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Vernal Pool Exploration Hike

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

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! With temperatures rising, the forest floor will be hopping with new life as frogs and other amphibians crowd into shallow puddles of water to breed and lay their eggs. These puddles, better known as vernal pools, provide a perfect opportunity to learn more about Mother Nature here in New Jersey. But hurry! They disappear quickly. GSWA’s annual Vernal Pool Exploration provides a fun, outdoor learning experience for kids and adults alike. Discover the differences between a spring peeper, a chorus frog, and a wood frog. Find out how far an endangered spotted salamander will walk to find a mating pool. And, learn how much everything we have come to appreciate about the springtime depends on a few unassuming puddles of water on the forest floor. Warm clothing and waterproof footwear — especially hiking boots — are very strongly recommended for this hike. Registration required. Register online or by calling 973-538-3500.

Breakfast Briefing: Microplastics in Our Water

Berkeley Heights YMCA 50 Springfield Avenue, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

Urban watersheds are exposed to high concentrations of microplastic pollution due to the inability of wastewater treatment processes to remove these pollutants from widely used products. Join GSWA and NY/NJ Baykeeper's Sandra Meola as she discusses her studies on microbead pollution. In her study, microbead densities in Raritan and Passaic River surface waters were calculated, adsorbed persistent organic pollutants and plasticizers were analyzed, and toxicity effects determined by exposing model organisms to microbeads. Project partners Ironbound Community Corporation and NY/NJ Baykeeper participated in water sample collection, analysis, and creation of materials for community education and engagement. Register below or by calling 973-538-3500. This event is sponsored by Investors Bank, Madison Branch.

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

Watchung Reservation Hike

Watchung Reservation 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside, NJ

Join us for the next installment of “Downstream Adventures” Hiking at Watchung Reservation. We will be exploring scenic gorges, visiting the remnants of the deserted village of Feltville, following alongside the Blue Brook and marveling at Lake Surprise. This will be a difficult hike over a few miles.          

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

Kitchell Pond Workday

Kitchell Pond 75 Kitchell Road, Morristown, New Jersey

GSWA is looking for volunteers to help us to remove invasive species and replant a native buffer around Kitchell Pond. We'd love to have your help! This event is cosponsored by Morris County Park Commission.            

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Annual Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge 220 Long Hill Road, Gillette, NJ, 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. Begin the Scavenger Hunt just after 10 a.m. by checking in at GSWA’s Home Base under the pavilion at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge’s Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center. (The Visitor Center is located just inside the Lee’s Hill Road park entrance at 32 Pleasant Plains Road in Harding Township, NJ.) We will provide you with a route to travel, questions to answer, and a list of treasures to find throughout the 55-square-mile Great Swamp Watershed region. It’s your job to navigate to each treasure site, seek answers to the questions and riddles provided, and then return to Home Base with all your spoils. Remember to hurry back to 32 Pleasant Plains Road at 3 p.m. because your day of pilfering booty will earn you several chances to win some special prizes at our Scavenger’s Tricky Tray! A free cookout waits for all who participate, so don’t forget your barbecue enthusiasm. We love […]

Get Tickets Free – $10.00

Stream Assessment & Macroinvertebrate Training

Long Hill Township Library 917 Valley Rd, Gillette, NJ, 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 and biological stream assessments, and recognize environmental factors that may impact stream health. An outdoor session helps you practice your new-found skills, visually assessing streams and collecting and identifying macroinvertebrates 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.        

Get Tickets Free

Invasive Plant Identification Workshop

Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center 247 Southern Blvd, Chatham Township, NJ

What makes a weed a weed? How can you tell your oriental bittersweet from your Japanese barberry and why should you care that you can? Invasive plants are spreading in our forests and open spaces, and harm the environment as they reduce biodiversity and resources for native wildlife. New Jersey spends millions in labor and resources to remove invasives each year. Join us for this informative, hands on session on how to identify New Jersey’s top ten least wanted, as we learn from the plants themselves to know both terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants and appropriate native replacements. You’ll never look at burning bush in the same way again! Registration required. Register below or by calling 973-538-3500. This program is being run in conjunction with Morris County Park System’s Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center and the Americorps Watershed Ambassador.

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Spring Night Hike

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

Hone your inner naturalist and practice your being-out-after-dark skills with Director of Education and Outreach, Hazel England. She’ll guide you through the forests of our Conservation Management Area, perfect for exploring the spring night sky. With the mating season in full swing, June is the perfect time to explore the forest in search of active wildlife. We’ll listen and look for owls, foxes, spring insects, and other nocturnal creatures. Registration required. Register below or by calling 973-538-3500.        

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

BYO Boat, Guided Paddle on the Passaic

Somerset County Park Commission, Fisherman's Parking Lot Approx. 170 Lord Stirling Road, Basking Ridge, NJ

**DUE TO WEATHER THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM MAY 6** Grab your kayak or canoe and join GSWA as we paddle upstream from the Fisherman’s Parking Lot at the Lord Stirling Environmental Education Center. We’ll traverse beaver dams and explore the river, with Somerset County Park land on one side, and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge on the other. Our eyes will be peeled for turtles, snakes, migratory birds, and other creatures as we paddle through the peaceful waters. Please note that there are two times for this event, and each time is limited to eight boats (not individuals).9:00 AM – 11:00 AM OR 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM. You must bring your own boat, paddles, and personal flotation device (PFD). You will not be able to join the guided paddle without a PFD, which will be inspected before we leave. You should be dressed to get wet (including your shoes) and bring your own water. You will be asked to sign a waiver prior to participation. Registration required.

Get Tickets $25.00

Spring Ephemeral Hike

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

The cool forests and boardwalks of our 53 acre Conservation Management Area are the perfect place to escape to on warm late-spring evenings. With the forest in full bloom, Great Swamp Watershed Association Director of Education and Outreach, Hazel England will guide you in identifying spring ephemerals and lead you to explore the numerous vernal pools filled with frogs, tadpoles, and frog eggs. Hiking is on our flat mulch and boardwalk trails in Harding Township. Registration required. Register below or by calling 973-538-3500.      

Get Tickets Free – $40.00