Call For Land Stewards!
Join the Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) for a volunteer session in the great outdoors! Volunteers will work under the guidance of FOPOS’s stewardship team to assist with a variety of conservation projects at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve.
Help us restore the lakeshore! Our current focus is on a 25-acre riparian restoration project that buffers Mountain Lake and portions of its feeder streams. Riparian areas play an important role in protecting water quality by slowing down stormwater and filtering out pollutants before they enter the water system. Water that flows through Mountain Lakes Park ultimately finds its way into the Raritan River, an important drinking water source for central New Jersey. Riparian areas also provide critical habitat for birds, insects, and aquatic life.
Volunteers will help to identify and remove invasive plants, as well as assist with native tree plantings and the installation of deer exclosures. The stewardship skills learned at these sessions can easily be applied to restoring habitat in your own backyard. Join us out in the field to learn more!
Spring 2023 Land Steward Events
Registration via Eventbrite is required to attend. Click on the GREEN dates below to register, thank you!
Weekday Volunteer Sessions - March and April 2023
The scope of work for these sessions includes native plantings, invasive plant removal, tree protection from deer browse and beaver chew, and seed sowing.
Thursday March 30 | 10am-12pm
Tuesday, April 4th | 1pm-3pm
Thursday, April 13th | 10am-12pm
Tuesday, April 18th | 1pm-3pm
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Weekend Volunteer Sessions - April and May 2023
Saturday April 1: Spring Clean-up!
During this session, we will target invasive plants for removal, including: wineberry, honeysuckle shrubs, garlic mustard, privet, and invasive vines from trees such as honeysuckle and bittersweet. We will be working along the lake's edge, meeting first at the event parking lot.
Click here to read about the Forest Restoration Project.
April 1, Morning Session: 10am-12pm
April 1, Afternoon Session: 1pm-3pm
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Saturday April 22: Earth Day Event!
Join us for Earth Day spring planting sessions at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Volunteers will work under the guidance of FOPOS’ stewardship staff to plant native species in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve.
April 22, Morning Session: 10am-12pm
April 22, Afternoon Session: 1pm-3pm
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Saturday, May 6th: Safeguarding Spring
Join us for this spring stewardship session in the heart of spring! Volunteers will work under the guidance of FOPOS’ stewardship staff to do work such as plant native species and remove invasive specimens in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Join us as we make a difference and help native saplings flourish this spring and summer!
May 6, Morning Session: 9am-11am
May 6, Afternoon Session: 1pm-3pm
Volunteer Information
Please complete our ONLINE WAIVER before your session. If you would rather fill out a paper waiver, please email us. Waiver completion is required. Thank you!
BYO: Be sure to bring a water bottle and work gloves. We recommend wearing long sleeves, long pants, and work boots/sneakers--this will best protect you from thorns, ticks, and poison ivy. We ask that if you are feeling sick or have potentially been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, to please stay home and join us at another time.
Meeting Location: Unless otherwise noted we meet at the Mountain Lake House Parking lot, 57 Mountain Ave, Princeton NJ, 08540. Here is a link to our event parking lot location on Google maps. You can make your way down the long paved driveway entrance to the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, marked by a series of black mail boxes. The gravel parking lot is on your left about a 1/2 mile down the driveway.
Volunteer Groups: Looking to volunteer as a group? Families, students, community and/or corporate groups, please email info@fopos.org with “VOLUNTEER” in the subject line. Thank you!
Weekday Volunteer Crew: If you’d like to join our small crew of weekday volunteers, please email info@fopos.org with “Weekday Crew” in the subject line.
Join our Volunteer List: If you are unable to attend the sessions above and would like to join our volunteer list, please email info@fopos.org with “VOLUNTEER” in the subject line.
If you have an interest in spending time in the outdoors, enjoying nature, and making a difference in your community, please contact us to get involved in one of the following activities:
Trail Building: Help create and maintain hiking trails for the community to enjoy! Join us on most weekends to clear paths, build boardwalks and stream crossings, and improve access to the Preserve’s 8 miles of hiking trails.
Ecological Restoration: Join our Natural Resource Manager to restore Mountain Lakes’ ecological communities. Help control invasive species, plant beneficial trees and wildflowers, and improve wildlife habitat.
Friends of Princeton Open Space relies on the help of volunteers to complete our ambitious goals. Throughout all four seasons, FOPOS has regular volunteer work days as well as scheduled corporate volunteer days.
Volunteer tasks include, but are not limited to trail clearing and construction, building boardwalks to increase accessibility, removing invasive plant species, and planting native, beneficial plants.
If you are interested in becoming a FOPOS Volunteer, please fill out the form below.