By Sunayana Prabhu
MIDDLETOWN – Driving down Browns Dock Road, it’s easy to miss the sign for Scudder Preserve but the rich yet obscure 90-acre wooded habitat is about to catapult into the spotlight with its acquisition by Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF).
In a landmark development, the New Jersey Audubon (NJA) – a private environmental nonprofit – gifted Scudder Preserve to MCF in May this year, marking the foundation’s first land ownership after years of environmental advocacy.
The preserve, located in the Navesink section of Middletown, with a postal address of 85 Browns Dock Road, Atlantic Highlands, was originally owned by Richard and Elizabeth Scudder. In 2007, Richard Scudder donated around 60 acres to NJA, and in 2012 the remaining 30 acres and home- stead were gifted to the organization in Richard Scudder’s will. The preseve sits on both sides of Browns Dock Road with nature trails winding their way through wooded, rolling hills, grasslands, streams and a pond along the Scudder homestead.
The property is a “hidden gem,” said MCF executive director William Kastning, but owning it was “not on our radar.” He called the gift “serendipity.”
“The Scudder family approached me and said, ‘It looks like New Jersey Audubon wants to divest itself of this 90-acre Scudder Preserve,’ ” Kastning said. A conversation with Jean Scudder, a family member, spurred the confirmation from NJA and the property “was available for us to take ownership of for free,” said Kastning.
A Monmouth County-based land trust established in 1977, MCF has safeguarded over 9,400 acres of green space throughout the county in its nearly five decades.
But why does a land trust need its own land? According to Kastning, there are multiple reasons.
First, the foundation has been sharing office space with the Monmouth County Park System offices at the Sunnyside Equestrian Center in the Lincroft section of Middletown. “But we’re the guests of the Monmouth County Park System,” Kastning said, “and to do the things we want to do, we need to own land.”
Second, land ownership was important for MCF’s mission. “In order to remain relevant going forward, because there’s only so much land to preserve, we needed to determine what to do differently,” Kastning explained. MCF’s board decided to start a program to educate the public about sustainability, the environment and climate resilience. To do that effectively, the foundation wanted to “attempt to acquire land” to create a program center as well as a headquarters, he said.
MCF has recently received significant funding, including a $500,000 grant from New Jersey Resources (NJR) through its Coastal Climate Initiative and a $1 million anonymous donation.
The Scudder property was under conservation easements with the NJA but “never really promoted as a preserve, although local people knew that it was open to the public,” Kastning said. “We want to make this preserve something that is available to the public to visit and enjoy.”
The foundation is currently hiring engineers, architects and attorneys for a cost estimation and habitat assessment. The plan is to restore habitats, enhance trails and potentially renovate the existing house or build a new complex for MCF’s headquarters and an education program center. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” he said.
The property is divided, with 60 acres on one side of Browns Dock Road and 30 acres on the other. “The 60 acres is basically just wild. It’s got some century forest. It has fields, it has fantastic wetlands which are primarily not easily accessible and are kind of unknown to the public. So, we want to improve the 60 acres.”
The scenic trails of Scudder Preserve connect to the county-owned Huber Woods Park, which also has an environmental center but, Kastning said, MCF will “not replicate” their programs.
In addition to expanding more trail connectivity with Huber Woods, MCF has education outreach plans for underserved communities. “We intend to acquire what we’re calling a conservation wagon, which will be like a Mercedes Sprinter van, where we load it up with education materials.”
The foundation is also seeking additional support for improvements and programming. “We’re now just starting to evaluate how volunteers can help us,” Kastning said. “The volunteer aspect is something we’re considering both for providing training, as well as for doing the work necessary to improve the site.”
The preserve is currently open to the public, with further improvements in the planning stages.
The article originally appeared in the July 18 – July 24, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
