GSWA's Across the Watershed...In Brief
April 2014
When you drink the water, remember the spring.

--Chinese Proverb
Save The Date!
GSWA's Third Annual Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt is coming! Please mark Saturday, May 10, on your calendars so you don't miss it.

This year's Scavenger Hunt will be based outside the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The fun begins at 10:00 a.m. Hunters should return the visitor center by 4:00 p.m. for our covered-dish barbecue, and our prize award ceremony.

The route for this year's event is brand new, and all of our challenge questions have changed, so grab some friends and hit the road for a day of exploration and adventure in New Jersey's Great Swamp Watershed region.

Registration and details will be made available later this month. So, remember to check GreatSwamp.org for more information.
Watershed Moments
Advocacy Update: Restore Meyersville

Great Swamp Watershed Association - GreatSwamp.org

The Long Hill Planning Board recently denied an application for a Volleyball Academy at the former Archie's site in Meyersville. Many objections were raised, including some about increased traffic and some about building a structure that is sized inappropriately for the area. Plans indicated that impervious surface coverage would be reduced by approximately 10% should development proceed. And, existing asbestos and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination would be cleaned up under the supervision of a Licensed Site Remediation Specialist approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. We anticipate that a revised plan requiring fewer, if any, variances will be submitted shortly.
April's Breakfast Briefing: Cleaning Up the Lower Passaic

Credit: NJDEP/GIS

On Tuesday, April 8, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., David Kluesner, team leader for community affairs for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2, will present his organization's work on a plan to clean up the last eight miles of the Lower Passaic River. Sediments found along this stretch of river are contaminated with PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, mercury, and other hazardous substances that pose a serious threat to public health and wildlife populations.

As EPA develops its plan, the agency will need to effectively address several important issues concerning urban water degradation, environmental justice, and legal compliance. This presentation will outline some of these issues; as well as, the important role community involvement will play in shaping EPA's final decision making on cleanup activities along the Lower Passaic.

Don't miss it! Click here to register right now.
Don't Forget! Our First House Tour Is On May 28


On Wednesday, May 28, GSWA's inaugural Home & Garden Tour will feature an assortment of classically beautiful homes, impressive gardens, and interesting eco-friendly features in and around our watershed. Find inspiration for your spring planting and decorating all while you support our efforts to showcase distinctive and creative homes in our community.

Tickets may be purchased in advance for a discounted rate of $50, or may be purchased at the door for the full price of $60.

For more information, including starting location, times, and ticket purchases, please visit--

https://greatswamp.ejoinme.org/Sp14HGTour

Please direct all telephone inquiries to Kelly Martin at (973) 538-3500 x19.
In Case You Missed It...
Breakfast and a lesson: Series puts focus on our most important resource

From the Daily Record: Meghan Van Dyk reports on GSWA's Spring 2014 Breakfast Briefing Series, and our first event of the season featuring a presentation by professional landscaper Peter Coviello of Coviello Brothers Horticultural Services in Madison. Read the Article
Time to find 'Treasures in Your Backyard'...

From the Observer Tribune-News: Mike Condon reports on GSWA's April 2014 environmental programming collaboration with Kemmerer Library Harding Township. Read the Article
Long Hill, others divide $300K for stream cleanup

From the Echo-Sentinel: Long Hill, Chatham, Bernards Township, Florham Park, Summit, New Providence and Berkeley Heights will split a $300,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to engage in a long-term effort to reduce flood impacts in the Passaic River Basin. Read the Article
Storm proofers: Preparing a New Jersey refuge for the next big event

From Conserving the Nature of the Northeast: Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Manager Bill Koch discusses some of the efforts underway to prepare the Refuge for the next big storm. Read the Article

Did You Know?
A Crystal Ball For Trees ---- Where Are Our Trees Headed?
by Jim Northrop, GSWA Volunteer

Credit: flickr.com/photos/tim846
The University of Arizona's Biosphere 2 earth systems research facility in Oracle, AZ. Credit: flickr.com/photos/tim846 (Tim Bailey, CC Attribution)
In 1982, a large glass-and-steel dome called Biosphere 2 was constructed, intended for the human colonization of Mars. It failed for that purpose, but it has been useful for studying planet Earth because it allows researchers to control variables and play out different scenarios in a way that can't be done in the real world.

In 2009, according to Jim Robbins, author of the 2012 book The Man Who Planted Trees, two researchers moved twenty mature pine trees, five to six feet tall, into the dome and split them into two groups of ten. One group was placed in a chamber where conditions were equal to what they are today, and the other group was placed in conditions some seven degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it is now ---- roughly equal to the high end of the temperature rise scientists predict for the next century. Once the trees established themselves, researchers deprived both populations of water.

The human-induced drought killed the trees in the warmer chamber 28% faster than the trees in the chamber with normal temperatures. The conclusion of the researchers was that forest die-offs could increase by a factor of five if the climate warms seven degrees as predicted over the next century. Because droughts can kill trees faster when temperatures are warmer, they suggested that instead of one die-off in one hundred years, the number could increase by....Continue Reading

Want to read the rest of the story? Click here to find it on our blog.
GSWA Promotions
GSWA and the Care2Share Program


Investors Bank supports GSWA through the  Care2Share program. And, with your help, that support can grow!

Here's how it works.
Care2Share allows you to link your personal deposit account at Investors to GSWA. On a regular basis, Investors will look at the number of accounts linked to us, calculate the average balance in those accounts, and make a donation to us equal to a percentage of that average balance. It doesn't cost you a cent, and one of your favorite charities benefits!

Need more information?

Click here for answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about Care2Share.
In This Issue
Donate Now! - https://greatswamp.ejoinme.org/Donate

Do you enjoy reading this eNewsletter?

Do you think we're doing a good job of protecting the waters and the land of the Great Swamp Watershed? If so, then please help us continue our work by sending in your gift of support right now!
GSWA's
Upcoming Events
Well Water Testing Program, 3/30-4/23

Between March 30 and April 23, Harding Township residents are invited to take advantage of GSWA's new well water testing program offering household water tests at a discounted rate. Call (973) 538-3500 x19 for more info.
Learn more here!
Harding Township Treasure Hunt, 3/30-4/11

Between March 30 and April 11, GSWA is partnering with Kemmerer Library Harding Township on a scavenger-hunt-style event designed to teach participants about the rich natural and cultural history of Harding Township. Great for kids and parents to do together! Treasure Hunter Kits available from Kemmerer Library located at 19 Blue Mill Road, New Vernon, NJ.
Learn more here!
Breakfast Briefing--The Last Eight Miles: Cleaning Up the Lower Passaic River, 4/8

8AM-9:30AM. David Kluesner, team leader for community affairs for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2, stops by GSWA's office at 568 Tempe Wick Road to discuss his organization's work on a plan to clean up the last eight miles of the Lower Passaic River. Sediments found along this stretch of river are contaminated with PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, mercury, and other hazardous substances that pose a serious threat to public health and wildlife populations.
Learn more here!
Wildlife "Berried" Treasures, 4/19

10AM-Noon. GSWA's Director of Education and Outreach Hazel England will teach adults how to use native plants to attract beneficial wildlife into their backyards. Participants will leave the workshop armed with a trove of information about what they need to plant in order to support local bird, bee, and butterfly populations. Location: Kemmerer Library, 19 Blue Mill Road, New Vernon, NJ.
Learn more here!
Bird and Bee Box Building Workshop, 4/19

Noon-2PM. Children and their parents are invited to join GSWA and Kemmerer Library for a a special hands-on bird and bee box building workshop. Each child/parent team will create their very own bird or bee box that they can take home and use at the end of the event. Location: Kemmerer Library, 19 Blue Mill Road, New Vernon, NJ.
Learn more here!
Volunteer Work Day at Bayne Park, 4/26

9AM-Noon. Help GSWA maintain the vegetated pond buffers planted around Harding Township's Bayne Pond in 2011. Volunteers will help maintain deer and goose fencing from mature planting beds, weed, spread mulch, and conduct other maintenance tasks.
Once the work is done, all volunteers are invited to celebrate with a free luncheon courtesy of Kemmerer Library. The luncheon will take place at the library building which is located across the street from Bayne Park at 19 Blue Mill Road. Location: Bayne Park, Blue Mill Road, New Vernon, NJ.
Learn more here!
Other
Upcoming Events
Watershed Friendly Living in Mendham Township, 4/3

7PM. GSWA's Director of Education and Outreach Hazel England will present "Watershed Friendly Living: What You Can Do To Save Water, Money, and the Environment" at the Mendham Township Library at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 3.
Learn more here!
eWaste Recycling Event in Bernardsville, 4/5

8AM-1PM. The Bernardsville Green Team will hold its 4th-annual free electronics recycling event at Bernards High School (25 Olcott Avenue) between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 5.
Learn more here!
GSWA Goes Social!
Follow GSWA on these social media sites for breaking news and special posts...

Twitter - twitter.com/GSWA
Facebook - facebook.com/GreatSwamp
Flickr - flickr.com/GSWA
YouTube - youtube.com/GreatSwampWatershed
MeetUp - meetup.com/Explore-NJs-Great-Swamp

Great Swamp Watershed Association
Protecting our waters and our land for more than 30 years
Street Address: 568 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ  07960 - Map It!
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 300, New Vernon, NJ  07976
For more than 30 years, the Great Swamp Watershed Association has been dedicated to protecting and improving water resources New Jersey's Great Swamp Watershed region. We do this by monitoring and maintaining streams and open space, advocating for intelligent land use and environmental policy, and educating communities about water and its effect on the health and natural beauty of the local environment.

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