What Keeps You from Getting Connected?

Our monthly public education focuses on removing the barriers that limit residents and/or their families from connecting with nature in our region.

We meet the second Thursday of every month from 7p-8:30p

Join us at the West Milford Library, 1470 Union Valley Road, West Milford on the second floor.

2024 Upcoming Sessions

May 9: Foraging for Food & Creative Expression with Tara Spear. Includes what to look for, where to find it and how to use it. *** FIELD TRIP is Saturday May 18th!!!!*****

June 13: Fire-building - Indoors and Out - Learn how to start, maintain and extinguish flames in fire pits, wood stoves, barbeques, camp fires, fire-places, chimeneas, and more.

July 11: Tending to your Garden Series- Session 1 - Hands-on-learning in the Wallisch Community Garden; Culinary Herbs for Health. Goodie bag and training materials included ($10)

August 8 : Tending to your Garden Series- Session 2 - Hands on learning at the Wallisch Community Garden - Planting for a Fall Harvest. Goodie bag and training materials included ($10)

September 12th: Tending to your Garden Series- Session 3 Hands on learning at the Wallisch Community Garden - Saving Your Seeds Goodie bag and training materials included ($10) Starts at 6pm!

October 10: Moon Cycles and how it affects our bodies, our moods, the land and our food.

November 14: Reducing Our Landfills through Composting & recycling what you can and can’t do and where you can do it - leaves too!

December 12: Holiday Celebration! Come join us for winter holiday fun. Play games, make crafts, eat great food, listen to fun music, connect with other like minded people!

2024 Past Sessions

January 25 : Seed Swap – 15 of us gathered to share organic seeds that we saved this year to swap and share with others. Many of us had seeds in packages from the prior year, and a few experienced gardeners shared the seeds they had saved from their own successful crops last year. You can learn more about how to save your seeds by downloading this seed saving guide from AJA.

February 8: Wild Gardening; Transition Away From a Lawn. 16 of us gathered together to learn from John Harrison and our Master Gardner Karen Longo who have transformed their lawn into Wild Gardens. It isn’t hard to do, and it is so much more beneficial for both humans and wildlife. John and Karen also shared seeds with the group to start their own Wild Garden at home!!! Check out their presentation on how to get started here.

March 14th: Organic Gardening + Community Garden Sign Up Night . 50 of us came together to learn about the 2 organic community gardens, how they work and why they work. We have a few younger people joining the gardens this year, and new locals are getting involved in both our local Ample Harvest + Culinary Herb garden at Wallisch Homestead. Lastly, our own Jim Segal taught us how to grow our own sweet potatoes! Check out his presentation here.

April 11: Cannabis for Health! with Pharmacist Rachel Lyons & Budtender/Grower Nicole from Jersey Roots - 25 of us came together to Learn how nature can be the best medicine for our bodies. Many times, it can be help regardless of other medications you may be taking. Check out the their presentation here