Birding in the Pines

Come exploring with your guide to see the unique birds that call the Pine Barrens home

Birding in the Pinelands can be a challenging experience, since finding the birds is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time, especially for those migratory species. We will look for interesting birds that are resident or just passing through the area. On May 22nd and May 24th,  we will meet at the Speedwell Entrance to the beautiful Franklin Parker Preserve at 9:45AM to take a slow hike, passing through both woods and wetland, and open cranberry bogs. Also, we are excited to have Claire Campbell lead these programs for us, so a big thank you for Claire’s expertise!

This accessible family-friendly outing follows along a section of the White Trail at Franklin Parker Preserve. The preserve is a picturesque location perfect for birding opportunities as the site has a mixture of forest, open meadow, and wetland habitats as the area is crossed by stream networks of the Wading River. This park is a good place to get long, clear looks at birds because of the relative openness of the park. It is also a nice park to know about, especially because of its quick and easy access to birding for almost anyone.

The total length of this route is 1.36 miles. The trail route is a there-and-back route that follows flat, even terrain. There are no slopes encountered on this trip. The trail is a minimum of 6ft wide. The general trail surfaces are compacted soils, which will allow for rugged terrain wheelchair access. The runtime of the event is estimated to be 2 hours. While there are benches on the property, there are no benches on the route taken. There are now ADA-compliant parking spaces, but the parking lot is spacious, compacted natural soils. There are portable bathrooms at the parking area, one of which is ADA Accessible.

Meeting place is the Speedwell entrance to Franklin Parker Preserve. Directions available here: https://goo.gl/maps/J8Q8G92Q1eTbhGpf7