Three hundred newly planted native trees and shrubs will help restore a healthy forest to
a two-acre restoration site in Mountain Lakes Preserve. The planting was done on a brisk November afternoon by 15 volunteers from ZS Associates, a global sales and marketing consulting firm with offices in Princeton, along with members of Friends of Princeton Open space (FOPOS).
The planting follows on the efforts last August to clear the site of invasive plants and the construction of a fence around the site’s perimeter to prevent deer browse (project detailed here).
All the work has been supported by grants from Partners for Fish and Wildlife, a program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with additional funding from the Municipality of Princeton and FOPOS.
The project, spearheaded by FOPOS, has replaced multiflora rose, invasive honeysuckle, photinia, and other exotics with spice bush, winterberry, black cherry, and other native species. The invasives provide little food value for wildlife and threaten the long-term sustainability of the forest. The native plants will help create a balanced ecosystem, providing a vital habitat for a diversity of birds and animals and enabling the natural regeneration of the forest.
A big thank you to the hardworking volunteers from ZS Associates!
Volunteers interested in helping water and monitor the plants, even during the winter season, should contact our Natural Resources Manager, AeLin Compton, at aelincompton@FOPOS.org.