Happy Save the Frogs Day!

At the Passaic River Coalition we're doing our part to help Save the Frogs (see yesterday's post to learn about Save the Frogs Day). When our Land Trust preserves undeveloped land along rivers and in wetlands, we're also preserving wildlife habitat. Below is an American Toad found on our recently preserved Decker Tract in Bloomingdale.


Despite its suburban location, Willow Hall actually has quite a few amphibious residents because of its proximity to Speedwell Lake. Last summer our interns found American Toads (photo below), Pickerel Frogs, and Southern Leopard Frogs. At the next Board meeting, we'll be discussing adopting landscaping policies that will protect our resident frogs and toads.


The photo below of frog eggs was taken at the Stanford Tract in West Milford, a 200+ acre property we are working to preserve. You can help the Passaic River Coalition save the frogs, toads, and many other wild creatures by making a donation to our Land Trust. While state and county funds pay for the land itself, we rely on funding from donors to cover ancillary costs such as surveys and appraisals. Will you help Save a Frog today?

Photo Credits: Kelly Halloran, Greg Stavish, and Dana Skwirut. Also, a special thanks to New Jersey Conservation Foundation for telling us about Save the Frogs Day!

Willow Hall Spring Cleaning Day!

Thanks to everyone who made our Spring Cleaning Day a success. The kitchen in the cottage smells a lot nicer, the front patio looks a lot cleaner, and the fallen pine in the back is almost all gone.

Jim works on cutting our fallen pine into manageable pieces.

Joe arrives with reinforcements.

Kristin sweeps off the front patio.

Marge and Kristin clean the kitchen area of the cottage, which we hope to find a tenant for soon.

Neil load limbs into Jim's trunk while daughter Cambria supervises.

A special thanks to Faith for being our official photographer for the day!

Fall Foliage

Willow Hall's backyard.

Photo Courtesy of Dana, volunteer librarian.

Getting the Dirt on Willow Hall

No, not the gossip kind of dirt. We're talking about actual dirt and the historic artifacts that might be hiding in it.

As part of the PRC's grant through the New Jersey Historic Trust, we have contracted Hunter Research Inc. to conduct an archaeological survey of the grounds surrounding Willow Hall.

The archaeologists are looking to answer many questions, including:
-Where was the previous house located?
-How were the historic gardens configured?
-Was there a fountain ever built near the house (as historic pictures show)?
-Where did people use the bathroom and dump their garbage?

The results of the survey will also help us make sure future activities on the property won't damage archaeological resources.

Glenn and Josh sift through dirt in the backyard.