Ringwood On Sunday, April 18, Passaic River Coalition and Skylands CLEAN christened their new office space at Highlands Meadow Farm in Ringwood, located on a 17-acre plot overlooking the Monksville Reservoir. The farm was preserved as open space in 2004. Ella Filippone, executive director of Passaic River Coalition, spoke about the renovation of the building. She applauded the efforts of contractor Ron Houser, who managed the renovation, and thanked the numerous corporate sponsors who provided materials for the project. CertainTeed, Benjamin Moore, Home Depot, Scuffy Carting, and Tilcon were extremely generous in their support, said Filippone. A number of volunteers offered assistance with painting and cleanup of the property. A new trail has been built on site as well which includes a self-guided tour of the historic farm. Going forward, Filippone hopes to obtain funding to rebuilding some of the smaller outbuildings, highlighting the site’s past as a working farm. A large group of members and supporters were on hand for the event, including Passaic County Open Space Committee members Tom Sergi, Mike Sebetich, Carl Richko, and Sandy Lawson. The County provided a significant portion of the funding to preserve the property as open space. The tract includes a large meadow, providing habitat for a number of species of songbirds, and is critical for watershed protection. It also has local historic significance as a working farm owned by the Vreeland/Rhinesmith families dating back to the 1880s. Skylands CLEAN, a group dedicated to protecting and preserving natural environment and water quality in the Highlands Region, will use the newly renovated farmhouse as their headquarters, allowing them to expand their programs to include education on environmental issues. Passaic River Coalition will maintain a small satellite office for their land trust operations in the building.