May 29, 2013
Dear Friends,
In one year The Friends of Black Run Preserve (FBRP) have accomplished the following: adopted a Mission Statement, Objectives, and By-laws, appointed a nine-member Board of Trustees, held regular monthly meetings, filed for non-profit status, entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation with Evesham Township, conducted stewardship events and obtained two grants.
All of this has been made possible with the support of individual members and our partnership network. FBRP are grateful to Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) and REI Inc. for their generous financial and logistical support. Our partnerships within EveshamTownship’s Municipal Departments have been strengthened and extended. Working with Evesham Township Schools and Cherokee High School has yielded a variety of cooperative projects such as a contest for our logo, student made wooden signs posted in the Preserve along with 34 nest boxes built and placed by DeMasiMiddle School students. We hope to enhance and expand this partnership web. (Look for us on Lenape District Television soon.)
Now we are poised to conduct our first Community Day event on Saturday, June 1st. Due to limited parking in the Preserve, our staging area will be the MarltonMiddle School. There, from 8:45-12:15, people can enjoy seeing live Pine Barrens animals, obtain information about the Pinelands and outdoor activities, get a free Preserve map and become a FBRP member, view a short Preserve film, and more. Preregistration for one-hour guided hikes is now available (recommended) on our website or sign up when you arrive at the Middle School.
This Saturday’s primary goal is to introduce our open space Pine Barrens gem to the community and hope people will return often to the Preserve with their family and friends to enjoy walking, mountain biking, photography, geocaching, and birding.
Most importantly, we invite the community to join us this fall for a visioning event (date and location TBA) and tell us what you would like to see in the Preserve. We know dedicated parking lots and bathrooms are a top priority, but other infrastructure and more trails will become part of a Master Plan for the Preserve. Our 10k REI grant will be used to begin these actions.
Please become a FBRP member and help us make the Black Run Preserve an outdoor oasis for community members of all ages.
Sincerely,
John Volpa
FBRP Chair
