This Week in the New Jersey Skylands

March 24 - 31

Photo: Dan Bacon

Signs and Symptoms

It is still an underground movement, but don't be fooled! Spring will be mainstream someday soon.

If you can't feel it every day, you can smell it. The "fresh" liberating smell on a walk through the forest in early spring is, for a biologist, the odor of gases emitted by billions of tiny organisms in the newly thawed earth, releasing nutrients vital to the approaching bloom of wildflowers. And you can hear it up in the trees where things are getting noisy. So be sure you don't miss it. Start your spring now!

Photo: Trish Romano

Reel Love

Spring in the Skylands means falling in love… Reel Love; the enchantment of fishing, that is. Check our general fishing guide and see how to find ‘em, catch ‘em and cook ‘em. Get ready for trout season opening on April 10.

No one gets more excited about spring than a fly fisherman. Read about the mystery, and passion, of early spring fly fishing. And of an outdoorsman's joy at the vernal equinox.

And can visit Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center in Oxford this weekend (March 27-28) for the annual Open House and Fishing Flea Market. Activities include kids trout fishing, shotgun and archery ranges, crafts and other kids activities, wildlife artists and conservation groups, a fishing flea market and more! 10am - 4pm. 605 Pequest Rd.. 908/637-4125.

An American Rendition

On Friday, March 27, The Theatre at RVCC presents Jane Comfort Dance who explores our moral and political paralysis in the face of torture alongside our national addiction to TV reality shows. An American citizen is kidnapped, interrogated, and tortured in a secret prison while we stay glued to the tube following our favorite models, pop stars, and fashion queens. 8pm. Rt. 28 and Lamington Road, North Branch. 908/725-3420. A special Skylands discount is available at this link.

The encounter between Grant and Lee depicted above is called The Last Ditch, one of two rarely-seen 8 x 12 foot canvases in the Museum's collection.

Yet Another American Rendition

Fortunately, for those who don't get out much during the winter, the exhibit Thomas Nast: His Life and Legacy at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, in Morristown, has been extended through June 2010. This fascinating look at the talented American cartoonist’s work features the museum’s two rarely-seen 8x12 foot canvases, which Nast created as part of a traveling show of thirty-three monumental paintings, featuring satiric depictions of pivotal events in American history, in 1867. The Museum is open on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 4 pm. The last ticket for admission is sold at 3pm.

Macculloch Hall has a close connection with local history. Built from 1810 to 1819, this Federal style mansion was home to George Macculloch, best remembered as the Father of the Morris Canal, and five generations of his descendants. 45 Macculloch Avenue. ; 973/538-2404

The architectural rendering of the new wing at Scherman Hoffman is now reality.

Opening Doors to the Natural World

The New Jersey Audubon Society has completed a state-of-the-art facility at Hoffman Center for Conservation and Environmental Education, designed to meet the growing needs of the state's conservation community. Read more about the 5,000 square foot, three-story wing and plan on attending a Grand Opening event and May Day Celebration on May 1-2, 2010. The center is located at 11 Hardscrabble Rd. in Bernardsville, 908-766-5787

Easter Baskets

The Phillipsburg Steam Train Excursions on the Delaware will include the Easter Bunny on board this Saturday and Sunday, (3/27,28) and next Saturday (before Easter Sunday) Rides board hourly, 11am - 3:30pm at the Market Street station. $8 child/ $16 adult. The rides are sponsored by the town of Phillipsburg; 908/454-5500 x338

The Easter Bunny arrives Saturday (April 3) morning, 9:45am at Liberty Village Premium Outlets where hundreds of plastic eggs filled with treats & prizes for children will be hidden throughout the village. The annual egg hunt will follow. 1 Church St., Flemington, 908/782-8550 x11

Kids can search the fields and forests of Weis Ecology Center for naturally dyed eggs an Saturday, April 3 at 2pm. 150 Snake Den Road, Ringwood. 973/835-2160

You're invited to the Easter Buffet at The Inn at Millrace Pond in Hope where an impressive menu (pdf) is sure to please every member of the family. Seatings are at 1, 3 and 5 pm. To reserve, please call 908-459-4884

Summer Wind Luncheon

On April 28, Fairfield Manor will present an Italian luncheon buffet with entertainment by Joe Amato performing a Frank Sinatra tribute. If you'd like to attend, please RSVP by April 14th to Brittney at ISG Events: (973) 334-3110, or the banquet manager (973/882-3422). The luncheon begins at 12 noon and costs $29. Fairfield Manor, 17 Gloria Lane, Fairfield.

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Northwest New Jersey and destinations just beyond those borders, in Pennsylvania and New York, are equally intriguing and convenient offer colorful ways to get out and enjoy the pleasures of the season. Keep an eye on our calendar for great things to do all the time! And we've got a bundle of stories to help you on your way.

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