Once again -- FoHVOS, RomYoga & Mercer County Park Commission partner for #optoutside on November 25th! Hike with us at Baldpate Mountain. Choose your hike distance up to 7.5 miles! This event is FREE. Hikes are limited to 20 people each with three different hiking options. Please keep weather in mind and dress accordingly.
This December, the National Audubon Society is organizing its 123rd Christmas Bird Count. This is when volunteers conduct bird counts all across the country. These counts take place from December 14, 2022 to Wednesday, January 5, 2023. Each count occurs within a 15 mile wide diameter circle. The nearest one to us is the Princeton...
Kwanzaa is a secular, non-religious, holiday, whose name translates from Swahili to “first fruits,” referencing the holiday’s roots in traditional harvest festivals. Instead of centering on religious traditions, Kwanzaa focuses on culture, community, and family. Kwanzaa is celebrated the 7 days from December 26 to January 1.The OEA Celebration is on December 29th or Day...
Please join Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space on Sunday, February 19 at 9:00AM for the GreatBackyard Bird Count at the Heritage Preserve on Reed Road. We will be helping to count birds to take areal time snapshot of birds in our area. Our list will help researchers learn about how birds are doing, ifpopulations...
Christmas Bird Count 2023This December, the National Audubon Society is organizing its 124th Christmas Bird Count. This is when volunteers conduct bird counts all across the country. These counts take place Thursday, December 14, 2023 to Friday, January 5, 2024. Each count occurs within a 15 mile wide diameter circle. The nearest one to us...
Please join Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space on Sunday, February 18 at 9AM for the Great Backyard Bird Count at the Heritage Preserve on Reed Road. We will be helping to count birds to take a real time snapshot of birds in our area. Our list will help researchers learn about how birds are...
Conference Schedule of Events9 AM Check-In & Continental Breakfast9:15 AM WelcomeMargaret Waldock, Executive Director Duke Farms9:30 AM State of New Jersey Invasive Species Michael Van Clef, Strike Team Program Director9:45 AM Count Parks Invasive Species Management & Restoration Case StudiesMercer Count Parks, Morris County Parks, Monmouth County Parks11:00 AM Engaging the Public and the Language...
FoHVOS Stewardship Director and Strike Team Program Director Mike Van Clef will be instructing a course on Forest & Invasive Species Ecology as part of Duke Farms' Master Ecologist certification course. The Master Ecologist certification course is an adult education series designed for environmental educators, land managers and stewards, private landowners, natural resource professionals, and...
Spring Stewardship WorkshopWorkshop OverviewLed by FoHVOS Stewardship Director and Invasive Species Strike Team Program Director Mike Van Clef, the Spring Stewardship Workshop caters to land stewards and property owners seeking to enhance the effective management of their natural resources. This concise, expert-led course aims to equip participants with fundamental knowledge, fostering a comprehensive understanding of...
National Trails Day Guided HikeNational Trails Day takes place on the first Saturday in June to bring appreciation and volunteer service to trails. This year we are celebrating with a leisurely guided hike at our Marshalls Corner Preserve at 10am.This preserve’s trail runs alongside old fields, through forest, and provides great views of our restored...
Strike Team Community Field WorkshopPlease join us for our 5th annual Community Field Workshop! It will be hosted by Monmouth County Parks on June 1st at Huber Woods. The goal of this event is to showcase model volunteer stewardship efforts that we hope will inspire and teach volunteers and all land stewards across the state....
Morning Bird Walk at Mt. Rose PreserveFoHVOS and New Jersey Conservation Foundation are co-hosting a casual morning bird walk for birders (and bird watchers) of all skill levels. Join us for a stroll through meadow and woodland, with a stop at our reforestation project, to observe and enjoy the songbirds breeding here this season. Binoculars...
Seasonal Nature Walk at Fiddler's Creek PreserveFiddler's Creek Preserve had been the "missing piece" of preserved land between Washington Crossing State Park and Baldpate Mountain for many years. After being protected in 2010, a large-scale reforestation was implemented. We'll walk on shady creek-side trails, through 40 acres of young forest, and stop by Wild Bird...
FoHVOS Annual Butterfly CountPlease join us on Sunday, July 7th at our Marshalls Corner Preserve to help count butterflies. We will be walking the trail through the restored meadow and looking for these flying beauties as we go. Once we are done at Marshalls Corner, we will head over to Baldpate Mountain to search the...
SUMMER HIKE SERIES - EAMES PRESERVEPlease join us on Friday July 19 at our Eames Preserve for an evening hike. On this 1.6 mile loop we will walk through groves of mature beeches, fields of wildflowers and native grasses, and portions of the Woodsville Brook floodplain. The walk will take place from 6:00PM to 7:30PM....
SUMMER HIKE SERIES KULAK & LAWRENCE PRESERVESPlease join us on Saturday August 10th at our Kulak & Lawrence Preserves for a morning hike. On this out and back trail we will explore the Stony Brook corridor, featuring a mature forest of tulip trees, sugar maple and Christmas fern.The walk will take place from 6:00PM to...
SUMMER HIKE SERIES MOUNT ROSEPlease join us on Friday August 16th at Mount Rose Preserve for an evening hike. One of our newer trails, we will explore early successional red cedar stands and a mature forest of mixed hardwoods and American beech. The forest trail also goes past our forest restoration project, featuring a deer...
Join Us for a Toast to Trails on Sunday September 15th
As the field season winds down, it's time to relax a bit over good company and good food. Join us Saturday October 26th for the this year's Strike Team Potluck Social. Colleagues, private landowners, hunters, and stewardship volunteers come together to enjoy BYO wild edible food recipes and engage in captivating stewardship discussions. This event...
Hatch A Hundred Info SessionFoHVOS has the most successful kestrel nesting program in the state and has partnered with Wild Bird Research Group to expand upon this success. Beginning in 2025, we're working together to attempt a never-attempted goal: hatch 100 kestrel chicks in the Hopewell Valley area. To do this, we need our community's...
Christmas Bird Count 2024This December, the National Audubon Society is organizing its 125th Christmas Bird Count. Bird enthusiasts around the country will be conducting local bird counts from Saturday, December 14, 2024 through Sunday, January 5, 2025. Counts occur within a 15 mile wide diameter circle. The nearest one to us is the Princeton Circle which includes...
Hatch A Hundred Info SessionAmerican Kestrels, North America's smallest falcon, are facing a steep population decline due to habitat loss and other environmental challenges. These incredible birds depend on open grasslands and natural cavities for nesting, but these habitats are disappearing at an alarming rate.Hatch a Hundred is a community-driven effort to support kestrel populations...
Hatch A Hundred: Kestrel Nest Box-Building WorkshopStart your Super Bowl Sunday with a Kestrel Kickoff! Attend our nest box building workshop on February 9th from 1-3pm. This event is great for families looking for hands-on ways to help protect American kestrels. Kestrels rely on artificial cavities like nest boxes to rear their chicks. By building...
Please join Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space on Sunday, February 16 at 9AM for the Great Backyard Bird Count at the Heritage Preserve on Reed Road. We will be helping to count birds to take a real time snapshot of birds in our area. Our list will help researchers learn about how birds are...
Vernal Pool HikeJoin FoHVOS Land Steward Dana on Saturday, March 29th to visit vernal pools at Heritage Preserve. Vernal pools are important breeding habitat for amphibians like spring peepers, spotted salamanders and wood frogs. Unlike other bodies of water, vernal pools are temporary, usually drying up by mid-summer. On this guided hike, we plan to...
Just Birds with Jack & JennJack and Jenn started birding together over 10 years ago, and have since worked together on several bird conservation projects in central NJ. Beginning this spring, they are teaming up to host public bird walks at FoHVOS preserves. These interpretive bird walks are open to all, but especially geared towards...
Conference Schedule of Events9 AM Check-In & Continental Breakfast9:15 AM WelcomeMargaret Waldock, Executive Director Duke Farms9:30 AM Assessing Deer Population Densities in Northern NJ Dr. Jay Kelly, Raritan Valley Community College10:30 AM Break11:00 AM Implementation of Invasive Weed Control Program: The Planning, Tools and Tricks to achieve successful outcomesDrew O’Neill, Weeds, Inc.12:00 PM Lunch1:00 PM Pest and...
Spring Ephemeral WalkJoin FoHVOS Land Steward Kaitlin Saturday April 19th for a hike at Woosamonsa Ridge where we will search for the beautiful, but short-lived, spring ephemerals! Spring ephemerals are woodland wildflowers that bloom in the brief window between snow melt and tree leaf-out. On this guided hike, we hope to spot species like bloodroot,...
Curlis Woods Walk and TalkFoHVOS's inaugural president Jack Gleeson was among the first to recognize the ecological importance of Curlis Lake Woods. For 32 years, the forest has been preserved from development and enjoyed by both hikers and wildlife. Curlis Woods has one of the largest mature stands of American beech in Central Jersey, that...
Curlis Lake Woods has one of the largest mature stands of American beech in Central Jersey, but it is unfortunately threatened by the presence of beech leaf disease. To mitigate the anticipated loss of American beech in our forests, FoHVOS and Mercer County Parks Commission are hosting a community event to plant over 1,000 native...
