Martin Luther King Day of Service at Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park Headquarters

Kingston, NJ. Clean-up Day at Mapleton Preserve. for National Day of Service - Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 17, 2010, 12 - 3 PM, Mapleton Preserve, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston, NJ 08540. For more info, see www.fpnl.org or call 609-683-0483. 

Put on your work boots and join Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands for an invigorating Clean-Up Day at Mapleton Preserve on the Martin Luther King Day of Service, Monday Jan. 17, 2011 from 12-3 pm! We will be clearing small trees, brush, and trash from the Preserve.  Bring tools such as saws, clippers, loppers and rakes.  Dress for the weather, whatever it is - work gloves, sturdy shoes, warm clothing and hats are recommended. It's free and all are welcome.  For more information, see www.fpnl.org or call 609-683-0483. 

Background: Monday, January 17, 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. To make it a "a day on, not a day off," millions of Americans are expected to honor King by volunteering for a "National Day of Service" in their communities.   In Kingston, NJ, Friends of Princeton Nurseries (FPNL) will be sponsoring their annual winter clean-up at the Mapleton Preserve for the Martin Luther King Day of Service.  They welcome everyone to come learn about the special joys of stewardship. At last year's MLK Day of Service Event at Mapleton Preserve, 40 (+) volunteers responded to FPNL's call to help, including families, seniors and grade-school and high school helpers.  FPNL president Karen Linder is hoping for an equally impressive number this year. 

"It is really gratifying to see what a group of dedicated volunteers can get done in just 3 hours!  Last year, wielding saws and loppers, the group cleared trees and brush around the propagation house and greenhouses - a historic complex that is being restored as an interpretive center. We got the entire building circumference cleared, and also picked up 26 bags of trash. What a fabulous effort!" 

The site where the event will take place, Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park Headquarters/Mapleton Preserve, at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston, was the headquarters of Princeton Nurseries, once one of the largest wholesale tree nurseries in the United States. In 1995, over 200 acres of the nursery land was preserved, and the historic sales for Princeton Nurseries was transformed into the headquarters for the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park .   

Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands (FPNL) which serves as a 'friends group" for this historic resource, will have plenty of gloves and trash bags at the site for the cleanup, but they ask people to bring tools such as loppers, saws, clippers and rakes.   It is free, hot cider and donuts will be served and all are welcome.

Directions

From Rt. 27 (South of Kingston): From Princeton and south, take Rt. 27 North. Pass Lake Carnegie and the light at River Road. Take right at next light onto Academy St, which turns into Mapleton Road. Go ~0.2 miles down the road. After crossing bridge, watch for white sign for "Day of Service" event (on the left hand side). Immediately turn into parking area at the sign for Mapleton Preserve. If you reach a stoplight at Barkley Square, you have gone too far........

Rt 27 (North of Kingston): Take Rt. 27 South into Kingston Center. Pass light at Heathcote/Laurel Ave (Main St Cafe is on this corner). Take left at next light onto Academy St. (Kingston Garage is on this corner). Academy turns into Mapleton Road. After crossing a bridge (~0.2 miles down the road), watch for white sign for "Day of Service" event (on the left hand side). Immediately turn into parking area at the sign for Mapleton Preserve. If you reach a stoplight at Barkley Square, you have gone too far........

From Rt. 1 Southbound: Turn right at the Ridge Road exit toward Kingston (Note - this is south of the Raymond Road exit). There is a Double Tree Hotel at this turn. Follow Ridge Road to the second left (after Railroad Ave). Turn left onto Ridge Road (called Division St on some maps). Follow until it ends at a stop sign. Turn left onto Mapleton Road. Go ~0.1 miles, cross bridge, and watch for white sign for "Day of Service" event (on the left hand side). Immediately turn into parking area at the sign for Mapleton Preserve.

From Rt. 1 Northbound: Pass Princeton, College Road Exits and Independence Way exits. At Ridge Road exit, take jughandle across Rt. 1 toward Kingston. There is a Double Tree Hotel at this turn. Follow Ridge Road to the second left (after Railroad Ave). Turn left onto Ridge Road (called Division St on some maps). Follow until it ends at a stop sign. Turn left onto Mapleton Road. Go ~0.1 miles, cross bridge, and watch for white sign for "Day of Service" event (on the left hand side). Immediately turn into parking area at the sign for Mapleton Preserve.

If using a GPS, use 145 Mapleton Road, Princeton 08540 as the address. GPS devices have trouble finding Kingston.