'Who Lives in the Great Swamp?' Free Exhibit in Basking Ridge

By Rich Reitman

The Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center (EEC) at 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge, New Jersey will feature the exhibit, “Who Lives in the Great Swamp?’ from Friday, August 28 through Wednesday, October 7, 2015. The free exhibit will be open to the public every day from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. except Labor Day.

The exhibit features models of birds and mammals found in the Great Swamp with information about who comes out to play at night, who may be sharing the EEC trails, who might be hanging around the ponds, or who is hiding out in the trees. Beth Murphy, a local botanical artist also provides an artistic view of dried plants and flowers commonly found around the Great Swamp. A special display and video about the up-coming 1770s Festival and past archeological findings from Lord Stirling’s era are also part of this unique exhibit.

The Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center is nestled within the western portion of the Great Swamp Basin of the Passaic River. The wide variety of habitats includes: floodplains, swamps, rivers, intermittent streams, marshes, meadows, fields, forests, and natural and man-made ponds. These habitats provide homes for diverse plant and animal populations in this environmentally sensitive park. All are within walking distance of the multi-faceted building. An environmental-based library is located within the Center itself. The Exhibit Hall annually hosts environmental-focused presentations that are free to the public.

Blue “BOBO (Buy One – Bring One) Fridays” bins now are located at the Environmental Education Center and Lord Stirling Stable in Basking Ridge, as well as at the Somerset County Park Commission headquarters at North Branch Park in Bridgewater. The public is invited to drop off canned food or personal-care items for donation to Somerset County food banks.

Information on all Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org. Like us on Facebook and Twitter.