The Sourland Conservancy recently marked the successful planting of 50,000 native trees and shrubs in the Sourland Mountain Region by hosting a celebration at the Ted Stiles Preserve on Baldpate Mountain.
“We’re here today to celebrate not just the forest, but the incredible community of people working to restore it—nonprofits, land trusts, municipalities, counties, grantors, donors, businesses, volunteers, and residents,” said Laurie Cleveland, Sourland Conservancy’s executive director. The effort, undertaken in collaboration with numerous partners, underscores the region’s commitment to restoring its vital forest.
Representatives from a mix of environmental stewardship organizations, businesses, and local government attended the October 22nd celebration, including the New Jersey Conservation Foundation; the Watershed Institute; D&R Greenway Land Trust; Duke Farms; Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space; Washington Crossing Audubon; Lambertville Goes Wild; Mercer County Park Commission; Somerset County Park Commission; Hillsborough Township; and Pinelands Nursery. Consultancy Steward Green joined Hopewell Township Mayor, Courtney Peters-Manning; Montgomery Township Mayor, Neena Singh; Lambertville Mayor, Andrew Nowick; Hillsborough Township Mayor, Robert Britting; and East Amwell Mayor, Dante DiPirro, to plant the final 64 oak trees needed to achieve the milestone.
“Thank you to the Sourland Conservancy for their unwavering commitment to reforesting the Sourland Mountains in Hopewell Township and beyond,” Mayor Peters-Manning said. “Planting 50,000 trees is truly a remarkable accomplishment, and it was wonderful to celebrate this milestone.”
The region has faced significant ecological challenges in recent years. Since 2020, more than one million trees—nearly 20 percent of the region’s total—have been lost to the emerald ash borer, a destructive invasive insect. This loss has had far-reaching effects on the forest’s ability to provide essential ecosystem services, including filtering air and water, reducing stormwater runoff, sequestering carbon, and offering critical habitat for wildlife. Among the species affected are 57 state-listed threatened and endangered species that rely on the Sourland region for survival.
“On an October day that felt almost too warm, I felt a sense of hope to be among the people planting oak trees at Baldpate Mountain. The project to plant 50,000 trees will nourish and restore a vital and precious resource for which we can all be grateful,” Mayor Norwick said.
“The work the Conservancy is doing to restore forests will improve our air and water quality, help reduce flooding and air temperatures, and significantly improve habitat for wildlife in this important ecosystem,” said Mary Anne Borge, Chair of the Lambertville Parks & Recreation Commission. Borge added that the Lambertville parks commission had partnered with the Conservancy to plant more than 200 trees on a hillside that is the home to a nature trail and the backdrop for a sports fields and elementary school.
Emile DeVito, Ph.D., of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation underscored the impact of the Ted Stiles Preserve’s late namesake. “New Jerseyans are lucky that ecological restoration is proceeding on such a grand scale at the Preserve. Mercer County Parks, the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space, Sourland Conservancy, and countless volunteers are following in the footsteps of a giant – Stiles [was] the grandfather of conservation and ecological restoration in New Jersey,” DeVito said of the longtime FoHVOS president. “Ted was a mentor to countless Rutgers graduate students and citizen volunteers who carry on his legacy. Ted was a champion. Baldpate Mountain and so many of our favorite cradles of nature persist because of his indomitable spirit that will live forever.”
The Conservancy partners with land trusts, municipalities, and counties to restore public lands by planting native trees and shrubs as well as installing deer exclosures to protect rare plants and encourage natural regeneration. The project is largely funded by individual donors.
“This is more than a milestone,” Cleveland said of the tree planting celebration. “It’s a testament to the power of community. This is not a one-time event—it’s a movement. Together, we’re taking intentional steps to protect our forest and restore ecosystem function. We won’t stop here. We will work together to plant more trees, build more deer fences, preserve more land – and care for the land that has already been preserved. Together, we will leave a healthy legacy for future generations.”
The Sourland Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Skillman, NJ, whose mission is to protect, promote, and preserve the unique character of the Sourland Mountain Region. To learn more, volunteer, or support their work, visit www.sourland.org.
