Great Swamp Center Celebrates 50 Years

Fifty years ago this week, the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center opened in Chatham Township.

The center is part of the Morris County Park Commission and compromises 44 acres on the eastern edge of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Over the years the refuge has been dedicated to preserving the wilderness area, and even beat back a plan by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1959 to build a jetport in the wilderness reserve. "Residents, legislators, and even Congress joined forces to save a quality of life that the Port Authority hoped to pave over," Jennifer Godin, an office administrator at the center, said.

In 1963 the Morris County Park Commission won a grant to open an environmental center on the refuge to provide outreach to the public and an educational facility. That center now offers nature hikes, classes on the history and unique environmental features of the area.

The center also serves as a buffer between the densely populated towns of Morris County and the wilderness reserve. Any "potential environmental threats, such as invesive species and water pollution, that might alter the ecological balance in the park" are halted by the center, Godin said.

To celebrate 50 years in Chatham, the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center will hold a party Saturday open to all residents of the area. The event will include a live animal show, guided tours, nature games, storytellers, and of course food and drink.

People will have the chance to make a birthday "card" to be included in the Swamp Celebration Quilt,

Entrance is $3 per person and is open to people 2 and older. Parking is across the street at the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township.