Calling all would-be explorers, adventurers, and buccaneers! The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt is back for another year of outdoor fun! Think you know a thing or two about New Jersey’s Great Swamp? Then it’s time to test your powers of navigation and observation to find out.
Join GSWA Education Associate Dan Ross as he leads a fun filled hike along the Horizon trail at the CMA and learn about why deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall, why they change colors and other interesting facts along the way! Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for squirrels and chipmunks collecting nuts for the coming months, and observe the forest changing as it prepares for the cooler months to come.
Set off in hot pursuit of the region’s most-wanted wintertime wildlife on this nature detective discovery hike at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Learn how to identify animals from their tracks, scats and other leave behind clues. Spy on secret hideouts used by birds, wintering insects, and other woodland creatures. Unmask the dining preferences of deer, raccoons, and even coyotes by putting the magnifying glass to some scat. All this detective work is easier than you think, plus its fun being outdoors in the winter! Recommended for all, but especially children 5 to 12 years old.
Have you ever tried dandelion wine? Do you know what types of wild plants can be harvested and eaten? Join us for this exciting spin on our always entertaining tasting events, where we will experiment with different food and drink made from New Jersey plants! This event is free to nonmembers and members who bring a nonmember friend as a guest (members coming alone or with other members can join in on the fun too, for a donation of $25). Not only that – but for each nonmember that walks through our door, an anonymous donor has pledged to contribute $25 to GSWA, and to match any gifts made to the organization, dollar-for-dollar.
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! With temperatures rising, the forest floor will be hopping with new life as frogs and other amphibians crowd into shallow puddles of water to breed and lay their eggs. These puddles, better known as vernal pools, provide a perfect opportunity to learn more about Mother Nature here in New Jersey. But hurry! They disappear quickly. GSWA’s annual Vernal Pool Exploration provides a fun, outdoor learning experience for kids and adults alike. Discover the differences between a spring peeper, a chorus frog, and a wood frog. Find out how far an endangered spotted salamander will walk to find a mating pool. And, learn how much everything we have come to appreciate about the springtime depends on a few unassuming puddles of water on the forest floor. Warm clothing and waterproof footwear — especially hiking boots — are very strongly recommended for this hike. Registration required. Register online or by calling 973-538-3500.
Join us for the next installment of “Downstream Adventures” Hiking at Watchung Reservation. We will be exploring scenic gorges, visiting the remnants of the deserted village of Feltville, following alongside the Blue Brook and marveling at Lake Surprise. This will be a difficult hike over a few miles.
GSWA is looking for volunteers to help us to remove invasive species and replant a native buffer around Kitchell Pond. We'd love to have your help! This event is cosponsored by Morris County Park Commission.
Calling all would-be explorers, adventurers, and buccaneers! The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt is back for another year of outdoor fun! Think you know a thing or two about New Jersey’s Great Swamp? Then it’s time to test your powers of navigation and observation to find out. Begin the Scavenger Hunt just after 10 a.m. by checking in at GSWA’s Home Base under the pavilion at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge’s Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center. (The Visitor Center is located just inside the Lee’s Hill Road park entrance at 32 Pleasant Plains Road in Harding Township, NJ.) We will provide you with a route to travel, questions to answer, and a list of treasures to find throughout the 55-square-mile Great Swamp Watershed region. It’s your job to navigate to each treasure site, seek answers to the questions and riddles provided, and then return to Home Base with all your spoils. Remember to hurry back to 32 Pleasant Plains Road at 3 p.m. because your day of pilfering booty will earn you several chances to win some special prizes at our Scavenger’s Tricky Tray! A free cookout waits for all who participate, so don’t forget your barbecue enthusiasm. We love […]
**DUE TO WEATHER THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM MAY 6** Grab your kayak or canoe and join GSWA as we paddle upstream from the Fisherman’s Parking Lot at the Lord Stirling Environmental Education Center. We’ll traverse beaver dams and explore the river, with Somerset County Park land on one side, and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge on the other. Our eyes will be peeled for turtles, snakes, migratory birds, and other creatures as we paddle through the peaceful waters. Please note that there are two times for this event, and each time is limited to eight boats (not individuals).9:00 AM – 11:00 AM OR 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM. You must bring your own boat, paddles, and personal flotation device (PFD). You will not be able to join the guided paddle without a PFD, which will be inspected before we leave. You should be dressed to get wet (including your shoes) and bring your own water. You will be asked to sign a waiver prior to participation. Registration required.
The cool forests and boardwalks of our 53 acre Conservation Management Area are the perfect place to escape to on warm late-spring evenings. With the forest in full bloom, Great Swamp Watershed Association Director of Education and Outreach, Hazel England will guide you in identifying spring ephemerals and lead you to explore the numerous vernal pools filled with frogs, tadpoles, and frog eggs. Hiking is on our flat mulch and boardwalk trails in Harding Township. Registration required. Register below or by calling 973-538-3500.
