- Holiday Party Save the Date!
- Wildflower Sculpture Park Walk & Talk recap
- Trail Work Day: Sun, Nov 1, 9AM. Help finish the Hogenauer Trail reroute.
- Pollinator Meadow Work Day: Sat, Nov 14, 10AM
- SWAT Team Fall Updates
- Fairy Trail Construction Nears Completion!
- Seeking additional volunteer Trash Tackler Co-Coordinator
- Free guided hikes: All year, all seasons, all welcome.
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SAVE THE DATE: SMC HOLIDAY PARTY
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 Join us to celebrate the season!
The SMC Holiday Party is Thursday, December 3, from 6 to 8 PM at the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum, 324 Forest Drive South, Short Hills, NJ 07078.
Come toast another great year of caring for the Reservation with fellow members and volunteers.
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Wildflower Sculpture Park Opening Success!
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Above L to R: HAMEWS discusses her work, Grief Circus; Anonda Bell highlights her sculpture, Mycenae.
Below L to R: The 2026 Root System artists and curators; Kate Eggleston hops through her work, Bear Trap.
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The South Mountain Conservancy proudly welcomed visitors to the Wildflower Sculpture Park Artist Walk & Talk on Sunday, October 25.
Dozens of supporters toured the new installations with the 2026 Root System artists, who gave thoughtful talks about the ideas behind their work in this fall's new exhibition.
Many thanks to WSP curator Doris Cacoilo for planning and leading such a successful event.
If you missed the opening, fear not! The works will be on view through December (and some beyond!)
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Volunteer Work Days in November
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We invite you to join a volunteer work day this season! Click on this link to see what you could help us do. S. Mt. Conservancy Volunteer Opportunities. If you see something that you'd like to do then contact the program coordinator listed to find out how to get involved.
Below: Seton Hall Prep students volunteering at the Pollinator Meadow
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Trail Work Volunteer Day: Sunday, November 1, 9am
MEETUP RSVP
Our monthly trail crew continues rerouting the Hogenauer Trail up the slope and away from recently installed property fences. We work from 9 a.m. to noon and meet at the Dog Park/Wildflower Preserve, 11 Bear Lane, Maplewood. Participants must be 15 or older, and those under 18 must come with an adult. Wear long pants and sturdy shoes and bring gloves; tools, water, and a snack are provided. Sign up on Meetup so we bring enough tools. |
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Pollinator Meadow Work Day: November 14, 10am - 1pm
MEETUP RSVP
The new path through the Pollinator Meadow is almost finished! Help us wrap it up at the next volunteer workday on Saturday, November 14, at 10 a.m. Work will focus on pathway installation and an invasive species sweep. Park in the Shady Nook Picnic Area on Cherry Lane in Millburn and meet at the meadow. Ages 12 to 15 are welcome with a parent or guardian present. Details and the waiver are on Meetup. |
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Trail Work Teams: A Productive Fall
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Above: Part of our SWAT team showing off their water drainage crossing rehab work. Way to go!
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 Our Wednesday and Saturday SWAT teams and Sunday monthly crews have had a very productive fall.
The SWAT teams finished rehabilitating and upgrading the Lenape (yellow blaze) Trail between the Sunset and Pingry trails, including new and rebuilt water crossings, so come see the results!
The Sunday crews are close to finishing the Hogenauer Trail reroute and hope to complete it on the season’s last Sunday workday, December 6.
Want to pitch in? The final SWAT days are November 4, 7, 11, and 14.
Contact Dave Berry at trailwork@somocon.org to sign up.
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Fairy Trail Construction Nearing Completion
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Work on the Fairy Trail is in its final stretch, and we expect it to be complete by mid-November.
Watch for an announcement!
While we wait for the trail to re-open, we invite your family to make magic OFF the trail by building a fairy house of your own.
How to participate:
- Review our building guidelines on the website
- Build your house from sturdy, natural materials that blend into the forest
- Submit your house for approval by our Fairy Trail Program Coordinators, by sending photos to fairytrail@somocon.org. Once approved, we will coordinate trail installation in the spring.
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Volunteer Needed: Additonal Trash Tackler
Co-Coordinator
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Love a clean forest? Be the behind-the-scenes volunteer who makes it happen! We’re looking for a Trash Tackler Co-Coordinator to team up with Eric Tuvel to organize the individuals and groups who clear litter from our picnic areas and trails.
Most of the work is answering emails and logging volunteer hours, so it’s flexible and can be done from home.
Interested? Email trashtacklers@somocon.org.
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South Mountain Conservancy is pleased to offer free guided hikes all through the year! Come enjoy some changing trees and crunchy leaves!
See our Meetup page for schedule and signups:
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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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