The iconic “Field of Dreams” quote, “If you build it, he will come,” rings “really true” when it comes to nature.
Just look at Swede Run Fields, formerly the Benner Farm, this approximate 140-acre open space is by far the largest chunk of open space in Moorestown. Today the site houses a dog park, an historic stone building, and a native pollinator garden.
In June of 2021, Save the Environment Moorestown, known as STEM, and many volunteers installed a native pollinator garden that surrounds the old stone building. This beautiful garden houses over 1,200 plants made up of 10 native species and covers over 4,000 square feet.
Now in its fourth growing season, the field “really looks pretty spectacular,” says Mark Pensiero, president of SAVE, who finds himself visiting the site at least once a week, or even three.
Recently, Pensiero, who grew up in Moorestown and has been part of SAVE for approximately 25 years, went to check on any bluebird sightings at the bluebird bird houses that were installed by a team from the nonprofit Urban Promise in Camden last year.
On this particular day in late March, he didn’t see any bluebirds; however, observed five tree swallows going in and out of the houses.
While bluebirds haven’t nested in the bird houses at Swede Run Fields as of yet, tree swallows have.
“I got my fingers crossed that we’ll get some actual bluebirds,” Pensiero said.
The Swede Run Fields was acquired by Moorestown Township in 2001 as open space for $7.3 million through funding from the township, Burlington County and New Jersey Green Acres.
“The biggest portion of the [acreage] is about a 75-acre [fallow farm] field that was farmed for many years even after the township purchased the property with help from the state Green Acres program,” Pensiero said, noting Barbara Rich, founding member of SAVE, was instrumental in getting the fields preserved. “[The township] continued to lease it out to a farmer up to about six to seven years ago. Then he stopped farming it and it just sat there.”
Around the beginning of COVID, Pensiero read an article in the Moorestown Sun newspaper which mentioned the Town Council was kicking around ideas about what they should do with the field from turning it into an organic farm to native grass fields.
“I saw that article and I had a lot of time on my hands,” he recalled thinking it would be a “really cool project.” “I just started doing a lot of research on conversions of fields and different ways to do it. I talked to a lot of people including somebody at the Doris Duke Foundation up in Central Jersey where they converted this property zoned by her family into farms and native grasslands. They were a great help.”
Those discussions led Pensiero to talk to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to learn about their programs.
“Eventually the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (Partners for Wildlife) program seemed to make the most sense because it was a program where they contributed resources right from the beginning,” he said, noting the biologist from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife found the site “unique” after a walk-through.
With the U.S. Fish and Wildlife on board as well as the township, all parties ultimately came up with a plan to restore 75 acres into native grassland and pollinator habitat located on the western side of Westfield Road.
In addition to the native grasslands, the site also features two vernal pools, which were created by enhancing the two wet areas that exist on the property.
These shallow, seasonal pools provide critical habitat for migrating ducks and shorebirds as well as provide breeding grounds for frogs and salamanders.
“It truly was a partnership,” Pensiero said. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife put together an entire management plan. The township contributed mowing and paid for the herbicide application. Our group paid for the farmer to do the actual planting. The value of the seed alone was $15,000 to plant the property.”
Pensiero learned through U.S. Fish and Wildlife about a grant of plants through the Xerces Society, an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats, according to its website.
With a grant of a thousand plants through the Xerces Society the pollinator garden came to life with plantings in fall 2021 and spring 2022 around the historic building that goes back to the 1700s, early 1800s.
For their Swede Run Fields habitat restoration efforts, SAVE was presented with the prestigious ANJEC (Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions) Environmental Achievement Award at ANJEC’s 50th annual Environmental Congress in 2023.
STEM was one of five organizations recognized for outstanding environmental achievements that year.
The barn with the pollinator garden has become a very popular spot for people to take wedding and engagement photographs, Pensiero said.
“When it’s in bloom it’s really spectacular,” he said noting it’s a site to see watching the sun rise and sun set. “The plants that were provided – 10 different native plants – are designed to provide blooming from late April all the way to October. It’s a flowering that happens over spring, summer and into fall.”
Swede Run Fields is just one of many preserved open spaces in Moorestown.
Since 1972, STEM has undertaken a wide range of ambitious projects to preserve, protect, and maintain the health of Moorestown’s open space and farmland. STEM’s cooperative efforts with local, county, and state bodies have led directly to the preservation of over 275 acres of land within the township, according to its website.
