Discover Nature’s Neighborhood at the Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt

Great Swamp Watershed Association’s far-ranging, day-long game spotlights 15 northern New Jersey landmarks.

It’s back! The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt returns on May 11, 2013. Are you ready for another fun-filled day of exploration and discovery?

Last year’s hunt was a real hit. Take it from Florham Park resident Liz Adinaro who said, “It was awesome!...I can't wait to come back this year with the kids.”

Created and hosted by the Great Swamp Watershed Association, the Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt is a day-long adventure game that is one of the most entertaining ways to discover—or rediscover—some of the great sites of natural, cultural, and historic importance tucked away in northern New Jersey.

The concept is simple. Stop by the Kitchell Pond Pavilion at Loantaka Brook Reservation (75 Kitchell Road in Morristown) to pick up your official Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt Clue Kit—including GPS coordinates for geocachers—any time after 9:00 a.m.  When you’re ready, hop on your bike, or into your car, and set out to collect as many scavenger hunt tokens as you can from a total of 19 different locations in Morris County and Somerset County.

Participating sites include the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Morristown National Historical Park, the Somerset County Environmental Education Center, Morris County’s Outdoor Education Center, The Raptor Trust, the Schermann Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Meyersville Café, and Millington Gorge, so there will be plenty of exciting things to see and do along the way!

Return to Kitchell Pond Pavilion by 4:00 p.m. with a healthy appetite and as many tokens as you can.  Every token collected is a chance to win one of several fantastic prizes donated by local businesses and organizations.  Last year’s prizes included a four-person tent, a high-end foldable camp chair, a NorthFace Recon backpack, a Mountainsmith camera bag, and lots of other outdoor recreational equipment.

Before prizes are awarded, enjoy a picnic barbeque courtesy of Great Swamp Watershed Association. Drinks, hot dogs, and burgers will be supplied. Feel free to contribute your own side dish to the covered dish buffet too! (Remember to bring along your own lawn chairs, blankets, or other alfresco dining supplies.)

To register for the Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt, or to find more information, please visit GreatSwamp.org or call 973-538-3500 x22.  Participation is free, but donations to the Great Swamp Watershed Association are gratefully accepted.  RSVPs via online or telephone registration are appreciated.

Spring's Almost Here! Time To Get Out And Volunteer!

Need an excuse to more spend time outdoors? Want to protect the local environment? Think you have what it takes to help out in your community? If so, then Great Swamp Watershed Association invites you to volunteer with us in March. Help us clean and enhance our open spaces, and learn how you can help protect our local streams and waterways from contamination and destruction. It's easy, and we'll supply the equipment you need. Here are some upcoming events where you can help—

March 18 — Annual Stream Cleanup & Enhancement at Loantaka Reservation

GSWA will hold its annual stream cleanup and enhancement at Loantaka Brook Reservation on March 18, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Activities along the banks of Loantaka Brook will include invasive plant removal, planting native plants, and trash cleanup. Volunteers ages 15 and above should wear long pants, long sleeves, and shoes or boots that can get wet and muddy. Participants should gather at the South Street Recreation Area located at 434 South Street, Morristown, NJ.

Click here to volunteer for this event!

March 24 — Spring Cleaning Day at the CMA

Please join GSWA's Dir. of Outreach and Education and Land Steward Hazel England from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for a spring cleanup at our 53-acre Conservation Management Area (CMA) in Harding, NJ. GSWA relies on the support and work of volunteers as we maintain and restore this important open space to become a functional floodplain forest again. Work on March 24 will focus preparing the property for springtime visitors. Tasks will include chipping, mulching and edging trails, cleaning nest boxes so they are ready for spring residents, and carrying lumber to help build boardwalks over the wettest portions. All tools and supplies will be provided. Show up with energy and enthusiasm, and we will handle the rest. Location: GSWA CMA, 1 Tiger Lily Road, Morristown, NJ.

Click here to volunteer for this event!

March 31 — Stream Assessment Training for Volunteers

Want to get outside and help GSWA? We are looking for a few good volunteers to conduct visual assessments of streams in our watershed. Visual assessments are conducted at stream reaches throughout the region twice per year, and they help us to know what’s happening along our streams. During an assessment, volunteers record information about the amount of canopy cover over the stream, nearby land uses, the clarity of the water, and more. Before you are ready to conduct an assessment, you will need to attend our training session. Our next training session takes place on March 31, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and will also cover macroinvertebrate assessments. Location: GSWA Office, 568 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ.

Click here to volunteer for this event!

*Please remember to dress and prepare appropriately for all our volunteer events. Outdoor work will often be wet and muddy, so boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. Long pants and long-sleeve shirts are also recommended. Please feel free to bring your own snacks, and we encourage the use of a reusable water bottle for any beverages you bring along. Please remember to recycle or properly dispose of any refuse.

For more information, visit www.GreatSwamp.org. Write to GSWA at events@greatswamp.org, or call us at 973-538-3500.