Interactive ‘Fairy Trail’ In Montclair Sparks Wonder In Local Children

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A whimsical new garden has sprung up in Montclair, and the public is invited to pay it a visit.

Van Vleck House & Gardens recently announced that it has added a “fairy trail” to its grounds, which includes miniature houses and gardens built out of all-natural materials. Many have been built by local children and families, who are invited to add their own “gardens” to the trail.

There are a couple of rules of etiquette for visitors, who are asked to stay on the trail at all times and leave things as they found them – unless they’re adding their own fairy garden in the designated area.

Those who want to build should keep their constructions to “natural materials” only (located in nearby flowerpots), such as pinecones, bark, branches and small stones.

Van Vleck House & Gardens has been sharing some videos of its new addition online (article continues below).

There have been other people and groups in New Jersey who have built fairy trails to encourage a love of nature and whimsy in children in the recent past.

One of the most well-known is the village of tiny, handcrafted houses have been popping up along a half-mile stretch of the South Mountain Reservation, a 2,112-acre nature preserve in Essex County that spans Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange.

For years, the creator of the so-called “South Mountain Fairy Trail” remained a mystery, until she was revealed as local artist and special education teacher, Therese Ojibway. Since then, with the aid of local nonprofit South Mountain Conservancy, the trail has become an immensely popular, family-friendly destination for people seeking to get outdoors and reconnect with nature, sometimes attracting hundreds of visitors a week.

• See related article: Take A Photo Tour Of This Amazing 'Fairy Trail' In New Jersey

The concept appears to be catching fire in New Jersey. Other fairy trails have been springing up across the Garden State, including a village in the woods behind the Community Center in Farmingdale. Another Essex County fairy trail is located just a short distance away in Verona.

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