Most people in New Jersey don’t know that just off the coast of Pennsauken, New Jersey, sitting quietly in the Delaware River lies an island majority-owned by Venezuela through CITGO Petroleum Corporation – the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company. Petty’s Island also has a beautiful view of the Philadelphia skyline. Since 1916, Cities Service Company (predecessor to CITGO)  has used this island location as an oil refining and/or storage site. In 2000, CITGO ceased operations at this location. In 2009, CITGO donated a conservation easement over the island to ensure that this former industrial site was not developed and would become a preserve to protect the natural diversity of plants and animals and support passive recreation.

The First People

Prior to being used for oil storage, the island had a long history of habitation by both humans and wildlife. The original inhabitants were the Lenni Lenape. It is thought they called the land “Aquikanasara.” The English came to town in 1624 when trading began with the island inhabitants. The legend goes that in 1678, Elizabeth Kinsey purchased the island from the original people with the stipulation they could continue to hunt there in season, and in return, they would not disturb her hogs or set fire to her haystacks. Kinsey married Thomas Fairman in 1680 and the island was then christened “Fairman’s Island.” At this time, it was also part of Pennsylvania. During Fairman’s time the Quakers used the island for their monthly meetings.

Lawlessness Prevails

Throughout the 1700 – 1800s, there are legends and stories about the general lawlessness of the island. It was used during slavery, and for gambling, and also for shipbuilding.  Blackbeard is said to have spent some time here as well during his pirate reign. In 1732, a Philadelphia merchant, John Petty (1702-63) purchased the island and gave it his name. Petty sold off lots and encouraged agricultural development for crops like corn, grain and tobacco. After the American Revolution, New Jersey and Pennsylvania divided up the islands in the Delaware River, and in 1783, Petty’s Island became part of New Jersey.

The Industrial Revolution

For over 100 years, Petty’s Island was used as an industrial site. The toll on the environment, the land and the wildlife was huge. In 1931 as many as 31 oil tankers brought crude here for refinement and 5,000 railcars full of consumer-grade gasoline left the site. The storage facility had the capacity to hold 21 million gallons of crude. When CITGO stopped operations, they entered into talks initially with the town of Pennsauken. The plan was to build a golf course and residential units and CITGO would do nothing as far as clean-up. This plan came to a crashing halt when, in 2004, bald eagle chicks were found nesting on the island. The chicks later died and the golf course was scrapped.

A More Natural Approach

In 2009, CITGO formed a partnership with the NJ Natural Lands Trust. The Trust will accept the wildlife preserve once CITGO has completed a $2 million remediation to the land and $1 million construction of a Visitor Center. The remediation work is in full swing now and the changes to the island are clearly visible. During this in-between stage, the NJ National Lands Trust has been granted a conservation easement.

Limited Access

The only way at present to visit the island is through partners of the Trust.  The Center for Aquatic Sciences, which is based in Camden and spearheads programs focused on marine sciences, education and volunteerism, is a primary partner. Several times a year they sponsor educational hiking tours and kayak trips to the island. This is the only way to currently access Petty’s Island and we were lucky enough to take a walking tour two years in a row.

Taking a Tour on Petty’s Island

The tours are led by Anthony Lara, Assistant Manager of Community Programs for the Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium. His knowledge and enthusiasm are contagious. The three-hour walking tour of the island is a combination of light hiking and some driving. Both times we experienced completely different wildlife and to go more than once is not at all redundant. In July 2023, we saw abundant osprey, deer and geese along with the occasional toad. In September of 2024, we spotted black ducks, groundhogs and great blue herons. We even were lucky enough to see – but not engage with – red velvet ants.

Monitoring Change

With its unique history of farming and agriculture and later heavy industrial use, Petty’s Island is in a unique ecological position.  Mostly remediated from its former days and sitting almost uninhabited in the Delaware river – the island has become a bellwether for climate change. Currently, the island is the perfect setting because of its isolation.

Plant Life

Several environmental studies have been conducted here to monitor the flora and fauna of the island. The vegetation on the island is quite varied from hardwood forests to tidal wetlands and freshwater ponds. The predominant trees are: eastern cottonwood, black willow and white poplar.  A study in 2010 concluded, “The habitat present on Petty’s Island is an amalgam of invasive and native species; in many cases, the invasives, such as Japanese knotweed, stinging nettle, and poison ivy, are winning the battle for a permanent foothold. However, as degraded as the habitat is in its current state, there is a diversity of habitat types present that provide refuge for both breeding and migratory birds.”

Birds and Mammals

The avian life on Petty’s Island seems to be doing well. There’s a great blue heron rookery in the southwest corner of the island. As many as 23 different species of warblers have been spotted here and migratory birds seem to use the island on a regular basis. Mammals are also doing well on the island and five species were observed including: raccoons, red foxes and white-tailed deer.

An Isolated Ecosystem

Amphibians and reptiles seem to be quite comfortable on Petty’s Island as well. Although no “rare” species were found in the survey, the redbelly turtle is considered state threatened in Pennsylvania.  The plain leopard frog, green frog and bullfrog have all found comfortable homes here. Although no rare or endangered wildlife or plant life was found, the conclusions are still impactful. “In total, 141 birds, 10 reptile and amphibian, 5 mammals, 29 butterfly, 10 dragonfly, and 4 damselfly species were observed on and in the vicinity of Petty’s Island. Fifty-four of the observed bird species were confirmed to be breeding on Petty’s Island.” It’s not hard to see why Petty’s Island has become an environmental oasis.

The Future of Petty’s Island

The original plan called for Petty’s Island to be turned over to the NJ Natural Lands Trust in 2020. Covid and other factors have slowed this process. The DEP has to sign off that the remediation is successfully completed. For now, the island sits in stasis. Plans exist for a Visitor’s Center and trails throughout the park. One day, Petty’s Island will again be occupied by people out enjoying hiking along the banks of the Delaware River and through the hardwood forests. But for now, the island remains a peaceful outpost where nature is reclaiming the land and migratory birds find a comfortable stop in “Venezuela” as they head off on their journey.