The preserve is open to walkers, birders, fishers and pets
Tucked back off River Road on a dirt lane is the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust nature preserve known as Taylor Wildlife Preserve.
The preserve takes up 85 acres on the Taylor River Side Farm along the Delaware River in Cinnaminson. The farm has been around since 1720 and has been passed down the Taylor family for generations.
The preserve was created in 1975 when the Taylor family gave a conservation easement on a large portion of their land to the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust. However, the property has remained in Taylor ownership.
Cinnaminson residents and visitors can head to the preserve to enjoy marshland, pineland, forests, farmland and more. All of these attractions are accessible via the myriad of trails and lookout towers, in addition to the newly build boardwalk through the marsh.
Friends of Taylor Wildlife Preserve, the nonprofit organization supporting the reserve, strives to maintain and protect the beautiful land.
Organization treasurer and Taylor family member Lily Taylor says the reserve is a popular place for people to walk the trails, go birding, walk their dogs and fish — with a license, of course.
The reserve obtains many of its funds from grants since there is no admission fee to enjoy the property.
“We apply for grants from the Washington Crossing Audubon Society’s Holden Grant. It is an annual grant given to organizations like ours who have projects that contribute to the preservation of nature and its wildlife,” Taylor said. “In the past, we’ve used it to build observation towers, clear areas of debris and build a boardwalk through the marsh. At the moment, we are using some of the funds to have a dynamic map of the entire preserve drawn for us for display at the main kiosk and to add to our brochures and website.”
The organization’s slogan is “Visit soon — different every time.” The Taylor Wildlife Preserve is an ever-changing place the public can come to visit throughout the year. The habitat and wildlife varies depending on the season, so it really is different every time.
Inhabitants of the preserve include deer, muskrats, beavers, turtles, rabbits, wild turkeys and birds. There are more than 60 variety of birds at the nature preserve, including bald eagles, owls and hawks.
The preserve hosts several cleanup days during the year. The next one will be on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friends of Taylor Wildlife Preserve will be working in conjunction with the New Jersey Office of Natural Lands and Trust Management and Raritan Valley Community College as part of a research project to study the effect of a cleanup on the ecosystem, as well as the rates of any floatable trash return from the Delaware River.
For an annual fee of $10, anybody can become a Friend of Taylor Wildlife Preserve. All funds raised are used to upkeep and improve the reserve.
For more information on the preserve, please visit www.taylorwildlifepreserve.org or www.taylorsfarm.org.
