Park Commission Thanks Volunteers

The Somerset County Park Commission is all about the people of Somerset County who visit the parks by the millions annually. The enjoyment of the parks is due to the efforts of employees and volunteers who assure that every visit to the parks exceeds expectations. While active and passive parks and programs and activities rely on both of these groups, it is the volunteers who are a most cherished resource.

Volunteer opportunities are available in every facet of the Park Commission. Individuals interested in wildlife and resource conservation may participate in park cleanup projects and trail construction and maintenance projects. The Volunteer Park Patrol plays an important role in maintaining trails at Washington Valley Park and the Sourland Mountain Preserve by patrolling for safety hazards and trail erosion. There are also opportunities for individuals in garden docent programs, planting, general maintenance, horse grooming, and stable cleaning.

The Park Commission welcomes volunteers with skills and interest in athletics, crafts, dance, cooking, and theater and vocal arts. Volunteers help with the Junior Golf summer program, serve as Naturalists assistants, help out with the Therapeutic Recreation programs, and assist with equestrian classes. Volunteers also support special events, helping with facilities setup and breakdown, and parking.

Scout, school, and corporate groups contributed thousands of hours in 2017. The Environmental Education Center (EEC) was fortunate to have nine different corporate groups working on a variety of outdoor projects.  Portfolio Evaluations, Jersey Cares, and Ingredion all worked to complete a large renovation and restoration project in the Discovery Garden an educational native plant garden. Applegate and BASF removed invasive plants and re-planted the area with bare root native trees. Enbridge, Janssen, GlaxoSmithKline, and REI assisted with rebuilding the Boondocks Boardwalk Trail, with REI also volunteering at the Sourland Smackdown. Oak Knoll School students did a fall cleanup of the native plant and rain gardens in front of the EEC building.

Five Eagle Scout candidates have completed or will complete their Service Projects at the EEC in 2017. James McCarron, Troop 28 built and mapped Bluebird boxes and Wood Duck boxes. Julien Wadhwa, Troop 555 created a life-size wing span chart of native birds. John Kavouras, Troop 83 built a kiosk and bluebird boxes. William Bigham, Troop 28 created a children’s nature discovery area in the Discovery Garden. Jason Quinn, Troop 351 is nearing completion of the new one-mile Orange Trail. A group of scouts from Troop 154 replaced the trail maps on all of the EEC trails. Additionally, Zachary Wyman, Troop 351, built and installed bat boxes at the Ross Farm and Brandon Pierson, Troop 555, built and installed compost bins and garden paths at the Ross Farm.

Individual volunteers from the area high schools including Ridge High School, Oak Knoll, and Watchung Hills Regional High School assisted year round at the EEC with park maintenance and beautification, Naturalists Programs, and Special Events.

For information on volunteer opportunities at the EEC for individuals, groups, or companies, please contact Jane Bodnar, at 908-766-2489, ext 323 or NJ Relay at 711 for individuals with a hearing or speech impairment. For volunteer opportunities outside of the EEC contact Dave Dendler at 908-231-0802 ext 22.

Deputy Director Elected to National Parks & Rec Group

Cindie Sullivan, Deputy Director of the Somerset County Park Commission (SCPC), has been elected to the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. Sullivan was inducted recently at the Academy’s Annual Meeting during the National Recreation and Park Association Conference in New Orleans, LA.

The Academy is a group of distinguished practitioners and educators who are leaders in the field of park and recreation. They must have served for at least 15 years in a high level of administration in a park and recreation agency or as a recognized educator in parks and recreation administration or they must manage a park and recreation department for an agency with a population of more than 500,000. They also must have demonstrated outstanding ability in administration, management or education in the profession; displayed broad interest with a direct service benefit to the advancement of public parks and recreation or assumed leadership with a keen desire to contribute to the advancement of the field. The Academy is limited to 125 active members.

Established in 1980, the Academy was formed to advance knowledge related to the administration of recreation and parks; encourage scholarly efforts by both practitioners and educators to enhance the practice of park and recreation admin­istration; promote broader public understanding of the importance of parks and recreation to the public good; and conduct research, publish scholarly papers and/or sponsor seminars related to the advancement of park and recreation administration.

“Cindie’s recognition by the national academy is a tribute to her dedication to the parks and recreation industry and to Somerset County and the people who use our parks,” commented Ray Brown, Director of the SCPC. “She is totally committed to the parks, to the staff, and to making Somerset County a better place every day.”

More information on the Academy is available at www.aapra.org. For information on the programs and activities at the Somerset County Park Commission visit www.somersetcountyparks. org or call 908-722-1200.

Skillman Park Dog Park Officially Opened

Officials from the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Montgomery Township, and the Somerset County Park Commission recently gathered at Skillman Park in the township to officially open the Skillman Park Dog Park.

Located off Main Boulevard, Parking Lot A in the 247-acre general use park, the leash-free dog run is a 2-acre fenced in park separated into sections for small dogs and large dogs.

According to Freeholder Caliguire, “Skillman Park is a tranquil and beautiful park that encourages people to walk the paths, and bring their dogs to accompany them.  Now our pets have their own play area within the new facility, to run free and enjoy the park.  The Freeholders, the Park Commission, and Montgomery Township are proud to have this addition.”

Montgomery Mayor Ed Trzaska said, “I am thrilled that dog owners will have a place where they can meet friends and let their dogs exercise at the same time.”

Freeholder Caliguire added, “Many Montgomery residents remember this was a blighted area for many years. Through the vision and leadership of Somerset County and Montgomery Township, this is now a world class park, now with a first class dog exercise area”.

Skillman Park is the newest park in the Somerset County system. The 247-acre general use park is located off of Route 601 in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township and features wide beautiful vistas and a 2.25 mile paved multi-use loop trail. Benches are located strategically throughout the park and chess tables are available at one of the trailheads.

Foundation Opens New Locations for Commemorative Benches

The Somerset County Park Foundation, in cooperation with the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, is providing the public with an opportunity to create a lasting memory in the Somerset County Parks while supporting the valuable programs funded by the Somerset County Park Foundation.

The Tribute Bench program provides an enduring tribute to family members or friends through the donation of a commemorative bench at a location of choice within the Somerset County Park system. Locations include general use parks, Colonial Park Gardens, Leonard J. Buck Garden, the Environmental Education Center, Lord Stirling Stable, and any of the five county golf courses.

The popularity of the program has created new opportunities for locations to place benches including East County Park, Skillman Park, and Mountain View Park.

For a tax-deductible donation of $2,000.00, a bench and plaque memorializing the contribution will be placed in a prominent park location. The Park Foundation will maintain a listing of all benches with information including the donor and the person being honored or memorialized. Tribute Benches are available in three styles conforming to the type of park in which the bench is to be placed.

The Park Foundation also provides opportunities to memorialize friends, family, non-profits, and important events with the designation of a commemorative trees in a county park or a commemorative brick in the main gate entrance to TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ.

The timing of placement of benches, trees, and bricks will be at the discretion of Parks staff. A certificate will be provided when a purchase is made as a gift.

Information is available at www.somersetcountyparks.org.  For information call the Park Foundation at 908-722-1200, ext. 228.

The Somerset County Park Foundation is a 501(c)(3) created to preserve, support, and promote Somerset County Park Commission programs, facilities, and open space through advocacy and fundraising.

Park Rangers Ask That You Don't Feed the Geese

Among the many advantages to living in Somerset County is a remarkable combination of urban and suburban environments. Somerset County residents enjoy virtually immediate access to major commercial and cultural centers while living in a “green” county with open space purchases by the Board of Chosen Freeholders serving to ensure more than 14,500 acres of green space preserved in perpetuity.

These extensive active and passive recreation areas have created a unique interaction among humans and waterfowl, one that should remain at arm’s length because feeding may be harmful or fatal to wild birds.

Waterfowl have patterns by which they seek out and feed on nutritious marsh and grassbud plants. In our region, extreme cold and snow severely reduces the quality and quantity of important foods. Most waterfowl migrate south in search of a habitat that will support them before returning in the spring to their breeding grounds where they are a familiar part of the Somerset County landscape.

Many of these migratory birds are sidetracked when they stop to feed or rest in the lakes and marsh areas found in Somerset County. These new homes become even more appealing when they are fed by well-meaning individuals, delaying their migration and enticing them to become permanent residents.

Very often, the food provided is “junk food,” including popcorn, potato chips and bread. Unfortunately, though willingly accepted by the wildfowl, these foods lack important nutritional value, resulting in the birds becoming dependent upon handouts, no longer seeking the natural, more nutritious foods that they require. In addition, these birds often congregate in small areas, competing for the new food source, resulting in overcrowding, competition, and a new susceptibility to life threatening diseases.

In the end, the seemingly kind and generous act of feeding waterfowl can foster a continuing cycle of spreading disease and creating a nuisance by damaging park land, golf courses, residential lawns, and creating water quality problems caused by droppings in ponds.

Please remember that these marvelous creatures are wild animals that should be enjoyed through observation and photography, not through feeding.

Current information on all Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling the Park Commission at 908-722-1200 or NJ Relay at 711 for individuals with a hearing or speech impairment.