Our friend, Ken Klipstein, who has spent more than four decades working to protect land and clean water, will be the honoree at Raritan Headwaters’ “Woodland Ball” fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 27. Ken has been a watershed hero to us for as long as we’ve known him. We’re so pleased to be able to thank and honor him at our upcoming gala.

Ken retired in April after a 37-year career dedicated to helping the environment. He served for 20 years with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) as bureau chief in the Division of Watershed Management. He later became director of watershed protection programs for the New Jersey Water Supply Authority.

His involvement with Raritan Headwaters goes back even further, starting with one of our parent organizations, the Upper Raritan Watershed Association (URWA). Ken began volunteering as a teen when his father was on the URWA board of trustees. Fairview Farm in Bedminster had just been donated to URWA as a wildlife preserve and headquarters campus, and Ken helped with early stewardship projects, including creating bird habitat with brush piles.

At age 26, after earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental planning from Rutgers University, Ken joined the URWA board, where he served for several years.

Ken has always had an interest in land use issues and water, and loved being outdoors and exploring. He credits this to his family’s long history of involvement in outdoor activities and passion for protecting the land, water, and nature.

Watershed Ambassadors

While at the NJDEP, Ken co-founded the “Watershed Ambassadors” program, designed to promote stewardship and education in the state’s 20 watersheds. He considers it one of his best achievements.

As a conservation nonprofit with a mission of protecting clean water, Raritan Headwaters has significantly benefited from the Watershed Ambassadors program. Since the program’s inception in 2000, RHA has been assigned an ambassador each year to help with public outreach and education programs. RHA leaders who got their start as watershed ambassadors include Mara Tippett, executive director, and Lauren Theis, director of education.

Ken has extensive nonprofit experience beyond RHA. In 1993, he and his late uncle, Ted Koven, co-founded the Tewksbury Land Trust to help preserve open space and farmland in their hometown; he still serves on the board. He is also a board member and former president of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. RHA has partnered with both organizations, pooling funding and expertise to bring local land preservation projects to fruition.

He also serves on the boards of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, the Pinchot Institute for Conservation, and the steering committee of the New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team. He is the founder and president of the recently formed Blooming Grove Wildlife Foundation in Pennsylvania.

Going Wild

Ken will be honored at the Woodland Ball, to be held on Sept. 27 in a tent behind the historic barns at Fairview Farm, located at 2121 Larger Cross Road in Bedminster. The theme of the event is “Go Wild for Conservation,” inspired by Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book, “Where the Wild Things Are.”

The event will feature cocktails, dinner, dancing, and live auctions for vacation homes and guided outdoor adventures. All proceeds will support Raritan Headwaters’ science, advocacy, education, and land preservation and stewardship programs.

For more information about the Woodland Ball, and to buy tickets, click here.