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NEW DATE – Breakfast Briefing: Drew Forest Update

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

Get an update on the efforts to save the Drew Forest from development! As you may know, the 53-acre Drew Forest, located on the Drew University campus in Madison, NJ, is in jeopardy of being sold and disappearing forever. The Drew Forest sits within FOUR watersheds, benefiting the community, wildlife, and ecosystem. Among the many benefits it offers, most importantly, The Forest overlies the Buried Valley Aquifer, a sole source aquifer that supplies drinking water to Madison, Chatham Borough, East Hanover, and Florham Park. Join us for an important update led by Friends of The Drew Forest, a volunteer organization created by environmental leaders from Madison and neighboring towns, dedicated community volunteers and Drew alumni. A light breakfast will be served followed by the presentation and a Q&A session.

Free – $40.00

Lunch & Learn: Eels – a Salt/Fresh Water Mystery

Zoom Webinar NJ, United States

Registration closes January 13, 11:00 AM   Let's face it, for many people, eels may not be easy to like. They can make many people feel... uneasy. Is an eel a snake? Is it a fish? They don't fit in any clear category. Some may think of eels as a tasty sushi roll. And yet to others, eels are mysterious creatures with a very interesting life cycle. They are predators in freshwater streams helping to regulate the population of other animals. They are also a significant source of food for fish, mammals, turtles and birds. Humans have been fascinated with eels for centuries, working to learn as much as they can about them. Yet we do not have all the answers. Nature has a way of keeping us guessing. One thing we do know is that eels are ecologically important and can be used as a bio-indicator for pollution to determine the health of their environment. Grab your lunch and join us for a FREE Zoom webinar as we delve into the fascinating world of eels and their unique life cycle. While this program is free for all participants, a small donation is always appreciated to help offset the cost […]

Free – $40.00

Evening Briefing: Native Plants for Native Wildlife

Zoom Webinar NJ, United States

Registration closes January 17 @ 5 PM Native Plants for Native Wildlife Key steps toward cultivating biodiversity conservation in our gardens Speaker: Desiree Narango FREE Zoom Webinar January is here and that can only mean one thing - it's time to start ramping up for Spring! GSWA is offering a 4-part Native Pollinator Plant Webinar Series as we lead up to our 3rd annual Plants for Pollinator online sale. We are fortunate to have Desiree Narango, Conservation Scientist with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, to kick things off. Desiree will speak on the fascinating complexity of plant-animal interactions. This is your opportunity to learn more about the breadth of research which shows how native plants, and the pollinators and insects that feed upon them, are the foundation for cultivating food webs and encouraging biodiversity in our yards, patios, school grounds, and other privately-managed green spaces. You’ll leave knowing more about why native plants are crucial to sustaining biodiversity and specific plant species that are important for supporting specialist pollinators and songbirds. You will receive the webinar Zoom link via email prior to the start of the program. Mark your calendar for the 3 remaining webinars in this 4-part series and the […]

Free – $40.00

Native Pollinator Plant Webinar Series

Zoom Webinar Morristown, NJ, United States

Building a "Jersey-friendly yard" creates a healthy foundation of soil, conserves water, attracts and supports wildlife, and adds beauty and interest to your home landscape. Leading up to our 3rd annual, online Native Pollinator Plant Sale on April 3, we have secured three nationally recognized and diverse speakers to present at monthly webinars.   Scroll to the very bottom and register to attend all 2 remaining programs at once at the click of a button.     Register for individual programs below: Mar 21, 7-8 PM: What's the Buzz About Native Bees? Speaker: Heather Holm, biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. NOTE: This presentation is LIVE only, it WILL NOT be recorded. Register HERE Apr 3, 12-1 PM: GSWA Native Pollinator Plant Sale Overview. Speaker: Hazel England, GSWA Director of Education, Outreach, and Land Stewardship (GSWA online Native Pollinator Plant Sale opens directly following this webinar)  Register HERE   While this speaker program series is free for all participants, a suggested donation of $5-$10 is appreciated to help offset the cost of bringing you these nationally recognized speakers.  :-)   Mark Your Calendar: Apr 3, 1:30 PM - Native Plants for Pollinators online sale opens Apr 3 @ 1:30 PM […]

Free

Plants for Pollinators Webinar Series – Watch the Replay

Whether you missed them or want to watch them again - register to receive the replay links for: Native Plants for Native Wildlife - Cultivating Biodiversity Host: Desiree Narango, Conservation Scientist with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies & Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect Guest Host: Eric Eaton, Acclaimed Author and Entomologist       Your yard, whatever size, can provide essential habitat for valuable pollinators such as butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. This 4-part Plants for Pollinators webinar series take a closer look at our native pollinators, how we can contribute their survival, and important roles they play in our gardens and in supporting healthy ecosystems. Scroll to the very bottom of this page and register to receive these 2 webinar replay links.    Want to register for the remaining 2 webinars in this series? Register for individual webinars: Mar 21, 7-8 PM - What's the Buzz About Native Bees? (NOTE: This presentation is LIVE only, it WILL NOT be recorded.) Apr 3, 12-1 PM - GSWA Native Pollinator Plant Sale Overview  (prior to the start of the online sale) (Or)  Register for both at once HERE   While this speaker program series is free for all participants, a […]

Free – $40.00

Lunch & Learn: Riparian Buffers and our Rivers

Zoom Webinar NJ, United States

Registration closes January 20, 11:00 AM   Take it to the Riverbank: Waterfront views may be popular, but what happens when we develop too close to a waterway? Riverside plants, or "Riparian Buffers" act as filters to slow and clean polluted runoff protecting our streams, groundwater and downstream land areas. Grab your lunch and join us for a FREE Zoom webinar as we learn about how trees, shrubs, and grasses perform this essential service. We will look at examples of functioning riparian buffers and talk about those that have needed restoration for many years due to human activity. While this program is free for all participants, a small donation is always appreciated to help offset the cost of staff time.  :-) You will receive the webinar Zoom link via email prior to the start of the program. Check out the last webinar in this 3-part series: January 27 "PFAS in our Water."  

Free – $40.00

Lunch & Learn: PFAS in our Waters

Zoom Webinar NJ, United States

Registration closes January 27, 11:00 AM   Join us for an in-depth talk about GSWA’s PFAS sampling project. In 2022, GSWA undertook a large-scale PFAS sampling project throughout our watershed. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are long-lasting, human-made chemicals that are ubiquitous in our everyday lives and our environment. This talk will cover the results of our sampling efforts, what you should know about these persistent chemicals, how state and local governments are addressing the issue, and what you can do to help. While this program is free for all participants, a small donation is always appreciated to help offset the cost of staff time.  :-) You will receive the webinar Zoom link via email prior to the start of the program.

Free – $40.00

Evening Briefing: Wasps – The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect

Zoom Webinar NJ, United States

Registration closes February 21 @ 5 PM Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect Speaker: Eric Eaton FREE Zoom Webinar   Wasps - people love to hate them. However, contrary to popular belief, wasps serve 2 important roles in our ecosystem: 1) they are pest controllers, hunting other insect species and keeping their population in check which prevents garden and crop decimation, and 2) they are pollinators for nearly 1000 plant species.     Join acclaimed author Eric Eaton as he deconstructs our misconceptions about the often-vilified wasps and talks about the invaluable ecosystem services wasps provide. He will also challenge us to shift the outdated mindset of what really constitutes a "yard" or "garden" and help homeowners think more holistically about what really constitutes beneficial species. When homeowners understand how their gardening decisions, such as pesticide usage or determining certain species should be exterminated, it can impact local ecology. Eric will offer a new perspective on often-maligned species and broaden our perspective on several elements of gardening for natives. Eric Eaton has authored "Insectpedia" (Princeton Univ. Press, 2022) and "Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect." He is a writer and entomologist specializing in hymenoptera (a large […]

Free – $40.00

CONDO Development Plan – Informational Zoom Webinar

Zoom Webinar NJ, United States

CONDO Development Plan may significantly DEGRADE our GREAT SWAMP WATERSHED Conservation Management Area The proposed S/K Mt. Kemble development plan is for a 96-unit residential, multi-family condominium complex including affordable housing with a community clubhouse, playground, pool, and dog park. This 15.5-acre, triangular shaped, forested parcel flanks Route 287 on one side and the Mt. Kemble office complex on another side. The third side bumps up against wetlands which connect to GSWA's 73-acre Conservation Management Area (CMA) under Route 287. Converting woods to pavement and rooftops significantly increases impervious surface cover. This increases stormwater volume, likely resulting in downstream flooding, added nonpoint pollutant loading, and erosion of both Silver Brook and Great Brook. GSWA strongly opposes this proposed development* and we are deeply concerned about the environmental impact we anticipate on our freshwater wetlands, water quality, recharge, and stormwater. Following are some of our major concerns: Encroachments into freshwater wetlands, encroachments into and alteration of the wetland transition areas (buffers). In some cases, these wetland encroachments would necessitate importing large amounts of fill that would be needed to recontour buffer areas or will be covered by impervious surfaces. Significant increases in pollutant loading to Silver Brook due to the fact that the […]

Free – $40.00

What’s the Buzz About Native Bees?

Zoom Webinar Morristown, NJ, United States

Registration closes March 21 @ 5 PM What's the Buzz About Native Bees? Speaker: Heather Holm FREE Zoom Webinar   When you see bees buzzing around your garden, that's a good thing. It means they are doing their jobs...pollinating! Pollination is essential in growing flowers and plants - basically all the food we consume as animals on this planet.     Join biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author, Heather Holm, for a lively discussion about our friends, the bees, and all they do for our ecosystem. Not a fan of bees? All the more reason to attend this webinar. The fear of bees can be very real for many different reasons, but perhaps at the end of this presentation, fear will be replaced with fascination and an understanding of their amazing diversity, and what homeowners should be doing to promote their busy buzzy presence in our yards. You will receive the webinar Zoom link via email prior to the start of the program. NOTE: This presentation is LIVE only, it WILL NOT be recorded. Mark your calendar for the last webinar in this 4-part series and the start of the plant sale: Apr 3, 12-1 PM - GSWA Native Pollinator Plant […]

Free – $40.00