Group takes in beauty of a little-known park Nature walk guide shares knowledge of local ecosystem BY MARY ANNE ROSS Correspondent SCOTT PILLING staff Brian Racin, a forestry expert and chairman of the South River Shade Tree Commission, discusses some features of the ecosystem during a nature walk sponsored by the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership on Saturday. EAST BRUNSWICK - Most homeowners know them as a red maple, but to Brian Racin they are acer rubrum. "The same tree might be known by different names depending on the region," he said. "But Latin names avoid all the confusion." Racin, who has a degree in forestry and knows the Latin term for most of the area's trees and plants, led a nature walk Saturday morning through East Brunswick's Keystone Park, also known as the Joseph P. Chagnon Wildlife Area. Tucked away in the Old Bridge Historic District, between the railroad tracks and a bend of the South River - and straddling the border of Old Bridge Township - the park is one of the hidden gems of East Brunswick's park system. Its entrance is on Emerson Street, opposite the parking lot of the American Legion. Its many paths either wind their way through the woods or go through a more open tract. All lead to a large well-mowed field by the river. The area is unique, according to Racin, who is chairman of the South River environmental and shade tree commissions, because it has a very different ecosystem than the surrounding land. It contains a hardwood forest that is located in a flood plain, he said, noting that the area is the northern-most boundary of the Pine Barrens. During the nature walk, sponsored by the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, Racin shared stories about his experiences hunting, fishing and trapping in and around the South River, and pointed out the different types of trees and their characteristics. He noted that the black cherry, for example, is really valued for furniture making. "One tree can cost $2,000," he said. Pointing to another, "The post oak was used in all the old coal mines, and they are still holding many of them up." Among those along for the walk was Lorraine Suchage, a Piscataway resident originally from the Midwest. "I decided to come on the hike because I always enjoy learning new things about this area," she said. "The park is lovely and the talk was really informative." Cynthia Serrao resides in East Brunswick but said she'd never been to Keystone Park before. She was happy to gain from Racin's knowledge. "It was great to go with someone who was able to point out the unique characteristics of the foliage and trees," said Serrao, who has two daughters, Christen, 8, and Ashley, 5, who attend Frost Elementary School. "I am going to be a Girl Scout leader this year, so I'm really looking for places to bring the girls so they can appreciate the outdoors more," she said. Racin hopes more people will begin to appreciate the outdoors and support open space preservation. "There are so many pockets of these unique ecosystems, even in a really developed area. They really impact wildlife," he said. "We have had two threatened species here in South River - the bald eagle and the yellow crowned night heron. The area is part of the 48-square-mile Lawrence Brook Watershed, which spans East Brunswick, South Brunswick, North Brunswick, New Brunswick and Milltown. The group was started in 1997 and regularly monitors local water sources. "We are a very active organization," said Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership President Alan Godber, who participated in the walk. "We have the great annual Farrington Lake cleanup every spring. We coordinate Scout troops, youth groups and other volunteers to clean up the lake area. We also do a lot of environmental education." The partnership focuses on simple ways for people to protect the environment. Nonpoint pollution, for example, is caused when rainwater or snowmelt seeps through the ground, carrying pollution into lakes and streams. Commonly used household cleaners and fertilizers are frequent culprits. The partnership sells organic home and garden products at its office. "They work really well," he said. The group also stencils the image of a fish on storm drains to remind people that paint, oil and other chemicals that end up in the drains may also end up in drinking water and impact wildlife. For more information about the partnership or to volunteer, visit its Web site at www.lbwp.org or call (732) 249-5297. Its office is located at 85 Washington Ave. in Milltown. The South River Environmental Commission is also looking for volunteers and meets the second Wednesday of every month in the South River Library at 7 p.m.