Conservancy Headquarters - WildAcres Preserve

The 44-acre WildAcres preserve, located in Montville Township, was previously owned by the late Fred and Myrtle Hierwarter. The foundation of the house, located on the property, dates back to the 1700’s. The home itself was destroyed by fire and rebuilt on the original foundation in the 1930’s.  The Hierwarters raised their family in the house and lived there for 50 years.  It was their wish to see the property permanently preserved in its natural state.  In 2000, The Land Conservancy and Montville Township negotiated with Mr. Hierwarter to purchase and preserve the site.  It is now a Montville park named the “Fred and Myrtle Hierwarter WildAcres Preserve” in their memory. In 2001, The Land Conservancy renovated the house on the property and relocated its headquarters to WildAcres.

 Things to do at WildAcres

WildAcres offers many opportunities for visitors to enjoy a beautiful part of Montville:

The Fred Hierwarter WildAcres Trail consists of three walking trails, of varying difficulty, where hikers can enjoy the scenic vistas and experience the property’s varied wildlife habitat (including deer, black bear, blue birds, wild turkeys, pileated woodpeckers and more).

WildAcres is home to a collection of historic bells and lumber milling machines Mr. Hierwarter collected from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They are cared for by the Montville Township Historic Preservation Commission.

WildAcres Garden, established with the help of dedicated volunteers, features native plants and has been certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey headquarters welcomes visitors and offers information on preserving open space land in New Jersey.