New Jersey Audubon Society’s Plainsboro Preserve is hosting a Try Nature celebration during the month of April. ##M:[more]##Throughout the month, the center will offer a variety of educational programs and wildlife viewing opportunities that invite residents and visitors to step outside and begin a journey of nature-based discovery.
Among the activities you will find is the annual Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 18, with programs for adults such as the spring bird migration hike and salamander search for children and their families. Volunteers are invited to join the earth day trail crew for a couple of hours to help maintain the trails.
Other programs include a nature wellness walk for adults on Saturday, April 11, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.; and for children and their families, Terrific Turtles on Saturday, April 25 from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
The center is also highlighting the Society’s new “Guide to New Jersey Audubon Society’s Hikeable Sanctuaries,” a 43-page color booklet describing the organization’s preserved lands and its 55 miles of nature trails. The publication provides detailed descriptions of 19 preserves that are open to all for passive recreation. The guide, the first of its kind in the Society’s long history of conservation and stewardship, also features trail maps and directions to each site, as well as listing wildlife viewing opportunities.
“New Jersey Audubon Society strongly believes that the wonders of our sanctuaries should be shared with everyone,” says NJAS president Thomas J. Gilmore. The Hikeable Sanctuaries guide can be purchased at Plainsboro Preserve for $7.95 or free with membership: $30, individual; or $35 for a family.
Since 1950, New Jersey Audubon Society has been growing its network of sanctuaries, which now comprises 36 preserves totaling more than 3,”000 acres including several tracts set aside specifically for wildlife protection. Others offer scenic trails that wind through a variety of habitats, some connecting to local parks and State or Federal lands and offering vast opportunities for nature study and wildlife viewing.
“Its purpose is to connect people with nature and encourage support for the protection of wildlife and natural lands,” says Dale Rosselet, the Society’s vice president for education. “The continued preservation of habitats, and conservation of their resources, will only happen if the next generation understands how ecological systems work and how people impact the environment with their personal, community and business decisions.”
“Wildlife puts on a year-round pageant,” says Rosselet. “And a springtime cast is now taking the stage. If you’re observant and you know where to look, you can truly discover the greatest show on earth right here in our Garden State.”
Family Nature Programs, Plainsboro Preserve, 80 Scotts Corner Road, Plainsboro. Register. $5. Month of April. 609-897-9400. www.njaudubon.org.
