The sportsmen who saved Four Mile Springs Preserve

Most people don't immediately think of hunters as ardent conservationists, but many hunters consider themselves the original conservationists. And for over 20 years, the Burrs Mill Hunt Club has been proving that sportsmen can be great stewards of the land. John Waleski and his South Jersey hunt club have not only adopted NJCF's Four Mile Springs Preserve—they helped preserve it!

John Waleski hangs a birdhouse at Four Mile Springs Preserve in Burlington County.

"This is an incredible group of volunteers, particularly its leaders John Waleski and Bob Carr," said Tim Morris, NJCF Assistant Director of Stewardship. "They not only have adopted Four Mile Springs Preserve, but they have been invaluable in supporting our property stewardship efforts throughout the Pine Barrens and even in other parts of New Jersey. The club was largely responsible for building over a mile of boardwalk on our Evert Trail Preserve."

At first, Waleski and the 40 members of his club were just looking for a place to hunt. They came across a large tract of land along Four Mile Spring near Chatsworth, Burlington County that was an ideal location, but the property was owned by a North Jersey resident who hoped to develop the land. Waleski, 58, convinced the "absentee" owner to let Burrs Mill Hunt Club take care of the land and use the property for hunting.

For years, Waleski worked to convince the owner to donate the land to NJCF, which already owned another bordering property. After 12 years of Waleski's efforts, the owner agreed and the property became part of what is today the 1,227-acre Four Mile Springs Preserve.

"I'm a firm believer that you should always give more than you take," said Waleski, who owns a wholesale food distribution business in Philadelphia. "The members of our club all like being outside and maintaining Four Mile Springs gives us a good excuse to be on a beautiful piece of property. When you get 40 guys together who love the outdoors, you will be surprised what you can accomplish."

The Burrs Mill Hunt Club has accomplished quite a bit over the last two decades.

Today, Four Mile Springs Preserve includes over five miles of footpaths and sand roads that wind through the preserve's pitch pine forests and ancient Atlantic White Cedar forests, thanks in large part to Waleski's group. The trails are open to the public for hiking, mountain biking and equestrians in designated areas.

In addition to creating trails, the hunt club has cleaned up tons of garbage and put a halt to illegal dumping activities—a major problem at isolated natural areas. The club has also installed gates on Four Mile Springs to prevent off-road vehicle use, which damages endangered and threatened wildlife and plant species—another major concern on preserved lands throughout New Jersey.

"This has really been a labor of love for our group," said Marlton resident Bob Carr, the co-leader of the Burrs Mill Hunt Club. "It's something that we have done that will be there forever. It's something that will be there for my children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren. Everybody in the club is committed to protecting the preserve."

NJCF conducts volunteer workdays on its preserved lands several times during the year and also has a program that allows sportsmen to help control the deer population on NJCF properties while encouraging hunters to volunteer for property stewardship activities.

To learn more about these programs, please contact Tim Morris at tim@njconservation.org or 1-888-LAND-SAVE (1-888-526-3728).