"Watershed-wide Eco Tour"

     Sunday, September 13, 2009  

9/12/09:

Please note that you can purchase your Eco Tour ticket tomorrow at any of our 22 sites along the route!  You will be handed a full program and a detailed map when you purchase a ticket.

Update:  See our Resources page for an Eco Tour schedule, overview map, and flyer! 

Click HERE to open an interactive Google Map that will help you plan your tour.

Sunday, September 13, 2009                        

"Watershed-wide Eco Tour" to be an Exploration of the "Greening" of the Hackensack River Watershed!

Event is being hosted by Bergen SWAN with Co-sponsorship by Bergen County Camera, Wild Birds Unlimited, and R&S Landscaping

Bergen SWAN is hosting a very special, day long event on Sunday, September 13, consisting of an eco tour of environmentally-friendly sites throughout the watershed.

You will select and drive to stops at residential, business, and public properties where owners or municipalities have demonstrated sound land management techniques that clean the river and/or support native plant and animal species - rain gardens, xeriscape gardens, organic lawns and gardens, lawn alternatives, backyard wildlife habitats, flood plain and land preservation efforts, invasive species control measures, streambank restoration and plant diversity projects, and more.  At many sites along the route, knowledgeable interpreters will be present to explain the project to the public. 

Tickets for the eco tour, a Bergen SWAN fundraiser, are $15 per person, and will go on sale starting August 24 at Bergen County Camera of Westwood & Englewood, Bill Kolvek Perennials of Chestnut Ridge, Hungry Hollow Co-op of Chestnut Ridge, Old Hook Farm of Emerson, and Wild Birds Unlimited of Paramus.  Tickets may also be purchased via PayPal on Bergen SWAN's website, www.bergenswan.org.

The schedule, overview map (shown below), and flyer for the event are available for download on our Resources page.

There are three loops on our tour, and 22 sites at which to stop in total:

LOOP 1 = Rockland County, NY - location of the source of the Hackensack (in New City), and the northernmost reach of our watershed.  This area includes Lake DeForest Reservoir and the upper part of Lake Tappan Reservoir.  Five stops total.

LOOP 2 = Northern Bergen County, NJ - where the major portions of the Lake Tappan, Woodcliff Lake, and Oradell Reservoirs are situated.  Most of our Eco Tour's stops are in this loop, where Bergen SWAN does most of its outreach efforts.  Twelve stops total.

LOOP 3 = Southern Bergen County & the Meadowlands - where the Hackensack becomes wider,  industrialized, and brackish, and ultimately broadens into the NJ Meadowlands.  Five stops total.

IMPORTANT!!  It is not possible to see all 22 sites on the tour! (Many talks occur during the same timeslot.) You have several options for structuring your day:

1. Select one loop and go to all sites within that loop only.

2. Go to all LOOP 1 sites, and depart from the final stop on your LOOP 1 tour with enough driving time to get to the last half of either the LOOP 2 or LOOP 3 tours.

3.  Mix & Match.  Go to a selection of sites in each of the three loops.  This will involve more attention on your part to anticipated driving times between points.

WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE WITH YOU

1. YOUR TICKET(S)!!  Our volunteers & Guides will be checking for these at each site!

2. Light-colored, Protective Clothing - to avoid getting bit by mosquitos or ticks or getting poison ivy, wear longer pants and long sleeves.  Good shoes - some sites will have guided walks which involve hilly terrain. All walks will be easy and short.

3. Bug Spray & Sun Screen & Poison Ivy Cream- please purchase non-toxic brands!

4. An umbrella for each partipant.

5. Rockland & Bergen County street maps. 

6. A small first aide kit, water & a bag lunch - if you don't want to purchase lunch along the route.

Click HERE to open an interactive Google Map that will help you plan your tour.

These event is underwritten by grants from Conservation Resources, Inc. and the Watershed Institute. 

Past Events...

SETTLEMENT BETWEEN UNITED WATER, BERGEN SWAN & HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER PRESERVES MORE THAN 3,000 ACRES FOR OPEN SPACE

Agreement also earmarks $1 million for purchase of open space

HARRINGTON PARK, NJ, March 27, 2009 – United Water New Jersey, Bergen Save the Watershed Action Network (SWAN), and Hackensack Riverkeeper have agreed to amicably resolve issues related to a comprehensive review of all company property since the enactment of the Watershed Protection and Moratorium Act, passed by the New Jersey Legislature in 1988. The settlement was approved yesterday by the Watershed Review Board, which consists of the Commissioners of the Board of Public Utilities, Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The settlement calls for United Water to grant conservation easements on approximately 3,100 acres of watershed property to the Department of Environmental Protection, to set aside $1 million to foster the goals of preserving unimproved lands within the watershed, and to restore disturbed watershed property by removing all non-native vegetation.

"This is a landmark agreement that will provide environmental benefits now and for future generations of Bergen County residents," said Bob Iacullo, President of United Water.  "These watershed buffers are a critical link to sound watershed management for the Upper Hackensack, helping to maintain safe drinking water quality for 1 million Bergen and Hudson County residents in New Jersey and Rockland County, New York.  I'm confident that the cooperation displayed by Bergen SWAN and Hackensack Riverkeeper during this process will yield tangible benefits for our customers in the areas of environmental regulation, outreach and education, and water quality."

"This settlement represents a favorable outcome on issues that have been at the heart of our mission - open space and natural habitat preservation, and careful management of watershed buffers surrounding our drinking water reservoirs," said Lori Charkey of Bergen SWAN.  "For 21 years, we have fought to meet these goals, and now we can focus more effectively on urgently needed environmental stewardship and education programs for our communities, such as stormwater and invasive species controls.  In an era of global warming and drought, it is especially important that the public learn to work with nature to protect our water quality and quantity."

Captain Bill Sheehan, Hackensack Riverkeeper, said, “This is a settlement that provides a victory for everyone involved. We preserve more than 3,100 acres with a conservation easement, provide $1 million for investment in open space, and we get to restore some of the properties near the reservoirs that have been impaired by homeowners or business owners. In addition, we create a new partnership with United Water to help improve water quality in the Hackensack River. Everyone wins in this settlement.”

 Saturday, March 21

Nature Program Cooperative Hosts 2^nd “Natural New Jersey Tour” of Local Nature Preserves

“Green Van” will take Participants from River Vale to Ringwood

There are over a dozen places and organizations in northeastern New Jersey that provide quality nature programs. Beginning in 2005, a number of these organizations banded together to create the Nature Program Cooperative (NPC), pooling their knowledge and resources so as to offer the public greater opportunities to explore and enjoy the region’s natural side.

On the first weekend day of spring, five NPC member organizations are combining efforts to offer a special passenger-van ride to four different natural areas.  Participants will be greeted at each site by a naturalist-guide, who will give an overview of the preserve, lead a guided walking tour of the site’s facilities and grounds, and explain the ongoing nature programs offered there.

The March 21 tour, which will take place from noon until 5:30 PM, will include visits to Poplar Road Sanctuary in River Vale, the Celery Farm Natural Area in Allendale, Lorrimer Sanctuary in Franklin Lakes, and Weiss Ecology Center in Ringwood. Members of Bergen County Audubon Society, Bergen SWAN, Fyke Nature Association, and New Jersey Audubon Society will each lead part of the tour.

Pre-registration is required for the tour, and may be accomplished by calling or emailing Bergen SWAN or Hackensack Riverkeeper, or by going online to either organization’s website: www.bergenswan.org or www.hackensackriverkeeper.org. The cost for the trip is $10 per adult and $5 per child age 12 and under.  Additional trip details will be provided to participants upon registration.

For further information or to register for the tour, call or email Lori Charkey at Bergen SWAN - 201-666-1877 or bergenswan@sprynet.com, or Hugh Carola at Hackensack Riverkeeper - 201-968-0808 or hugh@hackensackriverkeeper.org.

To learn more about the NPC, please visit www.natureprogram.org.

NOTE: 
Registration fees for the Natural NJ Tour may be paid using our PayPal account (see Home page), or by check, or by cash.  Checks must arrive at our office in Westwood - address below -  by no later than Monday, March 16.  You may also make an appointment to stop by our office through March 18 with your registration fees.

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WHERE:      Hillsdale Borough Hall, 380 Hillsdale Ave., Hillsdale, NJ (1 block east of Broadway)

WHY:           - To mark over two decades of work by Bergen SWAN and its supporters to better steward
                       the Upper Hackensack River Watershed
                     - To celebrate the beauty and history of our river and all rivers
                     - To raise funds to help Bergen SWAN reach its long-time goal of maintaining a
                        professional office
                     - To support our ongoing environmental education programs 

HOW:          Purchase tickets in advance or at the door for a minimum donation of $25/person. 
                    Please book early as seating is limited!

• Send your check(s) to Bergen SWAN, P.O. Box 217, Westwood, NJ 07675, OR
• Use the PayPal link on our home page to charge your tickets.
• Make sure to include your contact info: street address, phone #, and email address! Please list the names of all guests attending.
• Upon receipt and deposit of your check(s) or receipt of your PayPal payment, we will add your name(s) to our registered guest list.
• At your request, we will confirm your registration by email or by phone - if your contact info is provided.
• Advance purchased tickets will be held for you at the door OR call to make arrangements to pick up your tickets at our office, 71 Irvington Street, Upstairs, Westwood, NJ.
  
• Tickets will be available on the night of the event at our registration table, on a first-come, first-served basis.     
  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join us for a special evening of memorable stories, inspiring music, intriguing exhibits, a silent auction of amazing prizes, and natural refreshments, while you help us celebrate our open space preservation and environmental education successes to date, and raise funds toward a productive future!  We will be accompanied by some stellar speakers, musicians, and naturalists who will regale us with stories and songs of the Hackensack and other rivers...

• Nancy Slowik, author and Greenbrook Sanctuary Naturalist/Director, and her partner, Tim Brandon, amateur naturalist, accomplished astronomy buff, Scout Leader, and former radio announcer, will share a reading of river-themed short stories.
• Jim Wright, author, nature-blogger, former Record environmental reporter, and longtime journalist, will recite several river poems and essays.
• Eric Nelsen, author, and historical interpreter for Palisades Interstate Park Commission, will tell tales of the Hackensack River Valley.
• Kevin Wright, author, former curator of the Steuben House at New Bridge Landing in River Edge, historian for the Bergen County Historical Society, will re-create scenes from the everyday lives of native people who once lived and depended on the Hackensack for their survival.

Music will be provided by Joe McKay and friends, who will perform locally influenced folk ballads on guitar, mandolin, and bass.  Listen to some of Joe McKay's bright, upbeat, humorous repertoire at the following link: http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=154744&poll_id=&name=&skin_id=&submission_id=&lv=1 .

Invited speakers thus far include County Executive Dennis McNerney, former County Executive William  "Pat" Schuber, Hillsdale Mayor John Sapanara, Haworth Mayor John DiRienzo, and Westwood Mayor John Birkner.  Greg Remaud of NY NJ Baykeeper, a former SWAN Board and current SWAN Advisory Board Member, will act as our Master of Ceremonies.

Trader Joe's of Westwood will serve hot and cold healthy snacks, and other local food providers, including Backwoods BBQ & Grill, Matsu, and Veggie Heaven, will be donating additional delicious foods and drinks.  A&P Best Cellars will provide organic wine for a not-to-be-missed 21-year toast.

Valentine for the Watershed is sponsored by Bergen County Camera, Old Town Canoe, Patrick Zoller American Landscapes, and R&S Landscaping.  Each of these companies has demonstrated their moral support and extraordinarily generosity.  These and many any other local and regional retailers and individuals have donated wonderful prizes to our silent auction.  A full list will be available at this site soon.  Some of our interesting prizes include:

• Two Olympus "Stylus 770 SW" waterproof digital cameras from Bergen County Camera
• Works by Baron Wolman - two framed color photo montages of famous 60's musical geniuses and a framed color print of Jimi Hendrix with a Classic Rock, Other Rollers hardcover art book, signed by the author--also from Bergen County Camera
• An Old Town "Discovery 169" 17' long, green canoe donated by Old Town Canoe of Maine
• An original, award-winning acrylic on canvas painting of Poplar Sanctuary, "River Vale Pines," by local artist Patrick Zoller, contributed by the artist
• A landscape design and consultation by R&S Landscaping
• A Heritage river birch and complimentary installation from Avalon Plant Systems
• Two orchestra seats to a performance of the NY Philharmonic
• A series of signed nature books by journalist Jim Wright and photographer Jerry Barrack, including In the Presence of Nature: The Celery Farm Natural Area, Allendale, NJ
  
• Vegetarian candle-lit dinner for two at the Samuel G. Demarest "Tavern" (Mark Becker's historic home in Hillsdale), prepared by the SWAN Co-Directors

Please call the SWAN office should you have any questions or wish to volunteer your time before and/or during the event!!

EMERSON WOODS WALK

Sunday, October 19

Bergen SWAN Hosts Nature Walk on Autumn Bird Migration

We tend to take them for granted, but our local woodlands are essential refueling spots for migrant birds on their annual treks southward. On Sunday, October 19, at 10 a.m., Bergen Save the Watershed Action Network (Bergen SWAN) will be sponsoring a free guided walk through one of these vital suburban forests, the 20-acre Emerson Woods Preserve. Join Bergen County Audubon Society naturalist and bird expert Ken Witkowski, who will show you how to spot and identify some of the many southbound species – such as song and fox sparrows, kinglets, warblers and hermit thrush – and the various seeds, nuts and berries on which they depend for survival.

Bergen SWAN's nature walk on autumn bird migration will take place on Sunday, October 19 at 10 a.m. at the Emerson Woods Preserve, Main Street at Lakeview Terrace, in Emerson.  This event is open to the public, free of charge.  Get more information by calling Bergen SWAN at 201-666-1877.

Ken Witkowski has served on the Board of Directors for the Bergen County Audubon Society since 1989 and is currently in his third term as President.  He also leads field trips for the New Jersey Audubon Society as an Associate Naturalist.  Now living in Sussex County, he is very involved with the Friends of the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, currently serving as its Vice President.  From 2004 to 2006, working for New Jersey Audubon and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, Ken conducted year-round bird surveys in the Meadowlands, designed to document the abundance and distribution of birds found there.

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Emerson Woods Walk - A Nature Walk on Autumn Bird Migration

Led by Ken Witkowski, President, Bergen County Audubon Society:

Date:          Sunday, October 19, 2008
Time:          10 AM
Place:         Emerson Woods
                    Main Street at Lakeview Terrace
                    Emerson, NJ 07630

Free and open to the public - Everyone is welcome!  Don't forget your binoculars!

Driving directions to Emerson Woods: Take Old Hook Road east to Main Street, make a right at the light (before Shop Rite), and follow Main Street to Lakeview Terrace. Take the gravel road just off of Lakeview Terrace to the fishing gate parking lot or park at nearby Summer Street, across Main Street. For further information or detailed directions to the site, contact Bergen SWAN at 201-666-1877 or bergenswan@sprynet.com.

For more information, call Bergen SWAN at 201-666-1877 or visit http://www.bergenswan.org//.

Sunday, May 18 & June 8th, 2008 - Two Rain Garden Open Houses

Part of a series of watershed stewardship efforts funded by a grant from Conservation Resources, Inc. entitled Four Towns Watershed Stewardship Project - Boroughs of Emerson, Hillsdale, and Westwood; Township of River Vale

TIME:      11:30 AM-1:00 PM, both dates
PLACE:   317 Massachusetts Avenue, Haworth, NJ

Rain gardens have been called a natural, on-site stormwater treatment plant.  Once filled with compost, mulch, and special absorbent plants, rain gardens collect excess stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as rooftops, driveways, and structures.  Rain    gardens filter pollutants, preventing them from reaching our rivers and streams, and create an ideal micro-ecosystem for birds and butterflies.

Created by volunteers, the rain garden at the private home of the Merinoffs of Haworth was built in connection with Bergen SWAN's June 9, 2007 Living Well in the Watershed Festival.  Our goal was to have it serve as a model for many others to be constructed at homes and public places within the reservoir region of the Upper Hackensack River Watershed.

Join us to learn the simple steps to having your own beautiful, functional, affordable rain garden-in your own yard and/or your town's public places!

SPEAKERS:

Sunday, April 27, 2008 - Battle of the Botanicals: Native versus Invasive Plants

Time: 1 PM

Location: River Vale Community Center

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Annual Clean-up of Emerson Woods

Time: Starting @ 1:00 PM
Location: Emerson Woods Preserve, Main Street & Lakeview Terrace, Emerson, NJ 

Please help us keep this natural treasure looking its best, and safe for its human visitors and wild inhabitants! 

Bergen SWAN will sponsor its annual clean up of the 19.5 acre Emerson Woods Preserve, located along Main Street in Emerson.  Supplies will be provided for participants, who can park on Summer Street across from Lakeview Terrace (off Main Street). The clean-up will begin at the information kiosk at the preserve’s south entrance, a short walk east of Lakeview Terrace.

Participants will be provided with refreshments and will have a chance to win prizes for the most trash collected and the strangest object cleared out of the woods.

Thru March 31, 2008

Harrington Park Girl Scouts Troop 702 Silver Project
"Into the Woods!" Photography Exhibit

Locations:
Harrington Park Public Library, 10 Herring Street, Harrington Park, NJ
South Central Station, 88 LaRoche Avenue, Harrington Park, NJ, 201-768-2955 - call for hours & directions

Time: See this link for Library hours & directions - http://www.bergenswan.org/%28F%28uw7MOGQSn7kCQgBlAHIAZwBlAG4AAACdkFHfkYfIAQCdmCfIu4fIAQAALwAAAN6sGTNeiks0wX-CrH3O-LVb0h2E0%29%29/

Now in 8th Grade, when the Scouts were in 7th Grade, they made a commitment - to visit nearby 20-acre Beechwood Park every month and photo-document what they observed of the woods, Blanche Brook, and the Hackensack River.  The girls realized that they knew very little about the watershed areas right in their own backyard, and developed the project with the goal of sharing their experiences while educating themselves and the community.  Originally, they tried capturing their experiences through sketching and poetry, but settled on photography as their favorite medium. 

In November 2007, the Scouts met with Bergen SWAN's Mark Becker and Lori Charkey and naturalist Ken Hoffman, walking the foot trails in Beechwood Park and noting interesting flora and fauna.  SWAN will work with the Troop to capture the park's trails and interesting features in a GIS-based map which will become part of a more extensive trail guide for Beechwoods Park.  The guide will be distributed to Harrington Park schools and throughout the Borough.

The photography exhibit follows the Scouts' adventures from October 2006 through January 2008.   The framed photos represent the girls' collective favorites of the images they captured.

With this watershed eduction effort, the Girl Scouts are actively pursuing a Silver Award - the second highest award in Girl Scouting.  We are anxious to help them achieve this honor.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

GeesePeace 2008 - Training Course/Refresher Workshop
for Bergen/Passaic/Hudson Counties

Time: Two Sessions - 1 to 3 PM OR 7 to 9:30 PM
Location: The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ

The second annual GeesePeace Training Sessions led by David Feld, Founder/National Director of GeesePeace will be held Thursday, March 27th. The 2007 Canada goose population stabilization success in the Village of Ridgewood is a direct result of the two hour hands-on training workshops providing all of the necessary information, strategies and expertise required to addle/oil Canada geese eggs in your area.  This non-lethal protocol is designed to stabilize the Canada goose population in cooperation with USDA and US Fish & Wildlife Service and endorsed by the Humane Society US and PETA. The Village of Ridgewood Departments of  Parks & Recreation and Public Works in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood invite you to come be trained to help you make a difference in your county/community.

To Register contact Geese Peace at: Tel:  201-670-5560
http://www.geesepeace.org/