Where does your water come from? Under your feet.
Protecting Our Water on World Water Day
It’s World Water Day! Have you wondered where YOUR drinking water comes from?
The answer is under your feet— if you live in Madison or one of the 30 other towns that drink water from wells drilled into the Buried Valley Aquifer. These wells produce high-quality inexpensive water from porous glacial sediments that were deposited in valleys that extend like tentacles across parts of Morris, Essex, Somerset, and Union Counties.
How does the aquifer get replenished?
Forest Negotiations Update
On Monday, March 13 during his opening comments at the regularly scheduled Madison Borough Council Meeting, Mayor Bob Conley provided an exciting update:
“Tomorrow we will be meeting with the Land Conservancy of NJ to begin a process of writing a grant application to the Morris County Open Space Fund. We will be doing everything within our control to submit a strong application. We are also looking for additional funding sources to ensure that we have the financial resources to save this valued natural resource.
And to expedite this process to reach a sale agreement with Drew, I have requested a direct meeting with the Drew Board of Trustees. A sale agreement would have to be approved by them so by meeting directly we hope to have that agreement in place before the application goes to the County Open Space Committee on June 9.”
Drew Senior Extolls Importance of the Forest for the University
Echoing his eloquent letter in the Madison Eagle in November, biochemistry and molecular biology major Michael George made a passionate statement at the Madison Borough Council meeting on March 13:
“I've come here to emphasize the importance that the Forest has on the Drew community and especially prospective students. The Forest has really bolstered the attendance. Personally, it was one of the main reasons why I ended up coming to Drew – that feeling of being immersed within nature [made the campus] different.”
Have You Heard About Our Herons?
Image Source: Bird Advisors
The Drew Forest provides vital habitat to many water bird species in its two large freshwater ponds, but one of the most recognizable is the heron. Herons are large, majestic wading birds that can be found in various habitats throughout New Jersey, but mainly stick close to bodies of freshwater with areas for wading. Four of the more common and recognizable heron species in the state are the Great Blue Heron, the Great Egret, the Green Heron, and the Tricolored Heron, each of which finds perfect hunting ground in the Drew Forest.
Where To Find Friends This Spring:
Spring has sprung and with that, we have a full line-up of events where we will be tabling! If you’d like to volunteer to table with us, please send an email to info@friendsofthedrewforest.org
Sunday April 16: Daffodil Day at Reeves Reed Arboretum, 11 am-3 pm, Summit
Wednesday April 19: EV Expo at Sunday Motor Co, 1 - 5 pm, Kings Road, Madison
Saturday, April 29, 2023: Madison Green & Clean, 9 am-3 pm, Town Hall
May 1-5, 2023: Great Swamp Watershed Association Native Plant Sale Volunteer Days
Saturday, June 3-4: Harmonium Choral Society Earthsongs, 7:30 pm, Morris United Methodist Church, Morristown; June 3 @ 7:30pm, June 4 @ 3 pm
