After months of paving, digging, and planting, the Mercer County Park Commission is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a green infrastructure project in Mercer County's Roebling Park in the Abbott Marshlands.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held tomorrow, Tuesday May 14 at 2:00 PM at the John A. Roebling Memorial Park in Hamilton. The lot is accessible via the Spring Lake entrance at the end of Sewell Avenue in Hamilton. The event is open to the public.

Parking lots aren't usually environmentally friendly. Rolling stormwater picks up trash, oil, and other pollutants and then drops them in the nearest storm-drain or body of water. However, with thoughtful planning, the stormwater runoff at the Spring Lake Parking Lot is directed into four new rain gardens before flowing into Spring Lake. Additionally, the newly paved parking lot provides much improved public access to visitors looking to enjoy Roebling Park and its trails.

Rain gardens not only absorb rainwater, but also filter out pollutants and provide food and shelter for local wildlife.

The Abbott Marshlands attract rare animals such as river otter, American eel, and bald eagle. The Marshlands are also an important stopover for migratory birds along the Atlantic flyway. The new parking lot will improve water quality and the local ecosystem, in addition to creating a more welcoming entrance into the Spring Lake section of Roebling Park.

We look forward to welcoming you to our improved Spring Lake entrance to Roebling Park!