SOLD OUT – 8/10: Drew Forest Hike

Drew University Forest Preserve’s Zuck Arboretum Madison, NJ, United States

THIS HIKE IS SOLD OUT. Please email NRago@GreatSwamp.org to be added to the waitlist.   Friends of the Drew Forest invite GSWA supporters on a special, guided tour. It's an easy, mostly flat walk and takes just over an hour to complete. You’ll visit ponds and view wildlife. You will also learn how protecting this area from deer and invasive plant removal have brought back lost or diminished plant species, pollinators, food webs, and forest structure. We'll be walking on unpaved paths that may be damp in spots, so wear appropriate shoes, long pants with socks and long sleeves or carry bug spray. There are no rest room facilities. If you have binoculars bring them along! It takes 10 minutes to walk from Drew's visitor parking lot, so please arrive early. The Drew University Forest Preserve, in Madison, is 53 acres of unusually contiguous natural forest, a biodiversity hotspot because of its diversity and extent, and because of 12 years of successful forest restoration, on much of the Preserve’s acreage. The Preserve is one of the only forests in the county with a native understory, where beech and sassafras seedlings thrive, where pollinators and other insects survive along with the birds […]

Free – $40.00

SOLD OUT – 8/19: Colors of Summer Hike

Helen Fenske Visitor Center 32 Pleasant Plains Rd, New Vernon, NJ, United States

C'mon out to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (GSNWR) and feast your eyes on the beautiful colors of summer. This is your chance for a behind-the-scenes guided hike with GSWA's Director of Water Quality Programs, Sandra LaVigne. As we explore the Bluebird Trail, we will be on the lookout for summer flowers, birds, wildlife - all in a pristine setting not typically open to the public. IMPORTANT CHANGE - Colors of Summer Hike. Because of a gate issue, we have changed the parking/meeting place for Colors of Summer Hike at 6:00 pm. Please go to the GSNWR Fenske Visitor Center. Direction Note: Google tries to take you to 32 Pleasant Plains Rd, Basking Ridge but it is best to approach it by Wood Duck Way. The gates at either end of Pleasant Plains Rd will be closed at 4:30. You need to approach it by Wood Duck Way. Meeting location: GSNWR Bluebird Parking Lot on Pleasant Plains Road, approx. 0.5 miles north of the refuge's south gate, and 1.6 miles south of the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center - New Vernon, NJ 07976 If the hike is sold out and you wish to be added to the waitlist, or […]

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

GSWA Partner Event: Paterson’s 1st Annual Green Fair

Pennington Park 353 McBride Ave, Paterson, NJ, United States

Enjoy great food, entertainment, hands-on activities for the family, receive resources from community organizations, and learn how you can help make Paterson a greener city. For more information contact the Paterson Green Team at PatersonGreenTeam1@Gmail.com. (This is a non-GSWA event)

SOLD OUT: 9/20 – Harvest Moon Night Hike

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - Bluebird Parking Lot Bluebird Parking Lot, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ, United States

This hike is sold out. If you wish to be added to the waitlist or if you are registered and unable to attend, please email nrago@GreatSwamp.org.   This event is a spectacular time of year to get outside for a hike at night. The full Harvest Moon appears on this very night, two days before the arrival of autumn. A full moon this time of year is typically called the “Harvest Moon" because the angle of the moon's orbit relative to the Earth's horizon is at its minimum, causing the full moon to rise above the horizon much faster than usual. This once helped farmers bring in the harvest late into the night. For us, it means we will have a bright night sky to light the way as we traverse the beautiful trails of the Refuge.   If you are sick, have a fever, or have been exposed to someone who may have COVID-19, for the safety of everyone, please do NOT attend the hike and cancel by emailing nrago@GreatSwamp.org so we can invite the next person on the waitlist as space is very limited This can be a tricky spot to find - below is some additional info to […]

Free – $40.00

POSTPONED: Workout with Lynne – Outdoors!

Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, United States

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED - RAIN IS ON THE WAY AND WILL LEAVE THE AREA TOO SOGGY FOR A COMFORTABLE WORKOUT   Get your sweat on! What a great time to get moving together in the great outdoors. We are thrilled to offer you this chance to work out with GSWA's own Lynne Applebaum, Director of Institutional Relations. Lynne is also a NASM certified personal trainer. Join us for a body weight total strength workout (with a little cardio thrown in). All you need is the desire to exercise in the fresh, clean air, appropriate exercise wear, water, and a towel or floor mat. All levels are welcome. Space is limited so register today!

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

Registration is full: GSWA Members Only Hike @ Drew Forest

Drew University Forest Preserve’s Zuck Arboretum Madison, NJ, United States

Registration is full for this hike. To be added to the waitlist, please email NRago@GreatSwamp.org or call 973-538-3500. Visit Drew Forest for a special guided tour for GSWA members only. The tour is an easy, mostly flat walk where we will check out some pretty ponds and the local wildlife. Our guide will explain how the protection from deer and removal of invasive plants have brought back lost or diminished plant species, pollinators, food webs, and forest structure. The Drew University Forest Preserve is 53 acres of unusually contiguous natural forest, a biodiversity hotspot thanks in part to 12 years of successful forest restoration. The Preserve is one of the only forests in the county with a native understory where beech and sassafras seedlings thrive and pollinators and other insects survive along with the birds that depend upon them. This intact woodland also serves as a major educational and research resource to the entire community. We'll be walking on unpaved paths that may be damp in spots, so wear appropriate shoes, long pants with socks and long sleeves or carry bug spray. There are no rest room facilities. If you have binoculars bring them along! It takes 10 minutes to […]

Sold Out Free

Change of Colors & Bird Migration Hike

Garret Mountain Reservation Lambert Castle Parking Lot, 3 Valley Rd., Paterson, NJ, United States

Please note the new date October is the perfect time to head outdoors and check out all the vibrant colors of autumn, and Garret Mountain is the place to be. We will also look for migrating birds along this key migration flyway lead with GSWA Director of Land Stewardship, Hazel England. Hazel will take us on a journey through the trails of the Reservation to identify the many varieties of trees and plants as they begin to prepare for a long winter’s nap. Situated 500 feet above sea level, Garret Mountain Reservation offers several overlooks with panoramic views of northern New Jersey and New York City that you can't see from anywhere else in Passaic County. GSWA Members: FREE, Non-members: $10.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

Fairfield Fall Cleanup Day – Nov 19 (11/12 POSTPONED)

Because of Rain Forecast, Cleanup Rescheduled to Friday, Nov 19th The flooding caused by Hurricane Ida affected many natural areas adjacent to our local rivers. They were inundated with the trash carried downstream. While GSWA staff were sampling the water quality along the Passaic River in Fairfield, we observed a large quantity of trash that had been caught up in the trees in the flood plain in this area. GSWA, working together our local NJ AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador, is organizing a cleanup day to ensure that this area gets the needed attention.  We need your help!  Come out and join us in cleaning up this beautiful area of the Passaic River. The cleanup location on Nov 19th is the boat launch site at the end of Camp Ln, in Fairfield.  The cleanup will run from 10 - 12 PM.  We are asking people to wear masks and it will be muddy so you should wear appropriate shoes that can get muddy and maybe even wet.

Free

Post-Thanksgiving Cleanup & Hike @ the CMA

Great Swamp Watershed Association's CMA 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, United States

Thanksgiving is a day of giving... giving thanks, and perhaps giving in to all the delicious temptations we smelled long before they ever found our their way to our plates. And more food-filled holidays are right around the corner. This is the right time to head outside and work it off by helping prepare our Conservation Management Area (CMA) for winter with some important trail maintenance. Then we will put away our tools and will hit the trails again, this time for some relaxation and sight seeing. If you haven't already seen all the amazing renovations that took place last November, now is your chance to see what a healthy swamp is supposed to look like! So, let's get together and work and play at the CMA! Can't do the cleanup and the hike? That's okay. Just let us know which works for you. Either way, we're outside and we're burning calories!

Geocaching at the CMA

Great Swamp Watershed Association's CMA 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, United States

Charge up your phone or GPS device and join us at the CMA for a unique treasure hunt called Geocaching! Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity where players use their GPS device to find hidden caches (containers that typically hold a logbook to sign and mark your find). These caches will be hidden throughout the area, and you will find them based on coordinates (longitude and latitude) as you explore the beautiful trails of GSWA’s Conservation Management Area. This is a Geocaching 101 event where you will learn all there is to know about this growing sport. It's a fun activity on your own or with the whole family. When you're done, we will treat you to hot cider and donuts to celebrate your accomplishments! GSWA members: FREE, non-member adults: $10, non-member children: $5. This event is held in partnership with Northern New Jersey Cachers.

Get Tickets Free – $40.00