Projects

  • River Birch Planting Project

    River Birch Planting Project, Fall 2022 Birch Trees for Planting Bulldozer moving trees into position. (photo courtesy: Joel Rudin) Ruts from bulldozer. (photo courtesy: Joel Rudin) Birch Trees for Planting Backhoe used to make holes for planting. (photo courtesy: Joel Rudin) Naturalist Marc Gussen with planting crew. (photo courtesy: Joel

  • Boy Scout Upgrades Fire Pit

    Team Rupert View of the fire circle prior to improvements led by Rupert Bowen and completed by Scouts of Closter Boy Scout Troop 63. Rupert Bowen and Marc Gussen, Nature Center Director and Naturalist, looking over one of the tables built for the fire pit improvement. Troop leaders and scouts

  • Fishing Pads

    (The following was written by Tom Golodik, Closter Nature Center Trail Chairperson during construction of our new fishing pads) Walkers around Ruckman Pond at the Closter Nature Center may be wondering why nine new large stones have been placed just off the shoreline on the side of the pond across

  • TRAIL RESTORATION PROJECT 2020-2022

    Trail restoration project at the Closter Nature Center.

  • Deer Exclosures

    With the Borough's support, and tremendous dedication from almost three dozen hard workers, installation of fencing for three deer exclusion sites is complete! Seven CNC trail maintenance volunteers, Dr. Jay Kelly and 6 students from Raritan Valley Community College, plus 20 young people from the Closter Nature Center Summer Program,

  • Trail Naming

    The Closter Nature Center's hardworking angels, Mary & Gay Mayer, seen here by the pond at the newly installed sign in their honor. CNC Director and Naturalist Marc Gussen built and installed the new sign.  Photos courtesy of Trustee Susan McTigue.     

  • Forest Stewardship Project

    The Closter Nature Center is a magical place loaded with native plants and animals. Unfortunately, we have a problem in our preserve--an invasive species called "Multiflora Rose", a plant that threatens the health of our forest. Over two Saturdays, a group of volunteers attempted to remove as much of the

  • Eagle Scout Project

    Eagle Scout Patrick Lee, surrounded by his fellow scouts and leaders, holds a check he presented to the Closter Nature Center as a result of his bridge construction project.

  • Technology Upgrade

    The Closter Nature Center is working to upgrade its technology infrastructure to more easily meet the needs of our community. We are migrating class registrations and some back office functions to CommunityPass, a cloud-based registration and payment software based in Ridgewood, New Jersey. In order to fully migrate our membership database

  • Plants of the CNC

    Zach Weiss' Senior Service project at Northern Valley Demarest, Class of 2017 included documentation of plants in the nature center including, poison ivy and several invasive species. 

  • Animals of CNC

    Zach Weiss' Senior Service project at Northern Valley Demarest, Class of 2017 included documentation of the animals of the nature center.

  • New Bridge, November 2016

    An aging bridge spanning a stream at the Closter Nature Center has been replaced with a new and sturdier one thanks to a grant from Whole Foods and volunteers of the NY/NJ Trail Conference and Nature Center.