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Naturalist Notes: December, 2018
December is here and the days just keep getting shorter. The phenomenon of long days in the summer and shorter ones in the winter is one that we learn to live with, but it’s the real calendar for the comings, goings, and doings of Nature. While quite a few organisms base their seasonal cycles of […]
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Newsletter — December, 2018
END OF YEAR GIVING Closter Nature Center educational programs, held in Northern Valley classrooms, after school at the Nature Center, and during the summer session, reach over 6,000 children each year. Our goal is to disconnect children from digital devices and reconnect them with Nature! However, Closter Nature Center needs your support to extend our […]
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Naturalist Notes: November, 2018
The first time I started a fire with two sticks and a small pile of tinder it changed my life. My interest in the skills of our ancestors started when I was a small boy. I had learned that there were people who lived in the forest, speared fish, ate berries and lived […]
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Newsletter — November, 2018
Hello Autumn Hike Sunday, November 4th, at 3 PM Come visit the Nature Center and join us for a hike along our trails. Enjoy our woods as colors peak in mid – Autumn! Meet at the cabin by Ruckman Pond… November After-School Classes Survival Skills This month we will try our hand at some primitive […]
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Naturalist Notes: October, 2018
Every season has its own special basket of gifts from nature, but in my mind fall takes the cake. With the coming of cool nights and ample rain, the fungi of the forest start to fruit and make their reproductive structures: Mushrooms! October is typically the highlight of the mushroom hunter’s year, as conditions can […]
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Newsletter — October, 2018
October After-School Classes: Bones, Bats and Black Cats Nature with a taste of Halloween! This month we will learn about skeletons, nocturnal animals and mythical creatures. Please dress for the weather. Pre-K and K – Tuesdays – 9th – 16th – 23rd 1st and 2nd Gr. – Wednesdays – 10th – 17th – 24th 3rd through 6th Gr. – Thursdays […]
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Naturalist Notes: September, 2018
Another round of summer programs is in the books, and it is time to look back and reflect on the last 9 weeks. First off, being the front man of the Nature Center, I too often end up getting more credit than I deserve. It is all too easy for people to associate our successes […]
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Newsletter — September, 2018
Forest Stewardship Update During the summer, the Forest Stewardship team has been sporadically busy in the forest, despite the very wet weather. Rutgers graduate students have completed spring and summer assessments of vegetation in their 6 study plots scattered throughout the Nature Center. Three of the six research plots will be protected within 3 […]
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Newsletter — June, 2018
JUNE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Pond Life This month’s after-school program will focus on pond animals. Who lives in the pond, and why? Come find out! We will spend as much time outside as possible, so please dress for the weather. Pk-K : Tuesdays, June 5th and 12th 1st and 2nd: Wednesdays, June 6th and 13th 3rd through 6th: Thursdays, June 7th […]
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Naturalist Notes: June, 2018
What would The Nature Center be without Ruckman Pond? I have a hard time even imagining it. I often hear people referring to the nature center as “The Pond”. Although Ruckman Pond is far from being our geographical center on the map; it is definitely the heart of it. People of all ages take advantage of […]
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Naturalist Notes: May, 2018
Last May while out walking the trails with my then 5 year old, Willow, we came across one of the Nature Center’s many low-lying areas. What made this one special is that the forest floor in this particular spot is plastered with small yellow flowers. Willow was quickly mesmerized by the fact that what at first […]
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Newsletter — May, 2018
SPRING BIRDING EXPERIENCE: Saturday, May 5th 8:00- 10:00 AM Come join the “early birds” at the Nature Center cabin from 8:00 to 10:00 Saturday morning, May 5th, for a birding adventure with Naturalist Nancy Slowik. While seasoned birders are welcome, no experience is required. A pair of binoculars is most helpful. A few extra binoculars […]
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