MIles of Trail Maintained - 32.5

Partnering with both the Warren County Department of Land Preservation (WCDLP), Merrill Creek Reservoir (MCR) and NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), NJYC of Phillipsburg is contracted to monitor and maintain 32.5 miles of trail in Warren, Sussex, Hunterdon, Hudson and Mercer counties.

• Our work with NJDEP focuses on the maintenance of the Warren Highlands Trail, (Map Here) -

• Merrill Creek Reservoir has us performing trail encroachment work, and rerouting a section of trail compromised by severe weather events.

• With WCDLP, The Morris Canal Greenway represents the majority of trail work for our program, with crews regularly maintaining the county-owned sections of the historic trail from Phillipsburg to Hackettstown.

Notable Highlight: Warren County Commissioner James kern presented us with a Proclamation celebrating the 40th Anniversary of NJYC in the state on National Trails Day, June 7th, 2025

Acres of Open Space Managed - 2,679 acres

This represents the majority of work in our service portfolio. For a scale of comparison, 2,679 acres is equal to about 3,000 football fields - We think this is an impressive number for our little program!

Aided by the funding we receive from the Warren County Department of Land Preservation & Merrill Creek Reservoir Corpsmembers participate in all aspects of conservation and ecological work to better connect them with nature and their communities. Some of the work we’ve accomplished this year:

• maintained the 7.5 acre pollinator meadow at Bread Lock Park. Working with NJ Audubon, Corpsmembers were able to learn hands-on herbicide applications to better manage invasives at the site.

• stewardship of 469 acres of White Lake Natural Resource Area

• worked to remove invasive species of Autumn olive at MCR, and then incorporated the cuttings to create ‘spider blocks’ - or artificial underwater habitat

• started clearing the property and establishing some walking trails at Warren County’s newest acquisition - Mt. Pleasant Park

Turtles Surveyed & Data Recorded - 35

Working with MCR and the New Jersey DEP Endangered and Nongame Species program - Corpsmembers regularly participated in surveys searching for turtles in their natural habitat. Members learned about the anatomy & unique habitats of Box and Wood turtles and then -by combing over streambanks, wetlands and fields -find the turtles and record the size, weight, gender, etc and notch each shell giving it a unique identification - and then log and submit the data to the NJDEP for analysis.

Monarchs Raised & released - 12

Over the past few years, we have been focused on habitat creation and restoration - seeing that those activities model what NJ Youth Corps does for the young adults it serves - providing supportive, nurturing habitats for a community in need. We’ve even incorporated the hands on activity of propagating our own milkweed plants by harvesting seeds from existing plants and having the Corpsmembers plant them and grow their own - using the plants that they’ve sown and incorporating them into our own planting projects.

Milkweed is essential to the survival of monarch butterflies, as it is the only plant on which monarchs lay their eggs and the sole food source for monarch caterpillars. Without healthy stands of milkweed, monarch populations cannot reproduce or sustain themselves. Habitat preservation is therefore critical—not only to protect milkweed from development and pesticide use, but to ensure monarchs have safe places to grow, migrate, and thrive. Protecting and restoring natural habitats helps maintain the delicate balance ecosystems depend on and safeguards iconic species like the monarch for future generations.

Our CM’s milkweed did quite well, and we attracted monarchs almost instantly when they were in bloom.  So, over the summer we started bringing some caterpillars into our indoor habitat to observe.  Corpsmembers held vigil over 14 chrysalises to watch 12 of them hatch out.  The metaphors of transformation resonated with the members as they reflected on the changes they were making within themselves.  

‘Spider Blocks’ Constructed - 145

NJYCP Members are repurposing the cut Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) to use as the vertical structure for ‘Spider Blocks’. A spider block is an artificial habitat created for fish by inserting plastic pipes into a cinder block and securing them with concrete (when completed they resemble spiders). These structures are placed in lakes mimicking brush piles to provide cover for fish, improve their habitats, and increase fishing opportunities.

As part of a larger aspect of working with MCR (see video here), NJYCP helped build 145 fish habitat structures that have been deployed in MCR since April 2024. These structures are a modified version of “Spider Blocks." Typically, when constructing Spider Blocks, PVC tubes or plastic pipes are cemented into concrete block to create weighted vertical structure. However, this project implements the non-native invasive vegetation species Autumn Olive, in place of the plastic tubes and pipes as the vertical structure in the blocks.  The woody material is dense and rot resistant, so it is a good candidate for this application.

By using natural materials rather than plastics, we are removing the risk of plastics in the reservoir off-gassing or releasing microplastics into the water over time, while still providing better underwater structure for fish, macroinvertebrates, and other aquatic organisms to use for shelter or foraging areas.

These spider block structures will continue to be built and deployed over the next few years at MCR and NJYCP is proving to be essential to their construction and deployment.  See more here or click the video below to see the construction, deployment and results from our efforts!

NOTE - this project was selected as a finalist for The Corps Network ‘Project of the Year’! See link to the nomination below.

NUmber of Years for NJ Youth Corps - 40

This past spring we gathered at Liberty State Park in Jersey City to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the NJ Youth Corps in the Garden State. We reflected on the past and envisioned what the next 40 years might look like. See video included in the program celebration here, and a video from the day’s events here.

Special Programs - Youth Inclusion Initiative Serves 9

For 6 weeks in July and August, NJYC of Phillipsburg participated in the NJ DEP Youth Inclusion Initiative program to empower 9 youth from Phillipsburg by providing hands-on experiences, environmental insights, and introduce them to some of the technical skills necessary to pursue a career in environmental protection. Through collaborative efforts across NJDEP and partnerships with local organizations, the program fosters a diverse, knowledgeable, and capable new generation of environmental stewards, with a focus on providing opportunities to youth from communities that have disproportionately less open space or historically lack access to natural lands.It also included funds for a community-based project, and we installed a pollinator garden in Walters Park - see the summary video capturing feedback from all our participants!

NEW PARTNERS: Lee Services

Learning Enrichment Experience (LEE) Services are designed to implement person-centered practices in addressing the unique social, emotional, and functional education needs of people with a wide range of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). All programs and services are provided using trauma-informed lenses and applying the principles of the Nurtured Heart Approach in a safe, respectful, and stimulating environment where individuals with IDD can expand their knowledge, develop independent skills, foster healthy relationships, and actively engage in local community activities.

NJYC participates in Free Fishing Days at Merrill Creek reservoir with clients of LEE Services, aiding in demonstrations, helping bait hooks, casting, & catching and releasing.

We are excited about this new development with LEE Services as it represents a new dynamic for our program, and mirrors our own forays into the Nurtured Heart Approach in our own Corpsmembers’ experience.