top of page

Our Founder

The overall purpose is to bring to the public a better understanding of the value of protecting and promoting the local open space and farmland preservation programs that are unique to Central New Jersey, and also to enhance the public’s greater understanding of the challenges facing our environment thereby making each of our residents a better steward and advocate for proper management of our natural resources.

NEST!’s main goal is to stop the "shelf mentality" that we have created for today's youth.  This issue is just plain common sense; our kids need to be exposed to nature. Our community’s children and thousands like them are growing up with the "Shelf Mentality".  Open space and farmland preservation is great, but it places that land on a shelf and our kids look at it and know it’s there -- like a knick-knack sitting on a shelf at grandma’s house -- but they don't gain the understanding and appreciation for it like past generations have.  Nor will they value that knick-knack in the same way that grandma did or as one does as a conservationist.  Generations before us knew the importance of land preservation and that the initial purchase price was an investment in our children’s inheritance of this green Earth.

Purposes and Goals

 

You can view our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NestNurtureEnvironmentalStewardshipToday

William Lewis

Founder and president of Non Profit 501 c (3) NEST! - Nurture Environmental Stewardship Today! based out of Plumsted Township, New Jersey.  NEST! was founded in October of 2009 and officially recognized as a 501 c(3) on February 9, 2012.  William Lewis has served Plumsted Township and Central Jersey communities through environmental awareness & advocacy inspired by Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. Mr. Lewis proudly preaches that “Getting Kids Outdoors” and “Stopping the Shelf Mentality” is our primary purpose as a NJ Non Profit 501 c (3) environmental group. His goal is to mobilize and organize nature for kids like the organized sports leagues his two daughters have been so involved in throughout their life.  His two daughters are his inspiration to continue to support outdoor awareness and his biggest supporter and brainstorm partner and wife is Kristina Lewis. 

Coupled with his 4 year tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps and his continued career in Federal government with GSA (Federal Executive Board of Philadelphia-Bronze Medal recipient for Outstanding Community Service 2012)Mr. Lewis has 20+ years of service.  He has always sought to serve his country and community.  During his time in the Marines Mr. Lewis learned that one had to lead by example and have a plan.  He graduated top of his class in the Non Commissioned Officers’ Leadership School in Kailua, Hawaii.  Continuing his quest to broaden his understanding of environmental issues in 2009 he graduated from the Rutgers Environmental Stewardship Program and for his intern project he created and successfully hosted a 9 station bluebird trail within Plumsted Township’s Annual Fall FEST bringing awareness to the Eastern bluebird and bringing children of the community the opportunity to learn and have fun leading each of the station’s activities.  Mr. Lewis wrote his goals down on paper to “Inject Nature back into New Egypt” his hometown.

NEST! was created to fulfill a fundamental need to bridge the gap between local small government bodies and nonprofits engaged in developing young minds to think environmental stewardship first.  NEST! would become the vehicle to which each of the community projects to teach and make children more aware of their environment would come to fruition not just for the township in the center of the state but for the entire state of New Jersey. From hosting the first official NJ Bluebird festival multiple years (involving entire school district 2014-2015), establishing and monitoring a 10 nest box bluebird trail since 2014, creating and cohosting a 9.1 Kayak & Canoe race on the Crosswicks Creek from 2009-2011, winner of Washington Crossing Audubon Society’s Holden grant in 2013 & 2014, Annual participant of Audubon Christmas Bird Count, creator and host of Annual Natural Holiday Wreath workshops, adopted Green Acres park-Paradise Park since 2013, creator and maintainer of Home Run Garden 2015- monarch waystation #12154, owner & operators of two Little Free Libraries; charter #38257 & #38527.

Publicly Mr. Lewis has chaired both of Plumsted Township’s Environmental Commission (2012 & 2013 Environmental Achievement Award) and the Plumsted Sustainable Jersey Committee.  He serves as Trustee on the environmental nonprofit Crosswicks Creek Doctors Creek Watershed Association (CDCWA). Also he has previously served on the Board of Directors for EarthShare NJ from 2013-2017 as an At Large Member of the Executive Board of Directors and one term as President.  Many of his community projects were conducted in parallel with him getting his B.S.B.A Management & Leadership – Rider University and Leadership Education and Development Certificate Program (LEAD) - U.S. Office of Personnel Management both in the month of May 2014. 

bottom of page