It's Winter at Brightwood
Photos by Chuan-Chu Chou
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21 Reasons to Visit Brightwood Park in the Winter
All of us at the Friends of Brightwood Park wish you a Happy and particularly Healthy New Year.
We have had a tremendous 2025 in the park with all our activities, reforestation projects, classes and more. Thanks to the work and enthusiasm of so many people, Brightwood Park has become an environmental gem that has drawn hundreds of new people to the park. We are all very proud of this. We hope to keep this momentum going in 2026. -Jim Lewis, President of the Friends of Brightwood Park
Reasons to Visit Brightwood Park in the Wintertime
It can be a challenge to lace up the old boots and get outside when it's cold out. But it's totally worth it. Here are a few reasons to make the effort.
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Going Nuts for Hickories
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We are partnering with Rutgers for a germination study of Mockernut Hickory. This project is initiated and led by Jean Epiphan, Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County and intends to counter the regeneration debt of our forests in NJ.
The idea is simple: we will plant them like squirrels do and bury nuts in lots of places - and then test different rodent deterrent methods to see what works better. The idea is to get Mockernut Hickories growing in Brightwood Park. We will track the germination rates and evaluate the seedlings' survival. On December 20, 2025, 12 volunteers planted 51 nuts successfully along the trail parallel to Prospect Park. We concentrated on planting them under existing beech trees in an effort to remediate the anticipated canopy loss due to beech leaf disease *** . In early May, we will begin tracking the germination. Until then, we are monitoring that the flags and signs remain in place and if there is any form of digging for the nuts. -Bianca Wright
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Planting Pines and Hollies - How are We Doing?
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Since 2023 we have planted 128 American Hollies (Ilex opaca) and Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida). They are great evergreen trees providing berries for birds in the winter as well as year-round hiding spots for them. Even better: deer do not like to nibble on them and therefore they do not need any wire cages for protection.
This spring we would like to see how they have been faring. Anyone who wants to track through the 4 reforestation areas in the park is welcome to help! |
photos by Bianca Wright
Some Great News on Fighting Invasive Species
On his last day in office, Governor Murphy signed the bill that makes the propagation, sale, distribution, import, and export of certain listed invasive plant species illegal, establishes a NJ Invasive Species Council, and gives NJ DEP the authority to enforce the regulations. It is effective immediately.
For now, there are 30 prohibited plants, among them are these 12 that the volunteers of Brightwood Invasive Plant Removal Strike Team have been removing from the park since 2020:
The propagation and importation will be prohibited after 13 months of enactment. The sale, distribution, and export 49 months after enactment. If you are interested in reading the law in its entirety to find out more details, you can find it here .
New Jersey was one of 5 States remaining that didn't have any regulation. With this, gardens and parks will finally not be the source from which these species can naturalize any more.
However, the list is not covering all plants that are eco-system disruptors such as ones that have been naturalized for a long time. Among those are Japanese Knotweed, Mugwort, Japanese Stiltgrass, Pachysandra, Mile-A-Minute and Oriental Bittersweet - all found in Brightwood Park and in the process of being removed.
If you would like to help or find out more, please email [email protected].
For now, there are 30 prohibited plants, among them are these 12 that the volunteers of Brightwood Invasive Plant Removal Strike Team have been removing from the park since 2020:
- Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
- Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
- Porcelain berry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata)
- Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
- Winged burning bush (Euonymus alatus)
- English ivy (Hedera helix)
- European privet (Ligustrum vulgare)
- Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)
- Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora)
- Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)
- Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)
- Running bamboo (Phyllostachys spp.)
The propagation and importation will be prohibited after 13 months of enactment. The sale, distribution, and export 49 months after enactment. If you are interested in reading the law in its entirety to find out more details, you can find it here .
New Jersey was one of 5 States remaining that didn't have any regulation. With this, gardens and parks will finally not be the source from which these species can naturalize any more.
However, the list is not covering all plants that are eco-system disruptors such as ones that have been naturalized for a long time. Among those are Japanese Knotweed, Mugwort, Japanese Stiltgrass, Pachysandra, Mile-A-Minute and Oriental Bittersweet - all found in Brightwood Park and in the process of being removed.
If you would like to help or find out more, please email [email protected].
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A New Birding Group has Formed
Are you interested in joining a birding group at the park? Some people have expressed interest in meeting occasionally to experience the beauty of our feathered friends - let us know if you might be interested.
Bianca tumbled to this amazing resource on what trees, shrubs and vines will be effective for attracting birds to your home.
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Brightwood Kids - Nature Detectives!!
Learning About Beech Trees (and, sadly, a new disease that affects them) |
Volunteer Spotlight: Phil Round
Phil already had experience in managing invasive plants from his volunteer work at Watchung Reservation and at the Great Swamp. Alarmed with the situation he saw at Brightwood, he approached the Town of Westfield to begin a task force at Brightwood Park. When he showed people the damage from all the invasive plants, many of them showed up to help. The first efforts were to cut down the Knotweed around the parking lot. After that event and with the support of the town and DPW, the Westfield Park Invasive Plant Strikeforce was formed.
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Did someone say that weeding can be fun?! Well, maybe not fun, but it can be rewarding.
The Friends of Brightwood Park invasive species volunteers are out in force on Wednesday mornings, and with Phil Round as their dedicated leader, the park is looking much healthier. Phil moved to Westfield in 1985 and lives within walking distance of Brightwood Park. With his background in agriculture, Phil realized that the park’s native species were rapidly being outcompeted by non-native plants. The two main culprits—Japanese knotweed, which was so dense it blocked the view of the pond from the parking lot, and Wisteria, which was destroying mature trees in large areas of the forest and opening significant gaps in the forest canopy. Both species spread rapidly, overtaking native plants, causing significant problems in the park.
If you'd to help out with the FOBP invasive volunteers, please send us a note!
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Volunteers Needed! |
The Friends of Brightwood Park are working to:
- preserve & restore the park as a nature sanctuary
- remove invasive species that threaten native plants & trees
- promote hiking, walking, fishing, birdwatching and activities in harmony with the habitat
- offer nature and art programs for all ages