Highland Park

Native Plant Sanctuary

The Highland Park Native Plant Sanctuary (NPS) is a three-acre open space dedicated to the propagation and protection of native plants. It is open to the public from dawn until dusk and visitors can enjoy nature in flowering meadows and shady woodlands along the banks of the Raritan River.

As a riparian buffer zone, the Native Plant Sanctuary helps to protect the Raritan River from pollution carried by stormwater runoff. It also provides stream bank stabilization, shade for aquatic life along the riverbank, and habitat for wildlife. As an open space rich in plants and wildlife, it offers a refreshing change from the stresses of modern life. The sanctuary is maintained by volunteers and provides a hands-on experience for those interested in learning ways to improve our local environment. It also provides examples of many local species of plants, many of which can be grown in suburban gardens, too.

Thank You

A big thank you to the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County’s Native Plant Teaching Nursery for their generous donation of native plants.

This Month In the Garden

Join us...

Check back here for volunteer days in the fall.

Please send an email to us at highlandparknativeplants@gmail.com if you or a school group would like to volunteer to help.

Summer Service Interns (2025)

Check out our write-up on the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership website.

Events

TBA

Stewardship

While conventional gardening and landscaping seek to achieve a certain look, stewardship here at the Highland Park Native Plant Sanctuary seeks to promote ecological resilience and biodiversity.

We use no chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. Last year’s flower stalks, fallen leaves, twigs and branches are left on the ground to provide shelter for insects and small animals and nourishment for organisms that turn plant matter into rich soil.

We make space for planting native plants by removing invasive species. Native plants sustain a microbiota that helps other plants absorb water and nutrients. Webs of soil microorganisms allow trees to communicate with each other through their roots and improve soil quality. Native plants also attract native insects, which native birds depend on to feed their nestlings. Thus a system of mutually dependent lifeforms begins to emerge on what, for about 300 years, was mostly lifeless, disturbed land.

Our stewards protect the sanctuary and its plant communities, but try not to intervene too much. All living things want to grow and thrive. Given time, they generally can figure out on their own how to maximize their nourishment and protect themselves from predators. As stewards here, we try to be patient, paying attention to the emerging ecosystem and looking for clues to teach us what we can do to help. This type of land management is less expensive, less time consuming, less polluting and more ecologically friendly than conventional landscape care.

To learn about volunteer opportunities, email highlandparknativeplants@gmail.com.

Memorial Project Update

The memorial area in memory of Mary Denver is complete. Thank you to the Native Plant Society of New Jersey for their generous donation of a memorial bench and to the Borough of Highland Park for the memorial sign. Many thanks to the Department of Public Works for the installations and everyone else close to Mary who contributed the creation of this space. To learn more about Mary and her work, go to our history page.

A note about the tree tops in the memorial area—A few invasive Norway maples have been topped, leaving the trees as snags. While this level of disruption isn’t part of our usual stewardship methods, it allows a rare opportunity for more dramatic and short-term improvement. Leaving a tree as a snag (vs just a stump) is better for forest health and becomes habitat for birds, pollinators, and other insects.

Supporters and Partnerships

Questions?

Contact highlandparknativeplants@gmail.com to get more information on the volunteer opportunities

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