(HAMILTON, NJ) -- The nonprofit Friends for the Abbott Marshlands announces a Call for Art for Voices for the Marsh, its 2022 biennial, 10th Juried Photography Exhibit. It is juried by Al Horner of New Jersey Pinelands photographic fame, and Pat Coleman, Naturalist and President of the Friends. Submissions are due by Earth Day, April 22, with the exhibition running June 5 – September 18, 2022. The venue is Tulpehaking Nature Center’s galleries at 157 Westcott Avenue in Hamilton, New Jersey.
The show provides an opportunity for both fine art photographers and local hobbyists to capture the cultural and ecological richness of the marshlands and participate in the Friends’ efforts to build awareness and support for the protection and stewardship of the marshlands. Prospectus is available at https://abbottmarshlands.org.
The Abbott Marshlands are a critical natural and cultural resource located in central New Jersey along the Delaware River between Trenton and Bordentown, including Hamilton. Its 3,000 acres of open space include the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River and surrounding lowland and upland forests. Hiking the trails on the Abbott Marshlands’ preserved lands during the pandemic has meant so much to ocal communities during this challenging time. Being outdoors, smelling the freshness of the air and looking at natural images while “forest bathing” are proven to calm our nerves and provide respite in a constantly changing world. The Tulpehaking Nature Center provides educational resources, answers to questions for the public and bathrooms. There are free weekly and monthly group walks with registration at rotating locations between: Watson Woods, Spring Lake at Roebling Park, Northern Community Park, Bordentown Bluffs with Crosswicks Creek Water Trail, and D&R Canal State Park between Bordentown and Trenton. Another location will be added soon in Point Breeze State Park, the historic former estate of Joseph Bonaparte, and most recently, the Divine Word Missionary.
The Friends for the Abbott Marshlands have organized and sponsored a variety of programs like the photography exhibit with the intent of educating people about the marsh. Programs have included field and canoe trips, trail maintenance and clean-up activities, symposia, and Inspirations Showcase. In 2022, they hope to celebrate in person the important 20th anniversary milestone of the Friends for the Abbott Marshlands. It is a dedicated team of volunteers who give countless hours maintaining trails, trash clean up, helping with tree or pollinator plantings, and leading group walks and specialty talks. As their website states, “Nulelìntàm èli paan. (Lenape, ‘I am glad because you came’)”
The Abbott Marshlands -- The Abbott Marshlands Council works toward supporting stewardship, preservation, and protection of the Abbott Marshlands. Members of The Abbott Marshlands Council are private citizens, representatives of public and industrial landholders, and other parties. In 1999, preservation of these marshlands began as a project of D&R Greenway Land Trust, following a recommendation of the Hamilton/Trenton Marsh Management Plan Council. They later developed the Cooperative Stewardship Plan in 2010, an updated blueprint for stewardship and management. The Abbott Farm Historic District is the first National Historic Landmark archaeological site in New Jersey, designated by the US Department of the Interior on December 8, 1976, 45 years ago. It is named after Charles Conrad Abbott. His early archeological work and writings spurred much research there. It is the largest known Middle Woodland village of its type on the east coast of the United States.
The Friends for the Abbott Marshlands, organized in 2002 as Friends of the Marsh, is a grassroots organization of volunteers dedicated to enhancing appreciation and protection of the Abbott Marshlands. Their mission is to engage and inspire a diverse community to experience the unique nature and history of the marshlands with surrounding upland woods. In 2011 the name was changed to Friends for the Abbott Marshlands to acknowledge the historical and natural significance of the area. In 2021, they became their own 501c(3) nonprofit.
PHOTO BY ANN E. DARLINGTON
