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SMC 25th Anniversay Celebration!
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To celebrate the 25 years of caring for and engaging people with the South Mountain Reservation, the South Mountain Conservancy is holding an anniversary celebration at South Orange’s newly reconstructed Baird Center on Saturday evening, October 26th, from 7 to 10 p.m. The catered buffet dinner will feature the jazz trio Blue Sphere led by local keyboardist Bill Tally, a silent auction, a slide show of scenic places in the reservation, a contest of hidden reservation places, and much more. Tickets are $80 per person. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
Silent Auction: The Conservancy is asking individuals and local organizations to help support its mission by donating a service, membership, or item to the silent auction. Auction items should have a value of $100 or more. This is a great way to both promote your organization and help us continue to serve the greater Essex County community through programs and unparalleled stewardship of the park. We will advertise all donors in the event literature and on our website. We will also allow remote bidding to reach a broader audience. If interested in donating to the auction, contact conservancygala@somocon.org. The Silent Auction will be operational starting mid-October.
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But wait, there’s more! You can help us prepare for this program in two ways.
First, we will be having a “Hidden Places in the Reservation” identification contest. You can help by sending photos of places in the reservation that are not well known, or well-known but from an unusual perspective. (These should not be too obscure; they should be specific and identifiable, challenging but not impossible!) Please email your submissions to conservancygala@somocon.org. In the subject line write “Hidden Places.” In the body, please indicate the trail or location and the map cell, for example: Lenape Trail, C-5; or Ball’s Bluff, D-7.
Second, we are collecting photos for a slideshow of people, places and events from the Conservancy’s history and the reservation. Again, please send these to conservancygala@somocon.org with the subject line “Slide Show.”
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Third Annual Photo Contest Announced
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South Mountain Conservancy is excited to announce the
Third Annual Fall Photo Contest!
We had so much fun the past two years, we’re bringing it back! In celebration of the changing season, we invite you to submit your best fall photos taken in the South Mountain Reservation.
How to enter:
1. Follow us on Instagram: @southmountainconservancy
2. Post your photo, tag us @southmountainconservancy, and use the hashtag #2024SMCFALLPHOTOCONTEST
-OR-
Direct message your entry photo to us on Instagram @southmountainconservancy.
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The contest ends on November 15th or thereabouts depending on foliage! Check our account for updates. Winners will be selected by the South Mountain Conservancy team and announced by the end of November.
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2024 prizes are donated by these generous local sponsors:
1st place: $75 gift certificate from Salvage Style located in the
Maplewood Mercantile.
2nd place: Custom necklace designed and inspired by the South Mountain Reservation from Solo Jewelry
3rd place: $25 gift certificate to Maplewood's Words Bookstore
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The winning photos will be featured on our Instagram and Facebook pages as well as on our website and monthly E-Bulletin newsletter. This year we plan to display 2024 winners along with all past winners locally (details TBD). By submitting a photo to this contest you are giving SMC permission to feature your image in our marketing materials. This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or associated with Instagram in any way.
Happy fall and good luck!
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Forest Regeneration Success Story!
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Rich Rockwell, Forest Regeneration Program Coordinator, reports:
“I am incredibly proud of the multi-year work we’ve done to eliminate the invasive Japanese Knotweed in the Wildflower & Forest Preserve! In the area circled in red (photo above), we placed 34,000 square feet of plastic starting in 2016 and left it for approximately 5 years. Our volunteer crew then removed the plastic, and when the Knotweed began to return, we cut or pulled it early in the spring, repeating the process one or two more times throughout the year. We encouraged native plants to thrive like the White Snakeroot (photo below) by carefully protecting new plants that naturally appeared and by scattering seeds from nearby native plants."
Hundreds of volunteer hours were dedicated to this project over many years and Forest Regeneration Work Days, resulting in great success.
Native White Snakeroot
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JOIN THE NEXT FOREST REGENERATION WORK DAY!
Forest Regeneration activities focus on the areas in and around the fenced 14-acre Forest and Wildflower Preserve located near the Dog Park in the Reservation. On workdays, we will focus on removing invasive plants like knotweed and mugwort. Ages 12 to 15 are welcome with a parent or guardian present. Ages 15 and above require a signature by a parent or guardian on a liability waiver; teenagers cannot just be dropped off.
Please dress appropriately! Wear long pants, closed-toe shoes or rain boots, bug spray, and layer as needed. We supply gloves and water.
Meet at the dog statue at 11 Bear Lane, Maplewood, NJ. Please be on time as we will hike to the forest by 9am.
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This month will again be rerouting parts of the Lenape Trail and fixing swales along the Balls Bluff Trail to improve drainage. Meet at the parking lot on Summit Crescent (off Bear Lane, see map in Meetup). |
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Seeking new Trash Tackler Program Coordinator!
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The South Mountain Conservancy is looking for a volunteer to join our Trash Tackler team as a Program Coordinator
under the guidance of Dave Berry.
Trash Tacklers is a key part of SMC's stewardship. Last year, 20 community groups and seven individuals removed over 200 bags of trash from the reservation and -- with the reservation being so popular -- there is ALWAYS more work to do! We are seeking an additional program coordinator to help oversee these volunteers.
We believe that volunteering is a fulfilling and meaningful way to give back to the community and make a positive impact. If this is you, please reach out to us at trashtacklers@somocon.org for a full description of the role.
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Wildflower Sculpture Park Fall Event
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Photo credit: Megan Yates Photography
We welcomed over a hundred guests to the Wildflower Sculpture Park in September when we introduced three new pieces to the collection.
This year, artists Eileen Ferara, Wendell Jeffrey, and Amanda Thackray were invited to create site-specific installations that engage with the South Mountain Conservancy’s mission of conservation, stewardship, and appreciation of the natural world.
Crafted from diverse materials, these ephemeral works highlight the park's hidden ecosystems, encouraging visitors to engage thoughtfully with the environment.
We invite you to visit the Wildflower Sculpture Park where these works will remain on view until 2025.
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SMR Family Campout Wrap Up
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 The 10th SMR Family Campout is in the (soggy) books!
Thank you to all our volunteers, parents, and kids for joining us at this special event. We love putting the Campout on!
The weather was not ideal this year (and the forecasts were wrong!), but we heard from a lot of you that you were happy we carried on. These kinds of moments teach the kids (and remind the grownups) that we are resilient and we can get through tough times. We can all look back on this weekend and feel proud.
We look forward to seeing you again in the spring for this popular event.
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Hike Registration on Meetup
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Summer hikers enjoying the trail.
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Local high school student, Lia Giger is offering hand-lettered note cards to support the Conservancy. This year alone she has raised over $300 with her efforts! Lia says, "my love for hiking and the outdoors started in the Reservation, and I have been spending time there since I was little. I’m so happy I can support the Conservancy with my art and your help!"
Buy your note cards here and support the South Mountain Conservancy!
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Double Your Gift
Many companies offer matching gift programs to encourage employees to contribute to charitable organizations. Most match contributions dollar for dollar, and some will even triple the amount of your gift! To find out if your company has a matching gift program check with your Human Resources Department.
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