Ridgefield Park Celebrates Nature Preserve

On Saturday, June 3rd, the Village of Ridgefield Park held a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially dedicate its new Nature Preserve. The principal speakers were Mayor John Anlian, Environmental Commission Chairman Stephen Quinn, Commissioner William Gerken and former mayor George Fosdick.  Also in attendance were three Bergen County Commissioners, Tracy Zurr, Mary Amaroso & Germaine Ortiz;. and Adam Strobel, Director of the County Open Space Trust Fund.  Cheryl Krouse Deputy Chief Of Staff for Congressional representative Josh Gottheimer, also presented the Mayor with a Certificate from Congress congratulating the Village on its accomplishment.

Both Mayor Anlian and Mr. Quinn grew up in the Village; and proposed the creation of a nature preserve back in the early 1970's.  Starting in the mid-1980s, the Village slowly acquired different parcels of land to the extent that the nature preserve now consists of approximately 13 acres. Certain sections of the preserve were named after persons who had a significant positive impact on the preserve:  Albin Obal, George David Warrington, and George & Susan Fosdick. And signs have been placed in their honor/memory.    

Following remarks by local officials and guests, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place; and then Mr. Quinn and others led a guided nature walk through the preserve. Over one hundred people were in attendance at the event.

A special thank you to all who attended this historical event for the Village of Ridgefield Park, and to all of the residents and organizations that have ardently supported this initiative from day-one. It was a long journey, but in the end, it truly took a Village to make this dream a reality.

The following slide show is a documentation of what took place on Saturday, June 3, 2023.  We hope the photos from the event will prompt you to visit and enjoy the beauty of Ridgefield Park’s Nature Preserve for many years to come.  To learn more about the day, please click here.