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Great Swamp Great Music Festival

Giralda Farms Preserve Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ, United States

Online ticket sales are now closed. Purchase your tickets at the gate: Giralda Farms, Dodge Drive (off Madison Ave.), Madison, NJ 5th Annual Great Swamp Great Music Festival Sunday, May 22, Giralda Farms, Chatham Twp., NJ 12 - 6:30 PM (rain or shine), Gates open at 11 AM Online ticket sales are now closed. Purchase your tickets at the gate: Dodge Drive (off Madison Ave.), Madison, NJ   Grab your blankets & chairs and c'mon out for 6+ hours of live music at the sprawling, tree-lined field of Giralda Farms in Chatham Twp. New to the festival this year, comedian and New Jersey native, Max Antonucci will emcee the event. The festival also offers food, merch vendors, adult beverages, free water, and more. Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) is a non-profit organization protecting and improving the Great Swamp watershed & Passaic River region now and for future generations. See you at the festival! LINEUP Pre-show band: Nick Amling & The Lifeline Festival bands: Not Enough Jeffs • Lenox Underground The Refuge Dogs • The Step Brothers Band Stage-change solo act: Nick Amling FOOD VENDORS Avellino's Pizza: classic, gluten-free, and veggie options Summer Daze: cheesesteaks, burgers, hotdogs, fries, fresh squeezed lemonade […]

Free – $30.00

POSTPONED: Explore Our Conservation Management Area (CMA) Hike

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

This event has been postponed - please stay tuned for the new date!   We have been working hard since the big restoration at our 73-acre forested wetland site, the GSWA Conservation Management Area (CMA). We've created boardwalk trails, and expanded the natural wetland habitat for the all the local aquatic and terrestrial plants & animals. You are invited to enjoy this late spring hike in the beautiful seasonal conditions. Come to see which wildlife are making good use of these newly improved conditions! Wear long pants and long sleeves, and clothes that can get wet, muddy, plus protect yourself from mosquitoes. IMPORTANT: Registration is required and limited so if the event becomes sold out, email nrago@greatswamp.org  to be added to a waitlist. And if you become sick or have a fever, for the safety of everyone DO NOT attend. Email to cancel, so we can invite the next person on the waitlist.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

SOLD OUT…AGAIN: Full Moon Hike at the Refuge

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

This event is sold out again! Email nrago@greatswamp.org  to be added to a waitlist for any last minute cancelations.   Hike and see the June full moon...the "Strawberry Moon". It's really a sweet sign of summer! Join Sarah Hunt, GSWA Land Steward & Water Quality Associate, on a hike to discover some of the gentle nighttime creatures. June is great time to enjoy a moonlit hike at the Refuge. The canopy and bright moonlight provide the perfect backdrop to hear and spot owls. Our full moon hikes are a real hoot, so don't miss out on this unique, family-friendly opportunity! This hike is free, but your support helps further the GSWA mission of education, land stewardship, and advocacy. Suggested donation: $10 for adults, $5 for children. Meeting Place: 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 IMPORTANT: Registration is required and limited so if the event becomes sold out, email nrago@greatswamp.org  to be added to a waitlist. And if you become sick or have a fever, for the safety of everyone DO NOT attend. Email to cancel, so we […]

Sold Out Free – $40.00

SOLD OUT Summer Solstice Celebration Hike

Jockey Hollow Visitor Center 600 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ

Email nrago@greatswamp.org  to be added to a waitlist. Although the rescheduled hike is not on the solstice date, you will learn all about the solstice and welcome in the summer season with poems and stories! Join us for a hike through the historic and beautiful trails of Jockey Hollow. As the moon slowly rises, we will look and listen for owls and other nightlife creatures as fireflies take to the sky. Later we will relax by a roaring bonfire and hear stories that 18th century colonists told around their own campfires and learn about their views on the darkness. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity with highly experienced and knowledgeable GSWA naturalists, Hazel England and Ginger Van Ryzin...along with National Park Ranger and local historian, Eric Olsen. Space is limited and it will fill up fast! This hike is free to all GSWA members; a $10 donation is appreciated from non-member adults, $5 for children. Registration is required. IMPORTANT: Registration is required and limited so if the event becomes sold out, email nrago@greatswamp.org  to be added to a waitlist. And if you become sick or have a fever, for the safety of everyone DO NOT attend. Email to cancel, so we can […]

Sold Out Free – $40.00

City of Water Day Bingo Challenge: Free

The Challenge Event may have ended but we encourage you to download the eco-bingo card and use it to help you explore your local watershed. On July 16, City of Water (COW) Day is all about connecting communities with the water. The Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA)* is observing 2022 COW Day by issuing an eco-BINGO challenge to our members and followers so we can celebrate together. We want to connect as many folks as possible with their local water bodies and watersheds. Everyone lives in a watershed. What we do and where we live impacts the water, even if it is far away! This year's theme is 'In Your Neighborhood'. So today, we challenge you all to head out into your neighborhood, connect with the environment, and see how you can make a difference! This FREE challenge runs now through July 23.  How to Play: Download the eco-bingo card and spend some time exploring your local watershed. (Some challenges can be completed on your computer or smartphone.) Have fun carrying out the challenges between July 8, 2022 - July 23, 2022 (cross out corresponding squares) until you complete a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. How to Submit: Snap a […]

Paterson Falls Explorer Hike and Tour

Paterson Great Falls National Park 72 McBride Ave,, Paterson, NJ, United States

Explore Paterson from the other end of the Passaic. Join us for an afternoon of nature and natural history. Staff from the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park will guide us on an informative hike through the area where will check out the new viewing platform to explore the 77-foot high waterfall. From there we’ll hike along the old raceway, and we'll even squeeze in a museum visit. It's a great opportunity to gain insight into the importance of Paterson, the first planned industrial city that was centered around the Great Falls, and how it changed the face of our country. We will meet at the Great Falls and go from there. Dress for the weather, hiking boots recommended for potentially muddy conditions.

Free – $40.00

Sunset Paddle – POSTPONED DATE

Essex County Environmental Center 621 Eagle Rock Ave, Roseland, NJ

Because of the heat advisory for Friday,  we have decided to postpone the paddle for one week. The well-being of our supporters and staff are our top priority. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused but the rescheduled date is 7/29/22 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. If you are registered already and CAN attend 7/29, you DO NOT need to do anything. You're on the attendee list! If you CANNOT make 7/29, please send an email to nrago@greatswamp.org to cancel so we can invite the next person on the waitlist. Ease into your weekend with a leisurely paddle on the Passaic River. As you experience the sunset from the water, you may also be visited by some great blue heron, turtles, and other wildlife that uses the stream corridor as habitat and migration route. Children 8 and up are welcome. All participants 15 and under must be accompanied by a parent. This event is limited to 9 paddlers, so only 2 spots available per registration. All participants must be able to swim, be comfortable on the water, and wear clothes and footwear that can (and will) get wet and muddy. The put-in location will be near the Essex Environmental […]

$20.00 – $30.00

SOLD OUT – Harvest Moon Night Hike

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - Wildlife Observation Center https://goo.gl/maps/tLD3KapcRC21245c8, Harding Twp., 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.. Enjoy maximum beauty, a full Harvest Moon. With autumn just around the corner, this is a spectacular time of year to get outside for a night hike. Come enjoy the beauty of the full "Harvest Moon" over the water at the WOC (Wildlife Observation Center). 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. This is a free hike for our GSWA Members. Non-members: suggested donation of $10 for adults/$5 for children 6-17.

Free – $40.00

RESCHEDULED – Boonton Falls “Little Niagara” Hike

Canal Side Park, Boonton

The postponed hike has been rescheduled to 9/10/22. If you signed up previously, will contact you again about the rescheduled date.  Here's an awesome hiking experience close to home! Come see (and hear) about one of New Jersey's amazing hidden treasures, the Boonton Falls. The Boonton area is rich in history so we'll discuss how the falls and the Rockaway River made Boonton an ideal location for the now abandoned New Jersey Iron Company in the 1830's. The Morris Canal transport system moved the manufactured nail rods and bar iron through the tri-state area. Come experience all this and more! We will meet at the Upper Plane Street Parking Lot in Boonton. Use the following link coordinates: https://goo.gl/maps/5SDud5Dd8qomUdgs7. NOTE: On Saturday there will be the Boonton Farmers Market.

Free – $40.00

CANCELLED – Fall Colors Paddle (10 AM-12 Noon)

2 Camp Ln, Fairfield, NJ 07004 40.8978651,-74.2802894

With safety as our top priority and based on Saturday's forecast, we have decided to cancel tomorrow's paddle. Attention participants, an email will be sent with an alternate date and time to choose from. If you have question, feel free to email Nancy at nrago@GreatSwamp.org Morning Paddle (10 AM – 12 Noon) Experience the spectacular change of colors from the water! A central portion of the Passaic River, the preserved area of Great Piece Meadows is known for its slow, quite twists and turns. It's home to wildlife such as great blue heron, salamanders, turtles, mink, muskrat and more. Children 8 and up are welcome. All participants 15 and under must be accompanied by a parent. There are 7 spots available per session – only 2 spots per registration. All participants must be able to swim, be comfortable on the water, and wear clothes and footwear that can (and will) get wet and muddy. IMPORTANT - Kayak Waiver: Each participant MUST submit one of the forms below. If the person is under the age of 18 then a parent or guardian must sign their form and assume responsibility for the minor. Please complete, sign and bring the form(s) with you. The […]

$30.00 – $40.00