Opening of the Tulpehaking Nature Center at the Abbott Marshlands
Dedication of the center and cutting of the ribbon by Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes took place on Oct. 7th. Among the invited guests were ; NJ Senator Linda Greenstein; Mercer County Freeholders; representatives of NJ DEP, NJ DOT, NJ Transit; staffs of the Mercer County Planning Office, Mercer County Park Commission, and D&R Greenway Land Trust; and members of the Stewardship Council, council committees, Friends for the Abbott Marshlands; Jeanne Perantoni, SSP Architects; and Richard Hunter, site archaeologist.
Remarks were made by emcee Kevin Bannon, Director of Mercer County Park Commission; Brian Hughes, County Executive; Dennis Whigham, Senior Botanist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and marsh ecologist; Linda Mead, President D&R Greenway Land Trust; and Kelly Rypkema, manager of the nature center. The Marsh Native Plant Garden was dedicated to Mary and Charlie Leck.
The nature center opened to the public with family activities on Oct. 11 (Family Fun Day) and Oct. 12. (Kayaking at Spring Lake).
