Environmental Centers

Document


CLOSTER NATURE CENTER


145 Ruckman Rd., Closter, NJ 07624
201-750-1778
www.closternaturecenter.org

The Closter Nature Center is a beautiful oasis in the middle of suburban Closter with 136 acres of ponds, brooks, meadows and forests to explore. Center provides informative monthly lectures and nature walks for the general public, as well as school or scout groups.

CELERY FARM NATURAL AREA


Franklin Turnpike, Allendale, NJ
Contact: The Fyke Nature Association, P.O. Box 141, Ramsey, NJ 07446
www.fykenature.org

The Celery Farm is a 107-acre freshwater wetland in Allendale, New Jersey. Volunteers from Fyke are responsible for creating and maintaining the footpaths around the preserve, the three observation platforms and the nesting boxes. Over 240 species of birds have been recorded here, and more than 50 are known to breed here. The wetlands and deciduous woods provide habitat for many mammals, fish, reptiles and insects. Field trips offered throughout the year. Fyke Association monthly meetings held at the Allendale Borough Hall, 500 West Crescent Ave., Allendale, NJ

DEMAREST NATURE CENTER


90 Park St., Demarest, NJ 07627
Demarest Nature Center Assoc., Box 41m Demarest, NJ 07627
www.demarestnaturecenter.org

The Demarest Nature Center is located in Demarest, NJ and is open to all persons, residents and non-residents alike, every day of the year. In addition to preserving and protecting important open space here in the midst of a large metropolitan area, the center seeks to educate young and old alike as to the beauty of nature and the importance of protecting our environment.

FLAT ROCK BROOK NATURE CENTER


443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood, NJ 07631
201-567-1625
www.flatrockbrook.org
Trails and picnic area are open free to the public daily from dawn to dusk. Center open Mon.-Fri, 9 am – 5 pm; Sat. & Sun. 1-5 pm.

Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is a 150-acre preserve and education center situated on the western slope of the Palisades in Englewood, New Jersey. Established in 1973 it is one of the last remnants of the Palisades Forest and is preserved as a natural environment available to the public for trail walks, nature study and other passive recreation. Center provides environmental education programs for all ages, guided hikes, summer camps and other events. A network of self-guiding trails leads to a cascading stream, wetlands, ponds, wildflower meadows, quarry cliffs and woodland.

FRIENDS OF THE HACKENSACK RIVER GREENWAY THROUGH TEANECK


PO Box 3028, Teaneck, NJ 07666
201-692-8222
email: info@teaneckgreenway.org
www.teaneckgreenway.org
www.teaneckgreenway.blogspot.com

Friends’ mission is to support the development, maintenance and use of nature trails along the Hackensack River, scheduling guided walks, lectures, concerts, clean-up and planting events. The 3.5 mile Greenway, a National Recreation Trail, contains a pedestrian walkway and nature trail. Native vegetation is being encouraged within the Greenway to protect and improve the Hackensack River by creating a natural, green buffer between Teaneck's developed area and the river.

GREENBROOK SANCTUARY


Route 9W, Alpine, NJ
Postal address: Palisades Nature Association, P.O. Box 155, Alpine, NJ 07620-0155
201-784-0484
email: greenbrook@njpalisades.org
On Route 9W north, the entrance to Greenbrook is 0.8 miles north of East Clinton Ave. on the right side.

A special-use nature preserve maintained by the Palisades Nature Association. Greenbrook Sanctuary is 165 acres of woodland on top of New Jersey’s magnificent Palisades. 4.7 miles north of the George Washington Bridge, off U.S. Route 9W, the sanctuary is an oasis of solitude and natural beauty, minutes away from one of the noisiest, most densely populated areas in the world. In the wildest, most secluded acres, trees rise 100 to 130 feet and are often over 200 years old.

LORRIMER SANCTUARY


790 Ewing Ave., PO Box 125, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
201-891-2185
www.njaudubon.org
Summer hours: Tue. – Sat. 9am-5pm; closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays.

Lorrimer Sanctuary was bequeathed to the New Jersey Audubon Society in 1956. There is a self-guiding trail system that winds through the 14 acres of land. Much of the acreage is second-growth woods (mostly oak, maple, ash, and beech); and small stands of planted evergreens. The trails are open during Sanctuary hours. The main house, parts of which date back to the late 1700's, is the present visitors' center and Sanctuary office. The visitors' center has an exhibit and lecture room, winter bird feeding station, interpretive displays, hands-on exhibits, and a gift shop, the proceeds of which benefit the Sanctuary

JAMES A. MCFAUL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER


150 Crescent Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 07481
201-891-5571
Center Page
Open year-round to the public; admission is free. Wheel-chair accessible boardwalk along the pond to a 2-story observation platform.

Part of the Bergen County Parks system, this 81-acre wildlife sanctuary offers nature programs and workshops. The site includes a waterfowl pond, bird shelters, a boardwalk, nature trail, memorial gazebo and natural science exhibits. The Environmental Center gardens include specialties such as flowering trees, Daffodil Hill, rhododendrons, ornamental grasses, the herb garden, a secret scented garden and various memorial plantings. A naturalized field area and woodland contain many plant species that provide food and shelter for a variety of wildlife species, including insects, birds and mammals. Center includes: main building with auditorium, library and nature exhibits; picnic pavilion; outdoor exhibits; observatory overlooks, workshops and lectures, educational programs; and events throughout the year.

MEADOWLANDS ENVIRONMENT CENTER


Two DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
201-460-8300

https://www.njsea.com/meadowlands-environment-center

Center open Mon.-Fri., 8 am-4 pm; Sat.- Sun. 10 am-3 pm. Trails Open daily 8 am to dusk. Picnics allowed.

A N.J. Meadowlands Commission Facility operated by Ramapo College of N.J. Includes the Center for Environmental and Scientific Educations; William D. McDowell Observatory; The Meadowlands Environment Center. Has year-round public programs and extensive trail and boardwalk system.

PALISADES INTERSTATE PARK – NJ SECTION


Headquarters: PO Box 155, Alpine, NJ 07620-0155
201-768-1360
email: mail@njpalisades.org
www.njpalisades.org

Located in northeastern Bergen County, the New Jersey Section of the PIP is part of more than 100,000 acres of parklands and historic sites in N.Y. and N.J. managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The two states formed the Commission in 1900 to stop the defacement of the Palisades by stone quarries, which were blasting the famous cliffs into gravel. The N.J. Section is about 12 miles long, a half-mile wide, and encompasses 2,500 acres of wild Hudson River shorefront, uplands, and cliffs. Within this park are more than 30 miles of hiking trails, a boat launching ramp, a scenic riverside drive, a cliff-top Parkway and overlooks, riverfront picnic groves and playgrounds, a nature sanctuary, two boat basins, historic sites—and mile after mile of rugged woodlands and vistas just minutes from midtown Manhattan.

TEANECK CREEK CONSERVANCY


20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJ 07666
201-836-2403
www.teaneckcreek.org
www.teaneckcreek.blogspot.com
Teaneck Creek Park is open, free-of-charge, 365 days a year from dawn to dusk

The Teaneck Creek Conservancy is a member-supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to the reclamation and protection of the environmental, cultural, and historical legacy of the Teaneck Creek watershed. In 2001 an eclectic group of environmentalists, artists, and educators joined forces with the Puffin Foundation to rescue a small parcel of land in the southern most portion of Teaneck that had been an unofficial dumpsite for nearly half a century. Working with community leaders and the Bergen County Parks Department, in 2006 the Teaneck Creek Park emerged with over 1.3 miles of groomed trails, an Outdoor Classroom, and ecological art exhibits that make this oasis unlike any other.

TENAFLY NATURE CENTER


313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ 07670
201-568-6093
email: info@tenaflynaturecenter.org
www.tenaflynaturecenter.org

Trail maps available in the center. Center open weekdays: 9 am - 5 pm; weekends: 11 am - 4 pm. Trails open daily from dawn to dusk and during special programs.

A non-profit independent member-supported nature preserve of almost 400 wooded acres on the Palisades surrounding Pfister’s Pond, with trails and a nature center where public programs are held. When trails are open we welcome visitors to hike, bird-watch, observe wildlife, cross-country ski, snow-shoe and ice skating on the pond. Center houses a small natural history museum with live animals, interactive exhibits, natural history displays and library.

THE THIELKE ARBORETUM OF GLEN ROCK


412 Doremus Avenue
Glen Rock, NJ 07452
201-447-0452
www.glenrocknj.net

Created in 1954; 11 acres with walkway and plaques identifying trees and flowers. The Arboretum is a wetland forest with perennial, shade, azalea and grass gardens, lawns, and an alee of Kousa dogwood trees. There is a spring fed pond with fountain and aerators that is stocked annually with fish. A section of the arboretum, across Diamond Brook is a bird sanctuary. The Arboretum, with its antique Gazebo surrounded by engraved brick pavers and four small gardens, is a popular site for special celebrations.

THE NATURE PROGRAM COOPERATIVE


www.natureprogram.org

Formed in 2006 by over a dozen places and organizations in Bergen County, NJ that banded together to create a website designed to offer greater opportunities to explore and enjoy the region’s natural side provide quality environmental education. Includes: Bergen County Audubon Society, Bergen County Zoo, Bergen SWAN, Closter Nature Center, Demarest Nature Center, The Fyke Nature Association, Greenbrook Sanctuary, Hackensack Riverkeeper, Lorrimer Sanctuary, Meadowlands Environment Center, Overpeck Preserve, Palisades Interstate Park, Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Tenafly Nature Center, Watershed Ambassadors, Weis Ecology Center.