« “Flight Seeing” Over Tampa Bay, Florida | Home | Romance Of The Horse at The Tennessee History Museum »
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey
By carlvaleri | June 20, 2010
An undulating sea of green accented by large brown cattails indicates summer is approaching at the Great Swamp Wildlife refuge. The fresh breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers, lulling me into a catatonic state as I slowly pedaled my bicycle towards the new visitors center. Luckily I didn’t fall when my tires hit one of the many potholes on this rustic road.
After crossing a bridge and rounding a corner my ride became smooth as I entered a paved road leading up to an old white farm house. The house is now the home of the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
Slowly walking towards the building I was greeted by a friendly and excited volunteer who wanted to know if I was taking pictures of the building for posterity or if studying the trees. I told her I had been riding my bicycle on this road since the early 70’s and was excited by the recent changes especially the new visitor center.
The meticulously preserved and recently updated farm house sits on a beautiful piece of farmland. As I entered the bright foyer more volunteers greeted me and where eager to relate the natural and political history of the Great Swamp.
Who would have know this was a planned site for a large international airport. As the volunteer described the struggle of local conservationists lead by Helen Fenske I viewed the many display cases full of animal specimens and diagrams depicting the rich history of this park.
The volunteer related their many educational programs for both children and adults. The reading room contained an extensive array of books relating to the plant life, birds, and animals found in the swamp and throughout New Jersey. After buying a baseball cap in the gift shop it was time to leave the modern air conditioned building and enter the humid heat outside.
A large picnic pavilion overlooking a field and the woods of the swamp behind seems a perfect place for a relaxing afternoon lunch. I can’t wait to come back again to take pictures of the many migratory birds in this 7,700 acre wildlife refuge.
For More Information:
Friends of The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife
Recommended Reading:
Topics: Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Wildlife Refuge | No Comments »