MAY e-NEWSLETTER: THIS MONTH'S TOPICS
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Fairy Trail Day - May 3rd!
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The fairies of South Mountain Reservation warmly invite you to the Third Annual Fairy Tales on the Fairy Trail! Celebrate a day full of magic, creativity, and adventure, featuring: Fairy house building, storytelling sessions, fairy hair styling, a magical scavenger hunt, live music and dancing and much more fairy-themed fun!
Wings, crowns, and special event t-shirts will be available for purchase — all proceeds support the care and expansion of the beloved South Mountain Reservation Fairy Trail.
Event Schedule:
10:30 AM: Fairy House Building Contest Winners Will Be Announced!
✨ Storytelling with Victoria Duncker
🎶 Singalong with Dianne Faldut
11:30 AM
📖 Storytime with Audrey Noguera, Children's Author
💃 Movement and Dance with Jenn Eisenberg of Bold Arts
12:30 PM
✨ Storytelling with Victoria Duncker
🎶 Singalong with Dianne Faldut
Come dressed in your favorite fairy or woodland costume and be ready to step into a world of enchantment!
Special thanks to our May 3rd event sponsors!
🌱Sprout Sponsors:
Mohr's Explorers
Mana Energy Collective
Graff Guild
Oh! Canary
Jamie Aloia/brokerintheburbs
Solo Jewelry
The Rosenbaum Group
Stellify
Annie Whittle Real Estate/Interior Design
🌟 Enchanted Sponsors:
Swimquest Millburn
Studio 260 Salon
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🧚VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED!!!🧚
We’d love your support to make Fairy Trail Day a magical success! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our Fairy Trail Day Sign Up Genius to register as a volunteer and lend a hand.
🧚JOIN US!🧚
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Beth Kelly & Julie Gould on the SMR Fairy Trail
ONE MORE BIT OF VERY IMPORTANT FAIRY NEWS!
Our Fairy Trail Co-Coordinator, Julie Gould, will soon be flying off to a new fairy forest! While we’ll miss her magic dearly, this means an exciting opportunity has opened up…
SMC is seeking a new volunteer Fairy Trail Program Coordinator to join Beth Kelly in leading the Fairy Trail team. If you are passionate about nature, creativity, and a little bit of woodland wonder, we’d love to hear from you! Pease email fairytrail@somocon.org to receive the full role description.
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16th Annual Mayapple Trail Runs
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 Join us for the 16th Annual Mayapple Trail Runs on Saturday, May 17, rain or shine, in the stunning South Mountain Reservation! Runners of all levels are invited to register for distances ranging from 5 miles to 50 miles, with something for everyone:
Volunteers Needed!
We urgently need volunteers to staff aid stations—no experience required! Help keep runners fueled with snacks, water, and a friendly face (plus, be a vital point of contact in case of emergencies).
Contact: Dennis Percher at mayapple-trail-runs@somocon.org
Why It Matters
The Mayapple Trail Runs are the Conservancy’s largest annual fundraiser, organized entirely by volunteers with support from the Essex County Parks Department. Your participation supports our mission to maintain trails and advocate for the Reservation and its public programs.
👉 Register now to run or volunteer at ULTRA SIGN UP
Let’s make this the best Mayapple yet — whether you're running, volunteering, or cheering from the sidelines!
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Upcoming Work Days:
Forest Regeneration & Trail Work
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 Two Forest Regenerations Work Days in May:
Sunday, May 18, 9am
Sunday, May 27, 9am
Forest Regeneration activities focus on the areas in and around the fenced 14-acre Forest and Wildflower Preserve located near the Dog Park on Bear Lane in the Reservation. On workdays, we focus on removing invasive plants like knotweed, garlic mustard and mugwort. Ages 12-15 welcome with a parent. Dress appropriately for work! Long pants and sleeves, hats, bug spray and gloves.
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 Trail Work Volunteer Days:
Sunday, May 4, 9am - Noon
TRAIL WORK this month will be making improvements on and near the Fairy Trail to improve drainage on the Rahway and River Trails. Meet at the Locust Grove parking, 197 Glen Ave., Millburn. (Note: Consistent, moderate rain cancels. Chance of light rain does not.)
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Forest Regeneration Work in the Wildflower and Forest Preserve
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This past Earth Day, Rich Rockwell, Jon Stout and Dennis Percher undertook the third spring mowing of the one-acre Wildflower Meadow to rejuvenate the land for spring growth! Done in under three hours! Check back later in the season to see the changes!
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Extra Parking for Hemlock Falls now open!
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 After years of advocating for extra parking at the Hemlock Falls Trail Head, South Mountain Conservancy is proud to announce that the West Falls parking area is now open!
Hemlock Falls is one of the busiest parking areas and the small lot becomes unsafe on popular days. We encourage all visitors to this trail to choose an alternative parking location.
Look for the above sign on South Orange Avenue to find the new trailhead!
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New Citizen Science Program Leaders: Frog Watch & Nest Watch
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Welcome to our newest volunteers in Citizen Science!
Maisie Conrad-Poor and Max Fishkin will serve as Seasonal Leaders for the FrogWatch USA program. Together, they will lead the South Mountain Reservation Chapter.
We're also excited to welcome Sax Mura as our Seasonal Nest Watch Leader, guiding efforts to monitor and protect nesting bird populations throughout the season.
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🐸 Maisie says: "With a recent BA focused on wetland ecology and as one of Essex County’s first citizen science frog watchers, I’m thrilled to join the FrogWatch team! Frogs and toads have long fascinated me as powerful bioindicators — when we listen to them, we learn about the health of their habitats. After studying climate impacts on amphibians from Minnesota’s boreal forests to Costa Rica’s rainforests, I’m excited to return home to Essex County, where my passion began. This program is a beautiful opportunity to foster curiosity, care, and stewardship of our local ecosystems."
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🐸 Max Fishkin is working towards a bachelors degree in Environmental Engineering and is co-leading the conservancy’s FrogWatch program for the first time this season! He is hoping to develop sustainable practices to help minimize environmental impact in the future. You can catch Max at Red Bulls soccer games, taking pictures, or walking around the reservation on a sunny day.
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🐦⬛ Sax Mura grew up in West Orange and is running the NestWatch Program this year. After completing a term as a volunteer wildland firefighter with Americorps NCCC, Forest Corps, they're currently preparing to move to the Netherlands to major in Soil, Water, and Atmosphere at Wageningen University. They love all things dirt, microscopy, and working in the woods, and are excited to be working with the South Mountain Conservancy this season at Hawk Hill.
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11th SMR Family Campout Sold Out!
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The enormously popular Spring Family Campout quickly sold out! We reached max capacity in 3 1/2 days. We have 63 families registered with around 230 participants. The waiting list is now closed for this event. If you missed this season, look out for another event in Fall 2025. Thank you to all families who registered!
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South Mountain Conservancy is pleased to offer free, guided hikes all through the year! This month we are offering a forest bathing hike and more events for the over 50 community. Join us!
See our Meetup page for schedule and signups:
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Our Reservation trails are gaining a regional reputation for excellent hiking, thanks to over 1,800 hours of volunteer work improving the 55+ miles of trails. While the trails are in great shape, we always strive to make them better. You can help by joining our Monthly Trailwork teams or seasonal SWAT (Special Work and Tools) teams.
Monthly Trailwork:
Volunteers meet once a month, typically the first Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, April through December, to construct and restore trails as part of our Sustainable Trails Initiative. Locations vary each month. For details and to sign up, visit the South Mountain Conservancy Meetup page.
SWAT Teams:
SWAT teams focus on minor repairs, such as addressing understory growth, blazing, and drainage. Teams meet Wednesdays and Saturdays from April 2–May 24 (8:30–11:30 a.m.). Attend as you can. To join the mailing list, contact Dave Berry at trailkeepers@somocon.org for weekly updates on where to report.
Consider giving back and helping enhance our Reservation trails!
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Join the SMC Ambassadors!
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The Conservancy Ambassador Program (CAP) is a volunteer initiative designed to build a dedicated team who engage with the public as guides, educators, and advocates for the South Mountain Conservancy’s mission. Volunteers must be 18+. Learn about how to promote the Conservancy and apply: CAP
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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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