Led by Gen Z Activists, Community Opposition Mounts to Residential Development Next to South Jersey’s Black Run Reserve

When Zoe Welsch learned that her favorite nature spot, Black Run Reserve, could soon be neighbors with a cul de sac in a subdivision, she was devastated. 

“This is so upsetting for so many reasons. I’ve been going here for so many years and if you know me personally, you know this spot,” said Welsch, a South Jersey fashion and lifestyle influencer on TikTok.

Located in Evesham Township, New Jersey, this 1,300-acre forest is not only a gateway to the Pine Barrens and home to more than a hundred species, but it is also the source of drinking water for millions of New Jersey residents. Now, Devel LLC is looking to turn more than 780 acres of forest next to the reserve into a development with 270 single-family homes.

In response, Climate Revolution Action Network and the Pinelands Preservation Alliance are mobilizing young people all over the nation, particularly those in their teens to late 20s, to advocate for the land to be protected through changes to the state Pinelands Commission’s comprehensive management plan.