WILDLIFE

The Hamilton/Trenton Marsh is a unique urban wetland with significant natural and historical resources. These marshlands connect multiple ponds, several creeks (the largest being Crosswicks Creek), the Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal), and the Delaware River. It also links the Crosswicks, Delaware & Raritan and Delaware River greenways. The diverse wildlife habitats support more than 1,000 identified species of plants and animals with many others awaiting discovery. Scientists indicate that the quality of the natural habitats of the Hamilton/Trenton Marsh surpasses that of the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, formerly the Tinicum National Environmental Center, near Philadelphia.

To residents of the immediate area, the Marsh provides scenic vistas, space to unwind, and a place for recreation. Visitors from across the country and across the Atlantic Ocean have enjoyed the Marsh for birding, hiking, canoeing, fishing, photography, and other outdoor recreational activities.

Recognized as a natural attraction, the Marsh is listed in Birding the Delaware Valley, A Guide to Bird Finding in New Jersey, and New Jersey: A Guide to the State. The John A. Roebling Memorial Park is highlighted in the New Jersey Wildlife Viewing Guide as part of the Watchable Wildlife Program. It in noteworthy that on a statewide basis, fish and wildlife resources are valuable not only for their recreational and aesthetic worth, but for the economic boost they give to the state's economy.; Fishing, hunting, birding, and other outdoor activities contribute $2.65 billion in economic activity annually.

The area boasts a rich human history that includes the Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark, where Native Americans thrived some 6,000 years ago. In the mid-1800's, the D&R Canal and the Camden and Amboy Railroad were constructed across the Marsh and used as major transportation routes. During that same time, White City Amusement Park was built at the Marsh, attracting visitors from throughout the region. Additionally, homes along the bluffs, including Mercer County's oldest standing house, the Watson House, link the marsh to the early settlers.

The Marsh also provides important and economically valuable ecological functions to the region. These benefits include ground water recharge, filtering pollutants to protect water quality, and managing flood waters. In addition, the tremendous amount of plant material produced per acre annually by the tidal marsh, shown by scientific studies to rival that of a tropical rain forest, contributes to the food chains of the Delaware River system.