The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is delighted to welcome Mariam Aziz as our newest planning fellow. Mariam recently earned her M.S. in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Michigan and is passionate about GIS, wetlands, environmental planning, and conserving New Jersey’s natural resources. TLCNJ's planning fellowship program is in its fourth year and continues to be a valuable year-long opportunity for young professionals to learn mapping and creative analy

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is proud to have the largest environmental scholarship program in the state, and one of the largest in the nation. We just awarded TEN scholarships in the amount of $10,000 each. This program has come a long way, starting in 1983 with the Russell W. Myers Scholarship, followed by the Rogers Family Scholarship in 2005. Since then, TLCNJ has been proudly supporting future environmental leaders who are training for careers protecting our natura

TLCNJ is pleased to announce the permanent protection of 95 acres in Hardwick Township, advancing long-term conservation goals in the Paulins Kill watershed and safeguarding sensitive limestone habitat, groundwater resources, and a large connected assemblage of preserved forestland in northwestern New Jersey. The project challenged TLCNJ’s Land Team in many ways—including subdividing to save a farmhouse, cleaning up a tire dumping ground, and managing a heavy invasive species

TLCNJ is pleased to welcome Analise Draghi as one of our new planning fellows. She completed her first year in Rutgers' Master's of City and Regional Planning program. Before that she earned dual degrees in environmental studies and Chinese language and culture from Lafayette College. Analise grew up in Long Valley, where she learned to love to walk, hike, and spend time in nature—one of the reasons she is so drawn to TLCNJ. Outside of work, Analise is an avid reader, crafter

Last year, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey achieved a major milestone of preserving our 30,000th acre of open space. You understand how critical that accomplishment is in our densely populated state. Instead of resting on our laurels, we quickly upped the ante by joining conservation partners throughout New Jersey in a pledge to collectively preserve an additional 500,000 acres by 2050. Will you join us in this endeavor by making a gift to our End of Fiscal Year Campaign?

Last week we hosted fourth graders from Philip’s Academy Charter School of Paterson for pollinator field trips at South Branch Preserve! The students went on a guided hike to visit the wildlife blind and conducted hands-on activities involving insects. Then they helped us plant pollinating flowers and even took home a newspaper planter to sprout their own flower seeds. After enjoying a pizza lunch, the students learned from the farmers at City Green Farm, and then they talked

We'd like to extend a big, warm welcome to TLCNJ's new Planning Manager, Brenda Haycock! Brenda has a bachelor's in environmental planning design from Rutgers University, and she is currently pursuing American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification and Professional Planner licensing. Before working for TLCNJ, Brenda's work focused on plan research and development, flood mitigation, and open space and farmland preservation. Brenda has big shoes to fill as Barbara

Our beloved leader David Epstein is retiring, and now begins the work of finding someone to usher TLCNJ forward into our next chapter. The new president will advance the goal of protecting an additional 30,000 acres by 2050, expand TLCNJ’s impact, and support statewide efforts to conserve 500,000 new acres. This role builds on a strong foundation and works closely with a talented staff, engaged board, and broad coalition of partners. ​ The ideal candidate brings relationship-

Another NJ farm preserved—and this one is a big win! These 355 acres in Blairstown under the Kittatinny Ridge will remain undeveloped thanks to our work with the SADC and to the dedication and cooperation of property owner Kris Jones. We have wanted to see this property preserved since we first laid eyes on it. And we were not the first land trust to try. There were challenges and setbacks along the way, but finally we succeeded. We applied to the SADC non-profit program an

The World Series of Birding is an annual event sponsored by the NJ Audubon Society to help New Jersey environmental organizations raise money for the habitat needs of migrating birds. This year, over 90 teams all over the state will vie for glory and their share of the excitement while identifying as many species of birds as possible in 24 hours. At midnight on May 9, our skilled team of expert birders, the Highland Hawks, will set out from Sussex County and make their way

Let's hear it for our new Donor Relations Manager, Linda Beck! Linda Beck grew up on a farm in the hills of Virginia. She spent decades working as a producer in the animation industry, but her real passion is for environmental advocacy and stewardship. Linda has served as South Orange Environmental Commission Chair and led stewardship efforts in the form of cleanups, invasive plant battles, and native plantings. She also co-founded the Meadowland Park Conservancy to improve

There was no hibernating at The Land Conservancy this winter! We're emerging with news of big changes and important land acquisitions, revving up for a spring full of exciting programming and volunteer opportunities. Check out the most recent edition of Outdoor Issues for a recap of what we've been up to. A Landmark Legacy After more than three decades of extraordinary and dedicated service, our President, David Epstein, has announced his decision to retire in December. This

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has preserved 123 acres of land in Rockaway Township that is adjacent to the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, a premier Morris County destination for outdoor enthusiasts, biologists, and people who enjoy an array of resource-based recreation. This is a big conservation win for New Jersey. The property consists of rolling hills and mature upland deciduous forest, with a two-acre pond that drains to Burnt Meadow Brook. It a

In 2002, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey (then the Morris Land Conservancy) developed a vision to preserve 30,000 acres. The vision identified broad opportunities and highlighted the impediments and the resources needed to achieve this goal. We called this effort the Preserve Now–Protect Forever campaign and engaged hundreds of supporters to join us in realizing this goal by contributing $3.3 million to the campaign. In September 2025, we achieved this vision by preserving

We have some important news to share with you regarding the leadership of our beloved organization. After more than three decades of extraordinary and dedicated service, our President, David Epstein , has announced his decision to retire in December 2026. This transition marks the end of a transformative era and the exciting beginning of a new chapter for The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. A Legacy of Transformative Growth David’s tenure has been defined by his unwavering de

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey offers one of the country’s largest scholarship programs supporting environmental studies. In 2026, we are proud to be awarding TEN scholarships of $10,000 each! ​ TLCNJ supports scholars pursuing degrees in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, park administration, and related fields. If you're a junior, senior, or graduate student in environmental science or a related environmental field, or know someone who is,

JOIN OUR TEAM! New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, making every acre of preserved land a vital victory for our environment and our communities. At The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, we don’t just see open space; we see the future of our state’s water, wildlife, and natural heritage. We are looking for a Donor Relations Manager who understands that fundraising is the engine of conservation. You won’t just manage a portfolio; you will be the bridge b

We are tremendously grateful to welcome Joy Wenberg as our new bookkeeper. For the past few months, she's been has been getting to know our system and putting our finances in order, and that makes all of our jobs easier! Joy has been bookkeeping for educational and environmental nonprofit organizations for eight years and attributes her success to her time spent wearing the many hats of a volunteer. Her prior experience in budgeting, fundraising, and grant writing informs her

TLCNJ Wins $1M in Morris County Open Space Funding Morris County just released their 2025 Open Space funding recommendations, and TLCNJ has been tapped to receive $1.04M to preserve 123 acres in Rockaway’s Wildcat Ridge. We helped establish Wildcat Ridge in 1999, and we’re still hard at work there! The acquisition will expand the existing network of protected lands, providing additional wildlife habitat and reinforcing long-term conservation efforts in the region’s mountainou

We are consistently amazed at how much our planning department is able to accomplish: helping municipalities and nonprofit organizations all over NJ to find green spaces in their communities, secure grand funding to protect natural resources and create parks, identify ecologically sensitive areas and farmland to preserve, and secure grant funding to pay for these improvements. It's astonishing! Our planning fellows are a key factor in this record of success, and Grace Nelson