Arena Preserve, surrounded by equal parts farmland and forest, is located at the Hopewell Township’s northern border. Much of the preserve’s 10 acre forest was wooded in the 1930s and features red oak, shagbark hickory, and black birch. The remaining portions of the preserve are formerly hayfields, now reverting to a mix of native—New York ironweed and swamp milkweed—and invasive—multiflora rose and Callery pear—species.
Click here to read the stewardship plan for more detailed ecological information.
The Preserve is surrounded by equal parts agricultural lands and forest. Single home dwellings and commercial development are scattered along Routes 579 and 518. The easternmost field has a strong component of native species including swamp milkweed, New York ironweed, goldenrods, dogbane, sensitive fern, jewelweed, mountain mint, soft rush, and sedges. There are invasive species present throughout the preserve. Forest canopy is dominated by red oak, shagbark hickory, red maple, and black birch. Arrowwood and mapleleaf viburnums, spicebush, multiflora rose, Japanese honeysuckle, and Japanese barberry are sporadic. Herbs, sedges and grasses include jack-in-the-pulpit, mayapple, spring beauty, hayscented fern, wild yam root, partridgeberry, true and false Solomon’s seals, Japanese stiltgrass, periwinkle, and various sedges.
The forest patch found on the Preserve and surrounding area is an important stop-over habitat (spring and fall resting and feeding) for migratory species. Avian life is abundant on the preserve and has been enhanced by kestrel and bluebird nest boxes in the meadows.
The preserve forest’s health is under threat from deer browse and invasive species. The Arena Preserve is one of the sites we observe for forest health monitoring.
Click here to download a PDF version.