Scudder Preserve Rain Garden Planting Day

(Rain date: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 3:00 – 5:00 pm)

Help plant the new rain garden at Scudder Preserve! Please wear closed shoes, sun and tick protection, and appropriate clothing. Don’t forget to bring water, gloves, and a spade.

The Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) has asked us to help plant native plants in three professionally designed and prepared bioswales that slope toward Scudder Preserve’s 1.41-acre pond. Scudder Preserve is a 90-acre natural haven in the Navesink section of Middletown Township.

The rain gardens will capture and slow stormwater, which will reduce sediment and nutrient runoff while allowing more groundwater recharge, improving the pond’s water quality, and benefiting Claypit Creek and the broader Navesink River watershed. Planted with native species, the bioswales will also create habitat and provide valuable resources for pollinators, resident and migrating birds, and other wildlife while demonstrating how green infrastructure can be used to address stormwater challenges naturally.

Funded by a generous grant from the American Water Charitable Foundation, the project is being developed by MCF in partnership with the Native Plant Society of New Jersey and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program.

MCF is committed to restoring and enhancing the natural ecology of the 90-acre Scudder Preserve. Originally owned by the Scudder Family, a series of visionary land and conservation easement donations led to the property’s full preservation. In 2024, MCF became the permanent owner of Scudder Preserve. MCF is dedicated to stewarding this special land as a nature preserve and community space, welcoming outdoor exploration and safeguarding the land’s ecological integrity.  

This important and exciting project is in its earliest stages; come be part of the team that helps make it a reality.