Head Start Turtle Day
June 2, 2018, 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center
Why did a group of Wood Turtles from the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge spend the winter at a greenhouse in Massachusetts? The answer to that goes back to 2010, when it was observed that their population was in serious decline. While the refuge is largely protected from the threats of civilization, it is also home to a variety of natural predators. And what could be easier to catch than a baby turtle? That’s where the “Head Start” program of turtle expert Dr. Kurt Buhlmann comes in.
Dr. Buhlmann had achieved impressive results with this program at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts, where the Blanding’s turtles faced the same threat. And he was hoping to have similar success here. With help from FWS biologist Colin Osborn, and support from Friends of Great Swamp NWR, the program was initiated in 2011 with 22 hatchlings and has continued to the present day.
Hatchling Wood Turtles are collected from the wild in the fall, and sent to a special facility at the Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, Massachusetts. Here, instead of hibernating through the winter, the turtles are kept in a temperature controlled environment with a healthy diet and exercise. Kind of like a Canyon Ranch Spa, but for turtles. In late spring, the turtles are returned to the wild, larger and stronger than their nest mates. At the age of nine months these turtles are closer in size to four year olds. And importantly, they are no longer snack size.
While this is an on-going research project, it has produced measurable results and, with continued support, it is likely that the program could restore the population of Wood Turtles at GSNWR. Sound interesting? Join Dr. Buhlmann and Mr. Osborn at the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center to learn more about this program. And meet some of the Head Started turtles. Reservations not required.
Head Start Turtle Day
June 2, 2018, 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center
Calling all kids ages 5 – 13, now is the perfect time to join our Junior Refuge Manager program. Learn basic skills in wildlife preservation and an appreciations for the multitude of disciplines it involves…biology, botany, forestry and more. On two separate days in April and May, Friends of the Great Swamp NWR will host hands-on workshops at the Wildlife Observation Center on Long Hill Road. These workshops allow anyone to earn a Junior Refuge Manager badge in just one day. Our experts will be on hand to help in any area and, who knows, the old folks might learn something new themselves.
What a great reason to bring a kid to the refuge…and serious naturalists will really enjoy this immersive experience. Of course, kids can join the program at any time, and take as long as they like to earn their badge. Just complete the Junior Refuge Manager Activity Guide, which is available at the Visitors Center or the Wildlife Observation Center (also on our website here).
So for fun day at the refuge, getting an up close look at our amazing selection of turtles, frogs, snakes and plants, come on over. You don’t have to register in advance, but this is outdoors, so check the weather before you leave. You can also check for updates on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofGreatSwampNWR/
Junior Refuge Manager – Earn Your Badge Days
Saturday, April 28, 2018 – 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Sunday, May 20, 2018 – 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Wildlife Observation Center, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
220 Long Hill Rd
Harding Township, NJ
February 16 – 18, 2018, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm every day
Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center
Join us for three days of birding fun. Help volunteers count the birds at the feeders from inside the Visitor Center. Daily bird counts will be reported to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to aid in citizen-science research on bird populations and distribution. Can’t tell a house finch from a goldfinch? No problem. Our volunteers will teach you how to identify the common feeder birds.
There will also be some fun bird-related activities for kids and adults. Make a suet bird feeder to take home, play bird bingo for a prize, and paint your own tree cookie ornament. New this year — help decorate four donation boxes to be used in our March Food Drive for the Interfaith Food Pantry (Morris County).
Great Backyard Bird Count Schedule
Every Day – Indoors
10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Count the birds!
Volunteers will be on hand to help identify and count the species. It’s fun and easy!
Bird Bingo for kids — play our game and win a prize!
Make a pine cone bird feeder to take home.
Paint your own tree cookie ornament.
Decorate our Food Drive donation boxes with a bird theme — “Feeding More than Birds”!
Saturday, February 17
1:30 – 2:30 pm: Learn to identify common winter birds. Indoor presentation by naturalist Dorothy Smullen.
2:30 – 3:30 pm: Guided bird walk along Pleasant Plains Road
Sunday, February 18
2:30 – 3:30 pm: Guided bird walk along Pleasant Plains Road.
This event is free and registration is not required. Join us!
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an international citizen science event launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. Now more than 160,000 people of all ages from around the world join the count each February to create an annual snapshot of bird distribution and abundance worldwide. This data is critical in wild bird research to find ways to protect these wild creatures for future generations.
Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center
32 Pleasant Plains Road, Harding Township, NJ
973-425-9510
On a cold winter day in the swamp, when the ground is covered with snow, you might notice something unusual at your feet. Near the base of a tree are hundreds of small black specs that appear to be scattered dirt or soot. But a closer look reveals that these specs are moving around, and occasionally leaping high into the air. This is a cluster of “Snow Fleas,” one of the few insects that remain active year round. Their small size and dark coloration, however, make them difficult to see unless they are grazing on a snowy surface.
In fact, they are not fleas at all. Not even true insects. More properly known as Springtails, these little creatures belong to a separate class of arthropods. Like insects, they have six legs and segmented bodies. But they also sport a small, spring-like appendage in their tails with which they can launch themselves nearly 100 times the length of their body. This creates the appearance of leaping like a flea, hence the name. Unlike fleas, they are not parasites nor do they bite. Instead, they survive by “recycling” dead and decaying organic matter in their environment.
Springtails can survive cold temperatures because their bodies contain a glycine-rich protein that acts as an organic anti-freeze. Medical researchers believe that a synthetic form of this protein could be used to prevent the formation of ice crystals in transplant organs. This would allow storage and transport at lower temperatures, thereby extending the amount of time they remain viable outside the body. What’s more, this same property could one day lead to the production of better ice cream.
— Peter Lebovitz
Don’t wait – Order Deadline is December 31
Friends of Great Swamp NWR is bringing back our commemorative brick campaign for a limited time. You can purchase a commemorative brick to be placed in the patio at the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center through December 31, 2017. Your donation will help enrich and expand visitor experiences at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
A lot has happened since 2009 when the Friends first launched a brick fundraising campaign. The Visitor Center is now open seven days a week, welcoming thousands of visitors each year. School groups come to explore nature and learn about the natural world. There are additional native plant gardens, purple martin gourd arrays, and three trails for visitors. It’s a vibrant, educational, and exciting place to visit.
Bricks on the patio memorialize loved ones, honor friends and family, or express donors’ commitments to nature and the Refuge. All proceeds from brick purchases fund initiatives at Great Swamp NWR.
Download a copy of the Brick Order Form. Make checks payable to Friends of Great Swamp NWR and mail your check and form(s) to the Friends of Great Swamp NWR, 32 Pleasant Plains Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. Credit card payments are accepted at the Friends Nature Shop in the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center, open: Monday – Wednesday, 10:00 to 1:00; Thursday – Friday, 1:00 to 4:00; Saturday – Sunday, 10:00 to 4:00.
A commemorative brick is your lasting legacy and a generous and meaningful donation to Friends of Great Swamp NWR. For more information, email info@friendsofgreatswamp.org.
In December 1959, the powerful Port of New York Authority announced plans to build a 10,000 acre jetport right here in the Great Swamp. If you have visited the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, then you know the Port Authority was not successful, but that was due to a grassroots movement that is a model for citizen action today.
Saving the Great Swamp: Battle to Defeat the Jetport is a new one-hour documentary which will have its broadcast premiere on NJTV on November 15, 2017 at 8:00 pm. The film, produced by award-winning filmmaker Scott Morris and co-produced by Larry Fast, documents the story of the fight to save the Great Swamp. Local citizens banded together to stop the Port Authority’s jetport plans. They galvanized area residents and focused national public attention on the battle. They wrote letters, presented public programs, lobbied legislators and Congress, and raised a million dollars to purchase nearly 3,000 acres, which was donated to the U.S. Department of the Interior to become the nucleus of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The film brings the story of this epic battle to life. It includes in-depth interviews with residents, historians, and officials (including Bill Koch, retired Refuge Manager), as well as fascinating historic film footage and old photographs, complemented by high-end cinematography of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge today.
This is a story that deserves to be told over and over again. There are lessons from that struggle that are relevant today as we face new threats to our public lands from many directions.
The Friends of Great Swamp NWR anticipate having copies of the DVD for sale later this fall and, thanks to a generous donation from Producer Scott Morris, we are selling the full-size poster publicizing the film for $10.00. Visit the Friends Nature Shop in the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center.
Saving the Great Swamp: Battle to Defeat the Jetport
Wednesday, November 15, 2017, NJTV, 8 pm
Produced and Directed by Scott Morris, Co-produced by Larry Fast, Narrated by Blythe Danner.
Winner Best Documentary, New Jersey Film Festival, Fall 2017.
Find more information at: www.savingthegreatswamp.com.