UNION COUNTY, NJ — A group of students from the Center for Leadership and Service at Kean University participated in Union County’s Adopt-a-Park program and spent hours last week removing invasive plants, pruning vegetation and picking up trash in and around the Warinanco shoreline restoration project at the lake in Warinanco Park.
The students wore masks and observed other COVID-19 protocols while working, as required by statewide COVID-19–prevention rules.
“Warinanco Park is the community park for thousands of Union County residents and visitors every year, and it has become a centerpiece for habitat restoration, too. We truly appreciate the students’ hard work and dedication to civic service and nature conservation,” said Union County Freeholder Chairperson Alexander Mirabella.
The Warinanco shoreline restoration project includes the reintroduction of pollinator-friendly native plants around the lake to support a habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and other beneficial species. A formerly buried stream in the park has also been restored.
Warinanco Park is located in Roselle and shares a border with Elizabeth and Linden. As one of the oldest parks in the Union County park system, its design is rooted in the influence of Central Park creator Frederick Law Olmsted, including walking paths that meander through forested areas and broad open vistas, a picturesque driving route, and many recreational features.
Information about volunteering with Adopt-a-Park and Adopt-a-Trail is available at ucnj.org/parks-recreation, 908-789-3683 or [email protected].
For links to all Union County parks and programs, visit the Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection. In-person programs are limited at this time, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.