Garret Mountain Reservation, a Passaic County Park, located just south of Paterson, NJ, can be an excellent spot in the spring for the songbird migration.

Directions: Take I-287 to I-80. Go east to exit 56A (Squirrelwood Road). Go to the stop sign and turn right on Rifle Camp Road. Go up the hill about 0.5 miles to Mountain Ave., which comes in from the left. Turn left on Mountain Ave. (look for an army tank and the reservoir on the left) and go 0.3 miles to the entrance to Garret Mountain Reservation. Go right up the hill for a short distance to a large parking area.

The distance from Somerville on I-287 and I-80 to exit 56A is about 40 miles. Bring a lunch. We may also visit Rifle Camp Park, which is adjacent to Garret Mountain. If additional information is needed, call Lou Beck at (609) 737 0070.

We will walk a few of the many trails in the park looking for spring migrants and resident birds in wooded areas and adjacent fields.

Directions: Washington Crossing State Park is located off of Washington Crossing - Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ. Enter the park and follow signs to the Nature Center. Park at Nature Center parking lot. If additional information is needed, call Lou Beck at (609) 737-0070.

It may seem that winter will be here forever. But soon spring will come, the birds will start migrating and it will be time for the WCAS 2009 Birdathon. Our Birdathon is the bird watching equivalent of a walkathon. People who love birding and the environment convince birders and non-birders alike to pledge money for every species of bird seen by Birdathoners on Birdathon day.

It is easy to participate as a bird finder and/or as a sponsor. More information will be posted soon.

This is the only fund raiser for WCAS. The money collected goes for several of our educational and environmental programs such as:

• Audubon Adventures for 60 inner-city fourth-grade classrooms
• Workshops and field trips for families
• Monthly program meeting with informative speakers
• Hannah Suthers’ bird banding on Featherbed Lane, Hopewell
• and much more.

Our goal for 2009 is to raise $10,000.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 9th and come join the fun as a participant or as a sponsor. Pledge forms will come in the next Newsletter.

You could also win a prize. On April 20th there will be a random drawing for a birdhouse among those who have pledged to date.

On May 18th or soon after, Grand Prizes will be awarded to:

• Individual giving the highest dollar amount
• Solicitor who brought in the highest dollar amount
• Individual (or team) who observed the most species of birds.

The Institute Woods near the Institute for Advanced Study is an excellent place to observe the spring migration of warblers and other songbirds. Two dates are offered so that you can pick the most convenient for you.

Directions: From Princeton take Alexander Street toward Route 1. At the bend before the canal turn right on West Drive. Go a short distance on West Drive and park near the entrance to the Rogers Wildlife Refuge. Contact Lou Beck (609) 737-0070 if additional information is needed.

Join Henry Horn, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University for this enlightening look at the ecology, geology and human history of this unique forest in Princeton. During this adult oriented hike, discover life and death in the forest while examining a myriad of adaptations in various species. This hike courses through mature forest, along old stonewalls, across small streams and through a memorable boulder field including Devil’s Cave. This program is co-sponsored by the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association. Please pre-register for this free program by calling (609) 737-7592 – directions will be provided.

There are always interesting birds, especially warblers, nesting in the trees along the Delaware River and cliff swallows under the bridge. Join us and see what's there this year.

Directions: North on Route 29 through Stockton to park entrance on left 3.5 miles north of town. Turn left at sign for park and cross over bridge to parking lot straight ahead. There is a shaded picnic grove here, so bring a lunch for after our walk. Contact Lou Beck (609) 737-0070 if additional information is needed.

We plan to visit this Mercer County Park located north of the New Jersey Washington Crossing State Park. We plan to have the gate open so that you can drive to the top of the mountain and have time to explore this interesting area.

Directions: From Pennington - Washington Crossing Road (Route 546) go past Washington Crossing State Park to the intersection with Route 29. Turn right and go two miles to Fiddler's Creek Road. Turn right and go 0.2 miles to a parking area on the left. You can also take Church Road from Bear Tavern Road (Route 579). Follow Church Road and make your first right onto Fiddler's Creek Road. Follow Fiddler's Creek Road 1.4 miles and watch for the parking area on your right hand side. Contact Pat Sziber at (609) 737-1189 for more information.

This trip involves driving to numerous stops after we reach the Stokes State Forest area, so we would like to car pool to minimize the number of cars. The trip route is straight up Route 206 from Princeton about 60 miles to a meeting place/rest stop at Stokes Forest Office about one mile north of Culvers Lake. Please register with Lou Beck (609) 737-0070 prior to the trip.

This new park was known for years as the AT&T Overseas Transmission Station, or more familiarly as "The Pole Farm." It is adjacent to Rosedale Park, which is now part of the new Northwest Park. Come with us as we walk the paths and compare the flora and fauna to that of Rosedale.

Directions: From the traffic light at Manors Corner shopping center on Pennington-Lawrenceville Road take Keefe Road toward Princeton for 1.1 miles to the bend where it meets Cold Soil Road. At that bend, the entrance is on the left through a chain link gate. There is a white barn on the left inside the gate. Go straight on the macadam road to the parking area. If starting in Princeton take Cold Soil Road, go 1.1 miles past Blackwell Road to bend, look for entrance on right.

Join this ongoing series focusing on the waterways that drain our watershed and join our communities. On this day we will visit the Bedens Brook in Opossum Road Woods in Montgomery Township. Explore the web of life that connects the aquatic environment of the stream and the surrounding terrestrial habitat using a variety of tools including seines and nets. Meet a variety of creatures including water pennies, caddisflies, tadpoles, pumpkinseeds, and more while learning about our role in the health of streams. Bring old sneakers for wading, dry shoes to change into, and a sense of wonder. . This program is co-sponsored by the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association. Please pre-register for this free program by calling (609) 737-7592 – directions will be provided.

Contact/information, 609-895-5420. Cosponsored by with Friends for the Marsh, Mercer County Parks, and D & R Greenway Land Trust.

Directions: Coming from Trenton on South Broad St., turn right into Sewell Avenue shortly after the Lalor St. intersection. Proceed to the end of Sewell Ave. (watch out for stop signs) and follow the dirt road to the left down the hill to parking area.

We will be looking for resident birds such as blue grosbeaks, orchard orioles, and cedar waxwings. We also will be looking for butterflies.

Directions: East on I-195 to exit 11, Imlaystown. North on Imlaystown Road 2.6 miles to parking area at Lake Assunpink. Contact Lou Beck (609) 737-0070 if additional information is needed.

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