By: Michela Sales
Last week, the NJ School of Conservation was pleased to unveil a historic marker, presented by the Sussex County Historical Marker Program. It was a joyous day filled with excitement, camaraderie, and of course, history for all of those who attended.
Originally part of land purchased from the Skellinger family in the 1920’s to be added to Stokes State Forest which was created by Governor Edward Stokes in 1907, the site was later developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of the Roosevelt Administration’s job creation program during the Great Depression. Their work included the construction of Lake Wapalanne and many of the campus buildings still in use today.
In 1949, the property officially became the New Jersey State School of Conservation through the advocacy of educators, conservationists, and Senator Alfred Littell. Over the past 77 years, NJSOC has served more than 500,000 students and educators through immersive environmental education programs, while helping shape the field of outdoor and conservation education both nationally and internationally.
The unveiling ceremony began with a flag raising, conducted by the NJSOC Facilities Crew, followed by the singing of the National Anthem by local community member, Charlotte Fyrer, and the pledging of the Conservation Pledge. NJSOC Executive Director, Kerry Kirk Pflugh, kicked off the ceremony by reflecting on the journey to receive the historical marker, and then unveiled the marker with Friends of NJSOC Vice President, Shayne Russell, and NJ State Parks Administrator, Rebecca Fitzgerald.
We were fortunate enough to have three wonderful speakers at our ceremony, which further highlighted the significance of the NJ School of Conservation receiving a historical marker:
Bill Truan, the Sussex County Historian, spoke about the importance of identifying and acknowledging places of historical significance in Sussex County, and that the NJSOC was a great addition to the historical sites throughout the county.
Darian Rivera, a Training Program Specialist from Grey Towers National Historic Site, offered some words from the perspective of Gifford Pinchot and his profession of forestry, as well as President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his initiative of starting the Civilian Conservation Corps and how its legacy continues on to today.
Jeffrey Urbin, an Education Specialist and Director of the Pare Lorentz Film Center at the Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, concluded the speeches by discussing the Civilian Conservation Corps under President Roosevelt and its lasting importance to Americans since the Great Depression.
We were also grateful to have representatives from Sandyston Township, the Sussex County Commissioners, the State Parks Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Grey Towers National Historic Site, and members of the NJSOC community present at the unveiling.
