Learn about the value of wetlands at the Discovery Center at Point Breeze on Sunday 

— Join D&R Greenway and N.J. Watershed Ambassador Jessie Lisanti on Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m. at the Discovery Center at Point Breeze, 101 E. Park St., Bordentown, to learn more about the value of wetlands and how they impact our quality of life.

Come to this program to explore wetland habitats and ecosystems, discuss their importance to our drinking water, and highlight what we can do to protect these critical environmental resources. Learn about our local watersheds and the wetlands that provide the link between a watershed and a body of water. 

Wetlands are areas that are saturated by water, either permanently or seasonally. They play a critical ecological role by providing habitat for a variety of animals and are impactful on the water we drink. May is American Wetlands Month. This annual celebration, initiated in 1991, aims to educate the public about the importance of wetlands as a natural resource and inspires efforts to protect, preserve, and expand these valuable ecosystems. 

Jessie Lisanti is the Watershed Ambassador for Watershed Management Area 20, the Assiscunk, Crosswicks, & Doctors Watersheds, hosted out of Tulpehaking Nature Center at Mercer County Park Commission. 

“Being a Watershed Ambassador means being a part of a group of like-minded individuals who protect and care about our streams and the critters in them like no other! Being an AmeriCorps member means serving my community, which involves learning everything I can about it and making meaningful connections.” 

Jessie Lisanti 

The Discovery Center at Point Breeze will be open for tours, with exhibits highlighting the Delaware River watershed. “Protecting the Delaware River resources, including its wetlands, provides habitat for birds and fish, and ensures clean water for people,” says Linda Mead, D&R Greenway CEO. “Through programs like this, and our summer kayak program, we encourage good stewardship behaviors that benefit all of us. The Discovery Center at Point Breeze is among the important historic resources situated along the Delaware and its waterways, along with places like Andalusia and Pennsbury Manor.” 

Founded in 1989 to protect regional water quality by preserving land along the Delaware & Raritan Canal, the land trust has permanently preserved land that saves 3.5 million gallons of water usage a day by ensuring these lands are not converted into housing developments. D&R Greenway has conserved land in Delaware River Valley communities of Lambertville, Hopewell, Ewing, Trenton, Hamilton and Bordentown, and in the . 

Delaware Bay community of Mannington in south Jersey. In addition to protecting water quality, these lands along the Swan, Moores, Jacobs, Assunpink, Crosswicks and Blacks creeks in central NJ, and in Mannington Meadows, provide important breeding grounds for birds that are declining in numbers due to loss of these habitats. D&R Greenway’s 300th permanently preserved property, Woosamonsa Ridge, includes the headwaters of Jacobs Creek, which flows directly into the Delaware. 

Watershed Ambassadors are #free community resources, who can provide educational presentations in schools and for community groups as well as host environmental stewardship events such as clean ups, rain barrel workshops, tree/rain garden plantings, stewardship training events, and more! The AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors Program is an environmental AmeriCorps program. 

The admission cost of $10 supports the Discovery Center at Point Breeze. Seating is limited so RSVP in advance at www.drgreenway.org. Please visit D&R Greenway’s website, www.drgreenway.org for information regarding future events at Point Breeze and at the Johnson Education Center in Princeton. Stay informed of conservation and history related activities by registering for the mailing list at info@drgreenway.org. 

About D&R Greenway Land Trust: D&R Greenway Land Trust is an accredited nonprofit that has reached a new milestone of approximately 22,500 acres of land preserved throughout central New Jersey since 1989. By protecting land in perpetuity and creating public trails, it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. The land trust’s preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for residents of the region, including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, D&R Greenway combats climate change, protects birds and wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations. D&R Greenway’s mission is centered on connecting land with people from all walks of life. www.drgreenway.org; info@drgreenway.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.