Inside Jersey went in search of opportunities to get off the couch and out of the house.
THERE'S SOMETHING about April that makes you want to quote Alexander Pope: "Hope springs eternal in the human breast."
Hope that those tulip bulbs you planted in the fall will bloom (and that the deer won't snack on them). Hope that you can soon open your windows to let the fresh air in and the stale, closed feeling of winter out. Hope that the temperate weather to come will jump-start stalled new year's resolutions.
Knowing just how you feel, Inside Jersey went in search of opportunities to get off the couch and out of the house. New Jersey is the Garden State, after all. Read on for nature walks and talks offered at gardens and parks, eager to show off their springtime splendor. Be sure to confirm dates and times before you head out the door.
1 | Salt Marsh Safari
For several decades, the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor has offered a Salt Marsh Safari, calling it the foundation of the organization's educational programming.
"The salt marsh is a very wet and muddy place, and for that reason, it is an environment that many people know little about and find very intriguing," says outreach coordinator Kaitlin Gannon.
Offered daily from May through October, this hourlong guided tour offers visitors the opportunity to relish the caress of warm ocean breezes, the salty taste of succulent pickle grass and the rotten egg smell of the wetlands at low tide. (Okay, so maybe you won't be relishing the latter, but that familiar sulfur smell is the sign of a healthy marsh.)
"The salt marsh wetland is one of the most bio-productive ecosystems on the planet, which means there are many food sources available," Gannon says. "The abundance of food attracts living things of all shapes and sizes, especially birds during migration. Salt marshes are like a bed and breakfast to passing migrants."
Be sure to wear shoes that can get muddy. The salt marsh tour follows a quarter-mile scenic walking trail, while providing an unparalleled view of the wetlands from a 750-foot-long elevated walkway. Admission to the institute, which includes the tour, is $8 for adults; $6 for children, ages 3 to 12; and free for children 2 and younger.
The Wetlands Institute | 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd., Stone Harbor | (609) 368-1211 | wetlandsinstitute.org
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2 | Leonard J. Buck Garden
What is different and appealing about the Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills are the large outcroppings of rocks, around which vibrant wildflowers and ferns, brilliant azaleas and stunning rhododendron bloom. Named for the geologist who developed the garden in the late 1930s as part of his estate, the 33-acre wooded haven was donated to the Somerset County Park Commission by Buck's widow in 1976.
The blossoms are at their most beautiful between April and June, but the garden is worth exploring well into the fall. You can tour it on your own or arrange a weekday guided tour for a group.
"It's really quite astounding," says park employee Laurel Magrini, about the variety of flowering plants.
Oh ... and bring a book. You just might want to spend an hour on a bench under a leafy canopy amid the fragrant jonquils, Virginia bluebells and Chinese fringe trees.
The garden is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays; and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. It is closed on weekends and holidays from December through March. Though there is no formal fee to enter the garden, the requested donation is $3 per adult and $1 per senior or child.
Leonard J. Buck Garden | 11 Layton Road, Far Hills | (908) 234-2677 | somersetcountyparks.org
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3 | Firefly Festival
Who knew that there is more than one species of firefly? Visit Duke Farms in July for its Firefly Festival and you'll learn that there are about 100 species (five of them in New Jersey), distinguishable by their flicker patterns.
Attracted by the tall native grasses on the sprawling former estate of American heiress Doris Duke, the persistent glow of these tiny insects provides a magical quality to the evening. "It's one of those romantic things about summer," says Duke Farms program director Nora Wagner.
The free Firefly Festival will be held on July 8 and 9, from 8 to 11 p.m. Volunteers staff educational stations along the lighted 1-mile walk, regaling visitors with all sorts of fun firefly facts and activities.
Duke Farms | 1112 Dukes Parkway West, Hillsborough | (908) 722-3700 | dukefarms.org
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4 | Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival
You don't need to travel to Washington, D.C., to enjoy the soft pink splendor of cherry trees in bloom. The 40th annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off this month in Newark's Branch Brook Park, where the display of 28 varieties of cherry blossoms is nothing short of spectacular.
More than 4,000 cherry trees fill the 360-acre park, which dates back to the late 1800s, much of it designed by the architectural firm of Frederick Law Olmstead Sr.
The festival includes a bike race on April 9; a 10K run on April 10; a mile fun run and walk, and oodles of family activities on April 16; and Bloomfest! on April 24. Most of the events are free. Guided tours of the park leave from the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center daily during cherry blossom season. Tour tickets are $5 per person.
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center | Branch Brook Park, Newark | (973) 621-2542 | essexcountyparks.org/parks/branch-brook-park
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5 | Butterfly Walk
"There's a tiger swallowtail, right on cue," Don Torino told about 50 enthusiasts eager to begin the annual Butterfly Walk last year at the New Jersey Botanical Garden.
This is a serious butterfly-watching bunch, with sturdy hiking boots, and binoculars and cameras with multiple lenses dangling around their necks.
The great spangled fritillary is present in abundance, attracted by the nectar of the purple coneflower, yarrow and Queen Anne's lace. There's also the silver-spotted skipper, a flitting flier that prefers a flower of any color, except yellow.
Torino is the president of the Bergen County Audubon Society. For the past three years, he has shared his extensive knowledge of these delicate critters and the native plants they love on the free NJBG Butterfly Walk, which is set for July 10, at 1 p.m. The botanical garden will host a free Butterfly Festival on Aug. 14, from noon to 3 p.m.
Also in July, at the Meadowlands, is a celebration of butterflies on a grander scale. Torino says between 800 and 1,000 people attend Butterfly Day at Richard W. DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. This free event is scheduled for July 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"If you had to pick one month, July is the time of year when most species are out," says Torino, who has helped to run Butterfly Day for the past eight years. "It's definitely the prime time for butterflies."
New Jersey Botanical Garden | Ringwood State Park, 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood | (973) 962-7031 | njbg.org
Bergen County Audubon Society | P.O. Box 235, Paramus | bergencountyaudubon.org
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6 | The Willowwood
Bring your cellphone to the Willowwood Arboretum in Chester for a high-tech tour of the gardens. For example, you'll find the Trochodendron aralioides ("wheel tree") at Stop No. 301, with a whorl of horizontal branches that resemble the spokes of a wheel. Stop No. 501 reveals a mix of subtropical flora in the conservatory -- succulents, vines and flowering houseplants. The magnolia stellata, or star magnolia, can be found at Stop No. 111; the colors of its flowers vary from year to year.
"Cellphone tours are a way of providing in-depth information for visitors. It's like taking a walk with a curator," says Lesley Parness, superintendent of Horticultural Education for the Morris County Park Commission.
These tours, which take about an hour, are available from May through October. Themed tours in past years have included "The Medicinal Plants of the Civil War" and the "Story of Scent." The Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center and the Frelinghuysen Arboretum will join Willowwood in offering cellphone tours this year. Willowwood is open free year-round, from 8 a.m. to dusk.
The Willowwood Arboretum | 300 Longview Road, Chester | (908) 234-1815 | willowwoodarboretum.org
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7 | Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
The Presby Memorial Iris Gardens have a nickname that beckons. Each May, the so-called "Rainbow on the Hill" showcases roughly 10,000 plants of 1,500 iris varieties -- producing more than 100,000 blossoms in every hue.
The carefully arranged flower beds tell the iris garden's story. Bed 1 houses species and heirloom varieties from the early 1900s. Bed 9 illustrates the history of hybridizing, a practice near and dear to Frank Presby, for whom the garden is named. There are beds for Hall of Fame irises and beds for antique historic tall bearded irises. Bed 20 showcases remontant bearded irises that bloom more than once.
Most of these beauties are around only a short time, however, so plan your visit accordingly. The annual spring bloom season typically runs from mid-May through the first week in June; the park is open from dawn to dusk. Check with the garden for the exact schedule. There is no admission fee, but there is a suggested donation of $8 per person.
Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens | 474 Upper Mountain Ave., Upper Montclair | (973) 783-5974 | presbyirisgardens.org
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8 | The A.J. Meerwald
Go on a sail aboard New Jersey's official tall ship for a real-life lesson on the ecology of the Hudson River. For more than 15 years, the Tenafly Nature Center has partnered with the A.J. Meerwald to offer educational sails, during which you might trawl for plankton and crabs, and perform water quality tests. You and your family also can help to hoist the sails and coil the lines aboard this floating classroom.
"Okay, guys. We're going to learn how to tie a figure-eigt knot," a sailor told his makeshift crew on a summer sail last year.
The ship docks at the Alpine Boat Basin for just one weekend -- this year, from July 14 through 17 -- and sails rain or shine. Each trip is limited to 40 people; fees to participate vary, depending on the sail, since the event is a fundraiser for the nature center.
Tenafly Nature Center | 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly | (201) 568-6093 | tenaflynaturecenter.org
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