FOPOS Winter Tree Tenders Volunteer Training // January 6th 2026

Join the Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) this winter as a volunteer Tree Tender!

Looking to lend a hand this winter? Join the FOPOS Tree Tenders and nurture the forest through its peaceful winter season. Attend a Tree Tenders training session on Tuesday, January 6th, from 11 am to 1 pm, and get oriented to the work this season.

As a Tree Tender, you'll support the health of the Preserve’s native trees and shrubs by gently caring for young plantings, conducting invasive plant removal, using hand pruners to clear invasive vines from protective cages, and keeping an eye on our newest restoration areas. Tree Tenders will also help with regular trail and deer exclusion-fence monitoring. Volunteers in these roles will walk and monitor trails, patch small fence issues, and report any significant damage to staff. Ideally, monitoring would happen weekly (or biweekly) to help us meet our stewardship goals this season. Adults may work independently, while minors will be paired with a partner and check in with FOPOS staff before and after their volunteer shift.

Meetup Location: Mountain Lakes House Parking Lot

Directions & Parking: We will meet at the Mountain Lake House parking lot, located within the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Here is a link to the parking lot location on Google Maps & Apple Maps. The address of the Preserve is 57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540; this will bring you to the entrance of the Preserve, not our meet-up location. To get to the Mountain Lakes House parking lot, look for the white gate along Mountain Avenue, marked by a series of black mailboxes along the road. Drive slowly down the long paved driveway. The gravel parking lot will be on your left, approximately 1/2 mile down the driveway.

Event waiver: Please complete this event waiver - fopos.org/waiver. This needs to be completed once per calendar year.

About FOPOS: Founded in 1969, FOPOS has been working to preserve and protect natural spaces in the greater Princeton area for more than 50 years. As a part of our work, we rely on volunteers to help make progress when it comes to restoration work, such as our current forest and riparian restoration projects in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve.

Can't make this session? Consider making a donation to show your love for our local environment! All donations support our year-round stewardship work.

Looking to register for multiple volunteer sessions this season? Register HERE.

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