Wildlife Habitat Introduced At Chester Township Park

CHESTER, NJ — In an effort to provide a more sustainable environment to local wildlife, the Chester Township Parks Committee has collaborated with the Department of Public Works, and NJ Fish and Wildlife / NJ Bureau of Land Management to bring a new wildlife habitat to MacGregor Park.

The initiative was funded by Sustainable Jersey and the PSEG Foundation for the $2000 grant to buy seed to create a new sustainable meadow within the park.

Sustainable Jersey is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to communities as they pursue sustainability programs.

The new meadow is currently being replanted with native grasses and wildflowers to serve as a haven of plants designed to attract insects such as butterflies and bees.

Once fully bloomed, the new wildlife habitat will provide the following benefits to the community:

• Creates habitat for insect pollinators by providing food and shelter
• Provide education about biodiversity to people of all ages
• Demonstrates feasibility of replacing grass lawns with native plants
• Visually enhances the park by providing botanical color and variety

Because many of Chester Township's urban and suburban improvements eliminate potential pollen sources, native plant gardens use native prairie plants to provide pollen to pollinating insects such as bees.

Bees are in trouble worldwide. Bees are important pollinators, and their work is vital. Scientists say it’s a complex problem, but habitat loss is one of the big culprits.

MacGregor Park is located on the 159.51-acre MacGregor Preserve on Old Chester-Gladstone Road. The property was purchased from the Estate of Samuel C. MacGregor in January 2001 for $3.2 million.

The MacGregor Preserve is adjacent to the township's existing Tiger Brook Park, providing 430 acres of contiguous open space. The park is also home to Peapack Brook, a significant tributary of the North Branch of the Raritan River and a stream designated by the state for trout production.

The property's entrance is located on Old Chester-Gladstone Road, just south of Route 206, and there is a gravel parking area for 8 cars.