By Sunayana Prabhu
MIDDLETOWN – Scudder Preserve, a 90-acre woodland in the township’s Navesink section, is set to become a conservation refuge and public gathering space with the support of a $500,000 grant from New Jersey Resources Corporation (NJRC). The funding, distributed over the next five years to the Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF), the county-wide land trust that owns Scudder Preserve, will help restore natural habitats, expand public access and develop environmental education programs.
“We’re committed to making a positive impact through our Coastal Climate Initiative and our broader charitable efforts,” said Steve Westhoven, president and CEO of NJR, in a statement announcing the grant to MCF this summer. “Providing this gift to restore and improve Scudder Preserve is a rare opportunity to make a sig-nificant difference with a single parcel of property that will benefit the local community for years to come.”
William Kastning, executive director of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, told The Two River Times that Scudder Preserve is the first property MCF has owned in its nearly 50-year history, which makes it unique in its conservation portfolio. Unlike previous efforts helping others preserve land, this proper ty gives the nonprofit total control over its use, public access, educational programs and amenities.
The preserve is divided by Browns Dock Road, with 60 acres on one side and 30 on the other, stretching toward the ridge overlooking the Navesink River and connecting to Huber Woods Park. The landscape includes century-old forest, rolling meadows, groves of laurels and rhododendrons, wetlands and ponds. It provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including the endangered black skimmer bird, a rare silver-haired bat and a 201-year-old tulip tree recognized as the second largest of its kind in New Jersey.
For decades, the land was protected under conservation easements managed by the New Jersey Audubon Society. MCF assumed ownership in April 2024, marking the foundation’s first property acquisition in its history of preserving farmland, open space and natural habitat across Monmouth County.
The NJR grant is supporting a phased plan for ecological restoration and public access that will unfold over the next five years. Work already underway with its first installment includes wetland delineations, ecological assessments, bioswales to protect water resources, a deer management program to restore balance to the habitat and a natural resource inventory to guide long-term preservation.
The grant will enable MCF to launch comprehensive ecosystem and community development initiatives across the 90-acre property. The funding supports a natural resources inventory and the development of environmental education programs. “Most of the offerings will be free, but there may be some minor fees charged,” Kastning explained. “For underserved communities, the services will be provided free of charge, both on-site and through the conservation wagon.” The preserve will see improved trail systems and increased community engagement.
“We want people to understand that this place exists,” Kastning said. “We’ll be providing educational opportunities on site when we totally rehab the building.”
MCF is currently fundraising to complete site improvements, with plans to transform the building’s first floor into a program center. Trails have been mapped, marked with new signage and posted on the website AllTrails.com. Trail access is currently available, with expanded educational programming expected within the next year.
The article originally appeared in the September 18 – September 24, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
