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Stream Assessment Training – FREE

Long Hill Township Library 917 Valley Rd, Gillette, NJ, United States

Unless there's obvious pollution in the river or stream, to the untrained eye, the water may look healthy. But is it? This free training session, led by Sandra LaVigne, GSWA Director of Water Quality Programs, will provide you with all the necessary skills to make your own determinations. An indoor classroom session teaches you how to conduct visual and biological stream assessments, identify macroinvertebrates, and recognize environmental factors that could impact stream health. An outdoor session lets you practice your new-found skills at a local stream site. By afternoon, you will be fully trained in visual and biological stream assessment. And if you are ready to take that next step, consider becoming a stream monitoring volunteer! Tools and supplies will be provided. It gets a little messy so wear your boots and bring clean shoes to change into afterward. Preferred volunteers are 15 or older. This free training session is held in conjunction with the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program.

Free

The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt Kickoff

Long Hill Township Library 917 Valley Rd, Gillette, NJ, United States

The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt Kickoff is a FREE adventure game that is open to kids and adults alike! It's one of the most entertaining ways to discover- or rediscover- some of the great sites of natural, cultural, and historic importance tucked away in Long Hill Township. On your hunt, you'll learn about how water moves through our towns while scouting out trees, environmental groups, and waterways in the area!  You will have 2 weeks to complete this program. Grab your scavenger hunt booklet at the library any time during the two weeks of the event. Join GSWA staffers for this kickoff event to learn more about the hunt and enjoy some fun things to do to wet your appetite for this fun adventure brought to you in collaboration with Long Hill Twp. Library.   Register for the zoom webinar HERE! Be sure to scroll down to "Scavenger Hunt Kick -off: Sat. 4/1 12-2pm with the Great Swamp Watershed Association" and check "Yes, I want to attend".

Native Pollinator Plant Sale Overview

Zoom Webinar Morristown, NJ, United States

Registration closes Monday, April 3 @ 10 AM   Join Hazel England, GSWA Director of Education, Outreach, and Land Stewardship (our resident pollinator expert) for an overview of the native pollinator plants and plant kits available at our 3rd annual online Native Pollinator Plant Sale. Choose from a variety of individual species to create or enhance your own garden in ways that best fit your needs. To simplify garden design and provide some additional savings, many of the species are also sold in a variety of garden kits. Each kit is designed for specific garden sizes and conditions. Learn how different plants can help you build out your pollinator garden to attract the widest  variety of insects throughout the growing season along with suggestions for plant pairings you will want to attract specific pollinators. Discover why this type of garden benefits your yard, your neighborhood, and our shared watershed. We will also walk you through our online storefront, simple ordering process, and amazing online resources on the site. If you're considering starting or expanding your native pollinator garden, you're going to want to check this out! You will receive your Zoom link prior to the start of the webinar. While […]

Free – $40.00

Evening Briefing: Gardening for Pollinators

Zoom Webinar NJ, United States

If you build it, they will come. Imagine you and your family relaxing in your yard, watching the butterflies, dragonflies, hummingbirds, and other beautiful pollinators and wildlife frolicking in your pollinator garden. This doesn't have to be a distant dream - it's an attainable reality! Join Hazel England, GSWA Director of Education, Outreach, and Land Stewardship (and our resident pollinator expert) on Zoom for the low-down. Learn the appropriate native plants you will need to attract pollinators and why this type of garden benefits your yard, your neighborhood, and our shared watershed. This program is brought to you in collaboration with Long Hill Twp. Library.   Register for the zoom webinar HERE! Be sure to scroll down to "Native Plant & Pollinator Talk: with Hazel England & the Great Swamp Watershed Association Wed. 4/5 7pm (via Zoom)" and check "Yes, I want to attend"

How’s the Water? GSWA Quality Report Card – Free Zoom Webinar

Zoom Webinar Morristown, NJ, United States

How's the water? That is the most common question we get from onlookers when we are out collecting water quality samples. Join Sandra LaVigne, GSWA's Director of Water Quality Programs, for an in-depth recap on the health of our streams and water quality data results from 2022. Bring your questions for the Q&A session at the end. A Zoom link will be sent to you post-registration. This program is brought to you in collaboration with Long Hill Twp. Library. Register for the Zoom webinar HERE! Be sure to scroll down to “Passaic River Report Card: with Sandra LaVigne & the Great Swamp Association Wed. 4/12 @ 7pm (via Zoom)” and check “Yes, I want to attend”     “The earth, the air, the land, and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us.” – Mahatma Gandhi

NEW LOCATION – Evening Briefing: “Eat the Weeds” Backyard Foraging

Kemmerer Library 19 Blue Mill Road, Harding Twp., NJ, United States

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW LOCATION Kemmerer Library, 19 Blue Mill Rd, New Vernon, NJ   Instead of weeding your yard, forage! Come learn about the benefits of foraging for edible invasive (non-native) species like garlic mustard. Garlic mustard is one of the worst invaders of Northeast and Midwest American forests, reducing the diversity of all species. April through end of May is garlic mustard season so you will be able to easily find it to make your own pesto. Come learn about these and other types of plants where we can reduce their presence simply by eating them outright or adding them to a salad! You will receive instruction on how to identify, prepare, and preserve these free greens so you can safely hunt for these delicious invasives while cleaning up your yard! Foraged and homemade treats will be provided. This program is offered in partnership with GSWA and the Kemmerer Library of Harding Twp. We are able to offer this program to the public at no cost thanks to the generous underwriting from Kemmerer Library.  

Free – $40.00

SOLD OUT – Morning Paddle @ the Refuge

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

Morning Paddle: 10-11:30 AM Kick off your day with a peaceful spring paddle at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. By mid-April, most tree are bursting with buds with their leaves ready to emerge. Birds like pine warblers and woodcocks are migrating back our way. Spring peepers and chorus frogs are calling. Come experience all this and more from a magical place - the middle of the Passaic River at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Children 8 and up are welcome. All participants 15 and under must be accompanied by a parent. There are only 7 spots available – 2 spots/registration max. All participants must be able to swim, be comfortable on the water, and wear clothes and footwear that can (and will) get wet and muddy. Life vests will be provided.   IMPORTANT – Kayak Waiver: Each participant MUST submit one of the forms below. If the person is under the age of 18 then a parent or guardian must sign their form and assume responsibility for the minor. Please complete, sign and bring the form(s) with you. The organizers will collect completed forms before put-in. Adult Attendee Minor Attendee The put-in location is the Fisherman's Parking Lot and […]

$30.00 – $40.00

SOLD OUT – Afternoon Paddle @ the Refuge

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

Afternoon Paddle: 12:30-2 PM Kick off your day with a peaceful spring paddle at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. By mid-April, most tree are bursting with buds with their leaves ready to emerge. Birds like pine warblers and woodcocks are migrating back our way. Spring peepers and chorus frogs are calling. Come experience all this and more from a magical place - the middle of the Passaic River at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Children 8 and up are welcome. All participants 15 and under must be accompanied by a parent. There are only 7 spots available – 2 spots/registration max. All participants must be able to swim, be comfortable on the water, and wear clothes and footwear that can (and will) get wet and muddy. Life vests will be provided.   IMPORTANT – Kayak Waiver: Each participant MUST submit one of the forms below. If the person is under the age of 18 then a parent or guardian must sign their form and assume responsibility for the minor. Please complete, sign and bring the form(s) with you. The organizers will collect completed forms before put-in. Adult Attendee Minor Attendee The put-in location is the Fisherman's Parking Lot and […]

$30.00 – $40.00

Evening Briefing: The American Eel

Zoom Webinar Morristown, NJ, United States

Registration for this program closes @ 5 PM on April 19   Let's face it, for many people, eels may not be easy to like. They can make many people feel... uneasy. Is an eel a snake? Is it a fish? They don't fit in any clear category. Some may think of eels as a tasty sushi roll. And yet to others, eels are mysterious creatures with a very interesting life cycle. They are predators in freshwater streams helping to regulate the population of other animals. They are also a significant source of food for fish, mammals, turtles and birds. Humans have been fascinated with eels for centuries, working to learn as much as they can about them. Yet we do not have all the answers. Nature has a way of keeping us guessing. One thing we do know is that eels are ecologically important and can be used as a bio-indicator for pollution to determine the health of their environment. Join us for a FREE Zoom webinar as we delve into the fascinating world of eels and their unique life cycle, brought to you in collaboration with the Long Hill Twp. Library. Register for the zoom webinar HERE! Be sure […]

POSTPONED: How’s the Water? GSWA Water Quality Report Card Webinar

Zoom Webinar NJ, United States

This program has been postponed. It will be rescheduled as an in-person Breakfast Briefing. Please stay tuned...    How's the water? That is the most common question we get from onlookers when we are out collecting water quality samples. Join Sandra LaVigne, GSWA's Director of Water Quality Programs, for an in-depth recap on the health of our streams and water quality data results from 2022. Bring your questions for the Q&A session at the end. A Zoom link will be sent to you post-registration. “The earth, the air, the land, and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Free – $40.00