The Preserve

Peter J. Barnes III, the State Senator, Assemblyman, and Superior Court Judge. — Peter J. Barnes III, the State Senator, Assemblyman, and Superior Court Judge

Lying within the watershed of the Bound Brook, the 784 acre Barnes Preserve is situated across the communities of Metuchen (48 acres), Edison (458 acres), and South Plainfield (278 acres).

The preserve includes much of the land and water that is known as the Dismal Swamp, an appellation that appears in a map created by George C. Howell and C.C. Vermeule in 1882, under the direction of state geologist, George H. Cook. The Dismal Swamp is the largest remaining contiguous wetland ecosystem in the highly urbanized landscape of northern Middlesex County.

The preserve itself is named after Peter J. Barnes III, the State Senator, Assemblyman, and Superior Court Judge, who wrote the legislation establishing the commission which stewards these lands and waters.

Pete Barnes grew up in Edison and frequented the woods, meadows, and streams in and around the Bound Brook and the Dismal Swamp. His memories of those experiences informed his commitment to protecting this land and ensured that it would benefit the broader ecosystem and the many people who live nearby and visit this area.

The Barnes Preserve includes hardwood forest, meadows, marshlands, and the headwaters of the Bound Brook, which head west, eventually combining with the Green Brook, and together they flow into the Raritan River some ten miles to the west. The preserve includes a variety of flora and fauna, both native and invasive, which are stewarded by the commission and volunteers.

The preserve, like many other protected areas in New Jersey, has both public and private ownership. Of the total amount, the land ownership is divided among different entities, including the following:

Acres and Owner:
136 – Middlesex County
12 – Metuchen Borough
297.6 – Edison Township
71 – South Plainfield Borough
5 – Edison Wetlands Association
262 – Privately-owned, including land with conservation easements.

The preserve also includes archaeological sites, primarily in and around the Bound Brook, which document habitation in this region dating back hundreds and possibly thousands of years. For more information about the history of the Barnes Preserve and the efforts made to protect it, you can read this summary report completed in the early 2000s.

Wildlife in the Preserve

Painted turtle resting among dry leaves and grass on the forest floor. — Painted Turtle

There is a diverse amount of wildlife in the preserve. As our stewardship has increased, so too has the health and well-being of the wildlife here. One species of note is the Eastern Painted turtle, whose survival in the bounds of preserve inspired our logo. Here is a photo of one of the painted turtles seen by one of our volunteers (thanks, Mark!):

Birds – Over the past twenty years, members of the Audubon Society have catalogued more than 135 species of birds, including great blue herons, ospreys, pileated woodpeckers, black-throated green warbler, and indigo bunting. For a complete list of recorded birds, please see this list here.

Land and Water Mammals:

Small: eastern white footed mouse, Meadow vole, northern short tailed through, eastern chipmunk, southern flying squirrel, eastern Gray squirrel, eastern red bat;
Medium: Opossum, eastern cottontail rabbit, striped skunk, raccoon, American Beaver, woodchuck, muskrat, red fox;
Large: white-tailed deer; eastern coyote.

Amphibians and Reptiles (Herpetofauna):

Salamanders: Red backed salamander, northern two-lined salamander;
Frogs: spring peeper, northern gray tree frog, wood frog, southern leopard frog, northern green frog, bullfrog;
American toad;
Turtles: common snapping turtle, musk turtle, red belly turtle, eastern painted turtle, red eared slider;
Snakes: northern brown snake, eastern Garter snake, northern water snake, northern black racer.

Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve

Master Plan

Adopted in July 2023, the master plan “shall provide the substantive standards and direction for implementing the goals and requirements of the Barnes Preserve Preservation Act and provide the basis for future projects and programs.”

Read Master Plan

The Barnes Commission

What is the background of the commission?

Established in 2009 through NJ Statute 40:55D-88.4, the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission provides comprehensive regulatory authority and regional planning for the area within the boundaries of the Preserve with a primary focus on protecting and preserving the ecological, historical, and recreational values of the area.

What Does the Commission Do?

The commission undertook the lengthy process of determining the metes and bounds of the preserve, which has enabled them to create a master plan to best conserve, restore and benefit the ecology of this region.

Following the establishment of the metes and bounds, the commission has:

Created and adopted a master plan that shall provide the substantive standards and direction for implementing the goals and requirements of the Barnes Preserve Preservation Act and provide the basis for future projects and programs. 01

Serves as a Regional Planning Board with any or all of the powers and duties of a municipal planning board. 02

Manages the stewardship of any property located within the Preserve. 03

Who is on the Commission?

The commission is comprised of nine members, including two from Edison, two from Metuchen, two from South Plainfield, two from the County and one from the Edison Wetlands Association.

Dorothy Giamboi

Chair, Metuchen Representative

Dorothy has served on the Metuchen Borough Council since 2011 and is liaison to the Shade Tree and Environmental Commissions. She has spearheaded numerous environmental initiatives, including a Memorial Tree program, and has helped to secure grants for environmental causes, including $25K to provide composters to residents, as well as grants from Sustainable Jersey and the National Park Service. In September 2015, Sustainable Jersey named Dorothy Sustainability Hero of the Month. She also serves on the Middlesex County Water Resources Association.

Thomas Walsh

Vice Chair, South Plainfield Representative

Tom joined the commission in January 2024. He is a member of the South Plainfield Environmental Advisory Board since 2016 and South Plainfield Green Team. Since 2004, Tom has also been a member of the South Plainfield’s Citizen’s Emergency Response Team (CERT). He is the Senior Project Manager for a large local commercial interior/exterior landscape firm since 1984. He oversees the installation of green roofs, green walls, green facades, interior landscaping, etc., adding biophilia elements to corporate, commercial, and institutional buildings.

Walter Stochel

Treasurer - Edison Representative

Appointed to the Commission in 2015, Walter has spearheaded land conservation since the founding of the Edison Greenways Group in the 1990s. He led efforts to establish the metes and bounds of the preserve and worked to establish the first trail through the Preserve in 2023, which now connects the trailheads on Nevsky St. in Edison to Coolidge St. in South Plainfield. Chair of the Edison Open Space Advisory Committee since 1999, Walter has helped preserve more than 900 acres in Edison, and he has led hundreds of local eco-tours including in the Barnes Preserve.

Kenneth Sammond, PhD

Secretary, Metuchen Representative

Ken is trained as a Rutgers Environmental Steward, serves as the Chair of the Metuchen Shade Tree Commission (founding the award-winning Tree Ambassadors program), and is a member of the Garden Club of Metuchen. He has more than 12 years’ experience in management and development at a variety of non-profit organizations. Ken helps coordinate and participate in volunteer efforts related to invasive strike teams, native plantings and path clearing. He is on the subcommittee to establish the ordinances for the preserve.

Rob Bengivenga

South Plainfield Representative

Rob is a lifelong resident of the borough. Currently serving his 7th term as councilman in that borough, Rob has had the honor of serving as Council President there in 2008, 2016, 2018, 2023 & 2024. Rob is the Municipal Administrator and Zoning Officer for Hazlet Township, and the Qualified Purchasing Agent for Phillipsburg. He is also a member of the Sons of the American Legion, UNICO National, and the South Plainfield Elks. Rob is on the commission’s subcommittee to establish ordinances.

Charles Tomaro

County Representative

A Middlesex County Commissioner since 2011, Charles chairs the County’s Infrastructure Management Committee, and he has led their efforts to develop a comprehensive Sustainable Energy Master Plan. He is also a businessman, working for Clayton Block and Concrete in Woodbridge, NJ. Previously, Charles was a councilman in Edison Township (1996-2007 and 2010-2011), where he had served as both Council President and Vice President. As a councilman, he negotiated Edison’s purchase of 36 acres of farmland for open space, and the acquisition of the 11-acre Oakcrest Swim Club.

John Wiley, JD

Edison Wetlands Association Representative

Founder and former partner of Wiley Lavender and Maknoor, LLC. John Wiley is a lifelong resident of Metuchen. He served as mayor for 12 years and had been a council member for six years. John received his J.D. from Seton Hall, and has been practicing law in Middlesex County for almost 50 years, with a focus on land use applications, transactions, and development.

John has chaired the Middlesex County Utilities Authority for the last six years. He is also on the Board of Trustees for the Edison Wetlands Association and a member of the Middlesex Greenway Coalition.

John Poyner

Edison Representative

John Poyner holds a degree in Business Management from Montclair State University . He served on the Edison Environmental Commission (2017–2020) and in 2018 founded Beautiful Edison (serving until 2021), a nonprofit focused on township beautification.

An Edison Councilmember since 2022, John served as Council President in 2023 and Vice President in 2025; in addition, he was the council’s representative to the Planning Board in 2022 and 2024. John has led diverse legislative initiatives including graffiti removal, commercial corridor zoning, billboard guidelines, and adopt-an-area programs.

Vacancy

County Representative