Week 1: Restoration Work Begins on South Branch Preserve Restoration Project

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is pleased to announce that we have begun working to restore the former Rezamir Estates property in Mt. Olive, now known as the South Branch Preserve Restoration Site. The Land Conservancy is leading a team of contractors and expert consultants to implement the Restoration Plan of this critically important land. The property was partially developed for 16 residential lots. We are excited to have begun this land stewardship, or land management, project to restore the natural assets of the property. The work during this past week focused on the preliminary steps to ensure the property is prepared before remedial actions, such as removing the detention basins and roads, are completed.

On June 14th contractors put up fabric fences to prevent soil erosion and drained most of the water from the two detention basins. The Plant Stewardship Index (PSI) was begun as well. This is a tool used for ecological assessment, which means observing and classifying a property’s plants and habitats. By observing the types of plants that exist, the PSI helps determine the “naturalness” of a site and how land management practices (or their absence) affected that naturalness over time. According to Bowman Hill Wildflower Preserve, the botanical organization who conducted our PSI, over 2,000 plants in New Jersey and the Piedmont region of Pennsylvania have been catalogued and assigned a number from zero to ten by local experts and botanists. Zero represents the most generalist species, tolerant of disturbance and includes invasive or introduced non-native species (such as multiflora rose). Ten represents the most conservative species and includes many rare and endangered state-listed native plants that require special habitats and do not regrow after disturbance. The PSI will help us properly manage the land and habitats within the preserve. For more information on PSI visit Bowman Hill Preserve's website.

On June 17th, Conservancy staff members and several of our volunteers, with guidance from a biologist and herpetologist, scoured two existing drained detention basins for turtles, frogs, and tadpoles so that we could relocate them before filling the basins. It was a muddy process, but we were able to capture and release 30 frogs from one pond, and thousands of frogs, toads, and tadpoles of assorted types from the other. With permission from our new neighbor, we released them into two nearby ponds. There were no turtles found in the basins, however we spotted one box turtle on a nearby road.

There’s a long way to go in the restoration process but we all look forward to the end result when we can call it by its new name, South Branch Preserve, where people will be able to enjoy the natural landscape of the site. Continue to check back for updates each week on Rezamir’s progress.

A box turtle found nearby.

Staff members of TLC-NJ and biologist, Rick Radis, observing a catch.

A frog hidden in mud inside a net.

President of TLC-NJ, David Epstein, emptying his muddy waders.

Former Rezamir Estates Property Preserved, Restoration of Critical Drinking Water Source Begun

MOUNT OLIVE: The Land Conservancy of New Jersey and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) partner with Mount Olive and Morris County to preserve critical watershed in New Jersey Highlands

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is pleased to announce the purchase of the former 134-acre Rezamir Estates property in the Township of Mt. Olive on June 9, 2010 in partnership with the Trust for Public Land, Morris County, Mt. Olive Township, and the State of New Jersey. The property will be known as The South Branch Restoration Project as it is located within the headwaters of the South Branch of the Raritan River.

The property was subdivided in 2004 and construction had begun for the development of 16 single-family homes. The property includes a complex network of streams that feed into the headwaters of the South Branch of the Raritan River, a drinking water source for 1 million New Jersey residents. Unfortunately, with the development approval, the hydrology of the property was altered with installation of a road, several stream crossings, detention basins, and footings for an arch bridge. The Land Conservancy of New Jersey will implement a plan to remove the crossings and detention basins, and restore stream channels to their natural state.

Construction debris left onsite.

The acquisition included a contribution from TPL and the landowner of more than $100,000 so that The Land Conservancy can begin work to restore streams and stabilize soil on the site. The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is raising additional funds to reforest portions of the property and implement a comprehensive management and restoration plan for the property.


"The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is excited to have the opportunity to restore the disturbed streams and stop the erosion that has plagued this beautiful property so that it can once again provide clean drinking water for the residents of New Jersey," said Conservancy President David Epstein.


A construction road onsite.
"The construction project had damaged neighboring properties. The Trust for Public Land took the initiative in making the project happen, and The Land Conservancy of New Jersey will be a good steward in returning the property to a natural state. The public will get the benefit of enjoying the property," said Mount Olive Township Mayor David M. Scapicchio.

The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders awarded $1.65 million from the open space portion of the County Preservation Trust Fund; Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority contributed $500,000; $460,000 came from two New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program grants, including a $250,000 contribution of Green Acres Funding from Mount Olive Township's Planning Incentive Funds; and the Johanette Wallerstein Institute awarded $40,000 for the purchase.

"We are grateful to The Land Conservancy of New Jersey for their commitment to stewarding and improving this critical drinking water resource, and to the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Mount Olive Township Mayor and Council, the Municipal Utilities Authority, the Wallerstein Institute, and New Jersey's state Green Acres program, without which this opportunity would have been lost," said Terrence Nolan, TPL Senior Project Manager.

Check back soon for updates on the restoration progress on this blog!

An existing partially-built foundation that
was constructed on the property.

Partners for Parks Project Held at Wagner Farm Arboretum

Forty-five sanofi-aventis employees spent the day working hard to beautify and improve the grounds at the Wagner Farm Arboretum’s “Children's Garden”. The volunteers worked tirelessly and succeeded in placing 220 linear feet of metal edging along the main brick walkway, and spreading 12 cubic yards of wood chips along a path which connected the “Children's Garden” to the main building. In addition, many other significant projects were completed, including weeding, spreading top soil and mulching.

Volunteers were able to build 6 raised garden beds, and added new top soil and wood chips along the pathways between each of the raised beds. This work contributes to the progress of these evolving gardens that have been established to benefit community members and the general public.

Since 2000, sanofi-aventis volunteer groups have participated in 13 Partners for Parks projects, with over 300 employees participating in a variety of stewardship projects in both Morris and Somerset counties.

The Partners for Parks program is made possible in part thanks to our corporate sponsors. 2010 corporate sponsors include: BASF, Goldman Sachs & Co., Investors Savings Bank, Merck & Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, sanofi-aventis, UPS and Walmart.

Geothermal System is Complete!

We are pleased to announce that the installation of our new geothermal heating and cooling system was completed on Monday 06/14! The last of the mechanical hook-ups and tests took place and the well was synchronized with the interior pump and furnace so that the well water enters the building at the best possible speed to increase efficiency. The air conditioning is now up and running, much to our relief!

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey would like to extend our gratitude to Montville Township which leases us this property, the F.M. Kirby Foundation which provided funding for this exciting project, and all our contractors and expert consultants. This is a big step in our effort to make our WildAcres headquarters sustainable and to keep The Land Conservancy at a high standard of what it means to be green.

Next we must restore the meadow that was unearthed during construction of the well. The process is set to begin on Monday 06/21. Volunteers will pick rocks, rake, and replant the meadow, restoring its natural beauty.

The geothermal well construction site will be replanted Monday.

Mechanical Heating and Cooling Components of Geothermal System Installed- Phase 3 Completed!

From Wednesday, June 9th through Saturday, June 12th, our building was mechanically configured to support the new geothermal system. Workers from Beta American Services based in Oakland, were very busy installing a heat exchanging water furnace and air handler A/C system, re-routing refrigerant lines, as well adjusting the air ducts throughout the building. This new system is much more efficient than the old air conditioning system, as the “reversing” ability of the ground source heating/cooling system, makes for a less energy-demanding transition between seasons.

Equipment galore!


The new water furnace contains a heat exchanging unit that takes heats out of, or puts heat into, the well water. It is located in the basement and receives water via an underground pipe directly from the well. (Read about the well installation in the previous blog post.) For cooling in the summer, the well water goes into the water furnace and is cooled. Any additional heat taken out of the building by the air handler is passively absorbed by the water and flows back into the well. So, the well water acts as a coolant as cool water continuously comes into replace it and warm water leaves the building taking the warm air out of the building. In the winter, the function of the heat exchanging water furnace reverses as the direction of the refrigerant reverses. It will take heat out of well water and raise the temp to approximately 68 degrees and return cold water back into the well while the air handler, in conjunction with the blower, will blow hot air through the building. The reversibility of the furnace handles both cooling and heating needs with the same ground source water. The earth then absorbs the warmed or cooled water after it is sent back to the well, returning it to its original ground temperature of approximately 55 degrees.


The equipment in the basement including the heat
exchanging water furnace and heat pump


The new air handler, or air conditioning system, does the actual heating and cooling of the building’s air from the water and circulates it around through the air ducts. It was installed on the second floor and is connected to the blower (located right next to the handler) and to refrigerant lines from the water furnace. Bart Andersen, mechanical consultant to Beta American Services, explained that the old air handler was removed because of its use of old refrigerants that are harmful to the ozone layer. The new one utilizes refrigerants that have been molecularly restructured and no longer contain chlorine salts so it will not cause harm to the sensitive atmosphere. The old air conditioning compressor unit that was located outside was removed and the refrigerant lines were rerouted to the interior of the building.


The new air handler located on the second floor.

In addition to the installation of the new water furnace and air handler, fine tuning of the air ducts took place throughout the building. This is done to ensure that the amount of air that comes out of the vents is balanced depending on the size of the room, amount of heat transfer, and other factors. This guarantees the optimum level of comfort throughout the year.

Our new system should be up and running within the next 1-2 days after the final mechanical hook ups and all tests are completed. The system is innovative, energy efficient, and highly dependable. The current fossil furnace may only need to be used a few days a year as a backup under extreme cold circumstances. We are so excited that the system is almost completed and are looking forward to experiencing the benefits of ground cooled air, not to mention some relief from the heat!

Geothermal Drilling Is Complete

The second step in the installation of our new geothermal heating and cooling system, drilling and assembling the well, has been completed here at the Land Conservancy of New Jersey. Drilling and installing the well took approximately a week to complete. This innovative system is a 5-ton single loop well which utilizes the extraction/return method of groundwater to heat and cool our office. The geothermal well was drilled 580 feet below ground surface, while the piping was only installed to a depth of 577 feet due to sludge accumulating at the very bottom of the well, where it will pump groundwater from several water-bearing fractures, including a large one near the very bottom of the well which yielded a flow of water at 35 gallons/ minute. The water table in the well was very deep at 80 feet below ground surface. A pump was placed 100 feet down in the well where it will pump water into the building through black plastic piping (see photo). Water will be piped into the building at 7 gallons/minute and will go through the heat exchanging water furnace which cools or heats the water to the preferred temperature and circulates the air around the building. After the water is used it will be pumped back down to the bottom of the well via a separate pipe to a depth of 577 feet below ground where it is re-circulated. It was a noisy week here at the office, but thanks to contractor, Don Colaluce and his son, Jason, the drilling has been a success and is an important step in our continual effort to make our Wildacres headquarters more energy efficient and sustainable. See the pictures below and check back to read about the next step in geothermal installation at our office-- installing the heating and cooling equipment and balancing the ductwork throughout the building.

The drill used to construct our well.

The construction crew installing piping 577 feet deep into the well.

Return pipe leading from basement furnace to the bottom of the well 577 feet below ground to re-circulate the water.



All that can be seen of the geothermal system above ground.