162-Acre Pine Tree Center Becomes New Home to Pinelands Research Institute, Educational Programs
The Center was permanently protected by the Pinelands Preservation Alliance and partners for conservation, recreation, and the study of nature.
The Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) and New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJ Conservation) are thrilled to announce the acquisition of the Pine Tree Center in Tabernacle, NJ, from the Boy Scouts of America. The Pine Tree Center consists of 162 acres of upland and wetland forests; buildings for classes, gatherings and overnight accommodation; and campsites. Adjoining the 122,000-acre Wharton State Forest, the Center connects to a network of several hundred thousand acres of preserved lands. The Center is located in the heart of the Pinelands National Reserve, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that enjoys the benefits of the nation’s strongest conservation and growth management program and stretches across 1.1 million acres from inland forests and towns to the Jersey Shore’s estuaries, barrier islands, and beaches.
PPA was able to acquire the Pine Tree Center thanks in part to an extraordinary bequest it received for the specific purpose of buying land for conservation. The property is now permanently protected for conservation, recreation, and the study of nature.
The acquisition also could not have happened without the support of PPA’s long-time partner, NJ Conservation, whose expertise managing the preservation process and significant contribution of funding through its grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program was essential to the project’s success.
The Pine Tree Center will be the home of the Pinelands Research Institute and a hub for nature-based recreation and environmental education. The Pinelands Research Institute is a science-based field station in the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey. Launched in early 2025, the Institute is an initiative of PPA. The Institute’s mission is to be a center for scientists, educators, naturalists and the public to generate knowledge and understanding of the unique forested ecosystem that is the New Jersey Pine Barrens, its broader region, and the Pinelands growth management program.
With programming and activities at the Pine Tree Center, PPA’s Pinelands Adventures outfitter and the Pinelands Research Institute connect people from all backgrounds with the Pine Barrens’ forests, land, and water. These connections are essential to building an engaged public that enjoys and cares for this region’s exceptional natural resources.
“The Pine Tree Center will be an outstanding resource for promoting knowledge and understanding of our region – and for having great experiences exploring the Pine Barrens,” said Jaclyn Rhoads, Executive Director of PPA.
“The team at Pinelands Adventures is very excited to have such a versatile property to host our outdoor educational experiences and activities. The Pine Tree Center is a beautiful and naturally diverse area which will be a lot of fun to share with people,” said Vince Iannone, Manager of Pinelands Adventures.
“We’re so proud to have joined the Pinelands Preservation Alliance and Green Acres on this remarkable land preservation project in the Pine Barrens, which will create a new hub for exploring this one-of-a-kind natural ecosystem in the Garden State,” said Alison Mitchell, Executive Director of NJ Conservation. “New Jersey Conservation Foundation has been permanently protecting land in the Pine Barrens for many decades, and we’re grateful to be able to advance our Pinelands protection goals thanks to our incredible partners and supporters.”
“The Green Acres Program was happy to partner with New Jersey Conservation Foundation and the Pinelands Preservation Alliance on this important acquisition,” said Martha Sullivan Sapp, Director of Green Acres. “The Department of Environmental Protection is committed to preserving forested land to support diverse wildlife habitat, mitigate the effects of climate change, and provide recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.”
“We are so excited to host this interdisciplinary research station, and we invite all interested scientists to contact us. A deep understanding of pine barrens ecosystems is the best pathway to guarantee conservation of this rare and beautiful place,” said Dr. Jennifer Krumins, Director of the Pinelands Research Institute and a Professor of Biology at Montclair State University.
The Pinelands provides an ideal location and environmental context for a scientific field station. The ecology of the Pinelands is distinctive and offers numerous subjects for inquiry in fire ecology, rare and endemic species conservation, the hydrology of a largely intact aquifer system under heavy human pressure, and the “island ecology” of a relatively pristine ecosystem surviving among some of the most densely developed urban centers on earth. The Pinelands includes habitats ranging across barrier islands, estuaries, maritime forests, freshwater wetlands, rivers, isolated ponds, upland forests, lands cleared for farming and a variety of human population centers. The Institute’s remote location, expansive forest access and onsite accommodation provide opportunities for intensive research, one-day and multi-day classes and large-scale studies. Through PPA, researchers will also have access to the Rancocas Creek Farm, a 72-acre regenerative farm that practices sustainable agriculture with close ties to local communities.
PPA believes that scientific research and education are essential to the formation of effective policies and practices that protect natural resources, promote human welfare and foster successful communities within the diverse habitats of the Pinelands
For more information about the Pinelands Research Institute, visit pinelandsresearch.org; or contact Dr. Jennifer Krumins by email at jennkrumins@pinelandsalliance.org. To learn more about the Pine Tree Center group programs, contact PineTreeCenter@PinelandsAdventures.org.
About Pinelands Preservation Alliance
The Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the Pine Barrens ecosystem, engaging the public, and advancing acquisition of land and development rights for conservation. The Alliance connects people with nature by promoting universal and equitable enjoyment of the benefits of our natural resources. With Pinelands Adventures and The Pinelands Is for Everyone, we help people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities explore nature through health-giving recreation – and so develop a genuine devotion to environmental protection. Through Rancocas Creek Farm, our regenerative vegetable farm, we are developing an array of projects and partnerships to increase sustainable farming and bring healthy food from local farmers to all South Jersey families.
About New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Recognizing that a healthy environment is critical to the well-being and survival of all living things, New Jersey Conservation Foundation is devoted to preserving land and protecting natural resources throughout New Jersey’s rural, suburban, and urban landscapes.
Since 1960, the nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide organization has preserved more than 140,000 acres of open space, farmland, and parks. The organization manages more than a dozen nature preserves, conducts public outreach and education programs, and advocates for sensible land use and climate policies that will protect the health of New Jersey’s plants, wildlife, and people for generations to come.
About the Green Acres Program
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program was created in 1961 to meet New Jersey’s growing recreation and conservation needs. Together with public and private partners, Green Acres funding has protected more than 725,000 of open space and provided hundreds of outdoor recreational facilities in communities around the state. The total acreage of protected open space and farmland across New Jersey now totals nearly 1.6 million acres.
Teachers need 200 Professional Development Hours every 5 years. This site would be excellent for it is a self-contained educational facility. For over two decades and a half, I tried to interest the BSA in such an activity. The Pine Lands are an accepted area of instruction, and you are or could easily become a provider of PDHs.
I hope the private bequest that helped fund the Pinelands Research Institute at the Pine Tree Center was from my uncle Herman Pagel who died in 2017 and bequeathed his entire estate to Pinelands Preservation Alliance. He was one of a kind, and my family would be pleased to know that this is his legacy. I learned about this recently through a Facebook post.