Fall in the swamp is an almost magical season.  Spectacular autumn foliage, awesome bird migrations and perhaps the best weather of the year. So to get an early start, you’re invited to the 19th Annual Fall Festival at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. On September 15, from 10:00 to 3:00, we will once again offer an exciting variety of exhibits and activities for the whole family. And like the wildlife in our refuge, it’s all free.

This year our theme is “Trees”, and there will be guided “tree walks” on our trails where you can learn from the experts. If creatures are your thing, we will have close-up exhibits of birds, frogs, fish and reptiles. Kids can build a birdhouse or climb on the refuge’s massive heavy equipment. And then there’s the always popular river seining in the Passaic where you will see… well…who knows? 

All this plus target archery, photo contest winners, free hot dogs on the grill, fall apples and more.  It will all be at the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center, rain or shine.  You can see our informative, suitable-for-framing poster announcing the festival here. So mark your calendars, and follow us on Facebook for updates and announcements. We look forward to seeing you here at the swamp. And don’t worry. If you stay on the walkways you won’t fall in.

Great Swamp is TREE-MENDOUS
Fall Festival
Saturday, September 15
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center
32 Pleasant Plains Road
Harding Township, NJ
(Exit 30A from Route 287)
973-425-9510

Sure, we all know where butterflies come from.  You know, they start out as homely looking crawly caterpillars and then one day…poof!…they turn into these gorgeous flying creatures.  Of course, that’s not entirely true.  First, many of these caterpillars are incredibly beautiful just as they are.  And they don’t instantly turn into butterflies, there’s a little more to it than that. But don’t take our word for it.  Come on over to the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center where you can see the entire drama unfolding right before your eyes.

Here we have set up several entirely self-contained habitats where two different species of caterpillars, Monarch and Black Swallowtail, are now going through this miraculous transformation. With any luck, you could actually witness the amazing metamorphoses of caterpillar to chrysalis and then from chrysalis to butterfly.  But in any event, we have also assembled a collection of informative, and kid-friendly, materials to help make your visit educational as well as enjoyable.

If all this stimulates your interest in butterflies, here’s some more good news.  On Sunday, September 9 from 1:30 – 3:00 PM, we will be presenting a “Monarch Mania” program at the Visitor Center.  A highlight of this program will be some incredible close up videos of the Monarch life cycle, created by Friends volunteer Robert Lin. And if that isn’t enough, we will be serving ice cream to our visitors. So mark your calendars and stop by for a deliciously transformative experience.

For an up close look at waterfowl, there is no better place than the Friends Blind at the Wildlife Observation Center.  Located about a half mile from the parking lot, the blind overlooks a secluded impoundment where ducks, herons, egrets and the occasional muskrat go about their business undisturbed.  But while the other two blinds at the WOC are accessible by improved paths and boardwalks, the last few hundred yards to the Friends Blind is little more than a trail marked through the woods.  Normally not a problem for most, the rugged terrain can be challenging for some and messy for anyone after a heavy rain or snow.

That is, until now. Since late spring a team of volunteers has been busy at work constructing a new 600 foot boardwalk over this section. Under the direction of volunteer (and master builder) George Solovay, these dedicated workers are undeterred by heat, bugs or poison ivy as they saw, drill and hammer the unforgiving landscape into submission.  Not the least of their challenges has been transporting thousands of pounds of lumber and building materials into this remote area. But when completed, this ADA compliant walkway will provide greatly improved access to the blind for all visitors, at any time of year.

Friends of Great Swamp NWR is funding the entire cost of this project, about $12,000, and Friends volunteers are performing virtually all of the labor.  But of course, this would not be possible without support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and their staff.  This is the most ambitious project that Friends of Great Swamp has undertaken in recent years, and one which will return immediate benefits to all who visit the refuge.  But for now, the construction area is closed to the public, so the waterfowl and muskrats can enjoy their solitude for a little while longer.  Now if only those people would stop all that hammering. 

BOARDWALK UPDATE

As of July 20, the boardwalk is complete and open to the public.  So head on over to the Refuge and enjoy a pleasant walk through the woods to the Friends Blind.  You’re going to like what you see.

Wow! This year we set a new record for entries. Thank you to the 43 photographers who entered 188 photos in the 2018 Refuge Photo Contest. This year there were six categories plus a special youth category for those ages 16 and under. The judges will be very busy over the next couple of months reviewing all of the entries and selecting the winners.

Winners will be announced at our Fall Festival, September 15, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. in the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center. It’s a fun event with commentary from the judges and an opportunity to hear the photographer’s stories about what it took to capture the winning pictures. During the afternoon, we’ll be playing a slide show of all of the 2018 entries. Plan to come and be sure to bring your family. Fall Festival is a free, fun, day-long event with guided walks, exhibits, crafts and activities for kids, archery, bluebird box construction … and hot dogs on the grill. 

We now have a digital library with over 1,000 contest entries with an incredible diversity of images – all types of subjects in all seasons. These photos have been used in magazine articles as well as our own newsletters, social media and website posts. We also fill requests from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their publications and posts and we have updated the photo frames in the Visitor Center with contest entries. In the Visitor Center Discovery Den, we play the slide show of all 2018 entries all year long, amazing our visitors with the incredible variety of wildlife and beauty of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. This digital library is truly a treasure that cannot be duplicated – thanks to the generosity of all the contest participants.

Or the trees.  Or the flowers.  Just be sure we get your entries for the 2018 Refuge Photo Contest in by June 30. Entering is easy.  Just click over to the Photo Contest page and send us your favorite Great Swamp photos.  This year there are more categories, with more ways to be a winner.  But no matter what, by entering the contest, you are contributing to a photographic record of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.  Entries are often used by Friends of the Great Swamp NWR or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on website and Facebook pages, exhibits, newsletters and flyers.  With credit, of course, to the photographer.

The contest is open to all amateur photographers, and you can submit up to five photographs in any combination of categories.  Photographs must be taken within the boundaries of the Refuge during the past two   years.  There are a total of seven categories, including one for youths age 16 and under.

• Raptors
• Birds other than Raptors
• Pollinators, and other insects
• Any other wildlife
• Plants and fungi
• Landscapes
• Youth

Winners will be announced at the Fall Festival in September, and winning entries will be displayed in the Photo Contest Gallery on our website.

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