Nature is all around us. In the air we breathe, the water we drink, the birds we hear, and the ground we walk upon. Nature is something worth preserving, promoting, and celebrating. It has been 10 years since the Tulpehaking Nature Center opened its doors. In that time, thousands of Mercer County residents have joined in learning and celebrating our natural world. As we look toward the future and what it has in store, we invite you to join us for a Birthday Party for the Nature Center on October 12^th. Drop in for activities from 12-4 pm and help us celebrate what we have accomplished so far. Bring a picnic, go on a treasure hunt, try nature-based games and crafts, explore with microscopes, and help us sing Happy Birthday before we cut the cake!

The Nature Center’s Beginnings

The Tulpehaking Nature Center opened in 2014 as the gateway to the Abbott Marshlands, a natural area just two miles south of Trenton, containing a rare ecosystem in its tidal freshwater marsh, and one of the most significant Native American archaeological sites in the eastern United States. Through a collaborative effort between Mercer County, the D&R Greenway Land Trust, and the New Jersey Green Acres program, funds were raised to purchase a 1960’s ranch style house located just outside the Roebling Park entrance to the Abbott Marshlands. By renovating the already existing structure, the nature center had little to no impact on the sensitive ecosystem of the marsh. Today, the Mercer County Park Commission operates the nature center for the County, with programs aimed to whet the visitor’s appetite for the local environment. Through experiential education, residents can become better stewards, not just of the planet, but of their very own backyards.

In the 10 years since the Tulpehaking Nature Center’s grand opening, we’ve established a slate of public, school, and scout programs. Public programs are often offered at no charge and on a wide range of topics like dragonfly walks and outdoor skill building. There are also regular and repeating programs such as Morning Mushroom Hikes, Family Game Nights, and our Connect with Nature seniors’ program. In 2020, our Watershed Moments school program won the Excellence in Educational & Interpretive Programming Award from the New Jersey Recreation and Park Association, in which students take water quality measurements and observe aquatic insects to draw their own conclusions about the health of the marshlands.

During this time, Mercer County has continued to invest in the area, with initiatives to restore the wetland ecosystem of Roebling Park, add interpretive signage, and renovate the parking area at the Spring Lake entrance with green infrastructure. These efforts have made a noticeable difference to Roebling Park and the area around the Nature Center. Today, neighbors report that the area is much cleaner, and that they appreciate the variety of programming opportunities available. “We are extremely happy with the center. We feel much safer with more of a public presence,” say neighbors Joe and Evie. “We love seeing the older people attend programs. It makes us feel a part of it.”

Thank You All

Much of what Tulpehaking has accomplished is thanks to our community partners such as the Friends of the Abbott Marshlands, CYO Mercer, The Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County, the Alliance for Watershed Education, the New Jersey State Museum, Scouting BSA, the Girl Scouts of America, the Mercer County Library System, and the Mercer County School Districts. Without the support of the public and our community partners, the Tulpehaking Nature Center would not be the success it is.

Our community is what makes us great, and we have all those who take an active part in this community to thank for that. Being a part of programs, volunteering, or even just sharing the message has a positive impact. With positivity, education, and passion for the outdoors, the Tulpehaking Nature Center continues to stride into the future as a force for good.

As autumn approaches and our landscapes transform into scenes full of vibrant colors, we are reminded of a new seasonal chore: raking the leaves. But why not leave them? There are quite a few benefits in the Leave the Leaves movement. For starters, it's less work for you, no raking and no bagging! And while doing less, you're also making the right choice ecologically.

As trees and shrubs prepare for their winter dormancy, they shed their foliage in stunning hues of red, yellow, orange and brown, adding to our home settings. Deciduous plants drop their fragile leaves to preserve resources. As they’re saving energy, they are also adding energy to the forest floor in the form of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Our gardens and lawns need these same essential nutrients to stay healthy and grow. We can take advantage of the fallen leaves in our yards rather than purchasing commercially made fertilizers and mulches. So, while the trees conserve energy this fall season, we can conserve time and money!

In addition to nutrients, leaf litter provides shelter for small mammals, insects and amphibians. Some critters spend their entire life cycle under the leaves. Others use leaves as material to build nests or to hide from predators. By leaving your leaves, you can host an entire ecological system right in your very own yard. 

Keeping organic matter out of the landfills also helps to reduce the amount of climate changing greenhouse gases being released into our atmosphere.

Leaving the leaves does not mean leaving them all over your driveway, sidewalk and lawn. The litter can be placed tactically throughout your yard as habitat for wildlife under tree canopies, mulch beds around gardens or in piles for composting. Composting leaves does require some effort, but it is minimal and extremely rewarding in the long run.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of leaf litter, please join us for our Leave the Leaves: Walk and Talk on Saturday, October 5^th from 2:00 PM-4:00 PM.