Fall Family
Festival &
Fall
Seasonal Programs
Essex County
Environmental Center
Click HERE to
view our Parks Calendar & Register Online Today!
Click
HERE for
our Public Programs Brochure
Pre-registration HERE.
Pre-registration
HERE.
LITTLE
EXPLORERS
Mondays—
October 7, 21; November 4, 18; December 9, 16
For ages 2 and 3; 10am to 11am AND for ages 2 to 5; 3pm to 4pm
Join us for
explorations of nature as we study plants and animals and observe the
colors,
shapes, textures, and sounds in the Environmental Center’s forest
habitat.
Please come dressed for the weather; all classes include an outdoor
adventure.
All children must be walking and accompanied by an adult. Paths
cannot accommodate strollers.
Please be prepared for all weather conditions. Maximum of two
children per adult. All sessions are limited to 10 children.
This is not a drop off class; adults must accompany children.
Fee:
$15 per child per session
Pre-registration
HERE.
LENAPE
PLANTS OF THE EASTERN WOODLANDS
Tuesday,
October 1, 5pm to 6:30pm
For families and adults. Make and take a walking stick before
exploring with our Senior Naturalist David Alexander to focus on the
ethnobotany of our local bioregion.
The Lenape people and culture made daily use of indigenous (native)
plants as food, medicine, shelter, dyes, fibers, oils, resins, gums,
tannins, and more.
Through the lens of the Lenape, we’ll explore our trails and Lenape
Learning Area to meet nettle, elderberry, spicebush, ostrich fern,
spruce, cattail, dogbane and many other plants that were essential to
their survival for thousands of years living here in Lenapehoking.
Fee: $12 per child and $15 per adult
Pre-registration HERE.
DINOSAUR
DISCOVERY FAMILY FIELD TRIP
October 3, 4:45pm to 6:45pm
For families with young children ages 4 and up.
Meet at the end of Locust Avenue in Roseland and hike 1-mile total to
explore this National Historic Landmark that is home to three-toed
Grallator dinosaur tracks from the late Triassic age.
Using clay, we’ll make and take an impression of an existing track
and leave the site undisturbed for future paleontological
study.
Fee: $12 per child and $15 per adult
Pre-registration HERE.
BATS OF NEW
JERSEY
Thursday,
October 17, 5:30pm to 7pm
For students in grades 1 through 5.
Ever wonder what kind of local
bats are catching bugs in your backyard? Or where they sleep?
Learn from a bat enthusiast about our upside-down friends, play the
role of a bat biologist in a simulated study and take-home plans to
build a bat house!
Fee: $12 per child 
Pre-registration HERE.
S’MORES n’
MORE NIGHT HIKE
Friday,
October 25, 6pm to 7:30pm
For families. Come out to build a campfire and practice fundamental
fire skills in a safe and controlled environment.
Once we get our fire burning, we’ll roast marshmallows and make
S’mores. All ages welcome.
Fee: $12 per child and $15 per adult 
Pre-registration HERE.
TODDLER
SENSORY HIKE
Saturday,
October 26, 9am to 10am
For children ages 1-5 with caregiver supervision.
Bring your toddlers for a sensory exploration outside with a
naturalist. Visit the forest trails, frog pond, Passaic River and
more. Fee: $12 per child and $15 per adult 
Pre-registration HERE.
HOLIDAY
WREATH MAKING
Saturday,
November 9, 11am to 12:30pm
For adults.
Welcome your friends and family for the holidays with a
beautiful holiday wreath!
Together we’ll use evergreen boughs and other materials to create a
seasonal work of art!
All materials and hot chocolate are included for this hands-on
workshop.
Fee: $30 per person
Pre-registration HERE.
HOT
CHOCOLATE AND S’MORES HIKE
Thursday,
November 14, 6pm to 7:30pm
For families.
Join us for a hike around the Environmental Center
forest, build a winter campfire, sip hot cocoa and make s’mores.
Dress warmly. Fee: $12 per child and $15 per adult
Pre-registration HERE.
LENAPE LIFE
Saturday,
November 16, 10:30am to 12noon
For families.
Visit our Lenape Learning Area to better understand how
they hunted, fished, foraged, and farmed using sticks, stones and
bones.
Make a clay pot and explore topics such as fire-friction, plant
identification, games, clothing, and more. Fee: $12 per child and $15 per adult
Pre-registration HERE.
OUTDOOR
SKILLS FAMILY DAY
Saturday,
November 23,10am to 1pm
For families.
Come together to practice camping skills!
We'll go through a backpack, set-up a tent, make a fire and enjoy our
own campfire cooked treats!
Be prepared to do some walking, smell like woodsmoke, make new
friends, feel confident in your outdoor skills, and get back to
nature.
Please dress for the weather and pack a lunch. Fee: $25 per person
Pre-registration HERE.
Forest
Friends Feeder Contest
Registration
Deadline: Wednesday, December 11th, Project Drop-off:
Friday,
December 20th, by 5pm
For all ages.
Create an edible, festive and unique wetland wildlife
feeder for our outdoor exhibit.
Projects will be on display on our forested trail for as long as the
forest critters allow!
For contest
rules and to register, please contact, Tara Casella, tcasella@parks.essexcountynj.org,
973.228.8776. 
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