Brightwood Park - Westfield NJ
A 41 acre municipal nature preserve in an older suburb of Union
County is a rare find in the Rahway River watershed. The seldom used
park possesses a variety of wildlife habitats including upland
forest, a man-made lake, spring fed pond and marsh, streams and
meadow. Containing trails for passive uses, the park is mostly
visited by dog walkers and joggers. At one time, Brightwood Park was
the subject of serious nature study with a publication by Joel
Taylor in 1981 that described the natural history, geology and
ecology of the site. The booklet described all the species of fauna
and flora that lived at Brightwood Park at the time.
In one of the most ambitious restoration effort thus far, the RRA
has retained the services of Ecological Solutions, LLC to develop a
habitat restoration plan for Brightwood Park. Thanks to a generous
grant by Conservation Resources, Inc., the RRA is planning to remove
invasive plants, re-introduce native vegetation en masse, reconnect
water bodies to reduce eutrophication and launch a public education
initiative on site with local volunteers.
Hanson Park - Cranford NJ
Hanson Park, a 4 acre oasis near downtown Cranford, is the success
story of the Hanson Park Conservancy (HPC). Restored, rehabilitated
and now renowned, Hanson Park is an exhilarating series of lush
green gardens splashed with color from spring to fall. With picnic
tables, park benches and curving paths filled with surprises at
every turn, Hanson Park provides intimate contact with a tranquil
stretch of the Rahway River.
The Rahway River Association has a strong relationship with the
Hanson Park Conservancy since 2005 when they jointly developed one
of the first rain gardens in the region. The man made depressions
are designed to capture runoff and rain water from rooftops and
driveways and have the water pool and percolate back into the ground
water aquifer. Native plants’ trees, shrubs and wildflowers provide
a lush dense screen that mimics wild gardens in the Peidmont region.
For 2008, the Hanson Park Conservancy and the Rahway River
Association expanded the wild gardens with hundreds of wildflowers
and blooming shrubs thanks to a generous grant by Merck and Company.
Hanson Park is an important model for urban parks where
private/public partnerships can provide the resources, voluntarism,
and leadership to transform small public places to vibrant, dynamic
parks where people go to observe nature, find solace or find access
to a river.
Old Short Hills Park
Old
Short Hills Park is a 41 acre passive oasis on the Watchung Ridge
located in Millburn Township at the headwater area of the western
branch of the Rahway River.
Donated by the Hartshorne Family who
founded a planned Short Hills community that was sensitive to nature
in the 18th century, Old Short Hills Park is adjacent to the
Greenwood Gardens, a 28 acre formal garden reminiscent of the gilded
era.
For decades, a mountain stream that had been piped beneath the
calm of acres of mowed fields will soon see the light day. With
assistance from a bevy of public agencies and private organizations
such as the Conservation Resources and the Township of Millburn, the
stream will resurrected replete with native trees, shrubs and
flowers.
The Rahway River Association envisions additional plantings
to surround a vernal pond that is the source of the mountain stream
and a bluebird trail to be erected along the hedgerow.
Ground
breaking for the project is expected for the summer of 2009.
Funds raised: $95,000 Funds need to complete project: $12,000
