Category: Blog

Reflecting on a Year of Impact!

Dear Friend,
As the year draws to a close, I am happy to share the amazing impact that the New Jersey School of Conservation has had in 2024. From grade school to graduate school and beyond, our programs are testament to our commitment to foster educated and committed stewards of the environment

Welcome, Amelia!

We’d like to introduce you to Amelia Basile, our new SOC Intern!.

Thank you, Melinda!

We are so thankful to our recent intern, Melinda, for spending her summer here at SOC! Melinda was a big help to us over the past few months, and we will miss her deeply as she returns to school this semester

Renewing and Sustaining Our Facilities

At the New Jersey School of Conservation, our top priority is to ensure our campus is accessible and sustainable for every student who comes to learn. Through a series of renovations over the past three years, we have successfully re-imagined, revitalized and upgraded our buildings across campus to create a

Friends President wins 2023 Above & Beyond award

On October 11th, 2023, Kerry Kirk Pflugh, President of the Friends of New Jersey School of Conservation (Friends) was awarded the Above & Beyond Award by Julia Somers and David Budd on behalf of the New Jersey Highlands Coalition.

Two milestones in one! Teacher workshops & overnights are back!

We’ve passed many milestones in the past year and last week we celebrated another big one! For decades, the NJSOC was known for its exceptional teacher professional development trainings. Teachers learned techniques in “hands-on, field-based, experiential, social emotional learning and differentiated education” before any of those terms ever existed. For

NJSOC hosts Brooklyn-based Trail Blazers on campus!

The New Jersey School of Conservation is excited to announce our recent partnership with Trail Blazers! Trail Blazers is a Brooklyn-based organization with a 1,0000-acre site in Sussex County, New Jersey, and a rich history of nurturing outdoor education. The partnership is set to spark a deeper connection between children

Celebrating Summertime and Progress on Campus at the SOC

Since the Friends took over stewardship of the NJSOC and even more recently signed a 20-year lease with the state, our campus in Stokes State Forest has seen some major restoration efforts.   With more than 50 buildings, 240 acres of recreational land, Lake Wapalanne, a dam, and more –

Garwood Students Visit NJ SOC

When building for a warming climate, does a cement parking lot or a tree-lined garden help keep temperatures low? These were the types of questions that seventh grade students from Garwood were trying to answer in innovative new program hosted by the New Jersey School of Conservation last week. Climate

NJSOC Welcomes New Environmental Education Coordinator, Allyson Lance

The Friends of The New Jersey School of Conservation are thrilled to welcome our newest Enivronmental Education Coordinator, Allyson Lance! Allyson is a skilled educator and environmentalist who discovered her passion for conservation in college at Miami University (Ohio). She was an active member of many conservation and wildlife focused

CCC 90th Anniversary Flag Raising at NJSOC

On Friday, March 31st, 2023, the Friends of the New Jersey School of Conservation and NJ Youth Corps of Phillipsburg celebrated the 90th Anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) with a flag raising ceremony commemorating this historic program. The NJ Youth Corps members proudly acted as Color Guards raising

Hiring–Maintenance Worker

About the Friends of the New Jersey School of Conservation The Friends of the New Jersey School of Conservation (FONJSOC) unites people from all walks of life whose lives have been influenced through participation in programs at the School of Conservation. Our members are teachers, university professors, researchers, former students,

Environmental Advocates Hail Final Passage of Bill to Preserve Renowned New Jersey School of Conservation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 17, 2022 Contact: Ed PotosnakCell: (732) 991-7574Office: 609-331-9922 Environmental Advocates Hail Final Passage of Bill to Preserve Renowned New Jersey School of Conservation Environmental supporters across New Jersey have issued the following statements celebrating final passage of legislation designed to preserve the internationally recognized New Jersey

Hiring–Environmental Education Coordinator

The Friends of NJSOC are hiring an Environmental Education Coordinator (EEC) to employ interpretive, outreach and administrative skills in support of its mission of environmental education and stewardship.

NJSOC Celebrates the 2nd Annual Forest Fun Day!

The 2nd Annual Forest Fun Day took place on Saturday, August 13th and a fantastic time was had by all who participated. Gifted with beautiful weather, the day was filled with family activities, reunions with old friends, making new friends and of course, fishing, archery, boating, rock painting, hiking essentials, s’mores and ice-cream! Special

Staying Calm & Cool- NJSOC Summer Archers Are Focused!

Archery can challenge students mentally and physically as the eyes, brain and body must all work in combination. On this 3rd session of the Super Summer Program, our students upped their skills and gathered focus for a new set of fun challenges like the tic-tac-toe competition and our Coach’s festive

Who speaks for the trees? We do at the Native Plant Walk!

We were very fortunate to have Mike Lefebvre’s expertise on hand for our Native Plant Walk event that gave attendees a chance to identify and learn the history of the various species of flora in the pristine Stokes Forest! It was a very warm day, but our trees gave the

Summer Archery sizzles @NJSOC!

Yesterday, July 9th, our youth and adult Summer Archery programs began under the leadership and guidance of Ruth & John Goralski, our Level III Certified Coaches. The improvements to posture, stance and manual agility were already showing in our students who were scoring bullseyes by the end of the program!

Wild Edibles in July!

On Sunday, July 3rd, foragers welcomed the cool breezes and luscious greenery of the forest on campus as they learned about all the precious nutrients right at our feet! This course, taught by Joanne Lockwood, is one of our most popular due to the increased interest in learning about local

We welcomed the students of Bedminster Township Schools back to NJSOC!

It was a day of new experiences and hands-on ecological education for the 6th graders of Bedminster Township on June 7th! The students participated in a busy day of canoeing, water ecology, archery, metal smithing and fishing in Lake Wapalanne. The beautiful day culminated with dinner around the campfire at