What is open space?

Open space are areas that all residents in town enjoy. Think farms, parks, and wildlife habitats. They help ensure our quality of life and ecological stability, and in the face of rapid suburban and commercial development, are more at-risk than ever. FOWWOS, founded in 1996, helps West Windsor Township acquire, protect, and manage these lands. But we need YOUR help! Won't you join us?

Why preserve it?

Open space is critical to our town's health and happiness for several fundamental reasons:

• It safeguards our natural resources: Trees and other plants benefit us in many ways. They filter out harmful chemicals in the ground, buffer wind, beautify areas, and provide shade (reducing building heating/cooling costs). Natural areas also offer many recreational opportunities. 
• It protects our watersheds: Waterways are a big part of West Windsor's landscape. Development can disrupt these watersheds, and it doesn't just hurt the environment - it can also lead to flooding issues that dramatically impact our quality of life.
• It lowers tax increases by limiting residential development: Many West Windsor households take more from the township than they give back in taxes. School children require the township to spend lots of money on the educational system, residents in general all place a burden on transportation, energy, and water infrastructure, and more residents means more municipal services that we need to pay for. Open Space offers an alternative that all current residents can enjoy.
• It provides recreational opportunities: Open space doesn't just mean wildlife areas. It also means cricket and football fields, skate parks, dog parks, rowing/sailing venues, and much, much more, for people of various age groups and from all walks of life.
• It connects us to our collective history - West Windsor was, from the mid-1700s to the late 1900s, almost entirely farmland. Before that, it was entirely nature. We are all part of this heritage, whether we've lived here for 5 days or 50 years. Preserving and promoting our historical farmland is critical. To discover much more local history, visit the Historical Society of West Windsor's website.

How can you help?

Volunteer with us! We're a tiny all-volunteer nonprofit and are limited in what we can do by how many people are volunteers. If you care about local farmland, parks, and wildlife habitats, don't just sit there! Please step up and be involved. CLICK HERE to volunteer.