D&R Greenway Land Trust works throughout central New Jersey to keep the “Garden” in the Garden State. Our mission:
Preserve and Care for Land and Inspire a Conservation Ethic, Now and Forever.
Our Story
It was the 1980s and development was moving at a rapid pace across central New Jersey. Developers were busy staking their claims, literally, as signs announcing the demise of local farms and open space were driven into the ground daily. With time running short, four concerned citizens came together with a vision to save these lands for a different kind of stakeholder. Starting with just $10,000 of seed money, founders Jim Amon, Rosemary Blair, Bob Johnston, and Sam Hamill began to fight back on the public’s behalf. In 1989, D&R Greenway Land Trust came into being.
Our Numbers Show the Big Picture
From 1989 – 2007, a span of 18 years, D&R Greenway Land Trust preserved 10,000 acres of land.
In the next ten years, from 2007 – 2017, D&R Greenway Land Trust preserved a second 10,000 acres, reaching a milestone of 20,000 acres of preserved land in 2017.
St. Michaels Farm Preserve, Hopewell
Picture this:
-One acre is the about the size of a football field.
-Four acres equals one New York City block.
-The White House grounds in Washington, DC covers just over 18 acres.
The land area we have protected is:
-4x larger than all of the City of Trenton, New Jersey’s State Capital!
-25x larger than New York City’s
Central Park!
-34x larger than the combined size of the World’s two smallest countries – Monaco and the Vatican City!
Fun facts that show positive benefits of the lands preserved by D&R Greenway:
Problem:
New Jersey has the highest population density of any of the United States, 13xs the national average.
New Jersey is predicted to become the first State in the country to be completely built-out in the next 30 years.
Solution:
Land preserved by D&R Greenway has prevented 10,000 new houses from being built in our local communities.
These preserved lands have prevented 100,000 car trips per day from clogging already crowded roads.
Problem:
Polluted air causes health issues such as asthma and lung diseases.
Climate change is impacting weather patterns and threatening biodiversity.
Solution:
A single tree absorbs one ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime, providing a breath of fresh air!
The forests protected by D&R Greenway remove 8 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to alleviate climate change.
Problem:
Diminishing water supply is becoming our next resource crisis.
Solution:
Lands protected by D&R Greenway save about 3.5 million gallons of water daily, ensuring clean and abundant water.
Our Milestones Show the Big Impact
From 1989 – 2022, D&R Greenway Land Trust permanently protected 22,000 acres of land. By preserving land for life and creating public trails, we give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. Our preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for our neighbors—including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, we combat climate change, protect birds and wildlife, and ensure clean drinking water for future generations. Our Johnson Education Center in Princeton is home to art galleries and presentations that celebrate the natural world and inspire a conservation ethic. D&R Greenway’s mission is centered in connecting land with people from all walks of life.
1987 Four founders – Jim Amon, Rosemary Blair, Sam Hamill and Bob Johnston – launched a new initiative called the Delaware & Raritan Greenway with a gift of $10,000 from the Friends of Princeton Open Space and office space at the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association.
1989 Delaware & Raritan Greenway obtained 501(c)3 status as a nonprofit organization (note: Name changed to D&R Greenway Land Trust in 2004).
1990 Completed first preservation project with a 37-acre conservation easement donated by the Hamill family along the Shipetaukin Creek in Lawrence Township
1992 First preserve established, 180 acres now central to our Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve and the first property in the State purchased with NJ Green Acres nonprofit grant funding
1992 First trail project completed on our Cedar Ridge Preserve thanks to a conservation easement donated by Walter Fullam
For more information about each milestone click “read more” or visit our Newsletter Archive
Spring 1997: It’s a Deal – Finally: Institute Lands Are Preserved! (Read more)
Fall 1999: Celebrating Women and the Land (Read more)
Winter 1999: A Growing Greenway – Ten Years in Review (Read more)
Winter 2005: A New Year, a New Record and Soon, a New Home for D&R Greenway Land Trust (Read more)
Winter 2005: D&R Greenway Land Trust Secures $500,000 in Grants for Marsh Nature Center (Read more)
Winter 2007: Community Unites to Save St. Michaels (Read more)
Fall 2007: 10,000 Reasons to Celebrate! (Read more)
Fall 2008: 1,900 Acres of Farmland — Preserved! (Read more)
Spring 2009: 2o Years, 20 Square Miles of Preserved Land (Read more)
2009 Annual Report: St. Michael’s Property Preserved! (Read more)
Summer 2011: Princeton Nurseries: New Jersey’s Largest-ever Preservation Acquisition (Read more)
Summer 2011: Remembering Greenway Meadows, Coventry Farm and Carson Road Woods (Read more)
Spring 2012: D&R Greenway Among First Ten Percent of Land Trusts in Nation to Achieve Accreditation Status (Read more)
Winter 2013: 250th Milestone Legacy Preserves a Place for Wildlife (Read more)
Spring 2014: Howard Farm Preservation is an Investment in Family, Food and Community (Read more)
Fall 2014: A Dream Realized: New Tulpehaking Nature Center is Gateway to the Abbott Marshlands (Read more)
Winter 2014: An Urban Farm Takes Root (Read more)
Spring 2016: Preserving an Old Farm with New Thinking, A Revolving Land Fund takes Root (Read more)
Spring 2017: Final 20 Acres Saved for St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell (Read more)
Fall 2018: Celebrating D&R Greenway’s 300th Preserved Property, Woosamonsa Ridge Preserve in Hopewell, NJ (Read more)
Spring 2020: Land Preserved for Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Hopewell, Zizak Farm (Read more)
Winter 2020: A majestic New Jersey landscape and Delaware River overlook—fit for a King—is permanently preserved in the City of Bordentown — Preservation of Point Breeze (Read more)
Winter 2021: Legacy Gift of 800 Acres in Honor of Betty Wold Johnson — Hillside Farm in Hopewell (Read more)
