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March 14 - 21
Warm greetings and best wishes for a year marked by achievement and fulfillment! We hope you keep the personality of the New Jersey Skylands near and dear when you need to freshen your horizon.
These mild days stir the blood, but beware the fickle month of March! How much more winter can there be? In fact, the first sign that spring will be here soon is upon us as daylight savings time began last weekend. The weeks ahead will be packed with adventure, so keep an eye out our virtual efforts to keep you informed.
Fertile Ground
Community garden at Duke Farms
Who can think of an argument for not having a garden? It’s not easy to do, but you still might have a good reason for not growing your own. Perhaps the deer have finally gotten the best of you. You might not have enough room in your yard, or maybe you have no yard at all. But even if any of these apply to your personal situation, most likely, in the best of all worlds, you’d like to have a garden in your backyard. Gardens are good!
If you're considering a backyard alternative, take a look at a community garden. For most, there are waiting lists, but there's always a chance you can find a spot if you start looking now! More...
Cast Production
Serious fly-fishermen are almost as busy in February as on opening day in April. Winter is for preparation - the tying of flies. Fishing for trout with flies is like solving a puzzle. The current, the fish, the bugs under the surface and in the air all seem indecipherable. But slowly, with much patience, and relying upon an ever-expanding body of experience collected over a series of seasons, the code can sometimes, although by no means always, be broken.
Schooley's Elusive Spirit
Hiking up Cataract Park’s steep trail leads to one of Schooley’s Mountain’s old iron ore workings.
Running northeast for twenty miles from Glen Gardner to Lake Hopatcong, Schooley’s Mountain’s steep sides rise to a broad top between the Musconetcong River and, for most of its length, the South Branch of the Raritan. The mountain presents a dichotomy of striking scenes from the past, interspersed with groups of modern homes and stores. The mountain’s southern portion holds routes worthy of exploring, hamlets for artists to ponder, and natural areas for hikers, all shrouded in tantalizing lore that begs a historian’s query. Read on...
Learning Lenape
For Archaic peoples, rock shelters, consisting of natural overhangs or
hillside depressions, were temporary stopovers that offered protection
from the rain and snow. In winter they might have been closed in with windbreaks
made from skins or brush.
For over 12,000 years the Lenape and their ancestors occupied northwestern New Jersey, successfully adapting to climatic changes in their environment. But, after a little more than a century following European colonization, only a few Indians remained.
Arrowheads, stone axes, pottery and other objects are still occasionally found in a farmer's field or along a riverbank, but only a rough sketch of a robust culture remains; we know nothing of the human deeds and dramas that occurred. More...
Planet Jersey
When the first early spring rains come, thousands of salamanders, frogs and toads emerge from their winter slumber to make short stealthy migrations through the forest to breed and lay their eggs in vernal pools. The journey is often treacherous. (Photo: MacKenzie Hall)
As the season eases into milder temperatures at the onset of spring, all manner of creatures stretch their bodies and move more freely, searching for food and mates while they patrol their home turfs. Among these creatures are some of the most rare, interesting, and beautiful animals in the Garden State. Though they often go unnoticed or are misunderstood, reptiles and amphibians are vital to the balance of our fragile ecosystems—and some of them are in pretty big trouble.
Get the real thing at historic Lusscroft Farm at next Saturday's Maple Sugaring Open House and Barn Sale. See how they tap the maple trees, collect the sap, and make the delicious syrup. Fresh maple syrup will be ready for purchase, as well as items for sale in the barn and cottage and craft vendors in the carriage house. Funds raised from syrup sales go to ongoing restoration projects at this historic farm. Presented by The Heritage and Agriculture Association, Inc., in cooperation with the NJ DEP/Div. of Parks & Forestry.
Visit all ten stops on the Warren County Grain & Grapes Trail and earn a FREE custom canvas tote bag featuring the official Grains & Grapes logo on one side and the participating brewery, winery, and distillery logos on the other! You will then be entered in the drawing for the Grand Prize: a Yeti Tundra 35 cooler containing $900 worth of gift cards from the trail participants! Offer runs through 4/30/26.
Thanks for joining us in our appreciation of Northwest New Jersey and all the brilliant ways to get out and enjoy the pleasures of the season. Tap our calendar for the best events for you and your family, or check our current stories.
Pick from a multitude of daytrip itineraries and watch out for our virtual efforts to keep you informed.
For the more aerobically inclined, the Outdoor Map shows the way to go, or
choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website.
Like many other small, independent and specialized information sources, our operation increasingly relies on reader donations. Help us keep you informed about all the great stuff to do in and around Northwest New Jersey! If you like what we offer, we hope you'll consider a contribution.
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Skylands Visitor Magazine (Guest Services, LLC), PO Box 329, Columbia, NJ • Privacy Statement |
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