Year-End Update on Herrontown Woods - 2025

If you appreciate this blog, one way to give back is to support the work of the Friends of Herrontown Woods (FOHW), the nonprofit that we founded in 2013 to make the preserve usable again after long neglect. Our group now manages trails and habitat on 230 acres of municipally owned land in Princeton, and rely on donor support to pay our expenses. It's been a great year, and I'd like to share some of our accomplishments. Each donation provides support and inspiration for our work to restore habitat and history at Princeton's first nature preserve.

GOOD NEWS FOR PRINCETON'S SALAMANDERS

Herrontown Woods' large size, clean water, and wet terrain make it a haven for amphibians. The Princeton Salamander Crossing Brigade, founded by FOHW board member Inge Regan, is in its third year of helping hundreds of salamanders and frogs safely cross the road during their spring migration. 30 participants include experts and beginners, Princeton High School students and faculty, professors and community volunteers. A lively dialogue via whatsapp continues yearround. 2026 will mark a breakthrough, as Princeton municipality has agreed to close the road during the rainy nights in early spring when the amphibians are on the move. The initiative was written up in the Town Topics, TapIntoPrinceton, and the Daily Princetonian.

THE BOTANICAL ART GARDEN ("BARDEN")

Visitors to Herrontown Woods often describe it as "magical" and "unique." The award-winning Barden contributes a lot to that impression, having evolved since 2017 through a merging of many talents and visions. We keep adding native plants--some 160 species thus far--and have done surprisingly well at catching the weeds before they can spread. Kids love the charismatic wood frogs in the spring and the green frogs that take up residence in the summer. On the first Sunday morning of each month, we host a May's Cafe next to the gazebo, with coffee, tea, and baked treats. 

SURPRISING SUCCESS WITH INVASIVE SPECIES

People are used to bad news about invasive species, but by being proactive we have largely vanquished many kinds of invasive plants that plague other preserves. In particular, through early detection and rapid response, we continue to protect Herrontown Woods and Autumn Hill Reservation from the uber-invasive lesser celandine. We also saved many trees by slaying a giant "wisteria monster" around Veblen House, and more recently have subdued another, nearly 3 acres in size, over near the main parking lot. Timely intervention is also protecting the preserves from Japanese angelica tree, bush honeysuckle, jetbead, porcelainberry, garlic mustard, mugwort, Chinese bushclover, and a new invasive shrub/tree so little known that it lacks a clear name. Late summer intervention is helping limit the spread of stiltgrass. All of this has been achieved through steady, incremental effort year after year by our volunteers and paid interns.

A COMBACK STORY FOR NATIVE SHRUBS

Native shrubs have a hard time of it in Princeton preserves. The combination of deep shade, deer browsing, and competition from invasive species has caused many types of native shrubs to literally lay low. The town's deer management program has helped, but pinxter azaleas, Hearts a' Bustin', and shadbush in Herrontown Woods still persist only in miniature, unable to flower. By transplanting some of these to sunnier spots in the Botanical Art Garden and caging them to protect them from deer, we are showing the public a beauty and vitality that had previously been suppressed. We're giving other native shrubs the sunlight and protection they need as well: alternate-leaved dogwood, silky dogwood, elderberry, buttonbush, and swamp rose.

A FLOURISHING WET MEADOW

Another successful FOHW project is managing the wet meadow at nearby Smoyer Park. Fed by runoff from the parking lot, it's actually a lowly detention basin converted by Partners for Fish and Wildlife long ago to native meadow through our initiative. Girl scouts had fun adding wildflower seed collected locally. A meadow is vulnerable to takeover by invasive plants like mugwort, Chinese bushclover, Canada thistle, and crown vetch, but strategically timed work each year to discourage those species has paid off. Each year the work has gotten easier as the weeds become fewer and fewer. Natives flourish if given a chance.

MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING TRAILS

FOHW was able to coordinate rapid response to clear trails and grounds after major storms this year. Winter is actually a great time to scope out routes for new trails. This year, we created a Black/White trail--to serve as an intro to Herrontown Woods for those entering the preserve from Princeton Community Village--and extended the Blue Trail down through the  "Valley of the Giants," where there are some particularly large tulip trees and oaks. Over the past three years, we've also been shifting some trails at Autumn Hill Reservation to drier, more open ground. Meanwhile, the long, locally sourced boardwalk extending from the main parking lot up to Veblen House has been getting rave reviews. We call it the Voulevarde, because it was crafted by chainsaw virtuoso Victorino, and leads to Veblen House.

NATURE WALKS

In addition to periodic nature walks by Steve Hiltner, Sarah Roberts, and others, FOHW offered forest bathing walks this year, led by Rich Collins of the Friendly Territory. Steve continued to lead walks through the Princeton Adult School on Herrontown history, ecology, and geology.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

FOHW is in its second year of collaboration with Princeton High School, providing expertise and mentoring as we work with Jim Smirk's environmental science students to manage two detention basins for native diversity. Students learn ecological analysis techniques while doing hands on work to weed out invasive plants. These wetlands conveniently provide complex native habitats on school grounds for study. Focus in 2026 will be restoring ecological health to one of the basins, the Ecolab Wetland, which was disrupted by necessary infrastructure repairs completed earlier this year.

HERRONTOWN WOODS COMMUNITY COLLAGE

Conceived by artist and board member Hope Van Cleaf, the Herrontown Woods Community Collage is modeled after the mural in the Princeton Public Library. Hope has been conducting workshops in the Barden and elsewhere, with each participant contributing their artistry. The individually created tiles will be brought together on a wall in 2026 at Veblen House. 

SPRUCING UP VEBLEN HOUSE AND COTTAGE

New board members Ben Schaffer and Derek Reamy have been instrumental in organizing and sprucing up the buildings and grounds, and adding momentum to renovations. 

AN INSIDE-OUT MUSEUM

The windows and walls of the House and Cottage are being used to tell the many stories of the buildings and the fascinating people who called them home. The story of the Veblens' extraordinary lives and contributions were the first installation. To be added are the stories of the Whiton-Stuarts--the original owners who sold the house to the Veblens in 1941--and the small-holder farmers who built the 1875 farm cottage. Much research has been published at VeblenHouse.org.

COLLABORATIONS WITH PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 

Visits by Princeton University students noticeably increased in 2025. Ecology professor Andy Dobson again brought his popular undergraduate ecology class to Herrontown Woods for a tour.  Graduate students from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs offered spirited help during workdays. Members of the university's Princeton Birding Society led our Backyard Birdcount. We also hosted visits and workdays through Outdoor Action for incoming freshmen.

STEWARDSHIP INTERNS

FOHW is grateful to Green Matters for having funded summer internships in 2024 and '25. Interns Ninfa and Moss worked through the summer, keeping trails clear, cutting invasive species, and helping with events. Moss headed back to college in the fall, while Ninfa will continue to work part-time at Herrontown Woods through the winter.

GRATITUDE YOGA

We are also very grateful to Gemma Ferrell for continuing to conduct her popular Saturday morning Gratitude Yoga classes during the summer and fall on the grounds next to Veblen House. The classes are donation-based, and all donations go to FOHW. 

VALUING, RESEARCHING, AND PRESERVING HERRONTOWN'S RICH CULTURAL HISTORY

Oswald Veblen's extraordinary career has been gaining increasing attention since FOHW president Steve Hiltner began researching and posting about the Veblens at VeblenHouse.org in 2010. On Sept. 4 this year, Steve teamed up with historian Cindy Srnka to present a talk at the Princeton Public Library entitled "How Oswald Veblen Quietly Created Einstein's Princeton." Drawing a standing room only crowd, the talk described how Veblen played an outsized role in creating the Princeton that Einstein ultimately chose to be his new home. 

Also in 2025, an online exhibit by the Institute for Advanced Study credited Oswald Veblen for his leading role in aiding displaced scholars in the 1930s and '40s. And Princeton University named the South Terrace at Prospect House in Veblen's honor.

THANK YOU TO THE FOHW BOARD, VOLUNTEERS, AND SUPPORTERS

So much goes into sustaining a nature preserve and the nonprofit that cares for it. As we bring our mix of tradition and innovation into 2026, I'm tremendously grateful to our board, volunteers, and supporters who contribute so much meaning, community, and all-round positive energy to this charmed place in Princeton.