Lambertville Parks and Recreation Commission

06/04/2026

On Saturday, May 9, Lambertville Parks and Recreation participated in Global Bird Day, an international bird census conducted by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

A group of 8 residents, led by Parks Commissioner Barry Middleberg, started out at the Jean Street entrance to the Russ Lambert Nature Trail. Slowly and quietly, walking and stopping, many wonderful birds were seen and heard, including Great Crested Flycatchers, Parula Warblers, a Red Shouldered Hawk overhead, a Pileated Woodpecker, and a large flock of Cedar Waxwings. Fortunately, the rain held off as they traversed the trail out to Phillips Barber Road, making their way across to Holcombe Park.

There, the find of the day was seen, a Magnolia Warbler. Over 2 ½ hours, 35 species of birds were spotted, and 125 individuals were counted.

Special thanks to Pam Newitt and John Miller for their expertise in identification.

05/09/2026

🌿 Meet Lambertville's very first Junior Parks Stewards! 🌿

Today, fifteen of our youngest residents spent the afternoon at Cavallo Park learning what it means to be a parks steward — respecting wildlife, helping native plants grow, and keeping our parks clean and safe.

They planted four planters with various native plants 🌸, went on an animal scavenger hunt 🐦, weeded, gathered sticks, and picked up trash/recycling. The afternoon ended with a stewardship pledge and certificates.

Huge thanks to our Parks & Rec commissioners and parent volunteers who made the day possible — and to our amazing Junior Stewards for their curiosity, enthusiasm, and care!

Next time you're at Cavallo Park, look for the new planters and give a little thanks to the kids who planted them 💚

We can't wait to grow this program and welcome even more young stewards soon!

05/07/2026

New Wildlife Garden at Ely Park Coming Soon!

Thanks to a grant from the Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic Management Council for funding and the hard work of our Park Stewards, Warren, El and Ray (not pictured), we will soon have a new garden for wildlife at Ely Park. SHRES students will be helping us plant later this month.

05/05/2026

Thanks to our Park Stewards for pulling 10 bags of the invasive Garlic Mustard from the Russ Lambert Nature Trail this morning!

04/06/2026

Green Fair this Saturday! Learn about the rebate program for replacing lawn with native plants, get landscaping advice, buy native plants! Fun activities for kids!

Green Fair this Saturday! Learn about the rebate program for replacing lawn with native plants, get landscaping advice!

03/21/2026

Thank you to the Sourland Conservancy for their partnership with Lambertville. They have already planted more than 600 trees on Music Mountain, with many more to come!

🌳 Last night, the City of Lambertville issued a proclamation in recognition of the Sourland Conservancy's forest restoration efforts. Since December 2024, we've partnered with Lambertville Parks & Recreation to plant more than 600 trees and manage invasive species along the Russ Lambert Nature Trail — and we were recently awarded a generous grant through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund to expand that work!

A huge thank you to the Lambertville City Council, Lambertville Parks and Recreation Commission, and Mary Anne Borge of Lambertville Goes Wild for their partnership and support. We are so proud to be doing this work together to benefit humans and wildlife! 💚

Photo courtesy of Mary Anne Borge

03/07/2026

The Lambertville Parks & Recreation Lambertville Parks and Recreation Commission and the City of Lambertville are thrilled to be partnering with the Sourland Conservancy to improve the habitat and stormwater management capabilities of the land along the Russ Lambert Nature Trail! Thank you, Sourland Conservancy!

Exciting news for the Sourland Conservancy and the Russ Lambert Nature Trail!

We’re thrilled to share that the Sourland Conservancy has been selected for a conservation grant through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, with support from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

This project will restore 16.5 acres along the Russ Lambert Nature Trail that have been impacted by ash decline and beech leaf disease. We’ll be planting native woody and herbaceous species, managing invasive plants, and protecting regrowth from deer browse — helping improve habitat, reduce flooding, and keep our waterways clean.

We’re grateful for these partners and can’t wait to get started!

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Photo courtesy of Mary Anne Borge

02/20/2026

After a year long closure due to soil remediation and safety testing, Cavallo Park, one of Lambertville’s most cherished outdoor spaces will reopen to the public on Sunday, March 1, 2026!

01/19/2026

The Lower Delaware Wild & Scenic River Management Council (LDWS-RMC) awarded a $4,000 grant to the Parks & Recreation Commission for two major improvements to Ely Park. This funding will enable the Parks & Recreation Commission to:

1) Densely plant native tall grasses around the Ely Creek ‘big drain’ to strengthen the riparian buffer and help reduce flooding, and

2) Plant a pollinator garden visible from Main Street, positioned to help mitigate runoff from the parking lot, welcome visitors entering the park, and provide educational opportunities for park visitors as well as students and teachers at South Hunterdon Regional Elementary School.

These new features will help to reduce flooding in Ely Park, improve water and air quality, and provide important habitat for threatened bees, butterflies, birds and other wildlife.

The Parks & Recreation Commission is grateful to the LDWS-RMC for funding these important improvements in Ely Park.

01/12/2026

As we start a new year, the Parks & Recreation Commission offers our thanks for the generous assistance we received from our partners in 2025. Thank you!

To our Park Stewards, for:
• Removing bags of trash every weekend. (One team picked up 20 bags of trash at the parks by mid-November!)
• Weeding gardens at Mary Sheridan, Cherry St, and Holcombe Park.
• Planting native perennials in gardens at Cherry St and Holcombe Park.
• Patrolling the parks and the Russ Lambert Nature Trail and reporting problems that needed to be addressed.
• Clearing fallen branches and trees and removing invasive plants from the Russ Lambert Nature Trail.
• Brush-hogging the edge of Ely Creek in Ely Park in preparation for a riparian buffer planting (trees and shrubs) along the creek.
• Planting trees and shrubs along Ely Creek in Ely Park.

If you’re interested in joining this group of terrific volunteers and becoming a Park Steward, email [email protected]

To the Sourland Conservancy (sourland.org), who planted over 500 trees in various locations along the Russ Lambert Nature Trail, in the restoration area on Music Mountain near Phillips Barber Road, and in the riparian buffer along Ely Creek in Ely Park. They also recruited volunteers from SEWA International to help manage invasive plant species along the trail, and plant trees.

To the South Hunterdon High School Key Club and their advisor who spent a morning in October working tirelessly and cooperatively to cut down invasive Japanese Aralia (a.k.a. Hercules Club, Devil’s Walking Stick) and Burning Bush along the Russ Lambert Nature Trail. Under the supervision of Parks & Rec and experienced Park Stewards, in just a few short hours club members worked together to put a huge dent in the population of these invasive plants. Their work will help improve habitat for the birds, pollinators, and other wildlife along the trail.