The Open Space Institute provided the Unexpected Wildlife Refuge (UWR) with a loan for $278,000 to assist in the acquisition and permanent preservation of the D’Alessandro Farm, located in Franklin Township, New Jersey. This property, a key parcel in the organization’s long-term land conservation plan, was considered an UWR acquisition target for several years. The farm is located within the Great Egg Harbor River Watershed and is comprised of 30 acres of agricultural fields and a mixed hardwood and Atlantic white cedar forest, which is rare throughout the Northeast and provides critical habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species.

D’Alessandro Farm is adjacent to the UWR’s existing 737-acre Unexpected Wildlife Refuge preserve and will  be joined into the extensive publicly accessible trail network. The recreation opportunities includes hiking, environmental education, and nature observation.