David O. Anderson, abstract photography

(HAMILTON, NJ) -- The nonprofit Friends for the Abbott Marshlands (FFAM) announces a new talk, Abstracts in Nature, by photographer David O. Anderson, on Sunday, March 24 from 2:00pm-4:00pm. Dave will speak about his approaches to abstract photography in Abbott Marshlands in anticipation of the 2024 Voices of the Marsh Photography Exhibition to be held this fall. Topics will include The Concept of Abstract Photography, and how it relates to: In-Camera techniques, Computer-based applications and effects, and iPhone-based applications. Beginner, intermediate and advanced photographers are invited. The talk is FREE, but online registration is required.

Anderson, a fine art photographer from Hopewell, was a former president of The Princeton Photography Club in New Jersey. His life-long interest in discovering design elements originates especially in nature. He seeks unique and meaningful juxtapositions of the obvious with the unexpected. Most recently, his photographic quests and regional exhibitions have been focused on the abstract. He has served as D&R Greenway Land Trust Photographer of Preservation for several years. View more about him at www.HopewellPhotographic.com.

David O. Anderson

The public is invited to review the prospectus for the 2024 Voices of the Marsh Photography Exhibition and submit their best photographic work taken on the parks’ grounds. The Abbott Marshlands properties consist of Roebling Park, Hamilton; D&R Canal State Park’s many trail locations (Bordentown Bluffs, Point Breeze, canal path off Rte. 295 with trails from Bordentown, and Trenton’s Duck Island); Northern Community Park, Bordentown; and the water trails of Crosswicks Creek and the Bordentown Beach area and the Delaware River along Bordentown, Hamilton and Trenton.

A previous photography talk on was held January 21 by Frank Sauer, who will be juror of entry and prizes for the upcoming exhibit. Frank was a previous top award winner and a frequent visitor to the marshlands, who is well known for his aerial shots of the marshlands and his artistic closeups. Readers are invited to download the Prospectus for the exhibition here.

The venue for both the talk and exhibition is the Tulpehaking Nature Center. It is located at 157 Westcott Avenue, Hamilton, in a cream-colored expanded rancher at the edge of the Abbott Marshlands-Roebling Park. The center is open Wednesdays – Saturdays, 10:00am to 4:00pm. Free parking is available at the historic Watson House.

The Abbott Marshlands are a critical natural and cultural resource with locations in Trenton, Bordentown, and Hamilton, in central New Jersey. Its 3,000 acres of open space include the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River and surrounding lowland and upland forests. Hiking the trails on the Abbott Marshlands’ preserved lands during the pandemic has meant much to local communities. Being outdoors, smelling the fresh air and looking at natural images while “forest bathing” are proven to calm our nerves and provide respite in a constantly changing world. The Tulpehaking Nature Center provides many educational resources. (Tulpehaking is the Lenape word for “Land of the Turtle.”)

The Abbott Marshlands Council works toward supporting stewardship, preservation, and protection of the Abbott Marshlands. Members of The Abbott Marshlands Council are private citizens, representatives of public and industrial landholders, and other parties. In 1999, preservation of these marshlands began as a project of D&R Greenway Land Trust, following a recommendation of the Hamilton/Trenton Marsh Management Committee. They later developed the Cooperative Stewardship Plan in 2010, an updated blueprint for stewardship and management. The Abbott Farm Historic District is the first National Historic Landmark in New Jersey, designated by the US Department of the Interior on December 8, 1976. It is an archaeological site with the largest known Middle Woodland village of its type on the east coast of the United States. Named after Charles Conrad Abbott, his early archaeological work and writings spurred much research there. His collections are known worldwide.

Friends for the Abbott Marshlands, organized in 2002 as Friends of the Marsh, is a grassroots organization of volunteers dedicated to enhancing appreciation and protection of the Abbott Marshlands. Their mission is to engage and inspire a diverse community to experience the unique nature and history of the marshlands with surrounding upland woods. In 2011 the name was changed to Friends for the Abbott Marshlands to acknowledge the historical and natural significance of the area. In 2021, they became an independent 501c(3) nonprofit.