The Millstone Times

The New Jersey Pine Barrens An Adventure Waiting to Happen! New Egypt resident, William J. Lewis, just released his third book about the New Jersey Pinelands and its people, titled, Ad- venture with Piney Joe- Exploring the New Jersey Pine Barrens, available March 1st. The book was published by Stockton Uni- versity’s prestigious publishing arm, South Jersey Culture & Historic Center (SJCHC). The book serves as a guide and trail map for people wanting to get back into nature after a long hiatus away due to covid, or to those looking for new places to adventure safely outdoors. The book highlights Piney Joe, the author’s beloved magical gnome, as you take a walk with Piney Joe to discover places full of wild and mysterious scenery in the Pinelands National Reserve. The reader is introduced to some Pineland folk- lore, which includes the infamous Jersey Devil. You will also learn about plants native to the area, along with some of the names Pineland folks used for each plant, and more. There is also a full-color illustrated trail map with 31 different destinations for you to physically explore within the Pine Barrens.

By Pam Teel

Lewis’s second book titled, Piney Everlastings Vol. 1, includes descriptions of native pine barren plants and historic destinations in a unique hybrid of a book that is part adventure guide, part personal journal, and an all-around fun coloring book. Contained within is 34 images to color, a word search, images of ten common plants, and sixteen exciting destinations to explore. William’s debut book was released in 2021 by Arcadia Press and became a no.1 Amazon hot new release in its first month. It is titled New Jersey’s Lost Piney Culture. It references the culture and history of the piney people, then and now, who have built their own vibrant culture and industry by working the natural landscape around them. Their foraging skills, originally taught by local Lenape’s, were passed down through generations of Piney families who gathered many of the same wild floral products that became staples of the Philadelphia and New York dried flower markets. Important figures arose out of the 20th century like John Richardson, who fought hard to lift the Pineys out of rural poverty by recording and marketing their craftsmanship. As the state government sought to preserve the Pine Barrens and develop the region, Piney culture was frequently threatened and stigmatized. Lewis, is both author and advocate for the Pine Barrens inhabitants. Past authors have mislabeled and painted an ill picture of the life of a piney depicting them as dumb, stu- pid, backward, and backwoods people. In his writings in print and on social media under the moniker Piney Tribe, Bill tries to undo the damage and stigma still present to this day about the misrepresentation of the people who grew up in the pines. In general, pineys in the past worked the land. They picked blueberries in the summer, cranberries in the fall, and pinecones in the winter. They lived and loved the land they grew up on. Pineys of today might still engage in all the above activities, but due to more opportunities, they have moved on to normal 40-hour work weeks and can be found holding positions across the job market today. Just every day ordinary people, like you and me, could be considered piney, with one thing in common, their inter- action and love for the New Jersey Pine Barrens. William is a lifelong resident of New Jersey who loves the diversity of the people of New Jersey and loves the landscapes of New Jersey's great outdoors. He deeply believes in environmental stewardship and in seeking to serve others. He had that chance in 2009 when he was accepted and graduated as a Rutgers Environmental Steward. This event would expand Mr. Lewis' knowledge of environmental issues and lead to him becoming chairperson of Plumsted Environmental Commis- sion, President of the Executive Board of Directors of EarthShare NJ, chairperson of the Sustainable Jersey committee of Plumsted, and President and founder of Nurture Environmental Stewardship Today! (NEST) nonprofit 501c3. Mr. Lewis has gained several distinguished awards for his community service including a Silver Medal in 2011 Federal Executive Board (FEB) Region 3 Green team, the Bronze Medal in 2012 FEB Outstanding Community Service, and an Environmental Achievement Award from the Association of New Jersey Environ- mental Commissioners (ANJEC) in 2012 and 2013. If you asked Mr. Lewis where he gained the drive and knowledge to lead many of the diverse teams in his life, he would credit the United States Marine Corps. As a noncommissioned officer stationed in Kaneohe, Hawaii, he attended a leadership school called the Corpo- ral’s Course. There he earned the title of Honor Grad, top of his class. Keeping it all in the family, Lewis’s nephew, Shane Tomalinas, a senior at Allentown High school collaborated with him on two of his books and provided the beautiful illustrations in Piney Everlastings Vol. 1 and Adventure with Piney Joe- Exploring the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Shane started doing the drawings for his uncle at the young age of sixteen. The challenges in illustrating these two books have given him the confidence to pursue Art in college upon graduation in 2022. And for the first time, his name is on the cover of a printed book! William J. Lewis taken by Labyrinth Books of Princeton, NJ

When asked what made Lewis so interested in the Pine Barrens, he told the story of being on a business trip in Florida and taking some time out to look for a rare bird in the Sweetwater Wetlands Park of Gainesville. Lewis is also an avid bird watcher. While there, he came across a couple in the park from Indiana and they started talking. The couple was so excited when he told them that he was from New Jersey; they asked him if he had ever been to the Pine Barrens. They had recently visited Wharton State Forest as it was a bucket list item of theirs and were really thrilled with their visit and what they saw. Lewis admitted he had never really envisioned what an outsider’s view- point would be on an open space area that is a 1.1-million-acre evergreen ocean encompassing 22% of the area in New Jersey. And growing up in the Pine Barrens he may have lacked the right amount of appreciation for being able to call it home. It planted a seed in him and led him to learn all he could first-hand about the Pine Barrens and what it had to offer. Finding, in the process, a re- newed love of growing up in the Pines. He already loved botany, history, and being around nature, and traveled the world to other foreign places of interest. His exploration and journeys literally in his own backyard have led him to write books, opening the doors for many other people to discov- er the true beauty of the Pine Barrens and their past inhabitants. Get out there and get in! With the aid of his writing, you can not only read about the Pine Barrens, but you can also explore them too!

To order books go to: https://pineytribe.com /you can also find it on Amazon and look for book signing events and festivals he may attend. He en- joys meeting new readers and has quite the following on his author page on Facebook @ Piney Tribe. Facebook, Instagram, and website- pineytribe Email: williamj.lewis@pineytribe.com

6 The Millstone Times

March 2022

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