Educational and Scientific Resource

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In addition to its natural and cultural attractions, the Hamilton-Trenton-Bordentown Marsh is a significant educational and scientific resource.  It serves local schools and colleges as an outdoor laboratory for scientific study.

School groups ranging from kindergarten to graduate students visit the Marsh each year.   Wetland and Ecology classes from local colleges and universities, such as Mercer County Community College, Rider University, Rutgers University, and University of Pennsylvania, regularly include study of the Marsh in their curricula.

The Marsh has long been a center for scientific and archaeological study.  In 1872, Charles Conrad Abbot reported finding man-made implements in the Trenton glacial gravels on his farm.  This discovery sparked an international debate and forty year controversy concerning the antiquity of man in the New World.  Archaeological studies continue to explore Marsh cultures ranging from Indians to Joseph Bonaparte.

In recent years more than 60 scientific papers about marsh ecology have been published concerning the Marsh.  These have contributed to our understanding of the value of wetlands, the productivity of tidal freshwater wetlands, as well as the relationships of seeds in the soil to vegetation.  Currently, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia is engaged in a climate change study.

For more information see Resources and Resource Organizations.