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New Jersey

Protecting the Lands and Waters of the Garden State

Aerial view of fall leaves.
Johnsonburg Swamp Preserve Drone image of fall foliage. © Bill Amos

Make a Difference in New Jersey

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The Economic Benefits of New Jersey's Nature

  • Workers.

    143,000

    Jobs supported across the state

  • $17.2 B

    Lands

    Public parks and lands in New Jersey are worth $17.2 billion

  • Bird.

    $18.9 B

    Outdoor recreation spending brings in $18.9 billion annually

  • Money.

    $1.2 B

    Tax Revenue from outdoor recreation is $1.2 billion annually

Our Priorities

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends, and for more than 60 years, we’ve been working in New Jersey to do just that.

View of a dense wooded forest, with a long tree branch on the ground in the foreground.

Johnsonburg Swamp Preserve

Home to New Jersey's best limestone forest, this preserve provides excellent habitat for rare and threatened plants, waterfowl and other wildlife.

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Photos from Johnsonburg Swamp Preserve

Tag your preserve visits on Instagram with #JohnsonburgSwampPreserve to have your photos featured here!

A great blue heron standing in a still pond.
Lime kiln remains in a lush green forest.
Thick, green forest.
A long-tailed salamander sitting on a mossy rock.
A red-bellied woodpecker perched in a tree.
Two benches on a paved platform overlook a pond.
A pond full of lily pads surrounded by tall trees.
A beaver swimming with leaf on its head.
A male wood duck standing on a large branch.
Snow covered overlook area with benches.
A great blue heron standing in a still pond.

Great Blue Heron: Great blue herons are the largest herons in North America. © Shutterstock / Joseph Scott Photography

Lime kiln remains in a lush green forest.

Lime Kiln: Lime kilns were built in Warren and Sussex counties due to the predominance of limestone in the ground. Few kilns remain intact throughout the state. © Lily Mullock / TNC

Thick, green forest.

Johnsonburg Swamp Preserve: Located in Warren and Sussex Counties, New Jersey. © Dwight Hiscano

A long-tailed salamander sitting on a mossy rock.

Long-tailed Salamander: Long-tailed salamanders are known to inhabit clean springs and seeps like those found throughout the preserve. © Shutterstock

A red-bellied woodpecker perched in a tree.

Red-bellied Woodpecker: Red-bellied woodpeckers use cracks in trees to store food for later in the year. © Chris Helzer / TNC

Two benches on a paved platform overlook a pond.

Mud Pond Seating Area: Just off the parking lot, a paved sidewalk leads visitors to an accessible seating area that overlooks Mud Pond. © Lily Mullock / TNC

A pond full of lily pads surrounded by tall trees.

Mud Pond: Mud pond is a limestone wetland providing excellent habitat for rare plant species, along with waterfowl and other wildlife. © TNC

A beaver swimming with leaf on its head.

Beaver: Beavers can be seen gathering dam materials. © Dale Coulombe/TNC Photo Contest 2019

A male wood duck standing on a large branch.

Wood Duck: Wood Ducks thrive in forests, swamps, freshwater ponds. © Jill Bauer/TNC Photo Contest 2019

Snow covered overlook area with benches.

Snow Day: Johnsonburg Swamp Preserve is a beautiful preserve to visit, especially after a fresh snowfall! © TNC

A group of birders with binoculars.

The Little Sit October 2026

October 3, 2026 | 08:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Witness fall migration at The Little Sit, an accessible birding event at South Cape May Meadows preserve. ASL provided.

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Pine warbler perched in a budding red maple tree.

New Jersey Seasonal Natural Events

Our nature preserves in New Jersey change with the seasons. Here's what you can see right now.

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Our Preserves in New Jersey

In addition to providing much-needed habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, our nature preserves in New Jersey are top-rated visitor destinations. Whether you're looking to explore pristine forests, go birding alongside freshwater marshes or conquer a mountain, our preserves have you covered.

Explore Our Preserves
Views of New York City from a mountain summit.
Adult bobcat on a rock.
Aerial view of the Maurice River and its surrounding wetlands.
Wildflowers growing in a field.

Explore our Work

Aerial view of the winding Delaware River amidst a green, forested landscape.

Restoring the Paulins Kill River

To safeguard precious water resources, we are working to restore our local rivers, streams, headwaters and floodplains.

Coastal community post-Sandy with sand-covered, damaged houses.

What Sandy Taught Us About Building a More Resilient Coast

Nature plays an important role in protecting communities from damaging coastal storms like Hurricane Sandy.

Close-up shot of hikers legs and boots walking in woods.

Top 10 New Jersey Adventures

Connecting to nature is as important as protecting nature. Here are 10 ways to connect to nature at our preserves across New Jersey.

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