Earth Day Trail Clean-Up & Scavenger Hunt
Warren Township Education Foundation
On Saturday, April 22, the Warren Township Recreation Advisory Committee hosted an Earth Day trail clean-up event to kick off a trail re-introduction plan. With increased interest in hiking brought about by Covid, the Committee felt that Warren trails were being overlooked. The Committee, with the help of several local organizations, including the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Warren Blue Ridge Sportsmen, decided to launch a campaign of trail education, clean-ups and improvements in response.
The event drew people to the Warren Nature Preserve, where boardwalks and additional trail markings were recently added and several benches have been built or repaired. The Earth Day event served as a showcase for the wonderful natural wildlife and open space the Warren Nature Preserve has to offer. For a first-time event, the Committee was thrilled with the turn out and hope to build on it. “We wanted to organize an event that would bring the community together, educate our children on the values of conservation, and show off some of the amazing natural beauty right here in Warren,” said Heather Silver, event organizer and Committee member.
In terms of programming, the chairman of Warren’s Historical Sites Committee, Rory Britt, gave a brief history of open space and conservation in Warren. He asked the crowd to guess how many of the 25 parcels originally designated for preservation in Warren’s early 1970s Master Plan have been subsequently preserved. The crowd was pleased to learn that, according to Mr. Britt, not only have all 25 of the identified open space parcels been preserved, but several additional sites have been purchased by the town. In addition, the Warren Township Education Foundation sponsored a scavenger hunt, garnering each child participant a signed certificate of completion. The WHRHS Active Minds Club’s Hiking Crew was also on hand to help participants stay on the trails and provide cleanup assistance. Finally, members of the Warren Blue Ridge Sportsmen kept hungry participants well-fed with fresh, delicious zeppoles.
Zach Drozd, chairman of the Warren Recreation Advisory Committee, stated “the overall goal of this event and the trail improvement project is to raise awareness in the community about the plentiful open space—and opportunities for outdoor recreation—that exist in Warren. We want residents to be excited about utilizing these resources going forward.” The Recreation Department provided maps of all accessible trails in Warren to participants for future use. Copies are available through the Recreation Department.
The Warren Recreation Advisory Committee is grateful for the participation and excitement created not only around the event, but the anticipation of growing the use of Warren’s preserved open space. The trail system is only one example of some of the amazing outdoor recreation opportunities Warren has to offer, and the Committee hopes that this event will encourage Warrenites to take advantage of the options in their own backyard.
For more information on Warren trails, go to to warrennj.org/175/Recreation. For additional information on the Historical Sites, go to warrennj.org/254/Historic-Sites-Committee. Anyone interested in becoming involved with or donating to the Warren Township Education Foundation, please contact Heather Silver at info@warreneducation.org.
Courtesy photos
