https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/initiatives/princetons-emerald-necklace daily 0.75 2022-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1630368024251-J3S33KD53R6OMX9CSVBK/Ridgeview+Conservancy Princeton’s Emerald Necklace - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/home daily 1.0 2022-04-12 https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/donate daily 0.75 2022-04-12 https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/our-mission daily 0.75 2022-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1620248557769-XAJR0RP6E65FPGA77BLV/Ridgeview+Conservancy Our Mission - Promote Equitable Access We promote equitable access to nature for underserved communities. Forests hold profound benefits for human health and wellbeing. Sharing these resources equitably requires safeguarding linkage properties to create walkways and bikeways from the downtown to forested areas. Preferential programming for underserved groups supports all citizens to experience and enjoy the wonders of nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1620248280441-87TKPG2D7YBMVURL0G0O/Ridgeview+Conservancy Our Mission - Conserve Forests and Wetlands We conserve vulnerable forests and wetlands and cultural-historical sites. Forests and wetlands hold crucial value to prevent flooding, mitigate impacts of climate change and serve as critical habitat for wildlife. Local landscapes are also home to forgotten indigenous, agricultural, African American and literary history which merit preservation and collective remembrance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1620249044855-GRRRLZIU9QKN1HNQ9FAN/Ridgeview+Conservancy Our Mission - Restore Connections to Nature We restore connections to nature by educating youth and the public to respect, protect, and steward wild resources. We design trails and programs to inspire observation, action, and fun in forests, fields and streams. https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/resources daily 0.75 2023-05-13 https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/who-we-are daily 0.75 2022-04-25 https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/our-initiatives daily 0.75 2022-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1620248154835-QS1JI3N4AQ565WA743PK/Ridgeview+Conservancy Our Initiatives - Forest Stewards Program Since 2009, members of Ridgeview Conservancy, along with Princeton High School students and other volunteers, have worked to open Ridgeview Woods, a new 55-acre forest reserve along Princeton’s northern boundary. Much of the forest had been infiltrated with invasive species which covered diabase boulders and suffocated trees and native wildflowers. Dedication and hard work on the part of the youth stewards have demonstrated what collective action toward a common good can accomplish. The students have learned to distinguish native from invasive species, to discern which species are edible and medicinal, and to see fascinating indigenous and literary histories hidden in Princeton’s forgotten forest. After a decade of work in these forests, Ridgeview Woods has been described as “enchanting” and “a fairyland”. A trailhead from Ridgeview Road will soon make this forest accessible to the public. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1620055764380-IM864UXYLHQZSQ8C9O3A/Ridgeview+Conservancy Our Initiatives - Ecological Literacy Until very recently, humans lived off the land and carried a deep knowledge of the flora and fauna which nourished, healed, and sustained them. The ability to recognize trees, plants, and wildlife was fundamental to survival. Today, the outdoors is often a green blur. Screens, school, work and social media have helped to glue young and old alike to technology - indoors. Recent studies indicate that Americans spend an estimated 90% of their time inside buildings. What is lost? Adventure, exploration, independence, connectedness, mystery, freedom, and peace. When we step outdoors, nature quietly, yet powerfully, eases our woes and enhances our sense of well-being. In an effort to boost ecological literacy and well-being, Ridgeview Conservancy works with school children, scouts, and families to help them learn the basics of nature’s alphabet – the identities and uses of the plants around them – and eventually to use that lens to “read the landscape.” Woodlands Explorers and Forest Stewardship activities challenge and awaken even ardent video gamers and indoor shut-ins to the mystery and magic of nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1620250794451-BMLIXZJ312LJ3GDEQ6P2/Ridgeview+Conservancy Our Initiatives - Preserving Forests and Wetlands Since 2009, members of Ridgeview Conservancy have led a neighborhood effort to conserve and steward vulnerable tracts of forests and wetlands on the environmentally sensitive Princeton Ridge. In partnership with property owners, land trusts, conservation organizations, and Princeton municipality, the Conservancy has worked to secure conservation easements and to acquire properties with forest and wetland habitats under threat. Once protected, the Conservancy manages these sites for conservation and recreational use by the public. This involves removal of invasive species, restoration of native plant habitats, creation and maintenance of accessible trails, and linkage of these trails to other sections of Princeton’s Emerald Necklace. Ridgeview Conservancy has played a key role in conserving and stewarding: • Ridgeview Woods • Mountain Lakes Headwaters Reserve Ridgeview Conservancy is now working with partners to protect other critical parts of Princeton’s Emerald Necklace, including: • Province Line Woods • Mount Lucas Preserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1620057396069-WPX3BREBIZZS07X57TT0/Ridgeview+Conservancy Our Initiatives - Hidden Histories of Ridgeview Woods At Princeton’s north-western gateway, Ridgeview Conservancy is working to document and preserve vital hidden histories that have long been buried in a forgotten forest. Several wooded properties near the corner of the Great Road and Cherry Valley Road provide unusual educational opportunities regarding the unique combination of geological, ecological and historical significance of the area. The geology of the region was formed when the continent of Africa collided and then broke apart from North America 200 million years ago. On the adjacent property, Woodland Indians lived in a transitional camp where artifacts reveal the lifeways of the region’s earliest inhabitants (AD 1000-1500). In the 19th century, Paul Tulane’s family (founder of Tulane University) occupied the area which was also the worksite of Silvia DuBois, a formerly enslaved African-American woman who narrated her biography, 'The Slav who Whipt her Mistres and Gand her Fredom'. In addition, nearby is the site where author and labor activist Upton Sinclair wrote his first novel and began work on The Jungle. Together, the notable ecology and remarkable history of this forgotten forest represent an opportunity for place-based education and a Hidden History Trail, on themes of key significance today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601f1e18bf34eb004be43b55/1630365479718-PKJN7IDDV1ZU0XDTTIA2/Ridgeview+Conservancy Our Initiatives - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/newsletter daily 0.75 2022-04-12 https://www.ridgeviewconservancy.org/green-acres daily 0.75 2023-03-03