Northern Valley

Springtime brings people outdoors

By Catherine Wilde
Staff Writer | April 29

As the days become longer and the weather milder, the sunny skies beckon many outdoors.

But given the hustle and bustle of everyday life, people may not know what activities to look for when they leave the office or the house and head outside.

So, to get an idea of what nature has to offer in the Northern Valley, here is an overview of what a few nature centers and area parks provide.

Tenafly Nature Center - 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly

With 400 acres of land, more than seven miles of hiking trails and a series of educational programs offered year-round, the Tenafly Nature Center offers various programs and camps for all ages.

Most popular

One of the most popular programs, according to Executive Director Jennifer Kleinbaum, is the May 25 scavenger hunt. Between 2 and 5 p.m. adults and children alike can pick up clues at the visitor center and enjoy the ensuing seasonally appropriate hunt. "We do a different one every season and the clues pertain to the season. They are things people will see on the trails," said Kleinbaum.

Nature walks are also offered periodically, she said, such as the family events May 4 and June 1, when the walks are geared toward the ability level of participants. Special hikes will also be held on Mother’s and Father’s Day, said Kleinbaum.

However, if planned events aren’t for you, a spontaneous trip to the Nature Center can offer photography options, native animal and plant life and trails to explore.

Distinctive feature

The center offers a garden of plants that are native to New Jersey, a feature Kleinbaum says is unique to the Tenafly center. "If someone’s looking for a beautiful purple flower and they want to make sure it will grow well in this kind of soil they can come here and look at our garden," she said.

"We’re a small nature center with a lot of land and a lot of education programs," she said.

For more information, visit www.tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Palisades Interstate Park Commission - Alpine Picnic Area, exit 2 off PIP

The 2,300-acre park has two historic sites, kayak launches, picnic areas and scheduled events for the public.

Big attractions

According to director Anthony Taranto, the biggest event is the annual Hooked on the Hudson, which heralds a day full of fishing contests and activities for the public. The 23rd Hooked on the Hudson will be May 17 at the Ross Dock Picnic Area in Fort Lee, which is also a kayak launch site along with the Alpine and Englewood Picnic Areas. Kayaks are not provided.

A Shad Bake May 4 at the Alpine Picnic Area, located at exit 2 off the Palisades Interstate Parkway North, is another giant attraction, he said.

"It is a 19th century style celebration of the return of spring," said Taranto.

In addition, guided walks and hikes are offered periodically through the park’s 30-mile trail system.

The hikes are easy with the exception of the 12-mile Giant Stairs Hike offered May 18, leaving at 8 a.m. from park headquarters at exit 2 in Alpine.

"It is pretty difficult but the most intense hike we have," said Taranto who said the hike covers three different types of terrain and offers ambitious participants a view of the whole northern half of the New Jersey section of the Palisades Interstate Park.

Hikers should wear hiking boots, long pants and for the longer hikes bring snacks, lunch and water.

More details about the guided hikes can be obtained by visiting www.Njpalisades.org or calling 201-768-1360, ext. 107.

Historic significance

For those interested in history, a visit to the Kearny House may be more up their alley. The 18th century, four-room, Hudson River dwelling is located in Alpine Picnic Area. Or at Fort Lee Historic Park off the Hudson Terrace, visitors can see the 18th century revolutionary war site that marks where the "Retreat to Victory" began.

Calling it a "historic interpretive area on the southern part of the park," Taranto said the spot marks the site of the American victory in the last major battle of the American Revolution.

Flat Rock Brook Nature Center - 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood

The 150 acres along the western slope of the Palisades claims a variety of habitats, including wetlands, upland forests and quarry ponds. The 3 ½ miles of hiking trails can expose visitors to all of these habitats and they may also get a glimpse of the center’s red tailed hawk.

Distinctive feature

The nature center’s brook is a "very interesting feature," says Executive Director Stephen Wiessner.

"Two of our trails run parallel to the brook. After rain events the brook really accelerates and the sound is tremendous and the amount of energy produced by a small brook is very interesting," he said.

Wiessner said visitors to the center can get a trail map which identifies the habitats they can explore. The center also features a handicapped accessible boardwalk loop trail that lies within the old rock quarry and surrounds a meadow, called a backyard habitat where the hawk resides.

That rock quarry was used to help build Route 4, said Wiessner. In addition to the meadow, the quarry features two ponds full of wildlife.

Events

Flat Rock Brook’s Nature Day is May 18, featuring a live animal program, canoe rides in one of the ponds, face painting for children, scavenger hunts and various environmentally-friendly crafts.

For a fee of $5 for adults and $3 for children, people can celebrate nature and also learn what other nature centers have to offer in a tent that will be set up.

A gardeners program is held every other Thursday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. All are welcome to help maintain the gardens that are dispersed throughout the headquarters of the center.

Sunset hikes leave Tuesday nights from the center at 6 p.m. in all seasons until June when they leave at 7 p.m. Hikers will traverse two miles in about an hour and no registration is required.

Visit www.flatrockbrook.org for more information.

E-mail: wilde@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6706