Announcements and Updates
6/23/23: Earlier this month, our volunteers sealed the Scout Project in Squirrel Field. The supplies were purchased with donations that have been made to Freedom Barks, Inc.
This week we earned our second free park bench from TREX. Thank you to everyone who participated!
Freedom Barks, Inc. would also like to give a special thank you to Murphy's Fresh Markets in Medford for contributing 200 pounds of plastic film toward this bench. In large part due to their support, we quickly reached our 500-pound goal in just about two and a half months!
5/13/23: Respect Your Park Day
Spring Clean Up
A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered with Freedom Barks, Inc. for our Respect Your Park Day: Spring Clean-Up! With all your help we were able to finish the majority of our to-do list! We would also like to thank everyone who donated and/or purchased merchandise. All proceeds go toward the maintenance and enhancement of Freedom Barks Dog Park.
In addition to picking up litter, trimming the trails, and filling in holes; an old bench that recently ended up in the creek was retrieved and disposed of. Our new TREX bench was also built and placed in Dog House Field! Be sure to keep collecting your plastic film since we are working towards earning our second free TREX bench.
Soon we will replace a few bridge boards and set a date for painting/staining the agility equipment, trail signs, and a few other amenities. If you are interested in helping us with painting, stay tuned for an upcoming post with more information!
4/13/23: NexTrex Plastic Film
Recycling Challenge
Freedom Barks, Inc. is excited to announce we signed up again for the NexTrex Community Plastic Film Recycling Challenge! Our goal is to collect at least 500 lbs. of non-traditionally recycled plastic film.
If we meet our goal by the end of the next 6 months, then we will receive a second free park bench from Trex!
We would also like to give a huge thank you to Medford's Murphy's Fresh Markets for donating plastic film from their deliveries towards this initiative. Our volunteers have been picking up 2 full car loads a week which has been about 40 pounds per trip! With their additional support, we should meet our goal even quicker than the first time!
EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED (for a full list please see the attached flyer): bread bags, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, plastic shipping envelopes, Ziploc bags, cereal bags, plastic wrap, produce bags, etc. *please note all plastic must be clean, dry, and free of food residue*
WHERE ARE COLLECTION BINS LOCATED?:
-Lower Forge Brewery (14 South Main St, Medford)
-Freedom Barks Dog Park Events
-Medford Township's Senior Center (Cranberry Hall)
Please share this with your family and friends- every single piece of plastic collected will help us reach our goal!
3/20/2023: Over the weekend, two newly donated benches were installed in Hydrant Field
and on Lucy Trail!
Thank you to Bettis, Lexie, Mocha, and their owners, Jack and Jackie. They dedicated this bench to their German Shepherd crew & friends who frequently meet up for playdates at the park.
If you have a German Shepherd who is looking to make new friends, check out Freedom Bark GSD Owners.
Thank you to Bugsy and her owners, Brie and Alan. They wanted to make a special contribution to the park and dedicated this bench to mark the spot where Bugsy first learned how to swim. We also want to thank Boulder Designs by Fynan and Sons for making this custom order!
2/27/2023: Spotted Lanternfly Update
So far, volunteers from Freedom Barks, Inc. have removed almost 40 egg masses from the dog park.
2/11/2023: Spotted Lanternfly Egg Masses
If you are interested in learning more about spotted lanternflies and how to locate/remove their egg masses, we highly recommend attending one of the Burlington County Park’s Systems Spotted Lanternfly Egg Scraping Sessions.
They are collaborating with the USDA to educate the public on how they can do their part to prevent further spread of this invasive species, which is harmful to native plants, fruit tree orchards, grapes, etc.
Two of our volunteers attended their event on February 1st and left with a much better understanding of this issue and how important early intervention is.
Last summer, you may have seen our volunteers spraying vinegar on nymphs/adults that were found around the dog park's black walnut trees, wild grape vines, and berry bushes.
This year we are aiming to stay ahead of the problem by finding and scraping their egg masses before they hatch later this Spring. So far, we have found/tagged somewhere around 12-15 egg masses, which may not seem like a lot, but each egg mass can contain between 30-50 eggs!
Thank you so much to everyone who supported our holiday donation drive for Burlington County's Meals on Wheels Loves Pets Initiative! It was a great success and each donation provided much needed assistance to local Meals on Wheels clients.
We are excited to share that throughout the year, donations can continue to be dropped off at
Lower Forge Brewery, or with our volunteers during Freedom Barks events.
If you would like to donate at any time, they will accept dry or canned food, treats, or toys (*bags can be opened.)
We are proud to support this cause that delivers pet food to Meals on Wheels participants, who would often take portions away from their own meals to feed their pets. For more information about Burlington County's Meals on Wheels Loves Pets Program, please contact: Carla Fynan at 609-265-5784.
2022 YEAR IN REVIEW
Freedom Barks, Inc. is grateful for the tremendous amount of support we have received from our surrounding community in 2022. Please see the attached PDF for our Year in Review where we highlight and thank those who have worked with and contributed toward Freedom Barks, Inc. this year.
We are looking forward to another wonderful year where we will continue to
maintain and improve Freedom Barks Dog Park.
Thank you everyone for your support!
We wish you and your pups a safe and happy 2023!
-Your Friends at Freedom Barks, Inc.