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Saturday Outdoor Adventures for Families at Trailside

Union County NJ Tulip tree flower & leaves
Discover the beauty of spring in the scenic 2060-acre Watchung Reservation with a Trailside Park Naturalist in the Saturday Outdoor Adventure series.  Programs start at 2:00 p.m. at the Trailside Visitor Center, are free and do not require registration.  Donations are requested.  May 16th features the Trees of Trailside.  Learn how to identify trees by their buds, bark, branching and flowers. Find out why the Lenape Native Americans used the tulip tree (leaves and flowers pictured above) to make dugout canoes.  Drop in on May 23rd to learn the components of a successful backyard wildlife habitat and find out how you can make your backyard more wildlife friendly in Backyard Habitats.  The Outdoor Adventure series will conclude with a hike to near-by wetland areas for a Salamander Search.  Learn how to catch, identify and release northern two-lined, redback and slimy salamanders.  For additional information about these offerings, upcoming programs or special events at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.  Trailside Nature & Science center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Mountainside, NJ – The Saturday Outdoor Adventures program series at Trailside Nature and Science Center offers families themed hikes and nature related talks.  These free programs are presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation.  The programs begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Trailside Visitor Center. 

Join Trailside Park Naturalists for Trees of Trailside on May 16th which explores the variety of trees and how to identify them by their bark, leaves and branches.  Find out which trees were used by the Native Americans for food, shelter and medicine.  On May 23rd, Backyard Habitats takes family explorers into Trailside’s wildlife habitat for an afternoon of discovery. Find out some simple steps you can do to make your home more wildlife friendly.  The final program on May 30th is Salamander Search.  Participants will hike to near-by wetland areas to search under rocks and logs for redback, northern two-lined and slimy salamanders.

“Trailside provides a unique outdoor environment for adults and families to have fun while learning about and enjoying the natural world around them,” stated Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.

For additional information about these offerings, upcoming programs or special events at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.  Trailside Nature & Science center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.