KGA ANNUAL EARTH DAY CLEANUP
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Litter collecting might not sound like fun, but you wouldn't know it to look at these photos of our Earth Day cleanup volunteers!
The Rockingham (morning) crew collected trash around Rockingham and along both sides of Laurel Avenue in Franklin Township.
Photo by Sameer Trivedi
The Cook (afternoon) crew concentrated on the Cook Natural Area and parts of our greenbelt that adjoin Heathcote, Ridge, and Mapleton Roads in South Brunswick Township.
Many thanks to the sixteen volunteers who cleaned up our public lands and roadsides--their energetic efforts have made a visible difference!
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"LESSONS FROM HURRICANE IRENE"
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Courtesy of South Brunswick Patch.com
For a slide show of Hurricane Irene photos, go to: Irene Slide Show.
(Click on "Slide Show" in toolbar at top, then "View Show.")
Jim Waltman, Executive Director of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, spoke about what we can do to reduce flooding and flood damage in future storms through changes in mindset, behaviors, and policies. Kingston Volunteer Fire Chief Lloyd Mathis was on hand to share the harrowing perspective of the village's volunteer firefighters, who answered a staggering 91 calls the weekend Irene struck.
Jim Waltman said in no uncertain terms that flooding will continue. Consider:
We’ve built too much in flood plains.
Average annual precipitation is way up.
Increasing amounts of impervious surface exacerbate flooding, while reducing aquifer recharge. In other words, we’re seeing more water above, but our aquifers are drying out below.
Water quality is impacted.
There is now a shift underway from trying to slow runoff to reducing it.
He talked about some of the things we CAN do:
1) Stricter stormwater rules and better regulation are needed at the local level.
New Jersey stormwater regulations are quite strict, but municipalities are free to adopt even more stringent rules as to how many feet from a stream both building and vegetation clearing are permitted. Tighter forest protection ordinances are also important, and tree clearing encourages flooding.
2) Use Blue Acres funds to get people out of harm’s way.
Towns can now use open space/farmland funds to buy Blue Acres to get people out of at-risk structures and prevent new construction in flood-prone areas.
3) Fix our mistakes.
Channeled detention basins can be naturalized, so that their function changes from diverting water to holding and absorbing it. Native grasses can be planted in place of turf grass. Their roots help break up the soil for improved percolation of water downward-- unlike turf grass, which forms a tight mat, has shallow roots, and due to constant mowing, causes the earth to compact like cement. Culvert enlargement is also a good way to prevent or mitigate flooding.
4) Build and retrofit smarter.
Green roofs, porous paving, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens, and other initiatives can be part of new building or redevelopment projects. Planting more trees aids percolation and also increases transpiration.
These measures do not come cheap--but the costs of flood-related damage, power outages, utilities infrastructure repair, emergency services, and reduced water quality are very costly, and the potential loss of life (Irene took one EMT in Princeton, one nurseryman in Lawrenceville) is not a price we ever want to pay.
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Jim Waltman |
Photograph of Kingston Mill, August 2011 by B. Grant Fraser
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RICCIARDI TRACT PRESERVED! |
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After more than two years of community effort, fundraising and litigation, 14 wooded acres on the ecologically-sensitive Princeton Ridge have been permanently preserved by a
partnership of public agencies and four nonprofits - New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Friends of Princeton Open Space, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association and Kingston Greenways Association. The partners purchased the Ricciardi property on August 25th, 2011. Link here to the full story:
Ricciardi News Release |
Ricciardi Tract Dedication, October 2, 2011
Photo by Henry Horn
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NATURE GALLERY
| Does a tree grow in Kingston that you would like to honor? Now you can nominate it to KGA's brand new Kingston Tree Registry.
Tree Nomination Form |
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NJ WILD BLOG SITE
Member Carolyn Foote Edelmann’s Nature Blog NJ WILD through Packet Publications |
ABOUT KINGSTON GREENWAYS
Kingston Greenways Association aims to establish a permanent green belt around the village of
Kingston consisting of natural environments, recreational park land, agricultural and horticultural
land, wetlands, streams and ponds, and sites of historical interest. The Association further aims to preserve and create connections of green among and beyond these for walking,
jogging, bicycling and horseback riding. The Association aims also to promote understanding of our local region through study and education, and to provide oversight and advocacy
for open space in the Kingston area. We will work in partnership with other regional, state and national groups in pursuit of open space preservation and awareness.
KGA BYLAWS
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KGA is looking for individuals who would like to serve as trustees. If you'd like to join our Board, or just want more information,
please send us an email: tari@kingstongreenways.org
New terms begin in May of each year.
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
** Become a member
** Become a trustee
** Join us for walks, talks, workshops, cleanups, trail building, and field trips
** Get on our email list
** Keep us informed about events, opportunities, and impending zoning/legislation issues
** Attend public meetings, and tell state and local officials you're concerned about overdevelopment, loss of open space, and damage to wildlife habitat and water resources
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