‘It’s Time to Get This Done’—86 Messages About the Drew Forest
TO THE EDITOR: It’s always great to table at Bottle Hill Day and meet fellow Drew Forest lovers. This year, Friends of the Drew Forest explained that the Forest is not yet saved—despite negotiations between Drew University and the borough, there is no contract for a purchase agreement. We then asked passersby if they’d like to express their thoughts to the Mayor and council and 86 did.
Many of the notes we received centered on the importance of the forest as a recharge area for the Buried Valley Aquifer, which supplies 100 percent of Madison’s drinking water.
Sen. Anthony Bucco wrote, “It’s time to get this done, you have my full support.” And residents wrote, “Mayor Conley, thank you for your efforts to support open space” and “Keep trying! We need more nature in this town and less building.”
We heard from a very special person in Mayor (Bob) Conley’s life, whose note said: “Please listen to your favorite principal. Save the Drew Forest!” The writer, Bob Newhouse, is 100 years old and was the fifth and sixth grade principal when Mayor Conley was enrolled in Madison Public Schools.
My favorite cards were from children. Ana and Duncan…[read more]
LETTER: Drew student critical of university's 'short-sighted' forest development plan
Michael George (C’23) | Madison Eagle
“I can imagine students learning about how we solved our financial problems by celebrating and making our beautiful campus even more of a biodiversity hot-spot, as well as becoming a national leader on how to promote biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Drew must continue to have the pride of promoting itself as the “University in the Forest.”
LETTER: Does Drew really want to become the school that chopped down its forest?
Alexandra Kiely (C’ 2012) | Madison Eagle
“I am deeply concerned about what the future will hold for Drew if it goes through with this monumentally shortsighted decision. Condemning the forest will define Drew’s reputation for all time, but I don’t think the school has really considered the fallout. The overwhelming majority of colleges and universities across the country are environmentally focused and becoming more so all the time.”
LETTER: Drew University must listen to students on forest issue
“The importance of the forest is more than just what it can offer financially and the ways in which the president and the Drew administration have handled this process have not been transparent.” - Rachel Papa, Drew University CLA ‘22
LETTER: Drew students challenge university president on potential Drew Forest sale
By Erica Cowper and Morgan Zielinski | The Madison Eagle
“We love Drew University and want it to be solvent for many years to come. We think that selling off sections of the forest may solve a short-term funding problem but will destroy the long-term health of the university.”