Stewardshops are a novel learning experience designed to involve participants in stewardship and ecological restoration at a practical level.

Since about ⅓ of the Sourland region is privately owned, backyard stewardship is essential to support the ecosystem. We work to encourage private landowners to engage in backyard stewardship – planting native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants to help support the Sourland forest’s plants and animals – many threatened and endangered.

One of the educational tools we provide is an informal gathering on a member’s property to answer participants’ questions, and share our group’s experiences of what has worked – and what hasn’t – on our own property to help the landowner achieve his or her goals.