History

The Wildlife Preserve was created in 1975 when 31 members of the Taylor family gave a conservation easement on 86 acres of their land to the New Jersey Naturals Lands Trust. The property remains in Taylor ownership to "use and maintain the easement premises for open space and conservation purposes". Since then two small grants have been obtained; an open space management grant for benches and bridges over some ditches and a "watchable wildlife" grant to provide some signs and trail maintenance. There is a 1.5 mile loop trail for walkers to enjoy the Preserve.
The Preserve is about 15 miles up the Delaware River from center city Philadelphia whose skyline can be seen most days from the riverbank. The land was originally settled in 1720 by Joshua and Rebecca Wright who purchased it from the Proprietors of West Jersey - William Penn's managers. William Penn had been granted the land by King George of England but then negotiated a purchase from the Lenni Lenape Indians who lived in the area before Penn's time. The Wrights were Quakers who came to this country from England to escape religious persecution. The farm at Wright's point has been in continuous operation ever since and is the last operating farm on the Delaware River between Camden and Trenton. 
About 100 years after settling here, one generation of Wrights had two daughters between whom they divided the original 1000 acre farm. One of the Wright daughters married Charles Haines and lived on the half of the farm to the north of Taylor's Lane. The other daughter married Edward Taylor and lived to the south of Taylor's Lane. In the 1950s about half of the then-remaining Taylor farm was sold to the Hoeganes company reducing the farm to its present size of 120 acres. The 86-acre Wildlife Preserve is in the heart of this farm that continues to operate and, since the 1960s produces organically grown fruit and vegetables. 
  Value 
The wetlands provide flood control by containing rainwaters temporarily and also by permitting the river to spread out far beyond its normal width under flood conditions. The wetlands also serve the filter the runoff from the roads and industrial lands along Taylor's Lane whose stormwater drains through the Wildlife Preserve. The greenspace also becomes increasingly important to the quality of life as more and more of the surrounding area is paved over and built upon. 
  Usage 
The preserve is open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day. There is a space to park at the beginning of the trail. Some visitors fish in the Delaware River from the bank a few hundred yards from the beginning of the trail. Many others walk the trail observing the birds, plants, insects, and animals found along the way. Hundreds of people annually visit the Preserve and walk on its trails.