The Naturalists at the Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center (EEC) are offering an exciting series of day trips to fascinating locations in the New York/New Jersey area. All trips depart from the EEC, 190 Lord Stirling Road, Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
Pre-registration is required and adults may register for the “Garden Discovery Tours” at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling 908-722-1200, ext. 5002.
New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show
Find out what's happening in Basking Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 from 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Adults will experience the beauty of thousands of orchids as the Enid A Haupt Conservatory is transformed into a paradise of fragrance and color with thousands of blooms in every color and shape. Fee is $75 per adult and $65 per senior.
Find out what's happening in Basking Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Butterfly Gardening with Native Plants
Sunday, March 29, 2020 from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Adults will learn which native plants help support butterflies as author Jane Hurwitz from the North American Butterfly Association presents a workshop on butterfly gardening. She will address methods used to protect the entire life cycle of butterflies as she explores the relationship that butterflies have with specific native plants. The program is free and will take place at the Environmental Education Center, 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge, NJ.
Holland Ridge Farm Tulip Festival
Thursday, April 23, 2020 from 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Visit the Garden State’s new treasure, the Holland Ridge Farm Tulip Festival with more than two million tulips. Enjoy walking through this living rainbow of blooms while learning about the biology and cultural history of this beloved plant. Fee is $55 per adult and $45 per senior.
Secrets in Somerset County – Bluebell Magic
Tuesday, May 5, 2020 from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Family and friends of all ages will meet at the playground kiosk at Duke Island Park and head out for an exploratory hike with a Naturalist to identify local trees search for early blooming wildflowers along the Raritan River. Adventurers will find one of Somerset County’s best kept secrets, the bounty of blooming bluebell and wildflowers of Duke Island Park. The program is free and pre-registration is required.
Woodland Wildflowers
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 from 10:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
Family and friends of all ages will join a naturalist for a leisurely walk through Lord Stirling Park at the Environmental Education Center to search for woodland wildflowers. The program is free and pre-registration is required.
Paxson Hill Farm
Thursday, May 21 from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Adults will join Bruce Gangawer, horticulturalist from Rutgers University on a trip to this 32-acre Bucks County, Pennsylvania property where he lives and grows plants at his nursery with extraordinary gardens he designed to inspire all who visit. Participants will tour the gardens for inspirational ideas then shop the nursery to bring a new creation home. Fee is $65 per adult and $55 per senior.
Registration for the following programs begins Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Teatown Lake Reservation
Friday, June 5, 2020 from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Adults will visit Wildflower Island, a 1,000-acre nature preserve in West Chester County, enjoying a guided tour where more than 230 native and endangered wildflowers, including lady slippers, can be seen. Following the tour, wander through the meadows, streams, hemlock forest, laurel groves, or scenic gorge at your own pace. Fee is $75 per adult and $65 per senior.
A Day at Stone Harbor
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 from 8:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Adults will join a Naturalist on a visit this historic New Jersey seaside town featuring the Wetlands Institute, the historic downtown, and the beach. Fee is $75 per adult and $65 per senior.
The Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center, 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge, NJ is located within Lord Stirling Park, in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, and is nestled within 500 acres of the western portion of the Great Swamp Basin of the Passaic River. A swamp vivarium, and an environmentally based library are located within the Center itself.
“The Great Swamp Experience” on the lower level at the EEC features interactive displays, vignettes, taxidermy, and archeological artifacts highlighting the history and ecology of the Great Swamp. The exhibit is open 7 days a week from 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Admission is free.
Information on all Somerset County Park Commission programs and activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org.
