A trail with exciting possibilities

It’s Labor Day weekend and Heidi Winzinger just mowed the loop inside Rancocas Conservancy’s Cowan Preserve.

It’s the second preserve she adopted to maintain as a trustee for the Rancocas Conservancy. She’s been a trustee for a year and a half.

“I thought, ‘Look at that, [nearly] 30 acres right on the edge of town, how interesting’,” Winzinger recalled.

“I like downtown redevelopment and I like that connection. I just think [the Cowan Preserve] could be a real asset for Medford and the downtown.”

There’s no other open space in town that is accessible from a neighborhood, Winzinger notes. 

She is in contact with the Homeowner Association of the neighborhood on the edge of the preserve. 

“We would like to get groups to love and adopt a preserve they live near,” Winzinger said. “The group would not only help improve [the preserve] but check on it and be in here. 

“When you have a public access, you need to have more eyes on the place.”

Working to clean up the preserve this past year, Winzinger has seen many people walking their dog and/or running up and down the asphalt roadway.

“Wouldn’t it be great to do a little loop de loop in here and get off the asphalt?” Winzinger said.

And afterwards, enjoy a beer at one of the breweries, grab a slice of pizza or go to Braddock’s Tavern or one of the other restaurants downtown. 

The possibilities are endless and Winzinger and the supporters of the Rancocas Conservancy are excited. 

All are invited to gather and celebrate the official Cowan Preserve trail opening – along Chapel Avenue near Hobart Drive – on Saturday, November 7, at 2 p.m.   

Winzinger and supporters of the Rancocas Conservancy want people to know the trail is open. 

“I chose to adopt the preserve because of its proximity to town,” Winzinger said. “It’s so close to town and you could do a lot of fun things.”

One day there could be a brewery run. Local artists could make sculptures in the woods.

“It could be a destination,” she envisions.

Winzinger, who lives in Mount Holly, did not know about Cowans Preserve until she got involved with the Rancocas Conservancy. 

“The closest preserve to where I live is in Pemberton,” she said. “I often walk my dogs there.”

Although fairly new as a trustee, Winzinger has known about the Rancocas Conservancy for many years. 

“My family has a construction business and years ago we were building a big shopping center behind the Moorestown Mall,” she recalled. 

That is when she got to know Barbara Rich, who co-founded the Rancocas Conservancy with Mark Thomas in 1989. Rich was part of the Strawbridge Lake Community Group concerned about the silt and other contaminants going into the waterway.  

“I was in college at the time,” Winzinger said. “I just looked up to [Barbara] so much.”

That admiration led Winzinger on a different career path. 

“I work in farmland preservation for my regular day job,” she said. “I have a lot of downtown development experience, and I have a degree in agriculture. It all just worked out that I ended up in farmland preservation.”

People can enter the Cowan Preserve trail on Chapel Avenue near Hobart Drive and they can walk, run and/or mountain bike through. 

A trail leg leads to the Rancocas Creek where people can sit and take in the view.  

Just a stone’s throw from downtown Medford, Cowan Preserve offers a perfect slice of natural tranquility. A walk through this 28-acre hardwood forest feels like a quiet escape from the modern world, nestled alongside Rancocas Creek and picturesque preserved farmland; the canopy’s rustle sets a peaceful, meditative pace. It’s an ideal spot for a refreshing morning stroll or a relaxing short hike to clear your mind, according to supporters of the Rancocas Conservancy. 

The best part of a visit here is how effortlessly your nature walk transitions into local exploration. As you emerge from the shade of the nature woods, an easy, pedestrian-friendly walk leads you directly onto Main Street in downtown Medford. Reward your steps with a savory lunch, an elegant dinner, or a celebratory pint at a local brewery. Whether you are catching up with friends over a scoop of artisanal ice cream or browsing local shops, the preserve is the perfect gateway to an afternoon in town.

The fate of this forever preserved woodland was once not so peaceful, as the property was going to be developed into housing; however, a chain of events transferred ownership to Medford Township, which in turn had the foresight to transfer it to the local nonprofit conservation organization, Rancocas Conservancy, to be permanently preserved, supporters said. 

The Cowan Preserve is named in honor of a generous donor, Marguerite “Peg” Cowan, a long-time resident of Merchantville and then Medford Leas retirement community.  She was a graduate of Moorestown Friends School and The University of the Arts Philadelphia, and a member of the Moorestown Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

In 2026, Rancocas Conservancy trustees and volunteers have focused on re-establishing a trail and installing signage, a kiosk, a footbridge, and a bench. 

More is coming this fall and winter, including a trail leg to Rancocas Creek, an additional bench, management of invasive vines and grasses, and overall forest management to create a healthy forest and support healthy people.

The Rancocas Conservancy owns or maintains 12 preserves throughout the Rancocas Creek watershed, which is approximately 360 square miles located in Burlington County.

Since its inception in 1989, the Rancocas Conservancy has promoted the preservation and protection of the Rancocas Creek Watershed, through land acquisition and environmental education. To date over 2,000 acres have been preserved within the watershed for open space, recreation, and future generations.

To support and volunteer for the Rancocas Conservancy, visit RancocasConservancy.org.  

People can support and volunteer in many ways.  

“It’s a matter of just coming through,” Winzinger said. “… What can we do to make this woodland the best it can possibly be?

“And also accessible for everybody.”