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“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”
- Aristotle

The Association is located on a beautiful 860-acre nature reserve that we manage for public use and enjoyment. The Association’s nature reserve is located in central New Jersey and is maintained for the purposes of education, enjoyment, research and preservation. The reserve serves as an outdoor classroom for our children, family, and adult programs, provides refuge from the chaos of the most densely populated state in the nation, and opportunity to showcase land stewardship management practices.

The reserve began with Muriel Gardiner Buttinger’s donation of approximately 525 acres. Muriel believed strongly in providing others with opportunities to explore, learn about, and experience the wonders and magic of the natural world. Since her generous donation, the Association has nurtured and expanded our education programs and has preserved additional lands with the support and assistance from of a number of preservation programs, and other organizations and municipalities.

From dawn until dusk, visitors are encouraged to explore our 14 miles of hiking trails. Our trails wind through forests teeming with wildlife, meander alongside the cool waters of the Stony Brook, wander fields dotted with the color of summer wildflowers and flittering butterflies, and traverse the diverse forest, marsh, and aquatic habitats that surround our pond. The reserve also encompasses the community supported Honey Brook Organic Farm.

We invite you to come share the serenity and wonders of our reserve, located within the 265 square miles of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed. The reserve is open to all and serves as an important open space resource for those living within the 26 municipalities and five counties of this watershed.

For a glimpse of our reserve take a look at a collection of photos taken by Nick Vos-Wein in our Slide Show - Watershed Reserve Sightings.

The Association also maintains a number of structures on the reserve including several 19th century farm buildings. The Buttinger Nature Center hosts thousands of visitors to the two discovery rooms, demonstration bee hive, animal collection, and more. The Kate Gorrie Memorial Butterfly House is a seasonal open-air structure also located on the reserve that showcases native butterflies and the wildflowers with which they are associated.