Discovery of Rare Species that Call NJSOC Home
October 16, 2023
Over the summer, the New Jersey School of Conservation made a few exciting discoveries of endangered or rare, insects and plants living on our campus!
Category: Blog
Two milestones in one! Teacher workshops & overnights are back!
August 15, 2023
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!
August 15, 2023
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
July 13, 2023
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
May 24, 2023
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
May 4, 2023
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
April 1, 2023
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
March 25, 2023
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
December 15, 2022
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
December 12, 2022
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!
August 19, 2022
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!
July 25, 2022
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
Tadpoles & Newts ahoy! NJSOC proudly welcomed Cub Scout Pack 84 of Sussex on campus!
July 13, 2022
It was a genuine pleasure to welcome the Cub Scouts of Pack 84 and their families to the New Jersey School of Conservation on July 9th! NJSOC has a long tradition of seeking to inspire the spirit of natural conservation in youth groups across the state, and with activities like
Who speaks for the trees? We do at the Native Plant Walk!
July 11, 2022
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!
July 10, 2022
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!
July 4, 2022
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!
June 27, 2022
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
Kent Place School Joins NJSOC for Environmental Education Field Trip
June 16, 2022
The NJ School of Conservation was very proud to welcome the 5th graders of Kent Place School to our campus for a day of learning and fun! The students got to experience hands-on instruction in areas such as Wildlife Ecology, Archery, Canoeing, Water Ecology and Fishing, while being outdoors in
The 2022 Division of Fish And Wildlife Youth Fishing Competition @NJSOC!
June 13, 2022
On Sunday, June 5th, 2022 the NJ School of Conservation was thrilled have families gathered to participate in the NJ Divison of Fish & Wildlife Annual Youth Fishing Competition! We had multiple winners in our categories of: First Caught, Largest (from head to tail), Smallest (from head to tail), Most
Spring Archery Students Graduate!
May 25, 2022
In four weeks, under the careful guidance of our Coaches, Ruth and John, these students progressed so much! We saw an increase in confidence, strength and accuracy with several different types of bows and at increasing distances. It was a real treat to watch this growth, and we hope the
Spring Fling Archers are hitting their mark!
May 16, 2022
At the NJ School of Conservation, on Saturday, May 14th, six of our current Spring Fling students all progressed to landing bullseyes and/or piercing balloons at competition level placing! Consistency is the name of the game in Archery and their practice is paying off. We are so proud of their
Spring Archery has sprung (or is it twanged?)@NJSOC!
May 1, 2022
We are all so pleased to share some pictures of our newest class of archers in our adult Spring Fling Program at the NJ School of Conservation! This group got an amazing start on Saturday, May 30th under the guidance of Ruth & John, our Class 3 Coaches/Instructors. This week’s
Spring into Wild Edibles @NJSOC!
April 24, 2022
Saturday, April 23rd was a beautiful day on the NJSOC Campus for our wonderful Wild Edibles Program, led by Joanne Lockwood! Participants learned how to correctly identify nutritious and plentiful ingredients such as Trout Lily, Bedstraw, Garlic Mustard and more! If you would like to learn about foraging and the
Sistas Afield Part II at NJSOC on 4/9/22
April 12, 2022
We have been so proud to be a part of the NJDEP Sistas Afield Program that brings families together over a 6 week session to learn fishing, water ecology, specimen identification, catching (fly fishing & spin casting), preparing and ultimately cooking the “big catch”! This program is simply AMAZING and