Congratulations to the 2022 Refuge Photo Contest Winners!
On Saturday, October 1st, Friends of Great Swamp NWR hosted an awards presentation where the winners of the 2022 Refuge Photo Contest were announced. Thank you to the 48 photographers who submitted over 180 entries! The winners in each category are highlighted in the presentation below. To see all the entries visit the Friends YouTube […]
Photo Contest Awards Presentation October 1
On Saturday October 1st at 11am, Friends of Great Swamp NWR will host an awards presentation where the winners of the 2022 Refuge Photo Contest will be announced. This year we received 182 entries from 48 photographers with lots of really great photos! Due to the inclement weather forecast, this event will be held via […]
Fall Festival at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Saturday, September 24, 10am-2pm
Celebrating National Public Lands Day After two years, the annual Fall Festival is back! It’s a day of family-friendly fun for all ages. Activities will include target archery and the hoverball shooting gallery, river seining in the Passaic, guided tree and nature walks, as well as crafts for kids. Play our giant jenga game, earn […]
Attention All Hummingbird Lovers
Right now is the peak of the Ruby Throated hummingbird season, so it’s especially important to keep your feeders clean and filled with fresh nectar. While you may not have seen many earlier in the season, due to nesting, they are plentiful now. Fledglings and adults alike are busy bulking up on insects and nectar […]
White Oak Trail Improvement Project – Progress Report
Phase II of the White Oak Trail renovation project, a distance of about 1,700 feet, is nearing completion. By the end of September this section of the trail will be reopened. Phase II entailed widening two bridges to seven feet, installing numerous drainage culverts, adding underlayment, and the spreading of 80 tons of stone dust on long stretches of trail. A […]
Thank You Mosquito Hawks (aka Dragonflies)
Dragonflies are not a pesky insect! On the contrary, they devour insect pests, eating hundreds of mosquitoes, biting flies and gnats a day. Bring on the Mosquito Hawks! This is an amazing insect. They are among the fastest and most agile of flying insects. They can hover motionless, fly upside down or backwards, and change […]
Spotted Lanternfly Season Is Here
Over the winter, we all tried hard to locate and destroy egg masses of the invasive Spotted Lanternfly, but guaranteed, we missed some! They are hatching now and will soon be visible as tiny black and white spotted nymphs. During their fourth stage, before reaching adulthood in July, they increase in size and develop red coloration with […]
Guided Interpretive Walks for Groups Resume
Volunteers are once again offering guided tours, upon request, to welcome and educate visitors. Walk leaders are knowledgeable about the geology and history of the Refuge, well as the plants, animals and ecology of the Swamp and can customize a tour to accommodate a range of interests and age groups. In addition to school and […]
Announcing 2022 Refuge Photo Contest
Sponsored by Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Photo by Spencer Duncan 2020 Enter the 2022 Refuge Photo Contest and share your special moments captured at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge! All amateur photographers are invited to submit up to a total of five digital photos spanning the categories below. All photos must […]
Second Sunday – Coyote Cries
A Zoom Second Sunday with Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Sunday, March 13, 1:30-3:00 pm Even if you’ve never seen a coyote – chances are, they have seen you! • Coyotes are found in every county in New Jersey and nearly every corner of North America. And not just in rural areas—they are found in suburbs and thrive in cities! • They are […]