Visiting Duke Farms
Visitor Information Visitor Services Duke Farms Garden Kitchen: Our Story Property Highlights Activities Property Map Guidelines, Rules, and FAQ's Farmers Market For Educators Duke Farms App Saturday Pass FAQ
Classes & Events
Calendar Professional Development
Making an Impact
Habitat Restoration AgroEcology Sustainability Eagle Cam Stewardship at Home Distance Learning In the Classroom Community Garden Research
About
Staff Volunteers Careers Internships
Volunteer
Contact
Privacy Policy
Newsletter
Duke Farms
Visiting Duke Farms Classes & Events Making an Impact About

Stewardship at Home

Making an Impact
Habitat Restoration AgroEcology Sustainability Eagle Cam
Stewardship at Home Distance Learning In the Classroom Community Garden Research
Stewardship at Home

Landscaping with Natives

At its core, landscaping with native plants is all about reducing our carbon footprint on the land and is centered on the principle of sustainability. Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet the needs of the future implies the stewardship of both natural and human resources are of prime importance. Substantially reducing the detrimental effects we have on the earth will be critical to the health of the land. So making the transition to sustainable landscape practices that include using native plants will help assure we meet these goals.

Landscaping with native offers numerous benefits. Heat and drought resistance, conserving water, cold hardness, pest resistances, adaptation and habitat generation all make the use of natives the right choice.

Native plants of the Central New Jersey Piedmont Region have, over thousands of years, adapted to the climatic conditions NJ offers. They are well suited for the shale clay-loam soil and when grown in the right environment they naturally ward off pest and diseases. Because they are so well suited to the conditions present in Central NJ they usually require no additional fertilization. This also reduces, and in most cases, totally eliminates the need for pesticide applications; decreasing the pollutants that enter the water we drink and air we breathe.

The adaptation of native plants makes them cold hardy and heat tolerant. Water resources have become a major concern and using native plants planted in the right environment substantially reduces the need to irrigate, conserving these valuable resources. Not only are all these attributes beneficial for the environment it is economically great for the pocketbook.

Native plants are vital in maintaining diverse healthy habitats for wildlife. Native fauna has adapted over centuries of time to live and feed off of very specific plants so the flora that provides habitats for these organisms must meet strict criteria. If the right criterion is not met then fauna will either move on to find the right habitats for their survival or they perish. Given time flora and fauna can and will adapt to changing environments, but due to the ever increasing presence of man the environments are changing far too fast for them to adapt. Native plants are key to the health and diversity of our native habitats.

Natives, when used wisely, can make great plants for the formal garden too. Just like the exotics we are so accustomed to, natives can be pruned and trimmed for showy displays while also providing the diverse plantings wildlife needs. As part of its mission, Duke Farms uses only native plants in its outdoor landscaping and in restoration of natural areas. Visitors of Duke Farms are encouraged to emualte this ethic by utilizing similar native plantings in their home landscapes and gardens.

For a full list of Plants Native to New Jersey please visit the NJ Native Plant Society website.

How is the game played?

If using a handheld GPS device (such as a Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance, etc.):
  1. Register for a free basic membership on geocaching.com.
  2. Visit the Hide & Seek a Cache page to locate a cache nearby.
  3. Select a cache to view its cache page which lists the cache description, GPS coordinates, and other instructions on how to find the cache.
  4. Load the coordinates into your GPS device and naviagate to the hidden cache.
  5. Sign the logbook inside the cache and log your visit online on geocaching.com.
If using a GPS-enabled smartphone (such as an iPhone or Andriod phone):
  1. Download geocaching.com app from your app store (there is an Intro version which only allows you to navigate to 3 caches before it makes you upgrade and there is the full version which is $9.99).
  2. Log-in using your geocaching.com username or create a free geocaching.com username if you do not have one.
  3. Once logged in, press "Find Nearby Caches."
  4. Choose the appropriate cache from the list. The cache page should appear.
  5. Press "Navigate to Cache." A map should appear showing your location in relation to the cache location.
  6. Navigate to the cache and sign the logbook when you find it. Go back to the cache page and press "Post a Log/Field Note" to post a log online.

Duke Farms GeoTrail

The Duke Farms GeoTrail is a geocaching challenge consisting of 11 different caches placed around the property. It is a unique journey through a variety of native habitats and landscapes.

To complete the challenge you have to fill out the GeoTrail brochure and uncover the secret word, then present your completed brochure to the front desk staff in the Orientation Center to receive your commemorative token (GeoTrail brochures are available at the front desk in the Orientation Center).

Creating a Firefly Habitat Perennial Meadow

Events & Classes

View All

APR 14

Evening Birding at Duke Farms: Early Spring Migrants & Resident Breeding Birds

APR 14

Evening Birding at Duke Farms: Early Spring Migrants & Resident Breeding Birds

APR 14

Evening Birding at Duke Farms: Early Spring Migrants & Resident Breeding Birds

VIEW ALL

Contact

Duke Farms

1112 Dukes Parkway West Hillsborough, N.J. 08844

(908) 722-3700

info@dukefarms.org


Navigate

Visiting Duke Farms Classes & Events Making an Impact About
Volunteer Contact Privacy Policy Newsletter