EARLY JUNE 2025 RELEASE

Article published: May 27, 2025

Cub Scout Pack 61 of Flemington Plants Trees at Bernadette Morales Nature Preserve

RARITAN TWP., N.J. (Hunterdon County) — On May 3, Cub Scout Pack 61 of Flemington (“Cub Pack 61”) planted 96 tree seedlings at Raritan Township’s Bernadette Morales Nature Preserve (“Nature Preserve”). The native tree seedlings included white oak, swamp white oak and sugar maple.

Township volunteers included 20 scouts, 20 parents and an ecologist from Davey Resource Group (“DRG”) who taught the scouts about the value of trees and how to plant them.  DRG is a corporate volunteer for the 52-acre Nature Preserve that borders Walnut Brook. Its trails connect to the north to trails in the Hunterdon County Uplands Preserve and to the south to trails in Raritan Township’s Mine Brook Park and Hunterdon Land Trust’s Dvoor Farm.

Cub scouts and their parents volunteer to plant trees on Raritan Township’s Bernadette Morales Nature Preserve, May 3, 2025. (Courtesy photo by Bethany Coury)

The tree seedlings were obtained from Pinelands Nursery using funds from a stewardship grant from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions and awarded to the Raritan Township Environmental Commission. 

Raritan Township Open Space funds were also used to purchase the blue tree tubes installed around the seedlings to prevent deer herbivory and provide a tubular greenhouse for the plants. Parents collected bamboo stakes to support the tubes from a nearby bamboo grove.

In recent years, many dead or dying ash trees had to be taken down along the trails in the Nature Preserve due to mortality caused by the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive species. Most of the tree seedlings were planted in the vicinity of the trails predominantly in areas where the ash trees had recently fallen. The ash logs lying on the ground will slowly decompose providing habitat for wildlife and nutrients for the planted trees.

In 2024, Cub Pack 61 additionally planted 131 native tree seedlings provided by Raritan Township from the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery in the Nature Preserve. Scout Pack 61 provided the tree tubes to protect the planted trees from deer herbivory.

Volunteers from the Raritan Township Environmental Commission’s Green Team removed invasive vines from around the planted trees. Tree species planted in 2024 included several species of hickory and oak, redbud, and red maple.

Cub Pack 61 also celebrated its 75th year anniversary by planting a black gum tree donated by J&J Nursery in Mine Brook Park.

Trail maps of the Bernadette Morales Nature Preserve, Uplands and several other Township Parks and Preserves can be found at: https://www.raritantwpnj.gov/recreation-page-list/254-raritan-township-parks.

For a trail map of the Hunterdon Land Trust’s Dvoor Farm, visit: https://www.hunterdonlandtrust.org/portfolio-items/dvoor-farm/.

About Cub Scout Pack 61 of Flemington:

Established in 1949 from a commitment to community service, Cub Scout Pack 61 of Flemington (“Cub Pack 61”) is the oldest pack in Hunterdon County, fosters a family friendly atmosphere, and is constantly evolving to best suit the needs of our members and their families. Cub Pack 61 provides a healthy, fun and educational atmosphere for boys and girls, kindergarten through 5th grade, to learn the skills of scouting. From day trips to local landmarks and events to overnight camping in the hills of Hunterdon and Bucks County, Cub Pack 61’s mission is all about fun with a purpose. To learn more, visit: https://www.cubscoutpack61flemington.com/.

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