New Jersey Wild Outdoor Expo

Your organization is cordially invited to participate in the fourth annual New Jersey Wild Outdoor Expo to be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15, 2013 at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in Jackson Township, Ocean County. The event will run from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, rain or shine. This is a great opportunity to be a part of a celebration of outdoor recreation and New Jersey's bountiful natural resources.

The 2012 Wild Outdoor Expo drew more than 7,500 participants and received rave reviews. A report on the outcome of the 2012 Expo and visitor survey results can be viewed at www.njfishandwildlife.com/expo.htm . The event hosts are striving to make this year's event bigger and better, so we hope you can attend.

The Expo is a free event designed for visitors to discover ways to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors. The Expo helps people connect with the natural world by providing a unique blend of conservation information, education and hands-on opportunities to learn outdoor skills and activities. Visitors can learn about and try a wide array of activities including fishing, hiking, shooting sports, kayaking, rock climbing, camping skills, wildlife watching and much more. For more information, visit www.wildoutdoorexpo.com .

If you would like to take part in this exciting event, please submit the attached Exhibitor Registration Form by June 14, 2013. We want this event to be as engaging and interactive for the public as possible. Therefore, in addition to setting up an educational table-top display or booth, you are encouraged to conduct demonstrations and provide hands-on activities if appropriate.

If you have questions, please call me at (609) 259-6961 or e-mail me at Michelle.Smith@dep.state.nj.us . We look forward to your participation and rely on you to help make this event a success!

Michelle Smith
NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife
Office of Information and Education
One Eldridge Road, Robbinsville, NJ 08691
P: (609) 259-6961 F: (609) 259-8155

Get "Your Nature On!"
Union County To Host 9th Annual
Bio-Blitz, June 14-15
Naturalists & Scientists Needed/Public Invited

Cranford, NJ - Beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 14, Union County will be offering residents an opportunity to get up-close and personal with wildlife in their own "backyard" during Bio-Blitz 2013. The event will have teams of plant and wildlife specialists scouring a study site that will Nomahegan, Lenape & Echo Lake Parks, located in Westfield, Cranford, Springfield, Union, Kenilworth and Mountainside, in search of plants and animals over a 24-hour period.

Expert and amateur scientists and naturalists are being sought to participate as team members. To register online, go to ucnj.org/bio-blitz or email bkelly@ucnj.org for more information. Please specify your level of experience and team preference.

Plant, fungi, insect, fish, bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile, and water monitoring experts (along with amateur naturalists) will collect and identify species from the three sections of parkland. Teams will return to Bio-Blitz Central, an outdoor, tented field lab and exhibit space, to sort and count what they find. Sampling methods will differ depending on the team and the organisms being sought.

The primary purpose of the Bio-Blitz is to gain a "snapshot" of the biodiversity (or richness of species) for the 1440.00-acre Union County trio of parks. Another important goal of the event is to raise public awareness of the importance of parkland as wildlife habitat and outdoor classrooms. Although the study site is surrounded by suburban development, it is home to many plants and animals. Greenways provide valuable habitat, and act as a stopover and wildlife corridor for migratory and resident wildlife, including red-tail hawks, screech and great horned owls, great egrets, great blue herons, coyotes, fox, and much more.

Nature-related programs, will be offered throughout the event, free to all and will include evening programs from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Friday and from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Free shuttles will be available to get participants to and from program sites. Programs offered will include a live Raptor Program; Star Watch; Owl Prowl; River & Stream Life; Wild Edible Plant Walk; Fungi Foray; Early Morning Birding and more. Bio-Blitz Bingo will offer the younger "scientist" an opportunity to record their findings and enter a drawing to win nature-related prizes. A Junior Scientist tent will have young naturalists interacting with hands-on activities related to the natural environment.

Bio-Blitz 2013 is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, Kean University and the Rahway River Association, with partial funding provided by PSE&G.

Team volunteers will be fed, "watered" and caffeinated, thanks to generous donations from ShopRite of Clark, Whole Foods of Millburn/Union, and Starbucks of Westfield.

Other partner organizations include the Army Corps, Arthur Kill Watershed Association, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Friends of Lenape Park, Jenkinson's Aquarium, New Jersey Mycological Association, Newark Museum, American Museum of Natural History, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish & Wildlife, the NJ DEP AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador Program, NJ Department of Agriculture, the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs and the Staten Island Zoo. Union County's Trailside Nature & Science Center staff will also be on-hand to offer guided walks and provide live animal exhibits.

For more information or to register as a team scientist or naturalist, log onto ucnj.org/bio-blitz.

Grow Your Own Culinary Mushrooms

On Sunday, June 2 Middlesex County's office of Rutgers Cooperative Extension will host a Grow Your Own Culinary Mushrooms Workshop at the EARTH Center in Davidson's Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave in South Brunswick. The program will run from 10 AM to 12:30 PM.

This hands-on workshop will demonstrate how to propagate mushrooms as a hobby to be used in the kitchen. Shiitake mushrooms will be the focus of this workshop. They are thought to increase immune system function, possess antibacterial properties, and offer numerous nutritional benefits. Shitakes also taste great and work in a wide variety of dishes. Master Gardener and Professional Forester Steve Letkowski will lead the workshop. Spores and logs used in the propagation process will be provided. Dress for some outside field time. The program takes place rain or shine.

Participants are encouraged to bring some of the following tools:
rubber mallets
Electric and/or battery powered drill
drill bits 5/16"
goggles & gloves
A donation of $15 is suggested. Interested parties should register at 732-398-5262 by May 29.

EARTH Center offers Nutrition Workshop
Creating Healthy Family Meals on a Budget

On Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at 6:30 PM, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County will offer a nutrition seminar entitled, "Creating Healthy Family Meals on a Budget". The class will take place at the EARTH Center in Davidson's Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave., South Brunswick, NJ. Participants should register before June 14 and get more details by calling 732-398- 5262. There will be a $15 program material donation requested.

This workshop will look at shopping, cooking and eating nutritious meals together as a family. But in these tough economic times, when families are looking closely at their budget, is this even possible? Kanan Thakore, registered dietitian, will offer tips on making this a reality. The goal is to help attendees make the right decision when it comes to purchasing and preparing food for their family. The current national health crisis of obesity and increasing diabetes in adolescents will also be discussed.

Presenting the information will be Kanan Thakore, Registered dietitian, Certified Nutrition Support Clinician and Program Associate for the Family & Consumer Health Science Department of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County.

Visit the EARTH Center online at www.co.middlesex.nj.us/extensionservices.

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is hosting a BioBlitz, a combination natural resource inventory and educational event, on May 17th and 18th. Be a scientist for a day and help the experts locate and identify what lives in Brown's Woods. The press release and schedule of activities are attached.

Bugs, Birds, Bats and More! Biological Blitz with the Barnegat Bay Partnership

The AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador, in partnership with the Barnegat Bay Partnership, will be hosting a site for a BioBlitz on May 17-18, 2013 (not to be confused with the Barnegat Bay Blitz clean up scheduled for May 10th!). The BioBlitz will be held at the new Barnegat Bay Partnership office location at 117 Haines Road, Toms River, NJ. This new location, located on 40 acres of wooded property bordering on Long Swamp Creek and the Toms River, is a perfect place to experience Ocean County wildlife in a suburban setting!

A BioBlitz is part scientific endeavor and part outdoor classroom - seeking to bring professional scientists together with participants of all ages to promote citizen science. Together, they will comb the 40 acres of Brown's Woods property in an effort to identify as many species of plants, birds, insects, fungus, and aquatic wildlife as possible in a 24-hour period. To do this, they will join in nature hikes, seining, bird walks, and other educational activities, all focused on learning about the ecosystem thriving in Tom River's Brown's Woods.

Interested in participating? School groups, scout troops, and individuals, young and old, are invited to come learn about the wildlife in Brown's Woods and to help the scientists identify as many species as possible in the 24-hour period. A schedule of events is available at the Barnegat Bay Partnership website Calendar of Events at http://bbp.ocean.edu/pages/134.asp?item=1146.

Want to participate in this FREE activity? Contact Joanna Marino, WMA 13 AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador, at ambassadorwma13@gmail.com, or call 732-914-8116 to schedule a hike. Everyone is invited, but participation in each scheduled segment is limited, so call or e-mail soon!

Barnegat Bay Partnership
Ocean County College
College Drive
PO Box 2001
Toms River, NJ 08753
Ph: 732-914-8102
Fx: 732-914-8100
bbp.ocean.edu

Click HERE.

Riverside School in Princeton ALL ARE WELCOME, please RSVP to DorMullen1@aol.com

May 18 Healthy Children Healthy Planet event, see how Riverside School creates relationships that make the funding and nuts and bolts of the garden happen.

June 8 at 10:00, Join Wendy Parker, garden educator, to learn lessons she's doing in a K - 5 school.

YOUTH FISHING CAMP
"An entry level experience for the aspiring angler"
For girls and boys from 3rd grade and up

The Nature Center of Cape May and it's parent organization, New Jersey Audubon, are pleased to invite children over the age of eight to participate in the second annual Guy Hill Buckelew Memorial YOUTH FISHING CAMP. The camp will run from August 19th through the 23rd, Monday through Friday mornings from 9:00 A.M. to Noon. Guy Hill Buckelew was an avid angler and sportsman whose desire to see his love of fishing perpetuated to aspiring youthful anglers is realized by this Camp.

The Camp will be held at the Nature Center campus, 1600 Delaware Avenue in Cape May, and will be supervised by retired teacher and local waterman legend, Norman Smith. The Camp leaders will instruct students in all phases of fishing including species identification, catch limits, angling methods and terminology, bait, tackle & rigging, safety precautions and even catch cleaning & preparation. Captain Norm's Three P's of fishing: Preparation, Practice and Patience will be put to practical use each day

This is a morning camp, however, additional afternoon hours will be scheduled to accommodate a boat trip from 1:00 to 5:00, (weather permitting) a visit to this year's Mid-Atlantic $500,000 tuna and marlin tournament to watch "weigh-ins" and tour of the "Big Tent."

The cost for this week long experience covers professional instruction, equipment, bait, T-Shirts and other apparel, as well as charter boat fees. At a weekly cost of $200 for members and $250 for non-members this is a unique opportunity to introduce young people to a healthy outdoor hobby they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. Scholarships are available based on need and for many USCG dependent children. But camp size is limited, so INQUIRE NOW! Inquiries should be made in person at the Center, 1600 Delaware Ave, or call: 609-898-8848 for registration information. Remember, camp size is limited.

The Guy Hill Buckelew Memorial Fishing Camp is funded in part by the McKinnon Family Foundation in memory of Commander Buckelew, USCG, retired whose love of youth led him to become a teacher after his retirement from the Coast Guard. The Fishing Camp also receives support from Sea Tow, Pelagic Inc, Release Marine and other tackle and clothing suppliers.

The Nature Center of Cape May (NCCM) is situated on the rim of Cape May Harbor at 1600 Delaware Avenue in Cape May. One of 10 centers operated by New Jersey Audubon, the Center provides family oriented programming in the marine sciences on a year-round basis. The public is invited to visit our campus, shop at the nature store and view the breathtaking harbor and its environment from the Trucksess Observation tower.

Click HERE.

Click HERE.

Nature Explorers
Spring, Summer & Wilderness Skills Camp

WILDERNESS SKILLS CAMP

For Children Entering 5th through 9th Grades
Monday, June 24 to Friday, June 28
9:30am to 12:30pm; $175 per child per week

Includes Shelter Building Basics, Canoe Trip, Rope Making, Atatl Practice, Fire by Friction Workshop, Tracking, Making Moccasins and Dream Catchers, Stalking Games and Plant Identification and Usage.
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NATURE EXPLORERS SUMMER CAMP

For Children Entering PK to K Grade
Monday, July 8 to Friday, July 12-"Summertime Safari"
Monday, July 15 to Friday, July 19-"Common Senses"
1pm to 4pm; $150 per child per week

For Children Entering 1st & 2nd Grade
Monday, July 22 to Friday, July 26-"Native American Living"
Monday, July 29 to Friday, August 2-"Wild Art"
1pm to 5pm; $170 per child per week

For Children Entering 3rd & 4th Grade
Monday, August 5 to Friday, August 9-"Survivor"
Monday, August 12 to Friday, August 16-"Feathered Friends"
1pm to 5pm; $190 per child per week

Location: Essex County Environmental Center 621-B Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland, NJ

SPACE IS LIMITED, ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

COUNTY OF ESSEX
Department Of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs
ESSEX COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
621-B EAGLE ROCK AVENUE, ROSELAND, NEW JERSEY 07068
Phone: 973.228.8776 Fax: 973.228.3793
www.essexcountynj.org

Earth Day Network, an environmental nonprofit organization in Washington, DC, has created the first annual Healthy and Sustainable School Food Journalism Award, and we think the schools in your network might be interested.  

What is the award?
A competition for student journalists. Articles submitted for consideration must be about the need for healthy, sustainable school food and must have been published in a school newspaper.

Who can enter?
U.S. high school students ages 13 to 18.

Who’s judging?
Best-selling author Michael Pollan will judge the finalists and select the winners!

What could I win?
First prize: $1,500. Second prize: $1,000. Third prize: $500. Fourth Prize (x3): $300
…Plus, $200 for your journalism class and the opportunity to have your work publicized on our websites and through our extensive networks.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND HOW TO ENTER!

Earth Day Network
1616 P Street NW. Suite 340
Washington, D.C. 20036