The Refuge Photo Contest sponsored by Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge returns for 2023!

All amateur photographers are invited to submit a total of five digital photos in any of the following categories: Raptors, Birds Other than Raptors, Landscapes, Pollinators & Other Insects, Plants and Fungi, and Other Wildlife. A special youth category is available for kids 16 and under. Pictures must be taken within the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge boundaries. All photos must be submitted online at the Friends website where the official entry form and detailed rules are posted.

Start snapping and get ready to share those special photos you’ve taken at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge! Deadline is July 4, 2023 with an award ceremony planned for September.

Please remember that putting the well-being of wildlife first must be every photographer’s aim. The Friends of Great Swamp NWR strongly supports the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) Principles of Ethical Field Practice. This means always putting the welfare of the subject before yourself or the photograph.

You can find the Refuge Photo Contest under the Photo Contest menu on the Friend’s website or by clicking here. 

Second Sunday, March 12, 2023;  1:30- 3:00 PM

Over the past few years, the public has become increasingly aware that the world of fungi is as mysterious as it is fascinating.  Fungi live everywhere…in all kinds of organisms, in the air, in water, and even inside solid rock. Remarkably, eighty-five percent of all plants on earth depend on fungal connections that benefit both partners. 

Dorothy Smullen is a retired high school science teacher with a Masters in Biology. She is the past president of the New Jersey Mycological Association and a former board member of Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Dorothy is also a teacher/naturalist for the New Jersey Audubon, and is a much sought-after speaker on many aspects of the natural world, including fungi, botany, insects, birds, and frogs.

In her program Fungi for the Future, Dorothy will discuss fungi’s amazing role in history, medicine, and the future of our ecosystem. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to hear from Dorothy Smullen, an expert in the incredible world of fungi. 

This will be a hybrid program, both in-person at the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center Library and virtually on Zoom. Registration is required for both. Sign up at ttsu.me/fungi

Over the past decades, bird watching has quietly emerged as America’s new national pastime, enjoyed today by 45 million enthusiasts, ranging from backyard novices to roving field experts. But bird “watching” has evolved, as today’s birders increasingly use bird song (and high tech tools) to enhance their identification skills.

Cornell University’s Macaulay Library is renowned for its exhaustive collection of world-wide bird song recordings. For over 70 years, Randy Little has been closely associated with the Lab of Ornithology, and is the author of “For the Birds: Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Sapsucker Woods”. Published in 2003, Randy’s book chronicles the over 100 year history of the lab, including the technology developed at Cornell to achieve high quality bird song recordings.    

A Cornell graduate who majored in Electrical Engineering, Randy has traveled with well-known ornithologists to record birds across North America. Because of their collective efforts and field work, today’s birding public readily have the tools to advance their identification skills to a whole new level. 

Whether you are a brand new or a long-time birder, you don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to hear from Randy Little, a true pioneer in the fascinating world of bioacoustics technology.  

This will be a hybrid program, both in-person at the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center Library and virtually on Zoom. Registration is required for both. Sign up at ttsu.me/birdcalls