Somerset County Park Commission

Park Features

Special Events
Annual events at the Environmental Education Center provide the general public with a wide array of fun-filled and educational experiences.

Maple Sugaring
Maple sugaring is a tradition in the Northeast that began centuries ago with the Native Americans and colonists. People of all ages are invited to see this tradition brought to life at the Environmental Education Center (EEC). You will see how trees are tapped, view sap-collecting methods past and present, and see the boiling process that produces delicious New Jersey maple syrup. This 90-minute program is conducted at our Sugar Shack, a ½-mile hike from the EEC. Please arrive at the EEC 20-30 minutes before the program start time. Organized groups (such as schools) may schedule weekday demonstrations by calling the EEC at 908 766-2489 ext. 332.
FREE
January 24, 25, 31 February 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, & 22, 2009
10:00am, Noon, and 2:00pm

Project E.A.R.T.H
EARTH: Environment, Awareness, Responsibility, Teaching, and Hope - the new special event at the Environmental Education Center! See fine nature artwork, meet some live wild animals, and learn about the environment in which you live. Experts in various fields will share information about current environmental topics such as global warming, recycling, composting, and habitat restoration projects. Find out how you can make a difference protecting your environment and how your actions have a global impact. Hands-on activities for children.
Rain or Shine!
$4 per person suggested donation
Sunday, April 26, 2009
10:30am-4:30pm

THE COUNTY CAPER
It's Not Just A Game...It's an Adventure!
The County Caper is a two day game that take families and friends to ans interactive tour of Somerst County Parks and facilities. It is designed to encourage everyone to explore, learn and protect our parks and other natural areas. August 22, 2009 kicks-off this special event open to everyone with a yearning to discover all Somerset County has to offer. For more information and to register by August 16th: Environmental Education Center 908-766-2489, Ext. 334 or 335.
FREE
August 22 & 23

Family taking a car ride through Somerset County Parks

The Lord Stirling 1770s Festival
Colonial history lives at the Somerset County Park Commission's annual 1770s Festival when Lord Stirling's grand manor house and estate come to life in Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, NJ. Colonial craftspeople ply their trades and a Revolutionary War military detachment camp on the former estate lawns and conduct maneuvers. The event promotes historical and environmental education by familiarizing people with the rich local history of Basking Ridge, highlighting an unsung Revolutionary War hero, demonstrating the colonial heritage of New Jersey, and recreating a typical autumn afternoon in 1770. In 2006, the Lord Stirling 1770s Festival won the Cultural and History Commission of Somerset County History Award for Education. Period re-enactors attired in replicas of 1770s clothing participate in the festival demonstrating their trades and crafts (no crafts are sold). These crafts people make articles such as buttons, rifles, brooms, furniture, lace, stained glass, redware pottery, and powder horns. Other trades and crafts include a blacksmith, tinsmith, wool spinning, decoy carving, and colonial herbs. Children of all ages enjoy the hayrides, clay crafts using Stirling clay, stenciling, and toy making. Visitors may try on colonial costumes and have their photograph taken while restrained to the Somerset Gaoler's wooden stock.
$4 per person suggested donation
Sunday, October 4, 2009
10:30am - 4:30pm

The Nature of Halloween
(Limited to ages 3-6 with parent)
Calling all ghosts, pirates, and scarecrows to a fun and informative Halloween stroll on the boardwalk at the Environmental Education Center. Led by a guide, children and their parents will walk shadowy paths to meet and learn about misunderstood, but very important animals, such as a sly fox, a splendid skunk, and buzzy bee. Come dressed in costume for added fun!
Tickets must be purchased in advance. They are not available at door on the night of the program. Walk is approxomately 45 to 60 minutes in length.
Limited to ages 3-6 with parent
$4 per person
Course Code: 52001      Friday, October 23, 2009
Course Code: 52002      Saturday, October 24, 2009
Course Code: 52003      Sunday, October 25, 2009
There are seven opportunities per evening from which to choose: 6:00, 6:15, 6:30, 6:45, 7:00, 7:15, and 7:30. The walk is approximately 45 to 60 minutes in length.

Halloween Night Walks are appropriate for children three through six years of age. Please do not bring children outside of this age range.

Family Program Series

Native Plant Gardening
Doug Tallamy, from the University of Delaware will explain why native plants are more than just “another pretty flower”. Doug will talk about the important role nature plants play in biodiversity in both the plant and animal kingdoms. If you weren’t sure about the value of natives, this presentation will convince you of the importance of their role in your yard.
FREE
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
1:00pm–2:00pm

Meet the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
Meet the GNSI-GNY artists who have provided an extraordinary display of amphibian artwork on exhibit at the EEEC from September 8 through October 16. The artists will talk about their art, their fascinating subjects, and the special techniques they use to capture their amphibian subjects on paper.
FREE
Saturday, October 10, 2009
11 am – 12 am

Exhibits

Nature Through a Child’s Eye
This annual children’s environmental art exhibit features Somerset County kindergartners through sixth graders who have expressed their love of our natural world, our environment, and our Earth through their artwork.
FREE
Friday, January 2 through Sunday, February 8, 2009
9:00am-4:30pm except holidays

Art Buzz and Junior Duck Stamp Competition
Two outstanding exhibits by future fine artists will be on display in our Exhibit Hall. Ridge High School AP Studio Art students have created an extraordinary display of super-sized bug drawings in charcoal. Their observations of actual insect models have rendered dynamic compositions both in scale and bold quality. In a more traditional artistic vein, we are also hosting the 2008 Junior Duck Stamp Competition winners.
FREE
Friday, February 13 through Sunday, March 15, 2009
9:00am–5:00pm except holidays

The Art of Nature Show
This year our Art of Nature Show will take the form of a month long exhibit leading up to our inaugural Project E.A.R.T.H. event. See some of your favorite wildlife and nature artists exhibit fine artwork from around the world.
FREE
Monday, March 23 through Sunday, April 26, 2009
9:00am–5:00pm except holidays

Nature’s Photo “Op”
The Camera Naturalist Photography Club presents an exhibit of nature as captured through the camera lens. Enjoy nature from a photographer’s perspective and learn about the Camera Naturalist Photography Club that meets at the EEC throughout the year. See also the Photography Workshop the Camera Naturalists are offering on Sunday, April 19.
FREE
Monday, May 4 through Saturday, May 30, 2009
9:00am–5:00pm except holidays

Amphibians of the Eastern United States
The “Year of the Frog – 2008” was the inspiration for the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators – Greater New York (GNSI-GNY) to create a fine artwork exhibit of amphibians. The exhibit captures the complex behaviors and life-cycle patterns that occupy a unique place in evolutionary history. The artists will be at the EEC on October 10 to discuss their artwork and their fascinating subjects with the public. See the Amphibians program in the family
program series section.
FREE
Saturday, September 8 through Friday, October 16, 2009
9:00am–5:00pm except holidays

Workshop

Earth Day Nature’s Way - Digital Photography Workshop
Create your own Earth Day celebration with expert photographers from the Camera Naturalist Photography Club for an educational hands-on workshop. Learn techniques for capturing nature close-up, proper use of flash, and enhancing photographs with Photoshop. The program includes a morning field workshop and afternoon computer workshop. Bring your own digital camera. Computer and card reader will be provided for the afternoon.
Pre-registration required.
$45 per person
Course Code: 51443

African Safari: Explore Tanzania (Adult)
Join two Naturalists for a journey of a lifetime you will never forget! Venture beyond the television screen and experience first-hand an ecosystem so very foreign from our own, yet still amazing. We will cover our ground in off-road vehicles and occasionally on foot. We will have opportunities to see animals such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, black rhinos, buffalo, hippos, ostriches, hyenas, baboons, monkeys, wildebeests, gazelles, giraffes, various bird species, etc. The list is almost endless! During the two weeks we will visit some of Tanzania's most prestigious National Parks, including Serengeti, Arusha, Tarangire, and the Ngorongoro Crater. We will also visit Olduvai Gorge and see evidence of our early hominid ancestors. Throughout our safari we will stay in a combination of lodges and luxury tents. This trip is ideal for photographers, birders, nature lovers, and anyone with a will to experience an unforgettable adventure! Trip fee includes airfare, transportation, meals, lodging, guides, tips, and more! Registration closes August 4, 2009. For more information, come to our free open house and/or please contact 908 766-2489 ext. 326.
$8,995 (double occupancy); $10,215 (single) - Based upon 2009 airfare; subject to change. A $1000 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration.
Course Code: 51502

EEC-3 Saturday, March 6-Saturday, March 20, 2010 Trip Dates
Subject to airline flight schedules

The Center houses a comfortable, user-friendly resource library. Approximately 2,500 books, and a variety of periodicals regarding the many facets of our environment are available during regular building hours. A wide range of children’s environmental books and magazines are also available.

The library has tables and chairs for on-site research and reading. Because it is a resource library, not a lending library, all materials must remain on-site.

Eight and one-half miles of relatively flat trails meander through 435 acres of The Great Swamp, of which approximately three miles are boardwalked. They are open every day from sunrise to sunset.

Cattails and sedges are found as you wander the boardwalks in the freshwater marsh. Along the Yellow Trail that takes you close to the Passaic River, the seasonally inundated floodplain is home to Pin Oak, Red Maple, and Ash. Along the southern perimeter of the park (the Blue and Red trails) succession is slowly changing abandoned farm fields to woodland. In these areas, wildflowers and shrubs mingle with grasses and saplings and provide homes for many birds, mammals, and insects.

The Special Use Trail (SUT) travels between the Center and Branta Pond. It is an easily accessible boardwalk trail for those who are looking for a short walk or for those with limiting abilities. It has a recently renovated Native Plant Garden, herb gardens, and a pleasant gazebo in which to sit and enjoy the surrounds.

Trail maps are available at the front desk or in PDF format by clicking here. Be sure to check out the kiosks at the trailhead and at the "dike" on the Red trail for seasonal information!

A favorite stop for those looking for that special gift for a favorite outdoors friend, baby and children gifts, a special piece of jewelry or pottery, or maybe just a great book to add to one’s own personal book collection. A variety of "must have’s" for all ages are located in the main floor lobby gift shop.

The selection changes on an on-going basis and many pieces are limited in number. Best to visit regularly or with specific requests, call 908 766-2489 ext. 322.

Room rentals are available on a limited, first-come, first-served basis to groups and organizations with an environmentally related mission or agenda.

For more information or to book a room, please call Jane Bodnar at 908 766-2489 ext. 323