s friend.  It features a pretty statue called “Growing Things,” with a young teenage girl and a vine.  An inscription reads, “In this garden may friendship grow.” There are three benches and sometimes outdoor classes are taught there.

After the accident, the newspaper stated that donations be made to the Watershed in lieu of flowers. The family hoped to use the funds to set up an internship in Kate’s name.

The response was overwhelming and the generous donations helped fund both the internship and The Kate Gorrie Butterfly House. The internship is awarded to a high school student each summer.

Meg describes the Butterfly House. “The wind would come through the screening and you’d see families with little kids come in. It’s really special to see the sense of wonder that comes over people.”

Each year the Watershed held an opening day for the Butterfly House and several years ago, they switched to an official Butterfly Festival. “It’s really extraordinary - 2,500 people show up at her butterfly house and I think ‘Kate, are you seeing this?!’”

The Gorries’ friend Jeannine “Dede” Clements worked with D&R Greenway to create an easement on their farm that includes a one-mile loop trail down to the Stony Brook, known as Kate’s Trail. You can see the sign on Elm Ridge Road.

Meg shared, “I love that so much to do with Kate brings the focus back to the environment.”

Twenty years later and Kate continues to changes lives.

The Family Today

Meg recalls with sadness that “beyond devastating” Christmas.  Subsequent years were spent traveling over Christmas. The family would fly out on the 22^nd -- Hawaii, St. John, the Keys – anywhere to be away, and would return before New Years to a decorated house and celebrate their traditional family Christmas after island Christmas. They had not been in town on December 22^nd since the accident.

This year the Gorries stayed home for Christmas.

“Having the grandbabies makes a huge difference. Christmas is completely chaotic now. It was really nice. Rob and Amanda wanted to do Santa Claus with their kids in Princeton. Alex was married in October and lives with Mary in London.”

They all spent dinner together. They toasted Kate, toasted the marriage, and toasted Rob’s birthday.

This year Hun will hold their 20^th reunion for the Class of 1998.

While the Gorrie family had a long history of high achievement, Kate’s passing brought additional relevance and focus on healing and service to others.  

Tom Gorrie currently sits on the Duke University Board of Directors and chairs the Duke University Health System. He chaired the Global Health Institute Board of Advisors until 2016 and has served on numerous committees. Tom retired from J&J in 2008. He was an advisor to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an adjunct professor at the Rutgers School of Business. He is on the RWJ Foundation Board.

Rob Gorrie has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and received his J.D. magna cum laude, with a Certificate in Environmental Law.  His job allows him to work with small business and homeowners to remediate environmental disasters on their property. His prior work found him in NJ, NY, PA and CA designing and implementing cleanups at polluted sites. Today, he lives in Princeton with his wife Amanda and their two children.

Meg has won numerous environmental awards and recognition, including many from her important work at the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association.  In addition to the internship and Butterfly House, she is Trustee Emeritus and co-chaired the “Pass It On Campaign” which is responsible for creating the new environmental center, redesigning the 930 acre trail network of the Watershed Reserve, and fortifying the Watershed Association endowment. She also served on the D&R Greenway Board of Trustees for several years.

Meg is the former President of the Stony Brook Garden Club. Her peers presented the Zone Conservation Award and wrote: 

“She has worked on countless community minded projects all for the care and preservation of the natural world. She is kind, witty and wonderful. She is an inspiration to SBGC, our zone, and our state.”

Force of Nature – Meg and Kate Gorrie

Like Mother, Like Daughter

March Force of Nature: Carol Kleis

An often-told story in FoHVOS circles is the preservation history of Baldpate Mountain. This decade-long battle against development earned FoHVOS founding member, Ted Stiles, permanent association with the legendary win. Even today you will see “The Ted Stiles Preserve” listed atop every Baldpate Mountain sign.

The Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain sign

Ted has been gone for 10 years, but FoHVOS “Force of Nature” recipient Carol Kleis remembers those early days, especially the challenges and tales of the Ted Stiles Preserve, as one of the most significant forest preservation success stories in the entire state.

She took on a leadership role at FoHVOS in order to continue Ted’s legacy. She appreciates the significance of the broad stretches of preserved land throughout the entire region. As an avid hiker and native plant enthusiast, memories of the early days of FoHVOS often come to mind as Carol enjoys the splendid vistas and forest wildlife scenes that Hopewell Valley trails provide.  

A hike to the grassy summit of Baldpate Mountain, the highest point in Mercer County, offers a spectacular view of the Delaware River.  Carol enjoys visiting the FoHVOS offices at Strawberry Mansion high atop the mountain.

                   Native Plant Garden Chair

Always connecting with local land, Carol is not only the Trustee President to Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space, but also chairs the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County Native Plant Garden working group. She is a long standing member of the Hopewell Township Open Space Advisory Committee and a former member of the Hopewell Valley Deer Management Task Force.

Her advocacy doesn’t stop there. Carol Kleis has chaired the local democratic committee and worked with community leaders to help shape the pro-environment and open space policies of the municipality.

Although she plans on continuing as a FoHVOS trustee, Carol will be retiring as President this year in order to encourage fresh leadership and ideas on the FoHVOS Executive Committee. Everyone who has worked with Carol has been enriched by her enthusiasm and passion to preserve Hopewell Valley lands.

We are happy to recognize Carol Kleis as our March FoHVOS Force of Nature.

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