Friday, November 28, 2014

Girls Scouts Plant Daffodils Along the Banks of Powder Mill Pond


Junior Girl Scouts representing Troop #60681, Franklin Township, Somerset County recently completed a Daffodil Planting Project on the banks of Powder Mill Pond at Colonial Park, East Millstone. Under the guidance of the Horticulture Department of the Somerset County Park Commission, the Scouts planted over one thousand bulbs.

The beautification project, undertaken in collaboration with Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition, replicates the vista of golden daffodils “beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze” in William Wordsworth’s beloved “Daffodil” poem.

“I’m sure this is something that the park patrons and the girls who participated in the project will enjoy for years to come,” commented Mark Inzano, Horticulture Supervisor.

Information on all Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org. Like us on Facebook and Twitter.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

EEC Received $50,000 Grant from 3M


The Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center (EEC) has received a $50,000 Eco Grant from 3M to develop a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum field trip program using the theme of biomimicry. The grant will be matched by funds donated by the Somerset County Park Foundation.

According to the Biomimicry Institute, “Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies.”

The EEC is in a unique position to develop and implement a science-based environmental and conservation education program based on the biodiversity of the Great Swamp basin. The living laboratory of Lord Stirling Park, adjacent to the EEC,  provides excellent opportunities for environmental STEM education.
Biomimicry curriculum will be used as:
-A new way for young people to view and value the natural world; to see Nature
            not just as something to learn about, but as something to learn from
-A compelling way to present science, technology, engineering, and math subjects
-A tool to enhance and express creativity through design, with hands-on, minds-
            on, project-based activities
-A way to connect school subjects to one another, and school subjects to the real
world beyond classroom walls
-A unique and powerful way to think and learn about sustainability

The 3M Eco Grant and matching funds will be dedicated to the development and marketing a new science-based K-12 biomimicry curriculum focused on the unique biology of the Great Swamp Basin. The EEC staff will support teachers and educators through onsite field trips, school outreach, online resources, and teacher training workshops.

Funding will also be used to renovate existing space at the EEC as a biomimicry lab, enhance existing trails and facilities with interpretive signage, and to create printed and digital resources for teachers and educators. Grant money would also go towards scholarships for school field trips, and a long term evaluation study to determine the impact of the programs.

Shawn McCrohan, Manager of the EEC commented, ““It is exciting to be working on a project that will have young people looking for ways to apply nature’s adaptive strategies to solve some of today's biggest environmental challenges as well as other innovative solutions based on nature.”


3M is awarding almost $400,000 to 10 organizations with its 2014 Eco Grants, which are aimed at connecting kids to nature and improving environmental and conservation education for youth. Since 2001, 3M’s environmental giving program has invested more than $25 million in sustainability initiatives as part of the company’s vision of improving every life. 

The Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center is nestled within the western portion of the Great Swamp Basin of the Passaic River. The variety of habitats includes: floodplains, swamps, rivers, intermittent streams, marshes, meadows, fields, forests, and natural and man-made ponds.  These habitats provide homes for diverse plant and animal populations in this environmentally sensitive park. All are within walking distance of the multi-faceted building. An environmentally based library is located within the Center itself. The Exhibit Hall annually hosts environmentally focused presentations that are free to the public.
Information on all Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org. Like us on Facebook and Twitter.