This towering lakefront woodland is a rare remnant of the now near-relic Inner Coastal Plain Forest as it existed in Poet Walt Whitman’s day. Bald Eagles again forage and fish daily from the Camden County, New Jersey, site intended to be preserved as “Whitman Woods.” Humans seek out this wooded urban oasis for solace, renewal and the pure joy of communing with Nature — basic needs felt even more keenly during the 2020 Pandemic.
Most notable, it’s widely acknowledged that Whitman penned much of his powerful, most enduring works in what is now the Borough of Laurel Springs while summering there in his prolific twilight years, writing Specimen Days in this locale and drawing inspiration for significant additions to Leaves of Grass. He shared the joy he took in walking the banks of Laurel Lake — which he deemed “the prettiest lake in America or Europe” — and the beauty of the surrounding woods and springs in effusive letters written to an international cast of friends. Forging a cultural/conservation Whitman legacy on this enchanting site will pay tribute to the immortal poet whose words so eloquently celebrate Nature.
Area residents and visitors have considered this private land a passive park in all but name for nearly 50 years. Among other compelling reasons for Open Space preservation, the 3.75 acres will provide the only formal public lake access along the entire perimeter of Laurel Lake, which rims three modest boroughs (Laurel Springs, Lindenwold and Stratford).
Owned since 1925 by the same family, the land is now held in an irrevocable trust that faces imminent dissolution. To help ensure its preservation, Chadds Ford, PA-based North American Land Trust (NALT) is serving as lead project advisor and chief conservation collaborator. The nonprofit has demonstrated a unique ability to creatively rescue and protect Open Space since its 1992 founding. NALT worked with the family to help define the project and develop a site plan distinguished by history, conservation, culture and community. Endowing the land via the private sector and conveying it to an appropriate conservation entity that can steward the “green island” as a passive park in perpetuity are the near-term imperatives.
For the Legacy Founder (or founders), underwriting “Whitman Woods” will resonate within the Conservation, Arts, Education and Whitman communities — regionally, nationally and globally.