OCTOBER EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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.
PK and K - Tuesdays - 10th - 17th - 24th
1st and 2nd - Wednesdays - 11th - 18th - 25th
3rd through 6th - Thursdays - 12th - 19th - 26th
TO REGISTER ONLINE:
go to: https://register.communitypass.net/closter/ and you will be taken to CommunityPass, our online registration and payment system.
If you would prefer to register in person, call Marc Gussen at (201) 750-2778, fill out a registration form and bring the form along with payment in full (check or cash) to the first class.
You can pick up a registration form at the Log Cabin, 154 Ruckman Road, Closter, NJ 07624. Or, you can download a copy here: https://closternaturecenter.org/after-school-classes-registration-form
A Fall Hike in the Woods:
Sunday, October 15, at 2 PM
Come visit the Nature Center and join us for a hike along our trails. Enjoy the wonders of autumn! Meet at the cabin by the Ruckman Pond.
HAWKS OVER THE HUDSON at STATE LINE LOOKOUT
Sunday, October 1st FROM 12-4
On Sunday, October 1st, State Line Lookout in Alpine, in the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey, will host a special nature event called “Hawks Over the Hudson.” To be held rain or shine from 12 to 4 PM, the program will feature live birds of prey, presented by the Delaware Valley Raptor Center at 1 and 2:30 PM. Between the programs, visitors will have a chance to see the animals up close, chat with the presenters, and to enjoy activities and exhibits presented by some of the member organizations of the Nature Program Cooperative. The program is free and open to all, with no advanced registration required to attend. State Line Lookout is accessible via its own exit on the northbound Palisades Interstate Parkway about 2 miles north of Exit 2 (a well-marked U-turn is available for southbound travelers).
The presentation will be held under a tent, but if weather permits, visitors will also be able to stop by an ongoing “hawk watch” only a few yards beyond the parking area — and over 500 feet above the Hudson River. There they can try their luck at spotting wild “raptors” — hawks, eagles, and falcons—as they migrate south. Throughout the fall, volunteer observers congregate at the lookout point to identify the passing raptors, part of a continent-wide study conducted by the Hawk Migration Association of North America. All through September and October and into early November, the State Line hawk watch welcomes visitors who want to learn more about these magnificent animals. While an occasional eagle will glide by the lookout at eye-level, visitors will also learn how experienced observers use a combination of clues like silhouettes and flight patterns to identify even those animals that pass hundreds of feet overhead. (Visitors to the hawk watch are encouraged to bring binoculars with them if they can.)
NATURALIST’S NOTES:
October is a magical time of the year. Transition from summer to fall brings the fireworks display of foliage as the trees lose their leaves, the migration of birds and Monarch butterflies, and my favorite: the proliferation of mushrooms. A handful of species are prized as food, but other than those, most are ignored and are often maligned.
Mushrooms are actually just the "fruit" of a fungus. As an apple tree makes apples - fungi make mushrooms. Their importance in the forest is eclipsed only by trees themselves; forests simply could not survive without fungi. They exist in the forest soil, and on living and dead trees. They act as decomposers, parasites, and sometimes as mutualistic “symbionts” (which help living plants to get water and nutrients from the soil). When the fungi are ready to reproduce, they make their reproductive structures: mushrooms. The mushrooms make spores, which are the fungi's version of seeds. Mushrooms come in an amazing variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and October is probably the best time to experience and enjoy this enchanting slice of forest life.
A New Bench
The Closter Nature Center has a new bench from which to enjoy viewing our beautiful pond. The bench was given in memory of our friend and former Board member George Heise, and was made possible by donations made in his name. His daughter Lori hopes everyone enjoys many relaxing and peaceful moments there, with family, friends and nature.
AUTUMN: The Perfect Time to Clean Out Your Closets!
Bring your unwanted clothing to the bins located in the new Stop and Shop parking lot, and the proceeds will benefit the Closter Nature Center.
Look for the blue and green receptacles, towards the front of the parking lot on Demarest Ave.
Put your unwanted clothing to good use!
