The asters and the goldenrods are fading into Fall, the last of the season’s flowering plants.

No! Wait!

The lovely native shrub witch hazel is now coming into full bloom. But you have to look closely. The leaves of the witch hazel are turning a lovely lemon yellow and may obscure the flowers. But you can’t miss them if you look. They are bright yellow with four, long spidery petals which will bloom from October through December, unaffected by freezing temperatures.

The witch hazel is unique. Both the flowers and ripe fruits appear on the plant at the same time. The fruit capsules split open in autumn and forcibly expel two shiny black seeds as much as 20 feet away. The seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals and the flowers are pollinated by late season flies and bees.

This is a wonderful shrub for the home landscape. It has few pests and will tolerate light deer browsing. It prefers part shade and, in the wild, grows as an understory tree. Consider planting it where you can view it up close so you don’t miss enjoying the colorful flowers in an otherwise gray landscape.

National Wildlife Refuge Week, observed the second full week of October each year, celebrates the great network of lands and waters that conserves and protects Americans’ precious wildlife heritage. During a normal year, we would celebrate by holding The Big Sit!, leading Sunset Walks, and enjoying a special Second Sunday program.

This year we are going virtual. The Friends have created a Zoom presentation in celebration of the Refuge System, our Refuges in New Jersey and in the Lenape Complex, with photos of past Sunset Walks. Take a look at this short video which highlights the beauty of your national wildlife refuges.

Follow the Friends on Facebook. There will be a new post every day during National Wildlife Refuge Week highlighting sightings and sights here are Great Swamp NWR.

Come visit! Although the Visitor Center remains closed, the trails are open for all to enjoy from sunrise to sunset.

Saturday, September 26 is National Public Lands Day, a day to celebrate the millions of acres of America’s public lands that we use for recreation, education, and just plain enjoyment. Chances are there is a public land not far from where you live. It may be a local, state or national park. It might be a historic building, community garden, golf course or ski area! Here in New Jersey, we have five Federally managed national wildlife refuges, all of which are public lands. Can you name them all?

Take time this fall to celebrate our public lands. Go outside and enjoy a park, refuge or public area near you. Check to see if there are ways that you can volunteer to help restore, improve and maintain these areas. Say thank you to those who had the foresight and dedication to set these lands aside for all of us to enjoy. And remember to protect and preserve these lands for the enjoyment of generations to come. 

Take a look here at a video showing all 135 entries in our 2020 Photo Contest, another way to enjoy and appreciate the diversity and beauty of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge – Your national wildlife refuge!

Come along with Friends volunteer Tom Gula for a summer walk along the Bockoven Trail at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge as he points out interesting things you would see, including a newly hatched snapping turtle and a young racoon exploring the woods.

Friends and staff of Great Swamp NWR pay tribute to Rich Guadagno, a recipient of the Department of Interior’s Valor Award for his heroism on September 11, 2001

On September 29, 2012, family members, Refuge staff, and Friends gathered  to dedicate the Visitor Center pavilion in memory of Richard J. Guadagno and to celebrate what would have been his fiftieth birthday. The dedication included the unveiling of a memorial rock and a plaque with the following inscription.

RICHARD J. GUADAGNO
SEPTEMBER 26, 1962 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Richard J. Guadagno, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) employee, passionately devoted his life to the conservation of natural resources. He was the Refuge Manager of Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge in California and a trained law enforcement officer when his flight, United Airlines 93, was hijacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Rich was among the brave passengers and flight crew whose heroic actions prevented further tragedy that fateful day.

Rich grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University in 1984. After several positions with NJ Fish & Wildlife and USFWS, his first refuge manager position, as a trainee, was obtained at Great Swamp in 1988. Rich managed four more refuges before moving to Humboldt Bay NWR in 2000.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET