From quail farm to forest classroom in Jackson

A working nursery, then a place to learn

The New Jersey Forest Service says the property had been a Fish and Game quail farm before it moved its tree nursery to Jackson in 1981. The education center describes the site as opening as a nursery in 1982. Those dates describe a move and a public opening, respectively; they need not be forced into one anniversary. The nursery now grows seedlings in fields, greenhouses and a hoop house for conservation and reforestation across the state. NJ Forest Service nursery history; Forest Resource Education Center overview.

Education grew alongside production. The center dates its first “Seeds To Trees” interpretive program to 1995 and the completion of its 3,000-square-foot interpretive center to 2003. A visitor can connect forest succession, seeds, fire and timber tools inside with the living stands and wet ground outside. NJDEP center history and exhibits.

Two ways to read the forest

The short Sensory Awareness Trail was rebuilt to make its interpretation available through several senses. When NJDEP dedicated the quarter-mile out-and-back route in October 2025, it documented a firmer permeable surface, a guide rope, Braille and large-print panels, tactile models, audio at the trailhead and places to rest. Its 20 exhibits take visitors from upland woods toward a Toms River tributary. Another center trail crosses a wetland boardwalk to a pond. The center maintains more than seven miles of trails, so the short interpretive walk can be a starting point for a longer visit. NJDEP, Sensory Awareness Trail dedication; NJDEP trail descriptions.

The new lookout

On March 25, 2026, the state dedicated the 133-foot Veterans Fire Tower on the education center and nursery property. It replaced the Lakewood tower about five miles east. NJDEP describes it as a working lookout in its wildfire detection network. The center also has a retired tower cab visitors may step inside to understand an observer's work. The state describes the new tower as operational infrastructure; it does not advertise a public climb. NJDEP, Veterans Fire Tower dedication; NJDEP center visitor features.

Plan a visit

Use 495 Don Connor Boulevard, Jackson, NJ 08527 for the public education center and its trails. NJDEP lists the grounds as open dawn to dusk and the interpretive center as open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; call 732-928-2360 for the current indoor schedule or programs. Most trails begin near the interpretive center. The nursery has a separate address at 370 East Veterans Highway and is a working production facility, so start at the public center unless attending a scheduled nursery program. Download the official trail map before setting out and check the center's current alerts for parking or construction changes. NJDEP visitor information and maps; NJ Forest Service office directory.