Orchard, trail area restored for school use
Bowne family follows through on late father's wishes to help EBHS
BY MARY ANNE ROSS
Correspondent

EAST BRUNSWICK - Monroe Bowne was "the kind of man who saw what needed to be done, and just did it."

That's according to Laura Bowne Barry, whose father was a lifelong resident of East Brunswick who loved the township and the land he farmed. When it came to his attention that the trails on the property bordering East Brunswick High School, known as the Old Apple Orchard, were in disarray, he promised to groom them.

Unfortunately, he passed away in February before he was able to improve the path. Bowne, who had relocated to Florida, was 79.

But early this spring, Monroe Bowne's family honored his wishes by following through on his desire to help. The family, including four grown children in East Brunswick and one in Monroe, happily donated their time, energy and equipment to groom the 1.1-mile trail that wanders through the 9-acre parcel of land, owned mostly by the East Brunswick Board of Education and partly by the township. On June 15, the school board formally thanked the Bowne family with a resolution of appreciation.

Patricia LaDuca, the school district's coordinator of community relations and programs, said the Bowne family's "efforts made the trail usable for the community and is the first step in an effort to revitalize the Old Apple Orchard."

Though the orchard area has been mowed regularly by the school personnel, both school and township officials met at the site last fall to discuss its future, and decided that the property should be restored to a more natural state.

"The area was being maintained like a lawn," said Dave Moscowitz of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission. "It was being cut and cared for along with the rest of the school grounds."

Now, ground crews are cutting the grass over a width of 6 feet on either side of the path. By allowing the rest of the orchard to grow back, the district saves both money and manpower.

"The rest has been left to grow for all to enjoy, including the butterflies and tree swallows," LaDuca said. "There are blackberries, mulberries and cherries. Already, several species of wildflowers have risen through the tall grasses which muffles the sound of the highway. It's very serene."

Moscowitz said the area has become an oasis for wildlife, as he witnessed on a recent visit.

"We saw eight different kinds of butterflies. There are about two dozen species of birds, including a Cooper's hawk, and I have been told that people have seen a red fox in the area."

Tom Smith, supervisor of the school district's science and gifted and talented departments, said the natural state of the orchard will be used by students in the future.

"We have an advance placement environmental science class that will have the students set up study plots to record data about the wildlife and that environment. It will be an ongoing project for years to come," Smith said. "Other classes can incorporate the area into their curriculums. Physical education can use the area for orienteering, English classes for journal writing, the art classes for water colors, or the photography class. There are a lot of possibilities. It's amazing how much it has changed simply by not mowing the grass."

To make the area even more accessible, Boy Scout and aspiring Eagle Scout Andrew Galbraith is expected to build a footbridge over a marshy area.

Laura Bowne Barry said the family is just as excited as the school district about the effort.

"I think my father would be so proud to be a part of this project that captures some of East Brunswick history by restoring the property to its natural environment," she said. "He would also be thrilled to know that it will be used to help educate generations of students to come."