'Do The Swamp Thing 2002' a month-long celebration of the recreational and educational resources in the Great Swamp watershed opened on Sunday, April 21 with about 250 people at the Morris County Outdoor Education Center in Chatham Township.

Coordinated by Great Swamp Watershed Association and sponsored by Kings Super Markets, Inc., PSEG, and Recorder Community Newspapers, this years’ celebration highlights family activities and raises awareness of the importance of environmental and historic conservation. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, State Senator Richard Bagger, Assemblyman Thomas Kean, Jr., and Martin McHugh, Counselor to the Commissioner of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) were introduced by David Budd, Chairman of Great Swamp Watershed Association.

Each of the honored guests spoke briefly about the importance and beauty of the Great Swamp, applauding the teamwork and thanking the countless volunteers that make the Great Swamp come alive and work tirelessly to keep it healthy. Congressman Frelinghuysen called the Great Swamp a "National Treasure." Senator Bagger spoke about his bill that proposes exemption from the state Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS), saying "There has been an unprecedented effort in the watershed by ten communities to set an appropriately high standard to protect the environment and they’ve done it voluntarily. This could become a model for watersheds throughout the state."

Martin McHugh closed the opening ceremony by announcing that Commissioner Campbell and Governor McGreevey have written to Christine Todd Whitman, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and requested that the Rolling Knolls Landfill site in Chatham Township be listed as a Superfund site. A portion of the site (approximately 42 acres) is within the boundaries of the Great Swamp Nation Wildlife Refuge (GSNWR). Listing it as a Superfund site puts the property in line for federally funded remediation.

Special 'Do The Swamp Thing' events will be held through May 19 at Refuge Headquarters in Long Hill, Morris County Outdoor Education Center in Chatham, Morristown National Historical Park, New Jersey Audubon Society Scherman-Hoffman Sanctuaries in Bernardsville, and Somerset County Environmental Education Center and Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge. Kings Super Markets are advertising 'Do The Swamp Thing' on their grocery bags throughout the celebration. An ongoing calendar of events can be found on the Watershed Association’s website at www.greatswamp.org.

New this year is a "Passport to Win, which is available at event sites throughout the watershed and at the Kings Super Market in Morristown. Anyone interested in the prize drawing is encouraged to get their "passport" stamped at any of the swamp sites throughout the promotion. With a minimum of two stamps, participants would then send their passport to the Watershed Association for the special drawing to be held later in May. First prize is a one-minute shopping spree at Kings, second prize is a Pentax camera donated by Madison Camera Shop, and third prize is a pair of Nikon "naturalist" binoculars, donated by NJ Audubon Society.

Great Swamp Watershed Association was created in 1981 to protect the Great Swamp watershed basin. Celebrating its 20^th Anniversary as a non-profit organization, the Watershed Association relies solely on membership and contributions to protect the continued health of our watershed’s area. If you’re not already a member, become one today. For more information, call (973) 966-1900, or visit their website at www.greatswamp.org.

Photo caption from left: David Budd, Chairman Great Swamp Watershed Association; Judith Schleicher, Morris County Parks Commissioner; Thomas Kean, Jr., Assemblyman; Julie Baron, Morris County Parks Commissioner; Rodney Frelinghuysen, Congressman; Cheryl Good, Manager of Community Relations Kings Super Markets; Richard Bagger, State Senator; John Inglesino, Morris County Freeholder; Julia Somers, Executive Director Great Swamp Watershed Association.

#######