New Jersey’s new 364 acre wildlife recreation area and hiking park

Jackson, NJ – Today, Jackson Township, home of Six Flags Great Adventure and the northeastern most border of the Pinelands National Reserve,  the Pine Barrens as New Jersey residents affectionately call it, officially preserved 364 acres of forest and wetlands.    The Bunker Hill Bogs Wildlife Recreation Area was officially christened today by Mayor Michael Reina as local residents and volunteers of the Jackson Pathfinders were on hand to witness the occasion.    

The huge parcel of land that encompasses a large section of eastern Jackson Township was rescued several years ago from becoming the southern entrance to an extension of the Westlake Village retirement community.   Years of legal and political maneuvering by concerned conservationists eventually forced the Westlake developer to cede the property to Jackson Township according Art Rosky, the local site manager for the Jackson Pathfinders.       The Jackson Pathfinders, through grants from the State of New Jersey and with the approval from the township, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and JCP&L, which maintains rights of way on the land eventually turned this once forgotten tract of land into a clean and pristine ecological park with over 5 miles of trails around two large lakes and 9 defunct cranberry bogs.    Through the dedicated effort of Pathfinders’ Treasurer Tom Stevens, Chairperson Karen Borga and the Pathfinders organization, a $25,000 grant from the New Jersey Conservation Fund, the group was able to clean up years of trash left behind which included items such as discarded metal swingsets, construction debris, tires, automotive parts and various other illegally dumped items forgotten by years of neglect.   

Joining Mayor Reina at today’s ribbon cutting ceremony was township Councilman Scott Martin and Councilwoman Bobby Rivere.   Other special guests included Jackson Girl Scout troop 110 who worked hard the previous morning on a community flower garden in preparation for today’s ceremony, led by troop leader Kathleen Malmstrom, of the Dogwood Service Unit of the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore.

Jackson Township Councilman Scott Martin said “It’s a beautful site. There’s no doubt the residents of Jackson will enjoy themselves here.” about the new park and it’s stunning natural beauty and hidden wildlife treasures as the children in attendance followed a turtle as it crept along the shore of the lake.

“Today is all about the Jackson Pathfinders and they deserve it” said Mayor Reina “This isn’t about politics, it’s about what ordinary people in the community have accomplished.  It makes me proud to be the mayor of Jackson when I see things like this.” as he pointed around at the kids playing by the water and the results of many years of hard work by the Pathfinders, a 100% volunteer organization and branch of the Jackson Township municipal government.  He continued “This project has had absolutely zero cost to the taxpayer and that’s the beauty of it”. 

It was just a few months ago that Mayor Reina proposed to expand Jackson’s volunteer corps by reinstating an all volunteer community advisory board for the township to tackle projects and iniatives that might have otherwise carried a burden on taxpayers, similar to the Bunker Hill Bogs reclamation project.  Mayor Reina then spent time with the children in attendance including his grandson and the kindergarten daisy scouts from the Lucy N. Holman Elementary School who created the community garden at the site.  Mr. Reina will be joining the children at their school as a special “Mystery Guest” to read an unspecified Dr. Seuss classic to the children later in the week and answer questions they may have about being mayor of their town.

After the ceremony, Tony Santamaria, a local ecological expert took the group of children and the mayor on a short hike through the bog trails and detailed the vast and diverse range of wildlife that could be found in the preserve from deer to snakes to fish to the local beaver population.   Along the way, Mr. Santa Maria showed the children the effects already being felt by the project such as a resurgence in wildlife and growth of  auquatic plants that haven’t been seen in recent memory at the Bogs because of damage caused by off road vehicles which has been all but eliminated.    The Pathfinders have also built dozens of bird and owl shelters on the property which have lured back local exotic bird species including woodpeckers and owls.

Along the hike, the group was joined by Customized Dickens, a horse owned by Karen Borga, being ridden here by Pathfinder member Keith Sawyer.   Dickens is a neiiigh-bor of the bogs who calls the adjacent horse ranch owned by Site Manager Art Rosky  home.

In the above photo, Mayor Reina, no stranger to horses, walks along some of  the 5.1 miles of reclaimed trails first hand, accompanied by Customized Dickens and Keith Sawyer. 

After such an accomplishment, the Pathfinders intend to remain busy and keep informing residents about the untold natural treasures right here in their own backyards.   “Next up is a full moon hike at the New Jersey Forest Resource Education Center in August” Ms. Borga said.  The Forest Resource Education Center is just a few miles west of the Bunker Hill Bogs on East Veterans Highway.

“We have fishing, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding and canoeing right now at the bogs” explains Art Rosky, site manager “In the future, we’ll have lots of activities for children and seniors.  Just yesterday morning, two fisherman spent all afternoon in a boat out here and didn’t catch anything.  As they were leaving, a young kid on the banks caught a huge bass!”.   Rosky says there are plenty of bass already in the lakes and the waters will eventually be stocked with fish by the state.

Bunker Hill Bogs is the most unique of Jackson Township’s parks as it has no swing sets, no ball fields and no stadium lights.  In fact, it doesn’t even have electricity, but it’s one of the most diverse and well maintained ecosystems in the town and it’s open from dawn till dusk every day.  You won’t find Bunker Hill Bogs on any Google Map or State Wildlife guides because it just officially opened today, but it’s located on East Veteran’s Highway (Route 527), west of the intersection of Whitesville Road on the westbound side of the highway.  It’s a makes for a perfect eco-day trip for the entire family.