The Site Plan’s minimalist design complements the land’s inherent attributes and ensures:
- Natural resource preservation
- Passive enjoyment of the natural environment
- Lake access
Phase 1
Near-term anticipated minimal-impact enhancements:
- Narrow main trail to reestablish understory
- Soil erosion mitigation; soil retention improvement
- Whitman Woods signage posted at both Glen & Beech avenue entries
- Low-profile interpretive signage posted at established trailheads and/or adjacent to legacy trees
- Low-profile post-and-rail fence to distinguish boundaries and prohibit vehicular access
- Reclaim/integrate/transform existing foundation for open classroom/lake observation platform
Phase 2
Mid-term minimal-impact enhancements anticipated over 5 years:
- Strategically encourage proliferation of rare natives and eradicate invasives (gridded by plot in potential partnership with Penn, Rutgers and Rowan environmental internship programs)
- ADA access to open classroom / viewing platform
- Limited parking, gravel or grid
- Glen observation platform
- Canoe launch via Beech Avenue access
Phase 3
Long-term:
- Implement 20-Year management/stewardship strategic plan in congress with “Whitman Woods” advisory board, artists, borough, county, educators and scientists
Proposed Passive Uses
- Naturalist-led “Walk in the Woods with Walt” forays
- Spring poetry readings and/or writing workshops facilitated by partner schools/poets
- Nature seminars facilitated by partner universities & South Jersey Land & Water Trust
- Painting and Photography workshops facilitated by area artists and/or partner educators
- Spring lakefront community clean-ups coordinated by Friends of Whitman Woods
- Docent-guided Whitman pilgrimages facilitated by regional Whitman scholars