Warrenbrook Golf Course to Close for Winter November 8

 

Somerset County Park Commission has announced that Warrenbrook Golf Course on Warrenville Road in Warren Township, NJ will close for the winter season at the conclusion of play on Sunday, November 8, 2020. Opening date in the spring will be determined based on weather and course conditions.

 

Winter closing dates for Quail Brook Golf Course on New Brunswick Road in Somerset and Green Knoll Golf Course on Garretson Road in Bridgewater will be based on weather and playing conditions and will be announced when confirmed.

 

Spooky Brook Golf Course at Colonial Park in Somerset and Neshanic Valley Golf Course on South Branch Road in Neshanic Station will remain open throughout the winter.

 

Information on all golf facilities may be obtained by calling the Somerset County Park Commission at 908-722-1200, ext. 5427.

Park Commission Planting for the Future

 

The Commissioners and staff at the Somerset County Park Commission take their responsibility as stewards of the environment very seriously. In addition to providing an extreme variety of active and passive recreation opportunities through Somerset County, the staff at the Park Commission is responsible for the oversight and protection of over 15,000 acres of open space.

 

Part of this responsibility is to plan for the future of the environmental throughout the county, assuring that both parks and open space continue to provide the beauty and natural protections that trees and plants offer.

 

More than one hundred new trees are planted, mulched, staked, and provided with cultural care each year at various parks and golf courses. These trees reduce the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen back into the air; filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark; absorb pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and ozone; and help to reduce soil erosion and prevent water pollution by slowing rain water run-off. Additionally, trees provide a canopy, food, and habitat for wildlife including birds, bees, opossums, raccoons, and squirrels.   

 

Normally accomplished as an annual fall project, the 2019 large scale tree and shrub planting project was delayed by weather and completed a last May.  The next fall tree and shrub planting is scheduled to take place in 2021. The Commission Forestry Coordinator is preparing a tree planting project for the summer with expected completion in the fall of 2021.

 

The Arboretum of Colonial Park collects, conserves and cares for trees and shrubs, displaying them in a conscientious manner that promotes education, inspiration, and enjoyment. This is accomplished with careful consideration for a beneficial impact on the plants, the environment, park patrons, and employees. Staff promotes an understanding of the relationship between plants, people, and place through display and through programs that integrate science and culture. The 5 1/2-acre Arboretum is located in the western section of Colonial Park in Colonial Park Gardens and is comprised of over 900 specimens of trees and shrubs.

 

Park Commission Horticulture staff is currently working on a massive bulb planting project at the recently redesigned Perennial Garden at Colonial Park with over 200,000 bulb plantings.   

 

Information of Park Commission programs and activities may be found at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling 908-722-1200.

Quail Brook Recognized for Environmental Excellence

 

Somerset County Park Commission Quail Brook Golf Course, located on New Brunswick Road in Somerset, New Jersey, has achieved designation as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

 

Tom Marshall, Golf Course Superintendent, completed the effort to obtain sanctuary designation on the property. Quail Brook Golf Course is one of only 900 courses in the world to hold the title of Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

 

"Quail Brook Golf Course has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property," said Christine Kane, CEO at Audubon International.

 

"To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas," explained Kane. These categories include: Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management. Quail Brook Golf Course’s accomplishments include:

Extensive native acreage on the property

Reducing irrigated areas to conserve water

Establishing buffers around water bodies

Providing Excellent Wildlife Habitat

Conducting Outreach & Education activities

 

“Environmental stewardship has always been a top priority at Park Commission golf courses and we strive to fulfill our responsibility to the environment and to our golfers,” commented Marshall. “We continually prove that we can maintain the highest quality golfing experience while still protecting the environment around us.”

Quail Brook joins Neshanic Valley Golf Course as an Audubon Sanctuary. Quail Brook has also been recognized as a Groundwater Guardian Green Site by The Groundwater Foundation and as a River-Friendly Golf Course by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA).

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat and protect natural resources. Golf courses from the United States, Africa, Australia, Canada, Central America, Europe, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia have achieved certification in the program.

 

Audubon International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Troy, NY,  providing programs for businesses, schools, communities, golf courses, and new developments with the purpose of delivering high-quality environmental education and facilitating the sustainable management of natural resources. For more information, call Audubon International at 1-844-767-9051 or visit www.auduboninternational.org.

Now Accepting Photo Contest Entries

 

The Somerset County Park Commission has announced that they are accepting entries for the “Show Us Your Best Shot: 2020 Photo Contest.

 

Photos must be taken in a park managed by the Somerset County Park Commission and fall into one of the following categories: Scenic; Wildlife; Horticulture; or People. A listing of parks may be found at www.somersetcountyparks.org.

 

The deadline for submissions is Monday, November 30, 2020.

 

Selected photographers will be awarded Park Commission prizes and photos will be featured on the Park Commission website and social media.

 

Photos must be 200 dpi or higher and should be sent as an attachment to an email to dhealey@scparks.org, indicating “Photo Contest” and category in the subject line.

 

The 2019 winning entries may be found at http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/2019%20Photo%20Contest/2019%20Photo%20Contest.pdf .

 

For information on this any other Park Commission programs and activities visit www.somersetcountyparks.org or call 908-722-1200.

It's Prime Time at the Somerset County Hawk Watch

 

From now through November, residents are invited to venture to the Washington Valley Park Hawk Watch Area, off Vosseller Avenue at the end of Miller Lane in the Martinsville section of Bridgewater, New Jersey, to experience the migration of raptors on their annual journey south.

 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parking at the Miller Lane lot will be limited to 50 percent capacity, masks and social distancing are requested. Somerset County Park Rangers and Somerset County Sheriff’s Officers will patrol the area.

 

The Hawk Watch is host to hundreds of people from all over the northeastern United States who gather to witness the thousands of hawks, falcons, and eagles flying overhead, sometimes just over the treetops.

 

Armed with binoculars, spotting scopes and cameras, hawk watchers enjoy the passage of numerous raptors, counting and identifying these extraordinary birds as they make their journey south to far away places in Central and South America. Endangered and threatened birds like Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, and Bald Eagles are some of the most noteworthy of the birds soaring above the area.

 

Following a cold front, the winds shift from the northwest, setting the stage for a day of effortless flight. When the condition occurs in mid-September while the Broad-winged Hawk migration is at its peak, over 10,000 raptors can be seen in a single day.

           

Information on this and other Somerset County Park Commission events may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling 908-722-1200.