Spring Programs at GSWA

Great Swamp Watershed Association's Spring Programs

March 8 – Breakfast Briefing: Current Drinking Water Issues, 8-9:30am at Great Swamp Watershed Association, 568 Tempe Wick Rd., Harding Twp. Join the Great Swamp Watershed Association and Scott Baxter-Green, Water Quality Manager with NJ American Water, to learn about upcoming water quality concerns and maintaining the underground infrastructure. Free for GSWA members. The fee for non-members is $10 per adult, $5 for each child five and over, and $30 per family. A continental breakfast is included. To learn more and pre-register, visit www.greatswamp.org or call 973-538-3500 x22.


March 24 – An Evening with Author David Wheeler, 7-9pm at Great Swamp Watershed Association, 568 Tempe Wick Rd., Harding Twp. David Wheeler, author of “Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State’” will be the special guest of GSWA where he’ll give a presentation on his exploration of our state’s biodiversity. Refreshments will be served. Free for GSWA members. The fee for non-members is $10 per adult, $5 for each child five and over, and $30 per family. For additional information on Mr. Wheeler and his new book, visit wildnewjersey.tv. Pre-register for this event by visiting www.greatswamp.org or call 973-538-3500 x22


March 26 – Project WET Workshop, Saturday, March 26, 9am-3pm at Great Swamp Watershed Association, 568 Tempe Wick Rd., Harding Twp. This workshop is an interdisciplinary, supplemental water education program for K-12 formal and non-formal educators who will experience activities they can use to teach all kinds of water concepts – from the water cycle to water properties, aquatic ecosystems and water pollution prevention. Cost is $15 and includes breakfast. To register, visit www.greatswamp.org or contact Hazel England, GSWA Director of Education and Outreach, by calling 973-538-3500.


April 12 – Breakfast Briefing: Rain Barrel Workshop, 8-9:30am at Great Swamp Watershed Association, 568 Tempe Wick Rd., Harding Twp. Join the Great Swamp Watershed Association and Ken Sicknick from the Morris County Soil Conservation District to learn all about rain barrels and how to build one yourself. There will also be a limited number of rain barrels available for purchase. Free for GSWA members. The fee for non-members is $10 per adult, $5 for each child five and over, and $30 per family. A continental breakfast is included. To learn more and pre-register, visit www.greatswamp.org or call 973-538-3500 x22.


April 15 – Moonlight Hike, 7-8:30pm at the Cross Estate, Leddell Rd., Morristown National Historical Park. Join the Great Swamp Watershed Association for a guided night hike at the beautiful Cross Estate. We’ll listen for watershed animal inhabitants while we play some games to learn more about sharpening our night senses. Revel in being out after dark without a flashlight! Free for GSWA members. The fee for non-members is $10 per adult, $5 for each child five and over, and $30 per family. To learn more and pre-register, visit www.greatswamp.org or call 973-538-3500 x22.


May 1 – May Day Hike, 5-6:30pm at Great Swamp Watershed Association’s Conservation Management Area on Tiger Lily Lane in Harding Twp. Join GSWA for a guided spring hike around the 50 acres of the CMA, where we’ll listen for returning neo-tropical migrant birds, watch for wildflower blooms peeking out and enjoy the frog chorus in this gentle family-friendly hike along the trails of GSWA’s flagship restoration area. Free for GSWA members. The fee for non-members is $10 per adult, $5 for each child five and over, and $30 per family. To learn more and pre-register, visit www.greatswamp.org or call 973-538-3500 x22.


May 5 – Water We All About? Wine and Movie Night, 6:30-8:30pm at Great Swamp Watershed Association, 568 Tempe Wick Rd., Harding Twp. Share wine, cheese and conversation on a selection of hot topic movies on water-related issues. We’ll view and discuss selected portions of “Flow” and “Tapped,” both award-winning documentaries highlighting different aspects of the worldwide water industry. Free for GSWA members. The fee for non-members is $10 per adult, $5 for each child five and over, and $30 per family. To learn more and pre-register, visit www.greatswamp.org or call 973-538-3500 x22.


May 15 – Become a “stream team” volunteer by attending GSWA’s Visual Stream Assessment Training on Sunday, May 15, 9:30am-12:30pm. This one-day session teaches volunteers how to help the Great Swamp Watershed Association gather information on stream depth and width, observed wildlife and plants and the condition of the water’s surface and stream banks. The training includes both a classroom session and a local field trip. Interested volunteers should contact Kelley Curran, GSWA’s Director of Water Quality Programs, at 973-538-3500 or kcurran@greatswamp.org.

**To register or obtain additional information please visit our website at www.greatswamp.org

Calling All Volunteers!

Come out and join GSWA on Saturday April 9th, 9:30 a.m- noon to tackle pollution and clean up Loantaka Brook as part of National River Cleanup 2011.

Presented by American Rivers, National River Cleanup raises public awareness of the magnitude of trash accumulating in our nation's waterways. GSWA will again be supporting this program with our annual spring cleaning of Loantaka Brook, the most polluted stream in our watershed because of its proximity to major roadways and the heavy use of Loantaka Reservation for outdoor recreation.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kelley Curran, Director of Water Quality Programs at 973-538-3500 x 16 or kcurran@greatswamp.org

Loantaka Watershed Grant Announced

The NJ DEP has granted $300,000 to GSWA to implement agricultural pollution control projects to reduce pathogens and nutrient loadings in the Loantaka Watershed.

"Funded through federal Clean Water Act grants, the projects are designed to reduce the nonpoint source pollution to restore and protect water quality in priority watersheds. Nonpoint source pollution results from animal waste, fertilizers, motor vehicle fluids, litter and other pollutants that are washed into local waterways by stormwater runoff." (Daily Record)

We are very eager to begin work on this project and hope you will continue to follow our blog for project updates!

For the Daily Record's full article please click here:
http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20110128/COMMUNITIES/110127064/1005/NEWS01/NJ-to-spend--800-000-on-Troy-Brook--Great-Swamp

WET Workshop

Workshops for Educators: Project WET Workshop with Additional Great Swamp Focus


Saturday, March 26, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at GSWA Headquarters, 568 Tempe Wick Rd., Morristown

This hands-on, action-packed workshop is an interdisciplinary, supplemental water education program for K-12 formal and non-formal educators. Workshop participants will learn by doing, experiencing activities they can use to teach all kinds of water concepts — from the water cycle to water properties, aquatic ecosystems and water pollution prevention.

For additional information please contact hazele@greatswamp.org or call 973-538-3500

Workshop is $15 and includes breakfast. Six professional development credits conferred. To learn more and register online, visit www.greatswamp.org/Education.htm#workshops.

Come join us in the New Year to explore the wildlife of the Great Swamp! Many creatures make themselves scarce when the temperature drops, so we will be checking for scats, tracks, and other tell tale signs of who is living in the swamp this winter. This program is free for members. For non-members, the fee is $10 per adult, $5 for each child five and over, and $30 per family.

The program begins at 10 and will run until about 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 8th, 2011. The meeting place will be at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in the parking area of the former Friends of Great Swamp gift store on Pleasant Plains Rd. in Basking Ridge.

For information on how to become a member and attend all programs for free please visit:

www.greatswamp.org

One Week to the Green Acres Gala!

We are getting so excited here at GSWA, the gala is a week from today! We have just received some really exciting items that we wanted to share with all of you. We will be auctioning off two trips: an Ecotrip to St. John's and a cottage in Ireland. We will also have tons of sports tickets and some beautiful fashions as well. As always, there will be plenty of wine and delicious food, hope to see you all there!



We are proud to annouce that our sponsors include Merck, Investors Savings Bank, Peapack Gladstone Bank, JM Sorge Inc., and PSEG



For additional information please visit our website at www.greatswamp.org or email at amaddaluna@greatswamp.org

Addition Auction Items

For all of those sports fans out there... GSWA will have Knicks, Nets, Yankees, and Mets tickets at our annual gala this year! For the ladies we will have tickets to the View and tickets to Regis and Kelly as well! The gala is in just a couple of short weeks so if you have not already sent in your RSVP card please do so as soon as possible so you can join the fun! For more information visit www.greatswamp.org or email: Amaddaluna@greatswamp.org ...remember the gala is October 14th at the Basking Ridge Country Club.