Fern Valley

Tewksbury Township, New Jersey
Back to Nature acquired a wooded, steeply sloped 28-acre site in Tewksbury Township, NJ.  With environmentally sensitive areas that were not in prime health and located in a town that had never been publicly introduced to regenerative or sustainable design, it was a perfect opportunity to prove our regenerative concept.

Fern Valley is comprised of four home lots situated amongst old-growth trees in the upland portions of the site and a fifth lot of nearly eight acres along the stream that is dedicated as community open space. The building lots are sited to allow homes to take advantage of natural lighting, shade, heating, and cooling while protecting the wetlands and stream corridor.  Most of the site is criss-crossed by horse and walking trails, allowing residents and others to enjoy the wooded open space. The lots are accessed by a private drive that is entered through a new covered bridge that recalls the once-plentiful covered bridges of New Jersey’s history.

• Along the drive, bioswales help treat stormwater and road runoff in a decentralized constructed wetlands system that naturally cleanses the water before it is returned to the aquifer.
  
  
• Home sites include rainwater harvesting and reuse systems. This combination of tactics results in a storm-water system that mimics the natural systems already operating on the site, prevents erosion, helps to increase biomass by using water for the generation of plant life, and has resulted in significantly improved groundwater recharge on the site after development.
  
  
• Unhealthy and invasive trees were removed according to a woodland management plan to allow for increased crown release. This has resulted in a healthier and regenerated forest.

To learn more about Fern Valley, visit www.fernvalley.net.