GSWA

Enchanted Hike
2016-10-29 15:30 - 17:00 UTC | Jockey Hollow Visitor Center, 600 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960
As the shadows lengthen and the day’s light grows shorter, enjoy some warm apple cider along a late afternoon hike as NPS Park Historian Eric Olsen and GSWA Education Associate Dan Ross tell seasonal stories about the origins of the Jack O’ Lantern, old time superstitions, and explore other tales and folklore to the backdrop of historic Jockey Hollow. You might just want to bring along your own lantern to ward off any evil spirits that might be lingering nearby!

Columbus Day Explorers
2016-10-10 10:00 - 12:00 | Giralda Farms Trailhead
Embrace your inner Columbus and explore Giralda Farms in Chatham Township with GSWA. Hikers will have the chance to create some fall crafts before hitting the trails. Once the hike begins, your guides, GSWA’s director of education and outreach, Hazel England, and GSWA education associate, Dan Ross, will teach you how to look for signs of wildlife that are getting ready for winter or migrating through. Registration Required.

Breakfast Briefing: Environmentally Friendly Fertilizer
2016-10-04 08:00 - 09:30 | Back To Nature Home & Garden, 3055 Valley Road, Basking Ridge, NJ, 07920, United States
Fertilizers are a traditional method of replenishing missing nutrients to the soil to enhance the growth of plants and trees. However, commonly used synthetic fertilizers are causing more harm than good. Not only are synthetic fertilizers dangerous to the health of our children and pets, their use has serious environmental repercussions.
Join us as we discuss the far reaching and long lasting effects that synthetic fertilizers are having on our environment with Anthony Sblendorio, Founder of Back to Nature Home & Garden in Basking Ridge, NJ. As a nationally recognized social entrepreneur and one of the pioneers of sustainable and regenerative design in NJ, Mr. Sblendorio and Back to Nature are committed to the eradication of synthetic fertilizer use.
As a show of this commitment, Mr. Sblendorio invites each attendee to bring a bag of synthetic fertilizer that they’re currently using in their garden and to exchange it for a bag organic fertilizer for free. (One bag for each attendee of this program.)

Shades of Autumn Hike
2016-09-25 11:00 - 12:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association’s CMA, 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
Join GSWA Education Associate Dan Ross as he leads a fun filled hike along the Horizon trail at the CMA and learn about why deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall, why they change colors and other interesting facts along the way! Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for squirrels and chipmunks collecting nuts for the coming months, and observe the forest changing as it prepares for the cooler months to come.

Downstream Adventures: Garret Mountain Reservation
2016-09-14 16:30 - 18:00 | NJ
Experience breathtaking views of the city of Paterson, the New York City Skyline and much more as GSWA Education Associate Dan Ross leads a hiking expedition further down the Passaic! Designated as a National Natural Landmark within the National Park Service, Garret Mountain is a top birding location of both local and migratory species, and is home to a variety of wildlife and geological conditions to observe.

Evening Briefing: Pilgrim Pipeline Update
2016-09-13 19:00 - 20:30 | The Library of the Chathams, 214 main St, Chatham Township, New Jersey, 07928
Join GSWA and speaker Mark Gallagher for an update on the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline, a 178 mile bi-directional pipeline that will run from Albany, NY to Linden, NJ, and how it will affect the Great Swamp Watershed.
This evening briefing will take place at the Library of the Chathams. Registration recommended.

Sounds of Summer Sunset Hike
2016-08-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, 220 Long Hill Road, Gillette, NJ, 07933, United States
Join us for a sunset hike as we explore the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. We’ll be listening to and identifying the sounds of a summer night – crickets, tree frogs, and maybe even some owls – as we traverse the boardwalk at the Wildlife Observation Center.

Fight the Pipeline at Twin Elephant Brewing Company
2016-07-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Twin Elephant Brewing Company, NJ, 07928, United States
Join GSWA and Chatham Citizens Opposing the Oil Pipeline for a night of fun with a purpose at the new Twin Elephant Brewing Company in Chatham. $40 admission includes a taster flight, pint, and delicious hors d’oeuvres
Proceeds from this event will be used for an independent, objective environmental study to counter any biased environmental claims made by Pilgrim Pipeline about the effect of their “hazardous liquids” pipelines on NJ’s fresh water supply.
This effort is critical to help protect our water and our health.

Nighttime Mothing Workshop
2016-07-09 20:30 - 22:00 | Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, 220 Long Hill Road, Gillette, NJ, 07933, United States
Join Blaine Rothauser for a fascinating introduction to moth ecology at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (32 Pleasant Plains Road, Harding).
For this hands-on, outdoor workshop, Blaine will set up a sodium vapor lamp in the parking area. After a few minutes, an astounding array of moths will appear for you to observe, identify, and photograph. What you see will surprise and amaze you!

5th Annual Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt
2016-06-18 10:00 - 16:00 | Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, 220 Long Hill Road, Gillette, NJ, 07933, United States
Calling all would-be explorers, adventurers, and buccaneers! The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt is back for another year of outdoor fun!
Think you know a thing or two about New Jersey’s Great Swamp? Then it’s time to test your powers of navigation and observation to find out.

3rd Annual Great Swamp Home & Garden Tour
2016-06-01 10:00 - 15:00 | 21 Normandy Parkway, Morristown, 21 Normandy Parkway, Morrsitown, NJ, 07960, United States
Find inspiration for your spring planting and decorating while supporting Great Swamp Watershed Association on June 1, 2016, during during our 3rd Annual Home & Garden Tour.
The tour will be a celebration of charming, historic homes; enchanting gardens; and elegant estates inhabiting the Great Swamp region. Registration required.

Volunteer Stream Restoration
2016-05-24 09:00 - 12:00 | Loantaka Brook Reservation’s Kitchell Pond, 75 Kitchell Rd, Morristown, New Jersey, 07960
GSWA is looking for volunteers ages 15 and up to help remove invasive plants and re-plant native trees and shrubs around Loantaka Brook Reservation’s Kitchell Pond.
Our volunteer team will improve a strip of vegetation (also known as a vegetated buffer) around the pond that reduces the amount of pollution-laden stormwater flowing into it and helps stem the tide of erosion in the area. Since Loantaka Brook runs into and out of Kitchell Pond, the buffer also improves the health of water running downstream into the Great Swamp and the Passaic River. All tools and supplies will be provided.
To register, please contact Sandra LaVigne at Sandral@greatswamp.org or 973-538-3500.

New Jersey’s Aging Water Infrastructure
2016-05-17 08:00 - 09:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
There is a long-standing problem of water infrastructure management in New Jersey. Water supply, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure systems have not received adequate investment for decades in most parts of the state. Many of our existing pipelines were put in place during two growth spurts – the city-building era of 1890-1930 and the suburban growth boom of 1950-1970. These pipes are aging to the point of frequent failure. Treatment plants were built or upgraded more recently, in response to the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act of the 1970s, but are also aging and will need significant investment. Dr. Van Abs will discuss the coming collision between the public interest in sound water infrastructure and the public’s interest in low costs.

Cinco de Mayo Margarita Tasting
2016-05-05 17:30 - 19:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Great Swamp Watershed Association!
Sip on a variety of different margaritas and nosh on guacamole and salsa. GSWA non-members and members bringing non-member friends are invited to come to this event free of charge!
An anonymous donor will donate $25 for each non-member that walks through our door that night, and match any contributions dollar for dollar.

Spring Peeper Party
2016-04-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Great Swamp Watershed Association’s CMA, 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
Discover a new kind of night life!
The forests and wetlands of New Jersey’s Great Swamp are bound to be hopping during this 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.

Bringing Back the Bees
2016-04-05 08:00 - 09:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
Join us and Environmental Resource Management Agent Amy Rowe for a special breakfast briefing presentation on how to ensure that honeybees, native bees, and other pollinators thrive in your local environment. Registration required.

Stream Assessment Training
2016-04-03 09:00 - 15:00 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
If you are interested in becoming a stream monitoring volunteer or just learning more about stream health, this is the training for you! An indoor classroom session helps you learn how to conduct visual stream assessments, and recognize environmental factors that may impact stream health. An outdoor session helps you practice your new-found skills at a local stream site. Afterwards, you will be a fully trained stream assessment volunteer and ready to conduct a new assessment this fall!
This training will be conducted in conjunction with the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program.

Natural History Hike
2016-04-02 10:00 - 11:30 | Jockey Hollow Visitor Center, 600 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960
Enjoy a spring hike with Great Swamp Watershed Association’s (GSWA) Dan Ross & Jockey Hollow’s Park Ranger Eric Olsen. The duo will guide you through all of the important landscape features that soldiers in George Washington’s Continental Army would have experienced during the brutal winter of 1779-80. You will learn both the natural and national history of this park.
Interested adults and families with children are encouraged attend.

Spring Begins Hike
2016-03-20 10:00 - 11:30 | Helen Fenske Visitor Center, 32 Pleasant Plains Rd, New Vernon, NJ, 07976, United States
There’s no better way to celebrate the first day of spring than to get outside and explore. Join GSWA’s Dan Ross as he guides you in identifying the first signs of spring – skunk cabbages peaking through the snow, new buds forming on trees, and spring migrants returning from their winter destinations. Although it may feel as though winter will be with us forever, these signs of spring will be sure to brighten your day.

Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop
2016-03-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
Why should you get a rain barrel? Use a barrel to capture and store the rain running through your home’s downspout and you’ll routinely have 55 gallons of free water to use around your property. Your barrel will also help slow the flow of stormwater running through your neighborhood and entering local streams. This helps to reduce flooding and water pollution. Sounds like a good idea, right?
GSWA and Green Mojo Eco Consulting will help you build your own water-saving rain barrel. Using a recycled, food-grade barrel and a spigot adapter kit, we will walk you through the simple construction process. Each registered participant will leave with the workshop with their very own handcrafted rain barrel that is ready to be hooked up to a household downspout.

Frog Watch Training
2016-03-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Helen Fenske Visitor Center, 32 Pleasant Plains Rd, New Vernon, NJ, 07976, United States
Do you know your spring peepers from your wood frogs? What does a leopard frog sound like and can they be found in your neighborhood? Join GSWA and Tedor Whitman of Cora Hartshorn Arboretum for this hands-on training session to become an official FrogWatch volunteer. FrogWatch is a citizen science program that uses volunteer’s observations to create a database of frog and toad sightings, helping to establish long-term and large-scale data on amphibian populations. During the training, you’ll learn how to recognize different species of frogs and toads from their appearance and calls, and how to record your observations into the database. We will work with you to select places around the region to monitor and you will be frog counting in no time! Registration required. Register online at GreatSwamp.org or call (973) 538-3500 x 22.

Evening Briefing: Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic River
2016-03-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Lambert Castle, 3 Valley Rd, Paterson, NJ, 07503, United States
A native of North Arlington, author Mary Bruno wanted to understand why her hometown river, the Passaic, has such a bad reputation. Working with experienced guides, she kayaked its entire length to witness all the rivers virtues and problems for herself.
The trip inspired her to write An American River: From Paradise to Superfund, Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic River. Part natural history, part personal history, and part rollicking adventure, the memoir invites readers to lose themselves in the Passaic’s storied (and often sordid) past.

Evening Briefing: Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic River
2016-03-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Mendham Township Library, 2 W Main St, Brookside, NJ, 07926, United States
A native of North Arlington, author Mary Bruno wanted to understand why her hometown river, the Passaic, has such a bad reputation. Working with experienced guides, she kayaked its entire length to witness all the rivers virtues and problems for herself.
The trip inspired her to write An American River: From Paradise to Superfund, Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic River. Part natural history, part personal history, and part rollicking adventure, the memoir invites readers to lose themselves in the Passaic’s storied (and often sordid) past.
Register by sending an email to programs@mendhamtwplib.org.

Evening Briefing: Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic River
2016-03-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington’s Headquarters, 30 Washington Pl, Morristown, New Jersey, 07960
A native of North Arlington, author Mary Bruno wanted to understand why her hometown river, the Passaic, has such a bad reputation.Working with experienced guides, she kayaked its entire length to witness all the rivers virtues and problems for herself.
The trip inspired her to write An American River: From Paradise to Superfund, Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic River. Part natural history, part personal history, and part rollicking adventure, the memoir invites readers to lose themselves in the Passaic’s storied (and often sordid) past.
This program is being offered in partnership with Morristown National Historic Park.

Moonlit Owl Prowl
2016-02-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, 220 Long Hill Road, Gillette, NJ, 07933, United States
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.
The Great Swamp Wildlife Observation Center 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. Register online.

Evening Briefing: The Flavor of the Wild
2016-02-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
We’ve all heard “Take only photographs, leave only footprints”. A noble sentiment, but it limits our interaction with wild plants to a visual one only, if that. Using wild plants as food and medicine helps us experience plants with our other senses and makes more permeable the boundary between us and the rest of the natural world.
Learn about the cultural uses of native plants with Jared Rosenbaum, proprietor of Wild Ridge Plants, LLC. Jared will cover native spices, greens, fruits, and herbal medicines, including wild leek, Solomon’s seal, wood nettle, elderberry and others.

Winter Wildlife Hike
2016-01-30 10:00 - 11:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association’s CMA, 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
On Saturday, January 30, Join GSWA’s Dan Ross to explore the Conservation Management Area (CMA). He’ll teach you how to spot signs of wildlife during winter months, including tracks and scat. He’ll also guide you in identifying different trees and shrubs without their summer foliage.

Wine & Cheese Tasting
2016-01-27 17:30 - 19:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
The Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) is hosting a wine and cheese tasting mixer and you’re invited!
Whether you’re new to GSWA or you have some friends you want to introduce to us, this is a great, low-key way to learn more more about the organization’s 34-year legacy of environmental stewardship, education, and advocacy in the Great Swamp region. We’ll also tell you things about New Jersey’s Great Swamp that you’ve never heard before!

Climate Change & NJ’s Coast
2015-12-08 08:00 - 09:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ, 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
On Tuesday, December 8, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., join Great Swamp Watershed Association and Professor Rick Lathrop as he discusses the implications of climate change and sea level rise on New Jersey’s coasts.
He will present a number of web-based tools that Rutgers is developing to aid residents and coastal decision-makers in planning for sea level rise and to promote enhanced coastal resiliency.
A continental breakfast will be served. Register is required. Register online or by calling (973) 538-3500.

Guided Dog Walk
2015-11-29 10:00 - 11:30 | Great Swamp Watershed Association’s CMA, 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, 07960, United States
Explore GSWA’s Conservation Management Area with your furry friend! We’ll see what we can sniff out in the woods with expert guide, Hazel England.
