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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

SOLD OUT: Winter Solstice Full Moon Hike

Great Swamp Watershed Association's CMA 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, 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 so we can invite the next person on the waitlist, please email nrago@GreatSwamp.org. Bundle up and let's celebrate the first day of winter (winter solstice) together with a full moon hike at the CMA's Green Trail. This is a particularly spectacular full moon that sits above the horizon for a longer period of time. Winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the whole year, making it the shortest day of the year. Good news - the days begin to once again grow longer, so it only gets brighter from here! Be sure to dress for the weather and wear your warm socks for this crisp, invigorating night hike.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

Kids Snow Tracks Hike

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

Hey kids, it's been a busy month. We're betting you and your parents are ready to get outside and breathe in some crisp fresh air. We know just what to do! Let's join Hazel England on a family-friendly adventure through the snowy forest of Jockey Hollow. We will seek out tracks left behind by critters scurrying through the snow in search of food and shelter, and discover where they may lead. We will also talk about their winter-time activities and learn how they endure throughout the coldest months of the year, in anticipation of the spring thaw. When we're done, we will warm up with hot cocoa and candy canes. Fun for all ages. Please remember to dress for the weather. Waterproof boots are strongly encouraged. Bring a snack and water if you like. Registration is required.

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

Hike at Rifle Camp Park, Garret Mountain

Rifle Camp Park 387 Rifle Camp Rd., Woodland Park, NJ, United States

Join us on a winter journey through the trails of this beautiful reservation. Along the way we will check out the 19th-century Lambert Castle, the current home of the Passaic County Museum. We'll also hike through Rifle Camp Park which sits on the ridgeline of Garret Mountain. Situated 500 feet above sea level, this area 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. You'll also catch a glimpse of American history - this spot served as an excellent location for George Washington’s troops to observe British movements during the Revolutionary War in 1780. Bring your camera and wear weather-appropriate attire for this unique and historic hike. Registration required, limited # of hikers. If the hike is sold out and you wish to be added to the waitlist, please email nrago@GreatSwamp.org. If you are registered and unable to attend please email nrago@GreatSwamp.org so we can invite the next person on the waitlist.    

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

SOLD OUT: Sunset & Full Moon Hike at Primrose Farm

Primrose Farm (Enter from Barrett Field) Barrett Field, 1413-000460000-000020001-00000, Morristown, NJ

This event has reached its max capacity. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, or if you have registered and are unable to attend, please email NRago@GreatSwamp.org.    You've got to witness this! Experience this unique opportunity to enjoy the winter sky... twice in one evening. As the sun sets, we enjoy a leisurely stroll through the restored wildflower meadow and bid goodnight to the day together. The February full moon, known as the "snow moon" will then light the sky and guide us through the remainder of this relaxing winter hike. And, if there happens to be snow on the ground, we can look for tracks and other signs of the critters who call Primrose Farm home. Dress for the weather and be sure to wear appropriate footwear. Directions: Primrose Farm (see below for google map - click the + to zoom in and see details)

Sold Out Free – $40.00

GSWA Source-to-Sea Virtual Challenge: 80-mile Run/Walk/Bike/Roll

Ready for a virtual challenge? Here we go! Register to run/walk/bike/roll 80 miles, the length of the Passaic River, from anywhere in the world. You will have 65 days to complete this challenge at your own pace. To give you an idea of how it works, doing an activity every day of the challenge equates to ~1.2 miles per day for 65 days - piece of crumb cake! (Which you will have earned with your daily activity.) Registration takes place on a website called "RunSignup" where you can follow your progress on an interactive map. Every time you enter your mileage from your recent activity, the system calculates your total mileage and updates your location so you can see "where you are" virtually on your journey along the Passaic River. Every 10-mile milestone you achieve, you will learn interesting facts about your "current location" and the importance of this wonderful resource, the Passaic River.   (RunSignup is a 3rd party website managing registration on behalf of GSWA.)   This fundraising event is open to anyone using anything powered by you to complete the challenge! Remember, this is not a race, it's a challenge to keep you active and help you […]

Signs of Spring Hike @ the Refuge

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - Orange Trailhead approx 77 Meyersville Rd., Green Village (Harding Township), NJ, United States

Step outside for this relaxing, family-friendly, guided tour of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge's Orange Trail. Enjoy a Spring preview in the great outdoors - the red-winged blackbirds and eastern phoebes are the first to get the memo that it's time to return and start nesting, while woodpeckers and spring peepers make their presence known more by sound than by sight. Some of our forest critters will also be scampering about. We will catch witch hazel in bloom, skunk cabbage beginning to emerge, and depending on our winter, the pussy willow may be bursting its buds. Additionally, non-native plants like crocuses and snowdrops will be starting to bloom. These are all indicators that Spring is on the way. This trail can get super wet/muddy, so muck boots/wellies are recommended. The full hike will be under two miles. GSWA members: Free, non-members: donation appreciated.   We will meet at the end of Meyersville Rd, Green Village (83 Meyersville Rd is the closest street address). Click HERE to view the map.  Coordinates: 40.726674, -74.457729

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

REGISTRATION CLOSED: Vernal Pool Exploration Hike

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

This event has reached max capacity. To be placed on a waitlist, or if you have registered and are unable to attend, please email NRago@GreatSwamp.org.    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, called vernal pools, provide a perfect opportunity to learn more about Mother Nature here in New Jersey. But we have to hurry! They disappear quickly. This 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 upon a few unassuming puddles of water on the forest floor. Warm clothing and waterproof footwear, especially hiking boots, are strongly recommended. GSWA members: Free, non-members: $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-17. Register at GreatSwamp.org or call 973-538-3500. Registration is required.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

Hike the Path of a Glacier

Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area Visitors Center 1 Mars Ct., Boonton, NJ, United States

Looking for a more challenging hike? Spend the afternoon with us for a unique experience where we will hike the path of a glacier and observe some unusual glacial erratics (stones and rocks that were transported by the glacier and then left behind after the glacier melted). Along with way we will stop to check out Tripod Rock, a 180-ton boulder balanced on three smaller boulders. It's truly a sight to behold. A little further on we will see Bear Rock, one of NJs largest glacial erratics, along other fascinating signs of the Wisconsin Glacier that retreated over 18,000 years ago. This is an intermediate hike with some rigorous conditions. Be sure to pack your binoculars, water, and snacks. Location Coordinates:  40.94671186514669, -74.38827526886288

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

GSWA 2nd Annual Plants for Pollinators Online Sale

GSWA 2nd Annual Plants for Pollinators Online Sale

Online

2022 Ordering Will Be Open April 1st to 22nd The Great Swamp Watershed Association Native Plant Sale provides a full selection of attractively priced native perennials and simple guidance for planting delightfully alive pollinator gardens that will thrive with minimal care. The Plants for Pollinators Online Sale is operated with the promotion and volunteers from Community Plant Sale Partners that include ten towns and seven community organizations. Our joint goal is to foster broad adoption of native plant gardens across our area to create necessary habitat for the pollinator insects and bird communities that are foundation elements of our local ecosystem – pooling our private yards to create what the popular lecturer and entomologist Doug Tallamy describes as a Homegrown National Park™. Selection – Peruse the native pollinator plant kits and individual species add-ons in the GSWA Native Plant Catalog. How Do I Pick Up My Orders? Order are to be picked up locally at your town’s participating pick-up location. At time of checkout, you can choose from one of the 14 locations to based on the location, date and time that works best for you. CLICK HERE to preview Pickup Locations made available through our Plant Sale Partners. Need Guidance? Take advantage of the Native Garden Planning Resources to […]