The new Visitor Center at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge located at 32 Pleasant Plains Road in Harding Township, N.J., was formally dedicated to Helen C. Fenske at a program at the Center on October 2, 2010.
Helen Fenske played an integral role in saving Great Swamp from becoming a jet airport in the 1960s. Helen was vital in the movement to convince people of the importance of conserving this land as a natural area for the enjoyment of future generations. She was instrumental in raising more than $1 million to purchase and donate nearly 3,000 acres of land to the U.S. Department of the Interior for what would become the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Several years after the refuge’s establishment, Fenske played a major role in the creation of the Great Swamp Wilderness Area, the first wilderness area wilderness area
Wilderness areas are places untamed by humans. The Wilderness Act of 1964 allows Congress to designate wilderness areas for protection to ensure that America's pristine wild lands will not disappear. Wilderness areas can be part of national wildlife refuges, national parks, national forests or public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Learn more about wilderness area designated on Department of the Interior lands.
Helen Fenske went on to become a statewide environmental advocate, serving as Assistant Commissioner in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In this role, she promoted the creation of the Wallkill River and the Cape May National Wildlife Refuges, led efforts to protect the state’s wetlands, championed the preservation of open space, and fostered the creation of numerous local environmental commissions across the state. She received many awards including the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Conservation Service Award. Helen Fenske died on January 19, 2007 at the age of 84.
The dedication event’s keynote address will be given by Rodney Frelinghuysen, Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives who has been an advocate for the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and whose father, Peter Frelinghuysen, a former Congressman, was active in the 1960s fight to save Great Swamp.
The Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center is housed in a recently renovated century-old farmhouse. The facility provides visitor services, exhibits, meeting space, and offices. The Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge has its Nature Shop, Library, and Discovery Den and offers public programs from the Visitor Center. The pavilion adjacent to the Visitor Center is used for educational programs.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit /www.fws.gov.
