New Jersey School of Conservation

10/30/2026

A great piece by our friend Dr. Lauren Madden. The NJSOC is proud to be a leader in this statewide effort!

Science educator Lauren Madden argues New Jersey must continue to support climate change being taught across grade levels and subject areas.

10/30/2026

Great news!!

10/29/2026

The Center of Life Long Learning Nature Art & Poetry class was hosted on Tuesday, October 20. Attendees went outdoors to a natural area, they created ephemeral land art using only materials found in nature, then brought their artwork to life through creative writing. By blending environmental exploration, art, and literacy, participants developed creativity, communication skills, and a lasting respect for nature, diverse cultures, and one another.

This program was taught by Patrice Kealy who has shared her passion for science, history, and the arts with children and adults throughout the years in New Jersey. Her career has included marine science education, environmental education, sailing instruction, and serving as an interpretive park ranger at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. She also participated in the Soviet-American Sail, a diplomatic and environmental expedition across the Atlantic. An avid photographer, artist, and writer, Patrice is a published illustrator and is currently writing a middle-grade fiction novel.

Thank you to everyone who attended and we hope to see you next time!

10/28/2026

At the NJSOC, Water Ecology is a class offered to school groups, where students are able to wade into the Flatbrook, a state designated Category One Trout Production Stream, which is the cleanest water classification designation for a water body. Here students are able to collect and identify macroinvertebrates, the tiny insects that live in our waterways. These insects act as indicators of the health of a stream or river.

Mayflies and stoneflies are just two groups of aquatic insects that spend the majority of their lives underwater as nymphs. Having these insects present shows that the water stream is of high water quality. We are lucky to have these amazing creatures present in the Flatbrook!

This hands-on experiential learning method used at the NJSOC helps students discover the wonders of nature and the environment first hand. We inspire students to explore and learn how important it is to protect and care for our natural world that we all share.

Have you ever gone stream sampling? 🌳

county

10/25/2026

Last night I had the honor of representing the NJSOC and speaking at the Arangetram of Urja Patankar. An Arangetram is a traditional classic Indian dance. Urja's solo performance was years in the making. It is sort of a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. Urja is a Sophmore a McNair High School, one of NJSOC's school. As part of her performance she asked that donations be made to two organizations that she supports - the NJSOC is one of them. Thank you Urja for including the NJSOC at your beautiful performance and thank you for your support.

10/23/2026

The New Jersey School of Conservation is committed to making our campus welcoming and accessible for everyone. In 2025, the NJSOC was awarded a stipend of $10,000 to resurface our interior campus pathways and construct a ramp at the east entrance to Rainbow Bridge, the access point that connects the two sides of our property. Now, for the first time in 90 years, people in wheelchairs are able to travel around the entire loop of our campus and cross “Rainbow Bridge.”

The stipend came from the Nature:Accessible for All Campaign, a program that has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the Pinelands Alliance. The Alliance has partnered with the New Jersey Division of Disability Services, Department of Human Services (DHS), the Edward J. Bloustein School, and Duke Farms to lead a statewide effort to make natural spaces and nature-based programming inclusive and accessible for individuals of all abilities.

Amelia Basile, our accessibility ambassador at the New Jersey School of Conservation, works with us to identify areas around the campus that need to be improved for accessibility. We are grateful for her insights and recommendations as we continue to find ways to make our buildings, campus and programs more accessible to everyone.

10/21/2026

Last week the NJSOC hosted a workshop and walk featuring some unusual artistic abilities! Zen Tangle art is an “easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. We call these patterns tangles.”

Our Master Educator Lois, taught a group of budding artists how to create these types of drawings during a walk around the NJSOC campus. They used the environment around them such as leaves, tree bark, flowers, as inspiration for their own designs.

Thank you to everyone who came and thank you to Lois for this amazing workshop experience!

10/20/2026

10/16/2026

Joining the Sussex County Community College's Center for Lifelong Learning partner, the New Jersey School of Conservation has been Inspired by the Monarch Teacher Network to encourage students to explore nature with all their senses while building a deeper appreciation for the environment. After discovering a natural area, students create ephemeral land art using only materials found in nature, then bring their artwork to life through creative writing. By blending environmental exploration, art, and literacy, students develop creativity, communication skills, and a lasting respect for nature, diverse cultures, and one another.

For more than 50 years, Patrice Kealy has shared her passion for science, history, and the arts with children and adults throughout the years in New Jersey. Her career has included marine science education, environmental education, sailing instruction, and serving as an interpretive park ranger at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. She also participated in the Soviet-American Sail, a diplomatic and environmental expedition across the Atlantic. An avid photographer, artist, and writer, Patrice is a published illustrator and is currently writing a middle-grade fiction novel.

This program will be taking place on October 20, 2026 at 10:00am at the New Jersey School of Conservation. It is a free program, however, space is limited. We are very excited to welcome you! Please call the Sussex County Division of Senior Services at 973-579-0555 ext. 1225 for information and to register. There are limited spaces left!

10/16/2026

Check out what parents are saying!

This was my daughter's first time attending Stokes Music Camp, and it was also her first time doing any sort of sleep away camp. She liked the NJ Conservation afternoon activities.