The What, Where and Who of John Clyde Memorial Native Grasslands Preserve:
Our Friday night ‘home away from home’ for the Franklin Township Astronomy Club
Among the many perks of being a member of the Franklin Township Astronomy Club, which includes monthly meetings, educational presentations, and time spent with a community of fellow amateur astronomers, astrophotographers, and casual stargazers, one of the most valuable to our club is access to the darkest site in Franklin Township: the John Clyde Memorial Native Grasslands Preserve or, simply, the “John Clyde Preserve” or “The Preserve”.
If you follow our social media, you’ll see frequent mention of “John Clyde Friday Night Observing” or similar wording. For every club member who has been to John Clyde Preserve, there are likely many more who have never been or perhaps don’t even know what or where the John Clyde Preserve is.
A Unique Resource and an Important Relationship
The John Clyde Preserve is described in the Franklin Township official website under the ‘Parks and Open Space Facilities’ page:
“The 447-acre John Clyde Memorial Native Grassland Preserve, formerly known as Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve, was acquired by the township over a 20-year period, but the township began to aggressively purchase land for this Preserve in 2001.
The Preserve’s meadow is 102 acres, and another 345 acres are woodland. The John Clyde Memorial Native Grassland Preserve connects to the other 218 acres of the Ten Mile Run Greenway - the Bunker Hill and Franklin Park Natural Areas. Together, the two portions of the Greenway total 665 acres.”
The Preserve is a wonderful resource managed by Franklin Township, and offers opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, and cross-country skiing, among other activities. However, like most open spaces and hiking trails, the grounds are generally closed to the public after sunset—except for Club members on Friday nights!
As a result of the support and partnership with the Franklin Township Open Space and Trails Advisory Committees, registered club members are allowed to make use of the John Clyde Preserve every Friday night (weather permitting) from sunset until midnight, and sometimes later for special events (more on that later).
Where is the John Clyde Preserve?
The John Clyde Preserve is located at 1091 Canal Road in Griggstown (with some maps indicating a “Princeton” address), with the entrance located about 0.3 miles south of the Griggstown Causeway. The coordinates for the parking lot are N40.43575° W74.60985° <click coordinates for map>
A long gravel drive leads to the parking area and the trail entrance. Club members park in the designated area and then set up their chairs and equipment just beyond the trail entrance. From this area, we have a full view of the horizon in all directions, and the darkest sky in the township. This area is a perfect refuge from the town's busy streets and an ideal place to commune with the stars and your fellow club members.
Who goes to the John Clyde Preserve?
If you are a Club member, YOU can go to the John Clyde Preserve! Every Friday night, unless the weather conditions are extreme, you are likely to find at least one member of the club with their binoculars, or telescope, or just their eyes – observing through eyepieces, photographing with their smartphones or dedicated astrophotography equipment, or simply lying back in their chair and watching the stars move across the sky.
Club members are encouraged to communicate in advance and plan sessions – the more club members who use the Preserve, the more support we receive from the Township to continue using the space. Also, there is always comfort and safety in numbers under the night sky.
And speaking of safety…
Being comfortable and safe at the John Clyde Preserve
As a protected space, we are obligated to respect all rules and regulations governing the use of open spaces in our town. This means no open fires, no alcohol or illicit substances, and no other behavior that disrupts others' comfort and safety.
One thing is certain: the Preserve is DARK! Which is good for us stargazers, but requires proper lighting. White light is the bane of every astronomer; it takes the eyes over 45 minutes to completely dark adapt – but one single flash of light is enough to disrupt your dark vision. We therefore request that you invest in a dim red flashlight to help you navigate through the space. Once you have parked, turn off all your vehicle lights, turn on your red light, walk the few yards to the trail, and everyone who’s already at the Preserve will give you a warm welcome!
Remember to dress appropriately; cold winter nights are even colder in an open field – multiple layers, warm beverages, and hand and foot warmers are de rigueur. In the summertime, bug repellent and long pants will help prevent mosquito bites and deter any ticks from taking the ride home with you.
Safety at the Preserve is also supported by the Township. Police patrols occur periodically (and the police are already aware of our presence and that we have permission to use the space), and there is a security camera with night-vision capabilities as an added measure.
All of this should help you feel safe at the John Clyde Preserve, whether it’s your first time or 100th time there.
Some other points to note: as might be expected, there is no electricity at the Preserve; if you have equipment that requires power, you’ll need to bring your own portable power supply. There is a trash receptacle available, and we have been informed by the Township that a portable toilet will be installed soon (a big bonus for us!!).
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Who Was John Clyde?
We wrap up our overview of the John Clyde Memorial Native Grasslands Preserve with some information about the person for whom the Preserve is named.
John Clyde was a resident of Franklin Township, who served on the Township Council for nearly 20 years. In 2001, he was elected Mayor of Franklin Township. He was a longtime member of the township Environmental Commission and served on the Library Board of Trustees. He also worked as a parole violation hearing officer for the state Department of Corrections. A recipient of two heart transplants, Clyde was a tirelessly dedicated and highly respected member of our town. He passed away in 2019 at the age of 63.
The John Clyde Preserve and the Franklin Township Astronomy Club
We hope that this overview of the John Clyde Preserve has helped you become more familiar with the space and encourages you to come out and join your fellow club members if you haven’t done so in the past. A resource such as this is a rare asset for any astronomy club, making membership in ours a bit more special.
Clear skies -- and we hope to see you on an upcoming Friday night! Also, keep an eye on our website, social media, and other announcements about observing sessions on other nights of the week when there are unique events such as eclipses, meteor showers, or other celestial events.
Resources:
Township of Franklin Parks and Open Space Facilities https://www.franklintwpnj.org/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/34/2554?selcat=1136
Telescope Tips: Preserve Night Vision with Red Light for Better Astronomy – The Space Koala
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rdGdZttjR0
Obituary for John Clyde – former Mayor and Councilman
