GSWA

Full Flower Moon Hike at Great Swamp NWR
2015-05-02 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, 220 Long Hill Road, Gillette, NJ, 07933, United States
Do you know why May’s full moon is called the Full Flower Moon? With spring in full swing and flowers bursting out all over, it’s not too hard to guess!
This is an amazing time of year at NJ’s Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Fully awake after a long winter’s nap, the wetlands along the boardwalks are positively teeming with wildlife and the new green of trees, marsh grasses, and water lilies.
It’s easy to connect with the Refuge’s many natural wonders during the day, but to experience them at night, with a full moon rising over the horizon and animal activity at its peak, is something casual visitors rarely get to see.
Fortunately, the Great Swamp Watershed Association has a special-use permit that allows us to enter the Refuge at night. And that means we can share the priviledge with you!
You, your family, and friends are invited to join naturalist Hazel England — GSWA’s director of education and outreach — for a special full-moon hike at the Refuge’s Wildlife Observation Center off Long Hill Road in Harding Township.
Hazel will re-acquaint you with your night senses so you can hear, smell, and even see things that escape you attention during the day. You’ll also learn more about nocturnal wildlife and the sounds they make as the sun goes down.
Interested adults and families with children are encouraged attend.

Swamp Explorers For Kids
2015-04-19 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Swamp Watershed Association’s CMA, 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
arents can hang back and let the sprouts lead the way during this kid-centric day hike at the Great Swamp Watershed Association’s Conservation Management Area in Harding Township.
As Earth Day 2015 approaches, GSWA’s own nature-nut Kelly Martin will break out the magnifying glasses, binoculars, nets, and other cool teaching tools to help aspiring explorers find and identify many types of springtime wildlife found here in the Great Swamp Watershed region.
Recommended for kids 4 to 8 years old. Children must be accompanied by at least one responsible adult.

Breakfast Briefing at Night — Great Swamp NWR Conservation Plan Update
2015-04-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
Join GSWA at 7 p.m. for a special nighttime edition of our regular Breakfast Briefing Series. Our featured speaker will be Michael Horne, newly appointed project leader at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
Background
In the spring of 2014, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced that Great Swamp NWR’s Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) would be reviewed and revised before the end of the year. Members of the public — including members of the GSWA community — were invited to comment on all proposed changes prior to the release of the finalized plan in November 2014. Since radification of the new CCP, Refuge staff have been busy finding ways to successfully implement all of the new land and water management strategies it recommends.
Planned for this Briefing
Mr. Horne’s visit will help us understand how implementation of the new CCP will proceed, what new strengths it will bring to the Refuge, and what, if any, challenges will need to be met in order to acheive success. Highlights will include a discussion of programs aimed at improving habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife, deer management, and enhancing opportunities for public use of Refuge lands.

Spring Peeper Party in the Swamp!
2015-03-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Great Swamp Watershed Association’s CMA, 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
The forests and wetlands of New Jersey’s Great Swamp are bound to be hopping during this early-spring hike at the Great Swamp Watershed Association’s Conservation Management Area (CMA). After all, this is the time of year when spring peepers, wood frogs, chorus frogs, and other chatty amphibians make their way to woodland pools to mate and reproduce. As twilight explodes into song, learn how critically important these shallow puddles (known as vernal pools) and their adorable denizens are for the health of our water resources and the local environment.
Families with children are encouraged. Recommended for ages seven and up. This is short out-and-back hike over boardwalks and level ground, and is suitable for almost all ages and ability levels. (Strollers are not recommended.)

Stream Assessment Training for Volunteers
2015-03-21 09:00 - 15:00 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
The Great Swamp Watershed Association needs your help to protect the water resources we all share!
If you like spending time outside and wonder what it would be like to be a real citizen scientist—like Benjamin Franklin or Henry David Thoreau—then you should volunteer for GSWA’s Stream Team. Begin your journey by attending our Visual Stream Assessment Training.
This workshop will show you how routine visual stream assessment surveys are conducted on our streams and rivers, and how that data can provide critical information about our water resources and the local environment. Then, step by step, you will learn how to conduct an on-the-ground visual stream assessment—one of the most basic water quality assessment tools available to environmental scientists.
By the end of the workshop, your first real-world survey of stream health will be complete, and you will be ready to join the rest of GSWA’s Stream Team for future assessments later this spring.
A continental breakfast will be served. Ideal volunteers will be 15 years old or older. A portion of this event will be held outdoors and slppery conditions will be present..

Breakfast Briefing: What is the Water Utility Cycle?
2015-03-09 08:00 - 09:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
The Great Swamp Watershed Association’s (GSWA) Spring 2015 Breakfast Briefing Speaker Series kicks off with a visit from representatives of New Jersey American Water – one of the state’s largest water utilities. Learn where your tap water comes from, where it goes when it leaves your home, and what water and wastewater treatment plants must do to keep it clean and safe for us and our environment.
Think the process is simple and obvious? Guess again! What you don’t know about your water utility cycle will surprise you.
Space is limited, so advance registration is strongly suggested.

Owl Prowl with Emile DeVito and Hazel England
2015-03-01 17:00 - 18:30 | Primrose Farm (Enter from Barrett Field), Barrett Field, 1413-000460000-000020001-00000, Morristown, NJ, 07960
Explore New Jersey’s forests at dusk and you just might find yourself in the middle of an interrogation! Who!? Who cooks for you? The barred owl sounds like an awfully inquisitive bird, but, in fact, it’s just trying to protect its turf. Want to learn more about New Jersey’s owls? Then you don’t want to miss this early-evening hike with conservation biologist Dr. Emile DeVito and GSWA’s own Hazel England. Nestled on acres of upland forest and meadow, Primrose Farm is prime owl-spotting habitat and a perfect spot for Dr. DeVito to demonstrate his owl-calling expertise. With a little luck, you might just hear (or even see!) some of these stealthy night flyers as they move in to investigate the mysterious sounds.
What to Bring: Warm clothing (including hats and gloves) and waterproof footwear — especially hiking boots — are very strongly recommended for this hike. Field guides, binoculars, and water in reusable containers are welcome. (This is a leave-no-trace event.)
Ability Level: This is a short out-and-back hike over uneven ground, and is suitable for almost all ages and ability levels. (Stollers are not recommended.)
Rescheduling & Cancellations: All events are subject to change or cancellation without notice; however, we always try to contact pre-registered participants via e-mail or telephone when problems arise. In the event of inclement weather, cancellation and rescheduling notices will be posted to our Event Information Hotline at 973-538-3500 x22. Please note that GSWA’s offices are not staffed on weekends or after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
