A fascinating place off the beaten path! Google rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars. Charity Navigator rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Watershed Institute Patron, Patron's Biography, Patron's House. Photos by Nature Photographer Pam Hirst at PKH Photography. Writing by Freelance Content Writer and Travel Blogger Meghan Hirst at Meghan Hirst, Writer.
This organization is literally hidden. The entrance is tiny and the exit kind of appears to be that of an individual's private property. But nope! The looks are deceiving. As with all of our other destinations, you definitely want to get directions to this location before going here.
Before we get into our discussions about the patron and founder, we want to explain what the organization does since it is different than the other places we have talked about before. The Watershed Institute (previously The Watershed Association) was the first conservation organization in central New Jersey. They are dedicated to ensuring that all water sources are clean and safe for people and animals. They protect and decontaminate water, thus restoring the environment to its normal condition. This is done so through four means: advocating, conserving, educating, and scientific practices. As a result of having devoted members and volunteers, the organization has become one of the most respectable watersheds in the U.S.
As you can see in the photos that we are presenting, the Watershed Institute's patron Muriel Gardiner Buttinger was an incredible woman! Her achievements really speak to me because I am a philanthropist myself—I discovered that my purpose in life is to help people and animals with my writing. Since 2017, I have helped a food bank raise over $73,000, worked for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International, and aided in the adoptions of hundreds of homeless pets that were saved from euthanasia <3 Buttinger was such a huge fan of the organization that she sold her enormous farm to them so they could expand their operation!
The Watershed Institute's founder was a man named David Hunter McAlpin Sr. He worked for the Conservation Foundation as a charter trustee (this organization later became part of WWF International). McAlpin asked Henry Fairfield Osborn Jr., the founder of the Conservation Foundation, for help with starting a water conservation organization. McAlpin and his team members spread the word about problems with water sources. Due to their endeavors, the Watershed Institute was formed and it has remained a large part of the central New Jersey community.
There is A TON of information on the organization's website, so we encourage you to check it out. You can also follow them on Twitter. Their username is @theH20shed (amusing XD).
Bonus fact: my mom and I were here recently and a volunteer told us that eight generations of families worked on Buttinger's farm. Wow!
Something to remember: this location is open each day of the week from sunrise to sunset and the admission is free.
We will be discussing the Watershed Center next!
Have you ever been a volunteer for any kind of organization? How was your experience?
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