Turkey Swamp

Chaim Melcer escaped from Nazi-occupied Poland, arriving at the United States with a farming background, a desire for a better life, and not much else. After years of successful land investments, the New Jersey resident gave back to the community by selling a large parcel of land to TPL, greatly enlarging the Turkey Swamp Wildlife Management Area in 2001. When combined with existing wildlife management lands and Turkey Swamp Park to the northeast, this 1,443-acre acquisition creates 5,400 acres of protected open space. The preservation effort will help protect the region’s water supply and the sensitive Barnegat Bay ecosystem