The Muddy Run Preserve received a little tender loving care on Jan. 21.
Hunterdon Land Trust’s first-ever Stewardship Saturday event brought out a team of volunteers who spent several hours beneath a cloudy January sky clearing invasive plants such as multiflora rose and autumn olive, which can outcompete native species and harm the overall health of the preserve.
Volunteers also marked a hiking trail in honor of Kingwood Township, N.J., conservationist Todd Kratzer, who passed away back in 2012. Kratzer was instrumental in getting the Muddy Run property preserved.
Blazing that trail was Todd’s wife, Debbie Kratzer, and daughter, Alie. They cleared the trail and nailed red diamond-shaped HLT markers on trees along the path. Son Samuel helped remove invasives.
Volunteering that day were Steve Armbruster; Benjamin Burghardt; Leia Cybulski; Ray and Richard Dodds; Fred and Jeanne Gladis; Erika Kaufman; Debbie, Alie and Samuel Kratzer; Jack MacConnell; and Namita and Ravi Potluri.
Stewardship Saturday workdays will be held once a month at HLT’s various preserves throughout the county. The program aims to get more people engaged in caring for our properties, so everyone can enjoy them. Visit www.hunterdonlandtrust.org for future Stewardship Saturday dates.
To register for the next program at the Idell Preserve (50 Barbertown Road) on Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., contact Dunn at (908) 237-4582 or email emily@hunterdonlandtrust.org.
No prior knowledge or experience is required to participate in a Stewardship Saturday – just enthusiasm to care for our natural lands.
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