Located between Philadelphia, PA and New Jersey lies Petty’s Island, an area of rich history tracing back to the 16th century. In April 2009, CITGO donated the island and former site of CITGO operations to the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust through a conservation easement for use as an ecological preserve and educational facility.
“Visitors can bird watch, listen to fascinating history of Petty’s Island and enjoy breezes of the Delaware River and views of the Philadelphia skyline,” said Cari Wild, Real Estate Coordinator for New Jersey Lands Trust.
The Trust has contracted with New Jersey Audubon Society to conduct educational programs. On average there are 12 programs a year, some that are designed for school groups while others are birding, history or geared towards members of the general public.
NJ Lands Trust provided Pannier with the text and photographs needed to put the exhibits together. Working collaboratively with NJ Lands Trust, Pannier designed 13 unique fiberglass embedded panels.
Wayside exhibits were placed along the trail to introduce visitors to the island’s history and natural resources. To display their panels, the Trust chose weathering steel Sled Base Exhibit Bases. Sled Bases allow the Trust to move their exhibits as the trail expands.
“Because the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust had never designed or installed wayside exhibits before, we were apprehensive about the process and product quality,” said Wild. “The folks at Pannier were patient and very willing to work with us making the process easy and enjoyable and resulting in a beautiful and vibrant product.”