Sourland Conservancy

05/30/2026

05/29/2026

Twice a month, our Stew Crew volunteers show up for the Sourlands. 🌿

They pull invasive plants before they can spread, remove old tree tubes from restored sites, and pitch in at events when extra hands are needed. It's hard but rewarding work—and the forest is healthier because of it.

This Member Drive, your gift helps keep them in the field. Grow with us in 2026. sourland.org/donate 💚

📸: Sofia Fuentes (1) & Joe Kazimierczyk (2)

05/27/2026

Have you heard the good news? Sourland Mountain Festival TICKETS are OPEN!

The 21st annual Sourland Mountain Festival is back at the spectacular Unionville Vineyards.

What you can expect:
🌿 Amazing tunes by The Harrisons and Company along with Hickory, Swiss Guard and Gravity Hill
🌿Delicious food and drink
🌿Fantastic exhibitors
🌿An amazing VIP experience

Join us and support the Sourland Conservancy — 40 years of protecting and preserving Central Jersey's Sourland Region.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-sourland-mountain-festival-tickets-1984728252631?aff=oddtdtcreator

#2026

05/25/2026

🌙 Look up! The Moon has been shining over the Sourlands for billions of years — and Jim Amon wants you to see it differently.

In this month's Seeing the Sourlands, Jim explores the Moon's ancient origins, its phases, and its rhythms. Next time you're out on the trails at dusk, notice when the Moon rises. Once you know the pattern, you'll never stop looking up. 🌝

Seeing the Sourlands Essay originally published 2018 – Read the full article here: https://sourland.org/blog

05/22/2026

🌱 Rainbow Hill is looking a little greener thanks to Church & Dwight Co.!

A big thank-you to the amazing volunteers who joined the Sourland Conservancy this spring at Rainbow Hill! Together, we planted native trees that will help restore the forest and protect it for generations to come. 🌳

Special thanks to Rebekah Buczynski of New Jersey Conservation Foundation for her support, and Yvonne Kunz for the wonderful photos! 🙌

With every tree planted, we're strengthening forest structure, supporting wildlife, and building long-term resilience in the Sourlands. 💪🌿

We're so grateful to partners like Church & Dwight who show up, get their hands dirty, and help the Sourlands grow stronger. 🌱

05/20/2026

The Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis) in our native garden is looking out of this world! 💙🛸

This large, bushy perennial is not only native to the Sourlands and a true showstopper, it is also a host plant for the Frosted Elfin, Wild Indigo Duskywing, and Hoary Edge butterflies Prairie Nursery, and a magnet for native bees and other pollinators.

🌱 What's blooming in your garden?

Our native garden wouldn't have been possible without the vision and dedication of Peni Macmeekin, a group of hardworking volunteers, and generous support from the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.

Rutgers Environmental Stewards Program
Native Plant Society of New Jersey

05/19/2026

What does a healthy Sourland forest do for YOU?
🌿 Filters the water you drink
🌬️ Cleans the air you breathe
🌊 Reduces flooding in your neighborhood
🐦 Shelters birds and wildlife
🌱 Locks away carbon and fights climate change
This is why we do what we do—and why your membership matters so much. Grow with us in 2026. sourland.org/donate

📸 Cliff Wilson, the president of the Sourland Conservancy, plants a tree at our 40th Birthday Planting! Photo Courtesy of Yvonne Kunz.

05/15/2026

We thought this Luna Moth (Actias luna) deserved a spot on the main feed! Did you know adults only live 7–10 days? This definitely makes every sighting special, even when they're resting on an invasive plant. 🌿

Thank you Yvonne Kunz for this wonderful photo!

05/13/2026

Every spring, something remarkable happens in the Sourlands.

Thousands of migratory birds—warblers, thrushes, tanagers—stop here on their journey between South America and the Arctic. They rest. They refuel. They rely on this forest to survive one of nature's most extraordinary journeys.

A healthy Sourland forest makes that possible. Your support makes that forest possible. Grow with us. 🐦 sourland.org/donate

📸❤️: Scarlet Tanager photo courtesy of Juanita Hummel

05/11/2026

Here's something worth knowing: more than one million ash trees, like the ones pictured, have been lost in the Sourland region.

When those trees disappear, invasive plants move in fast—smothering native species and weakening the forest ecosystem. It's a quiet crisis that most people never see.

The Sourland Conservancy plants 10,000 native trees every year to fight back. We install deer exclosure fences to protect new growth. We are rebuilding this forest, one planting at a time.

But we can't do it without you. Grow with us in 2026. sourland.org/donate

📸: Jim Amon