Restore the Lakeshore Volunteer  Event 11.6.21 AM Session

Friends of Princeton Open Space(FOPOS), founded in 1969, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization devoted to acquiring open space in Princeton for preservation, protecting natural resources, maintaining accessibility to trails, and providing environmental education. Throughout the Princeton region, FOPOS works with groups to support efforts to preserve and protect open space and the environment.Since its founding, FOPOS has helped to establish over 1,800 acres of parkland and a network of trails that nearly encircles Princeton.  Through grants and the contributions of hundreds of people in the community, FOPOS has helped raise nearly $10 million for the purchase of land and acquisition of easements on properties that might have been bulldozed for development.  In addition to land preservation, FOPOS also leads in stewardship, from creating and maintaining hiking trails, boardwalks and footbridges, to the removal of invasive species and the replanting of native varieties.FOPOS also sponsors community programs and activities, such as nature walks and educational workshops, and advocates for governmental actions that protect our water, land, animals and plant communities. If you have an interest in spending time outdoors, enjoying nature and making a difference in the community, please contact us at info@fopos.org to get involved in trail-building and ecological restoration.

Friends of Princeton Open Space

Join FOPOS for a Volunteer Land Steward Session at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve.

Mountain Lakes House

Riparian Restoration Project: Help Restore the Lakeshore!Volunteers will work under the guidance of FOPOS’ stewardship staff to identify and remove target invasive species from the northern bank of Mountain Lake using pruners, loppers, and hand saws. We will also plant natives and install protective deer-exclusion caging. Invasive shrubs, such as Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) and burning bush (Euonymus alatus), will be replaced with native species including viburnums, dogwoods, and oaks. Native plants support hundreds of insects that fuel the food chain, and provide high quality habitat for a diversity of wildlife. For instance, in the fall and winter months, the berries of native shrubs, such as silky dogwood (Cornus amomum), offer excellent nutrition to migrating and overwintering songbirds in the form of fats and proteins. Riparian areas play an important role in improving 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 NJ. Riparian areas also provide critical habitat for birds, insects, and aquatic life. Registration via Eventbrite is required.BYO: If you are not yet vaccinated for COVID-19, please bring a mask. Be sure to BYO water bottle and work gloves to the stewardship sessions. For work days 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, have traveled, or have potentially been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, to please stay home and join us at another time.Meeting Location: We meet at the Mountain Lake House Parking lot, 57 Mountain Ave, Princeton NJ, and then walk over to the project site as a group. Be sure to drive down the long paved driveway entrance to the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, marked by a series of white mail boxes, the gravel parking lot is on your left about a 1/2 mile down the driveway.Looking to volunteer as a group? Families, students, community / corporate groups, please email info@fopos.org with “VOLUNTEER” in the subject line.