Cari Wild is an attorney and Secretary/Treasurer for the NJ Natural Lands Trust (Trust), a state agency in the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The Trust's primary mission is the perpetual preservation of New Jersey's biodiversity. The Trust manages over 30,000 acres as part of a statewide system of more than 100 nature preserves. The Petty's Island Preserve, located in Pennsauken Township just offshore of Camden's shoreline, is the Trust's first urban nature preserve. Although Petty's Island is still owned by CITGO Petroleum Comapny, the Trust holds a conservation easement over the entire island along with the rights to conduct public environmental educational programming. Once the island is fully remediated, fee interest in the island will be transferred to the Trust. At that time, the island will be open to the public from dawn to dusk as a park or preserve. Although there is a bridge to the island, the Trust hopes to have the public park vehicles on the mainland and use a tram or public transportation to access the island so people and families recreating on the island won't have to worry about cars. School buses will bring school groups to a future visitor's center on the island.
Monday, April 3, 2023
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM CDT