Explore the Great Swamp

Explore the Great Swamp during annual walk on Oct. 16

Celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation by exploring the site of its first conservation success: the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County.

The 9^th Annual Great Swamp Walk will take place on Saturday, Oct 16, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the 7,700-acre Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Dr. Emile DeVito, staff biologist, will lead two separate walks through the restricted management area of the Great Swamp, allowing visitors an insider's view of the marshland ecosystem.

Participants will be split into two groups, one walking at 9 a.m. and the other at 11 a.m. While the 9 a.m. group hikes the flat, marshy trail, the other group will enjoy refreshments and a video about the refuge at the new Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center off Pleasant Plains Road in Harding Township. At 11 a.m., the groups will switch places.

The cost of the program is $5 for New Jersey Conservation Foundation members and $10 for non-members. Space is limited; register by contacting Carol Banhart at 908-234-1225 or carol@njconservation.org.

Participants should wear sturdy, waterproof shoes and bring binoculars to view the refuge's abundant wildlife and waterfowl. The Great Swamp's wetlands and forest are home to 215 varieties of wildflowers and over 220 bird species.

Fifty years ago, the Great Swamp was the birthplace of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. In 1959, the Port Authority was secretly planning to build the area's fourth major airport on top of the Great Swamp, an unspoiled expanse of marshland and forest 30 miles west of Manhattan. Nearby towns were threatened too—the new jetport would mean the loss of homes, churches, schools, and local businesses in the area.

Local residents were outraged, and began organizing to fight the plan. One group of conservationists had an inspired idea: convincing the U.S. Department of the Interior to make the land part of the National Wildlife Refuge system. Local organizers banded together, forming the Great Swamp Committee to acquire the 3,000 acres needed.

After a four and a half year battle, the Great Swamp Committee succeeded. In May 1964, the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was dedicated. A decade later, that same Committee would change its name to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

Since that first conservation success story, New Jersey Conservation Foundation has preserved over 120,000 acres of land, from the New Jersey Highlands to the Delaware Bayshore, permanently protecting forests, farmland, and natural resources for generations to come. For more information, visit www.njconservation.org or call 1-888-LAND-SAVE (1-888-526-3728).