For 150 years Drew University’s Forest Preserve - 53 acres of rare contiguous forest in Madison, New Jersey - has been a treasure for Drew University students and for many others in the surrounding area. Thanks to a 12-year effort by Drew and partner organizations, it has become a biodiversity hotspot and inspiring example of woodland habitat restoration.  

Drew University, however, may seek to strengthen its financial footing by selling some of the Forest Preserve for development. A group of citizens has come together as Friends of the Drew Forest to work toward the preservation of the Drew Forest Preserve as articulated in Borough of Madison Drew Forest Resolution 156-2021 .  We ask that you join us to help permanently protect the entire Forest Preserve and the countless benefits it provides and at the same time help Drew, known as the University in the Forest, continue its educational mission for years to come.  This can be done with a combination of municipal, county and state open space funds, corporate or not-for-profit grants and donations.

Note: We are asking for only your signature here, not for donations.

This petition calls on the officials of Madison, surrounding towns, Morris County, the State of NJ, and Drew University to work together to achieve the goal of a permanently preserved Drew Forest.

If the Drew Forest Preserve or parts of it were to be sold for development, the benefits that would be lost or decreased include:

• A publicly accessible natural area complete with wooded trails, ponds, wildflower gardens, and benches.
• Large canopy trees that:  moderate climate change through carbon sequestration; improve air quality and human health; modulate heat extremes, soil erosion and peak rain runoff.
• A harbor for birds and critical pond, vernal pool, and forest habitat for amphibians and other wildlife.
• Land providing Madison’s highest rate of recharge for the Buried Valley Aquifer, a major source of drinking water for 26 municipalities in four counties.
• Over 22 acres where deer have been fenced out, invasive plants controlled, and thousands of native plants planted - a model of woodland restoration that won the Governor’s Award for Healthy Ecosystems Award in 2013.
• A “living laboratory” for projects, research, and fieldwork utilized by Drew students and faculty. Also a refuge for contemplation and rejuvenation.
• A recruiting advantage for Drew University. 

Please sign our petition and share it with your friends and neighbors.  We hope that people who live in or near Madison, who are students, employees or alumnae of Drew, or who simply care about a better environment for people and wildlife, will join us.

If you are an alumnae of Drew U., please indicate the year you graduated or were last enrolled.  

To find out more and keep up with our progress, check our website: friendsofthedrewforest.org , and join us on Facebook and Instagram@SavetheDrewForest.

Again, we are not asking for donations on this website (change.org).  Those who want to donate to Friends of the Drew Forest may do that on our website.