Registration is full: GSWA Members Only Hike @ Drew Forest

Drew University Forest Preserve’s Zuck Arboretum Madison, NJ, United States

Registration is full for this hike. To be added to the waitlist, please email [email protected] or call 973-538-3500. Visit Drew Forest for a special guided tour for GSWA members only. The tour is an easy, mostly flat walk where we will check out some pretty ponds and the local wildlife. Our guide will explain how the protection from deer and removal of invasive plants have brought back lost or diminished plant species, pollinators, food webs, and forest structure. The Drew University Forest Preserve is 53 acres of unusually contiguous natural forest, a biodiversity hotspot thanks in part to 12 years of successful forest restoration. The Preserve is one of the only forests in the county with a native understory where beech and sassafras seedlings thrive and pollinators and other insects survive along with the birds that depend upon them. This intact woodland also serves as a major educational and research resource to the entire community. We'll be walking on unpaved paths that may be damp in spots, so wear appropriate shoes, long pants with socks and long sleeves or carry bug spray. There are no rest room facilities. If you have binoculars bring them along! It takes 10 minutes to […]

Sold Out Free

Change of Colors & Bird Migration Hike

Garret Mountain Reservation Lambert Castle Parking Lot, 3 Valley Rd., Paterson, NJ, United States

Please note the new date October is the perfect time to head outdoors and check out all the vibrant colors of autumn, and Garret Mountain is the place to be. We will also look for migrating birds along this key migration flyway lead with GSWA Director of Land Stewardship, Hazel England. Hazel will take us on a journey through the trails of the Reservation to identify the many varieties of trees and plants as they begin to prepare for a long winter’s nap. Situated 500 feet above sea level, Garret Mountain Reservation 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. GSWA Members: FREE, Non-members: $10.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

Intro to Rain Gardens: FREE Zoom

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

Registration closes at 4 PM on Wed, Nov 3.   Thinking of adding a rain garden to your yard? Smart choice! A rain garden is a beautiful addition to your landscape that also provides a valuable function. By causing water to absorb slowly into the ground it reduces and sometimes even prevents flooding. A rain garden also helps keep storm water run-off from carrying pollution to our drinking water sources. Join us for an in-depth review of the benefits of installing a rain garden at your home and get some basic how-to suggestions. Registration is required for this FREE program. You will receive Zoom login details prior to the event. SUMMIT RESIDENTS ONLY: Due to a generous grant* Summit residents will have an opportunity to set up a FREE at-home consultation with design professionals to plan and layout a garden specific to your yard. You will also receive a list of recommended plants. Consultations will take place at your home the week of November 8-12 by appointment so be sure to take advantage of this free offer! More on this offer will be discussed at the end of the November 3rd program. *This program is sponsored by a grant from […]

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Stream Assessment Training-FREE (NEW DATE)

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

Interested in learning how to monitor a stream or gaining a better understanding about stream health? This one-day, two-part training session is for you! An indoor classroom session teaches you how to conduct visual and biological stream assessments and recognize environmental factors that may impact stream health. An outdoor session lets you practice your new-found skills at a local stream site. By the afternoon, you will be a fully trained visual stream assessment volunteer and ready to conduct an assessment. Tools and supplies will be provided. Be sure to wear shoes that are suitable for walking outside and getting dirty. Preferred volunteers are 15 or older. Younger volunteers are welcome with parent participation. This training will be conducted in conjunction with the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program. Registration required for this FREE training session.

Fairfield Fall Cleanup Day – Nov 19 (11/12 POSTPONED)

Because of Rain Forecast, Cleanup Rescheduled to Friday, Nov 19th The flooding caused by Hurricane Ida affected many natural areas adjacent to our local rivers. They were inundated with the trash carried downstream. While GSWA staff were sampling the water quality along the Passaic River in Fairfield, we observed a large quantity of trash that had been caught up in the trees in the flood plain in this area. GSWA, working together our local NJ AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador, is organizing a cleanup day to ensure that this area gets the needed attention.  We need your help!  Come out and join us in cleaning up this beautiful area of the Passaic River. The cleanup location on Nov 19th is the boat launch site at the end of Camp Ln, in Fairfield.  The cleanup will run from 10 - 12 PM.  We are asking people to wear masks and it will be muddy so you should wear appropriate shoes that can get muddy and maybe even wet.

Free

Post-Thanksgiving Cleanup & Hike @ the CMA

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

Thanksgiving is a day of giving... giving thanks, and perhaps giving in to all the delicious temptations we smelled long before they ever found our their way to our plates. And more food-filled holidays are right around the corner. This is the right time to head outside and work it off by helping prepare our Conservation Management Area (CMA) for winter with some important trail maintenance. Then we will put away our tools and will hit the trails again, this time for some relaxation and sight seeing. If you haven't already seen all the amazing renovations that took place last November, now is your chance to see what a healthy swamp is supposed to look like! So, let's get together and work and play at the CMA! Can't do the cleanup and the hike? That's okay. Just let us know which works for you. Either way, we're outside and we're burning calories!

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

Wine & Cheese – Yes Please!

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

The holidays are fast-approaching. Perhaps you're hosting, or maybe you’re looking for something special to bring along to a dinner party. Why risk guessing when you can taste for yourself? Join us for a delicious evening of wine and cheese pairings and samplings. We will tempt you with eight different types of cheese ranging from mild to sharp and creamy to crumbly. These cheeses will be paired with just the right wines to tantalize your taste buds and warm your spirits. It doesn't get any easier than that! This event is free if you are NOT a GSWA member. GSWA members, the cost is $25 OR bring a non-member along and you can both sip and sample for free!

Get Tickets Free – $25.00

Volunteer for the CMA Boardwalk Build

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

Are you in the giving spirit and willing to brave the cold tomorrow morning? We have a lumber delivery and we could use help moving lumber plus maybe make a few boardwalks along the way! We are meeting at 10 a.m. on Friday at the cul-de-sac entrance of the GSWA's CMA on Tiger Lily Lane in Morristown. Dress in layers so you stay comfortable working outdoors. We hope to see you there! RSVP below if you are interested and so we can keep in touch.

Free

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 [email protected]. 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