Corporate, Team, & Group Volunteering with Friends of Princeton Open Space

We invite your company or organization to join us for a private group volunteer session at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve in Princeton. If you are interested in scheduling a private volunteer session, let us know some dates that would work for your team. Our volunteer sessions are typically two hours long, usually 10 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., but we are flexible with the times. We can accommodate groups of 5 to 50 volunteers.

About our volunteer sessions: During our land stewardship sessions, volunteers will be doing work such as invasive species removal and other ecosystem restoration projects. This may also include spring/fall planting and installing deer cages to protect native plants from deer browse. FOPOS's wonderful stewardship staff will be on-hand to share this knowledge and much more! FOPOS provides all of the tools, though we ask volunteers to dress for working off-trails in the woods and to bring a water bottle and work gloves if they have them. Volunteers are asked to complete a waiver prior to the session. You can read more about FOPOS's work online at fopos.org.

Training & Teambuilding: Groups typically meet in the parking lot of the Mountain Lakes House. Our stewardship team will start by providing an introduction to our organization and the habitat restoration projects we are undertaking. The group then takes a short nature walk to the work site. At the work site, the stewardship team will provide detailed instructions on work tasks as well as tool safety, as we may be utilizing tools such as loppers and pruners. While the group is working, the stewardship team will work with the group and answer any questions, providing help if needed. At the end of the session, we will gather as a group to discuss the impact of their work. The stewardship skills learned during this session can be used to restore habitat in your own yard and neighborhood! Also, volunteer groups are welcome to use the patio or lawn area at the Mountain Lakes House for a picnic or take-out lunch before or after the session (as long as no events are scheduled at the Mountain Lakes House). It is a beautiful location that overlooks the Mountain Lakes.

Why is this work important: Riparian restoration helps safeguard lake and stream banks from erosion, slow and store stormwater, and filter pollutants from runoff. The riparian areas of the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve in Princeton also provide critical habitat for a variety of birds, insects, and aquatic life. This work helps to improve natural areas and safeguard our drinking water supply as our drinking water in Central NJ comes from nearby sources including the D&R Canal and the Raritan River.

Our volunteer meeting spot is: Mountain Lakes House Parking Lot. This is located in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, 57 Mountain Ave., Princeton, NJ, 08540. We're lucky to have ample parking and an excellent setup for hosting groups.

Please let us know if you would like to reserve a volunteer session with us. We look forward to connecting and working with you and your team.