Congregation Ahavas Sholom
Lincoln Elementary Schoolyard
Congregation Ahavas Shalom has requested additional funding to create an active and passive
recreation facility at the Lincoln Avenue School Yard, located on Richelieu Terrace in Newark, to
benefit the school children and the community. Proposed improvements include playgrounds with
safety surfacing, green infrastructure, a running track, a synthetic turf area, a painted games area,
mini basketball courts, benches, picnic/game tables, drinking fountains, amphitheater seating, and
raised planting beds and shade trees throughout.
Matching Grant Award $250,000
Park Development
D&R Greenway Land Trust
Greenway Acquisitions
D&R Greenway Land Trust is dedicated to preserving significant watershed lands and large-scale
landscapes in central New Jersey, encompassing portions of the Delaware, Raritan and Millstone
River watersheds and the Delaware & Raritan Canal. D&R Greenway has identified multiple
proposed acquisitions that will help create contiguous preserved lands that protect water quality,
significant natural resources, critical wildlife habitat, and natural areas for passive recreational
opportunities. The Land Trust's focus preservation areas include, but are not limited to: Central
Stony Brook watershed, Delaware Bay Estuary, Delaware River tributaries, historic Griggstown, the
Sourland Mountains and the Upper Millstone Greenway. D&R Greenway Land Trust is also
involved in creating multi-use trails and potential projects outside these watersheds. Counties
include: Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth,
Morris, Salem and Somerset.
Matching Grant Award $1,000,000
Land Acquisition
D&R Greenway Land Trust
Multi-Park Stewardship
D&R Greenway Land Trust proposes stewardship activities at three of its preserves. At Cider Mill,
on Cider Mill Road in East Amwell Township, a grassland improvement initiative is proposed to
improve biodiversity and function. The forage and breeding habitat for grassland birds will be
enhanced and invasives will be removed. To improve biodiversity and function at Hillman Preserve,
located at Pennington-Rocky Hill Road in Hopewell Township, a multi-season meadow will be
created. The meadow will provide for pollinators and increase human interest along the Lawrence-
Hopewell trail extension. Invasives will be removed, and a native species seed mix will be planted.
Between the forest and meadow edge, a scrub shrub habitat will be created to improve the interior
habitat. Finally, at Point Breeze, located on Pine Street in Bordentown Township, D&R Greenway
will remove invasive species, build trails, restore habitat, and develop gardens.
Matching Grant Award $172,900
Stewardship Project
Essex County Parks Foundation
Amazing Asia Exhibit - Turtle Back Zoo
Essex County Parks Foundation will partner with Essex County and the Zoological Society of New
Jersey to improve the Turtle Back Zoo, located on Northfield Avenue in West Orange Township.
The proposed project will involve construction of a new Amazing Asia Exhibit, which will highlight
several threatened and critically endangered Asian species. The exhibit will include new habitats
and viewing areas for the public.