CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER – 5/2: Hike at Watchung Reservation

Watchung Reservation 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside, NJ

Want to explore a deserted village? Do you like scenic gorges and trails that follow the water? Our hike at Watchung Reservation will have all those things and more! Join us for an adventure through the reservation led by GSWA Education Associate, Adam Palmer. We will walk and talk about the winding paths and forest as we adventure alongside the Blue Brook, and we may even stop at Lake Surprise! (It’s a…surprise.)  Registration is required.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

5/5: Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

Livingston Public Library 10 Robert H Harp Dr.,, Livingston, NJ, United States

Did you ever stop to think about what it is you’re really spraying on your counter tops and floors? It’s possible that the residue left behind may actually be harmful to our family, pets, our local environment, and our regional water supply. Some super effective, eco-friendly alternative solutions come from ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen; things like white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice. Believe it or not, it all really works! Come learn about the ingredients found in our personal and household cleaning products you may want to avoid, and how products labeled as “environmentally safe” are not all created equal – and why you should be concerned. You will leave with some DIY cleaning product recipes to make your very own homemade cleaning products! Registration is required. This free event is co-sponsored by GSWA and Livingston Public Library.

5/14: Breakfast Briefing: 2018 Water Quality Report Card

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

Everyone still asks, “So, how’s the water?” Come out and learn about the water quality along your stretch of the Passaic River and get the answers. Great Swamp Watershed Association Director of Water Quality, Sandra LaVigne, will present the 2018 water quality year in review, with data from our in-depth sampling program that covers the Passaic River from its headwaters in Great Swamp through the Florham Park/Livingston region. GSWA’s new microplastics sampling program will also be reviewed. Registration is required.

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

SOLD OUT: 5/16: Create Your Own Walking Stick Workshop

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

Come make your very own walking stick so you can hit the trails with confidence. Retired science teacher turned walking-stick-guru, Brad Koller, leads a fun-filled DIY workshop where you will choose from a variety of rough sticks including red cedar, maple, beech, and iron wood, and walk away with a finished product - and the ability to create one on your own! All tools and safety equipment will be provided. This is one of our most popular workshops and space is limited to the first 14 people who register, so don’t miss out - sign up today! $30/person includes everything you will need.

Sold Out $30.00

SORRY, THIS HIKE IS SOLD OUT! 5/18: Full Moon Hike @ CMA

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

May's full moon is known as the "Flower Moon" to signify the flowers that bloom during this month. Join Hazel England, GSWA Director of Education and Outreach, Land Steward, as she leads us on a hike to discover some gentle nighttime creatures. May is great time to enjoy a moonlit hike at the CMA. The canopy and bright moonlight provide the perfect backdrop to hear and spot owls. Our full moon hikes are a real hoot, so don't miss out on this unique, family-friendly opportunity! Registration is required.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

5/21: Green Infrastructure to Manage Stormwater: NJ’s New Rules

Summit Free Public Library 75 Maple Street, Summit, NJ

Green infrastructure is a trifecta, it: manages heavy rain and snow, improves water supplies, and enhances real estate development. Great news: the NJ Department of Environmental Protection is issuing new rules for stormwater management that mandate use of green infrastructure such as bioswales, rain gardens, pervious pavement, tree wells, etc. Learn about these elements of landscape architecture and how they enhance aesthetics, health, and safety from Marian Glenn, former Summit Environmental Commissioner, and President of the Trustees of the Rahway River Watershed Association. This free program is co-sponsored by GSWA and Summit Free Public Library.

5/23: Fungus Walk through the Swamp

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

Join your fellow fungus enthusiast, GSWA Education Coordinator, and all-around fungi, Adam Palmer, on a foray into the mysterious world of mushrooms, slimes and molds. Enjoy a hike around our Conservation Management Area as we look for and talk about the important roles of decomposers, symbiotic relationships, and even parasites in an ecosystem. Register today as there won’t be mush-room left on this hike if you wait!

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

6/9: Great Swamp Great Music Festival

Hartley Farms Polo Field Spring Valley Road, Harding Township, NJ, United States

Gather up your friends and family for an afternoon of live, outdoor music at our 2nd Annual Great Swamp, Great Music Festival. Grab a spot under the tent or in the field, and check out the variety of tasty food, merchandise, and adult beverages for sale by our local vendors. It’s all the ingredients you’ll need for a sensational Sunday afternoon! Your email confirmation serves as your ticket - be sure to print it and bring it along! For more information, click here.   TICKET SALES HAVE ENDED: Please purchase tickets at the gate.

Free – $20.00

6/14: June Moon Hike

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

Explore Jockey Hollow by the full moon in June! Look and listen for owls, bats, fireflies and other nocturnal creatures by the light of a full moon. Later we will relax by a roaring bonfire and hear stories that 18th century colonists told around their own campfires and learn about their views on the darkness. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity with two highly experienced and knowledgeable naturalists, Adam Palmer, GSWA Education Associate, and Eric Olsen, Park Ranger and local historian. Space is limited and it will fill up fast! This hike is free to all GSWA members; a $10 donation is appreciated from non-member adults, $5 for children. Registration is required. Register at GreatSwamp.org or call 973-538-3500. (Image courtesy of ChingChing Tsui CC-BY-2.0)

Sold Out Free – $40.00

6/27: “Sounds of Summer” Invitation Only Hike at the Refuge

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - Bluebird Parking Lot Bluebird Parking Lot, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ, United States

We want to show you our appreciation by taking you on a special behind-the-scenes hike at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. This time of year flowers are in bloom, birds such as red-bellied woodpeckers are nesting everywhere, wood froglets can be seen in mass around the vernal ponds, and we may even spot a red fox. We will be on the lookout for all of this and more. Led by GSWA staffers, you will benefit from their combined wealth of natural history knowledge. Not a member? Become a member now by clicking the "JOIN" button at the top of this page. Then come back and register for the hike. This is your special opportunity to take in all the beauty of the amazing lands that form part of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Management area. Claim your "back stage pass" today! Meet at the Bluebird Parking Lot: GSNWR Bluebird Parking Lot, Intersection of Pleasant Plains Rd. Auto Tour Route & Wood Duck Way, Basking Ridge, NJ. You can plug the following coordinates into your GPS (exactly as you see them): 40.709360, -74.502889  

Sold Out $50.00