What’s So Special About Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary?

By Rick Radis, New Jersey Audubon Magazine

From high ground nearby, George Washington’s troops watched the not-too-distant British in Manhattan. Nowadays, the skylines of Jersey City and Manhattan can be seen to the east, while Interstate 287 and the suburban towns of Bernardsville and Basking Ridge hum in the background.

Today, just as many natural wonders can be found at Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary as were found in Washington’s time -- at any time of year. Wild Turkeys.Red-tailed and Cooper’s Hawks. Great Horned and Screech Owls. The breathtaking (there’s no other word for it) Pileated Woodpecker. Eastern Bluebirds start nesting in late March. Baltimore Orioles and Scarlet Tanagers and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds return in early May. Hard-to-find breeding birds like Louisiana Waterthrush and Worm-eating Warbler can be found here, too. Waves of migrant birds pass through in April and May, and again in September and October, and a variety of sparrows, finches, wrens, kinglets, and Hermit Thrushes spend the colder months here, and can often be seen at the wellstocked feeders. Less common winter finches such as Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls return some years. Sixty species of birds breed at the sanctuary, and over 175 species have been seen here over the years.

In early spring Scherman Hoffman’s critical vernal pools are home to breeding Wood Frogs, Spring Peepers (tiny treefrogs) and big, logy Spotted Salamanders. The headwaters of the Passaic River here provide important habitat for the rare Wood Turtle, which is on New Jersey’s Threatened Species List. Box Turtles, whose population is also in decline, roam the grounds, along with several types of snakes, frogs, toads and salamanders. Almost thirty species of mammals have been seen at Scherman Hoffman, including Red Fox, Flying Squirrel, Coyote, shrews and moles and voles, Long-tailed Weasel and Mink.

Come watch the continuing experiment in the Deer Exclosure, where wildflowers, tree seedlings and shrubs are returning — on their own — after decades of overbrowsing

by deer. In summer and fall, the fields of little bluestem, switchgrass, thistles and snakeroots, milkweed, goldenrods and asters are some of the best places in north

Jersey to see poetically named butterflies like Great Spangled Fritillary, Northern Pearly Eye, and Wood Nymph. In good weather in late summer, Monarchs are seen here daily. The rare Harvester butterfly is often found in beech woods in midsummer. Birds; including the biggest woodpecker you’ll ever see. Mammals. Frogs and snakes and toads, turtles and salamanders. Red Foxes. And a river runs through it. Begin your child’s natural history education here, or begin or expand your own, year-round, at this natural jewel.

May Days on May 1 & 2, 2010 celebrates the Grand Opening of the Hoffman Center for Conservation and Environmental Education. But there is always something happening at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary.  Check the website throughout the seasons for an updated schedule of events. http://bit.ly/cSchMM

Nature Store Hours are 9 am – 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday and 12 to 5 pm on Sunday.  Trails ranging in length from 0.3 miles to 1.3 miles are open from dawn ‘till dusk.  Admission is free for all.

PUBLIC INVITED TO “BE OUR GUEST” AT MORRIS AREA MUSEUMS MAY 16

MORRISTOWN, NJ, APRIL 21, 2010 – Eight historic sites and museums throughout Morris County are inviting the public to “Be Our Guest” on Sunday, May 16, from noon to 4 p.m. in celebration of National Tourism Week.  Participating institutions will open their doors and waive their usual admission fees during those hours, although guests are encouraged to contribute a non-perishable food item for the Interfaith Food Pantry in lieu of the normal admission fee.  The event is sponsored by the Morris County Alliance for Tourism.  For more information, see www.morristourism.org/be_our_guest.php or call 973-631-5151.

Sites participating in the event:

Acorn Hall, 68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, www.acornhall.org.  Headquarters of the Morris County Historical Society and a Victorian Italianate mansion decorated largely with furnishings from the two families who lived there between 1853 and 1971; it also has changing exhibits and a garden with period features.

Community Children's Museum, 77 East Blackwell Street, Dover, www.communitychildrensmuseum.org.  A hands-on children's museum for children 10 and younger focusing on art, science, and world cultures.

Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, www.morrisparks.net.  A restored working dairy cattle farm portraying life in the early 20^th century through costumed living history, farming, and domestic skills demonstrations, and tours of the Foster family’s circa 1852 Gothic Revival house.

Historic Speedwell, 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, www.morrisparks.net.  The “Birthplace of the Telegraph,” telling the story of the Vail family and their role in the early days of the Industrial Revolution and in the development of the telegraph, through hands-on exhibits, guided tours and special event weekends.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum and Gardens, 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, www.maccullochhall.org.  An elegant historic house and decorative arts museum comprising ten period rooms and four exhibit galleries, two of which are devoted to the largest collection of cartoonist Thomas Nast’s works in the country.

Morristown National Historical Park/Washington’s Headquarters, 30 Washington Place, Morristown, www.nps.gov/morr.  A national park preserving sites of the Continental Army's encampment and the headquarters of General George Washington during the winters of 1777 and 1779–80.

Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, 9 Main Street, Madison, www.metc.org.  A museum exploring 18^th- and 19^th-century American history, with a focus on New Jersey, drawing on its collection of over 8,000 hand tools and their products to interpret the lives and technologies of men and women who lived and worked before the rise of large-scale industrialization in this country.

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, 2352 Route 10-West, Morris Plains, www.stickleymuseum.org.  A National Historic Landmark, this 1911 log house is the former home of noted turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley, a major proponent of the American Arts and Crafts movement in home building and furnishing.

Three free shuttle buses will be provided by the Morris County Park Commission throughout the afternoon.  Two of the shuttles will run from Fosterfields to the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts and to Craftsman Farms.  The third will run a “Morristown” loop between participating in-town attractions.

The Morris County Alliance for Tourism supports the Morris County Tourism Bureau in positioning the region as a premier tourism destination through a collaboration of interested stakeholders.

The Interfaith Food Pantry, located in Morristown, serves Morris County by distributing supplemental and/or emergency food to eligible Morris County residents in need, providing hands-on opportunities for neighbors to help neighbors, and educating the public about the issues of hunger in our area.  More information is available at www.mcifp.org.

Members of the Morris County Alliance for Tourism recently got a head start 

on the food collection for the Interfaith Food Pantry in conjunction with the 

Be Our Guest open house day set for May 16.

Balloon Festival NJ

Balloon Festival NJ
Visit the website for the 10th annual Hot Air Balloon Festival at the Warren County Farmers' Fair, August 1 to August 7, 2010.

May Days At NJ Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Saturday And Sunday, May 1 and 2

There Is So Much Happening, We Must Ask Guests To Park Off-Site!
Also, FREE Basket Raffles, and Fantastic Silent Auction Items!

BERNARDSVILLE, April 21, 2010 - Question: Where else in New Jersey can you enjoy a one-of-a-kind outdoor art exhibit based on New Jersey’s endangered species? And watch as your kids track wildlife using actual radio telemetry? And see live animals of all kinds, once wild, and now carefully handled for your education and enjoyment? And enjoy entertaining and educational talks by internationally-known nature authors, while your children are right around the corner learning about the same natural phenomenon, at their level? And learn how to identify birds first-hand, with expert naturalists in the field? And take a break and grab a snack, and sit under a tent to enjoy live outdoor music, and so much more, all in one place? All with free admission!

Answer: Only at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville at our May Days Celebration on May 1st and 2nd, from 10 am to 4 pm. We’ll even take you there from our off-site parking area(s) nearby. It’s that easy.

Visit http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionCenters/SectionScherman/MayDays.aspx or www.njaudbon.org for the schedule and all the most recent information. 

As you enter May Days, you will be greeted by NJ Audubon staff at our Welcome Center. Please then visit our Friends and Neighbors for information on all kinds of local nature activities. They are listed here:
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionCenters/SectionScherman/MayDays/Exhibitors.aspx

Bring the little ones, so they can experience nature first-hand on the grounds while they explore the Nature Treasure Hunt, and see live animals, and visit the Children’s Tent, where there will be face-painting, craft-making and story-telling.

Older children will also enjoy the Nature Treasure Hunt and especially the Radio Telemetry Wildlife Tracking Demonstrations, which will take place about every hour and a half. Please note, there is a limit of 12 children for each of these sessions.

Inside the new Hoffman Center for Conservation and Environmental Education, visit the new Nature Store and “grown-up” presentations, while your children have an educational experience with NJ Audubon’s environmental educators in the Wayrick Gallery around the corner. Meet the artist, Marcia Poling, whose superb, delicate hand-painted ornaments are best-sellers in many NJ Audubon stores. And don’t forget a visit to the observation deck where you will be greeted by experts participating in our May Days Big Stay, where they will tally all the bird species they can see or hear from the deck.

Saturday’s presentations include:
- Don Freiday, Director of Birding Programs, New Jersey Audubon Cape May Bird Observatory, along with Pat Brentano, creator of the outdoor exhibit.
- Gordon Thomas Ward, author of Ghosts of Central Jersey: Historic Haunts of the Somerset Hills, which is his most recent book of many about NJ nature and natural history
- Allen Barlow, co-author of the new Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Jersey
- And, Rick Radis, one of the state’s renowned experts on “ephemeral” plants, and all things natural history in New Jersey.


Sunday’s presentations include:
- Pete Dunne, internationally acclaimed author on birds, birders and natural history will share some of his insights and experiences over nearly 30 years with NJ Audubon.
- And Gordon Thomas Ward (see Saturday)

Early birders can arrive at the off-site parking as early as 7:00 am to participate in guided walks at the sanctuary that include a visit to a bird-banding station. This opportunity ends at 10 am.

The May Days Basket Raffles offer over 30 items for you to win, just by coming! Three baskets will be raffled each day, with no purchase necessary. And special thanks to Dolce Basking Ridge, our Silent Auction contributor, for their generous donation of a Romance Weekend Package, valued at $300.

See all our Donors here:
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionCenters/SectionScherman/MayDays/SponsorsandDonors.aspx
Music graciously provided by NJ Folk Project.


OFF-SITE PARKING DIRECTIONS:

May Days participants are asked to utilize off-site parking nearby. Only handicapped parking will be available at the Sanctuary.

Please park at the Bedwell Middle and Elementary Schools, 141 Seney Drive, Bernardsville, NJ 07924, 1.4 miles from the Sanctuary. Free shuttle buses will make the rounds to and from the Sanctuary approximately every 10 minutes. Any questions, call the Sanctuary at 908-766-5787.


FROM 287 NORTH or SOUTH: Take exit 30B toward route 202 – Bernardsville
Turn Left at the light and proceed for 1.8 miles to the second traffic light.
Turn Right onto Anderson Hill Road and proceed approximately 5 tenths of a mile.
Turn Right onto Seney Drive and proceed about 3 tenths of a mile.
Look for the MAY DAYS sign and turn right into the school parking lot.

If needed, overflow parking will be available at Harding Plaza, 1200 Mt. Kemble Ave. Harding Township, NJ 07960, which is 1.7 miles from the sanctuary. Shuttles will arrive every 10 minutes at this location, as well.


Why off-site parking?

There are two great reasons for our off-site parking. First, our main parking area is going to be busy with information and activities from a variety of organizations. Second, we are keeping the habitat around the sanctuary safe and healthy for wildlife, and you. Please think of this minor inconvenience as part of the fun. And, thanks for coming!! Enjoy!


For more information: Mike Anderson, Director of Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Lillian Armstrong, New Jersey Audubon Communications Liaison (609) 861-1608, ext. 22. For more on outdoor art display by Pat Brentano, visit www.patbrentano.com.