In addition to this blog, the Friends of Herrontown Woods now has an honest-to-goodness website at HerrontownWoods.org. The new website is the go-to for the latest information on our organization and upcoming events. Many of the blog posts I have here can also be found on the new site. Thanks goes to Pilar Castro-Klitz and her team at More Canvas Consulting for building the new website.
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Spring Flowers at Herrontown Woods
Herrontown Woods is starting to shake off winter and generate some color.
Redbuds young and old are blooming next to Veblen House, and there's one at the Barden. It's a native, though all of these were either planted or proliferated from trees planted previously.Dotting the woodland understory are crabapple trees. There is such a thing as a native crabapple tree, but I don't know if those at Herrontown Woods are among them.Daffodils have been in their splendor near Veblen House and Cottage. They could have been planted by Elizabeth Veblen herself, or by one of the garden clubs that worked hard to renovate the gardens after she died in 1974. The daffodils follow early sweeps of snowdrops and scilla.
Friday, March 25, 2022
Renovating Autumn Hill Trails
This year we've set out to improve the trails at Autumn Hill Reservation. The Friends of Herrontown Woods has used a similar approach at Herrontown Woods with success.
The aim is to reroute a few of the trails to minimize muddiness and highlight some of the features that would otherwise go unseen, such as these four big boulders that got lifted up into the air by a tree's rootball as it fell.Saturday, March 12, 2022
A Geology Walk at Herrontown Woods (POSTPONED)
The walk is at 1pm. A limited number of spots are available. Click here to sign up.
Next time you walk the yellow trail, notice how the boulders along the stream start out squarish, but become more rounded as you head up onto the ridge. These two shapes were produced in different geologic eras.
Friday, February 25, 2022
Bird and Plant Walk at Herrontown Woods this Sunday, Feb. 27
Thanks to the Princeton Public Library for helping get the word out about this event, which is in addition to our usual Sunday morning workdays that start around 10:30.
Monday, January 10, 2022
Princeton ECHO Features Herrontown Woods
Friday, December 3, 2021
May's Barden Cafe returns this Sunday, Jan. 2 (and Feb. 6)
The event--first Sundays through the winter--coincides with the weekly Herrontown Woods workdays, making for a nice mix of socializing and volunteer activity.
May was the nickname for Elizabeth Veblen. She and her husband Oswald donated Herrontown Woods long ago, and also started the tradition of afternoon tea at the Institute for Advanced Study.
The road down to Herrontown Woods is directly across from the main entryway to Smoyer Park. 600 Snowden Lane is now the official address for the parking lot.
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Nature Walks This Sunday, Nov. 14, 10am and 1pm
Friday, October 29, 2021
May's Barden Cafe is Born
There's a delightful new happening at the Barden in Herrontown Woods. Nicole Bergman, with help from Joanna Poniz, is hosting May's Barden Cafe.
From 10-12 on Sunday, Oct. 24, they served coffee from Small World and some teas, along with a delicious pastry Nicole made.The name comes from Elizabeth Veblen's nickname May. Born in England, May was the force behind developing the tradition of tea in the Princeton math department and also at the Institute for Advanced Study. Nicole and Joanna are very much taking a cue from the Veblens' love of bringing people together.
Thanks to FOHW board member Inge Regan for the first two photos in this post.
Friday, October 8, 2021
The Barden: Building a Better Bridge to the 21st Century
At the Herrontown Woods Barden (short for Botanical ARt garDEN), we like to think we're building a better bridge to the 21st century.
In this case, it's literally a bridge. The Barden is a collective enterprise that has emerged out of a "fallen forest", where storms had blown down a pine grove planted long ago. Rather than neaten the place up by removing the dead trees, we have used those fallen trees as features and building material. Rootballs have become backdrops for gardens and displays, and in this case a sturdy trunk is becoming a bridge. For this bridge, Victorino is the primary visionary and craftsman, using skills and strategies he learned in his home country of Guatemala.