ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Building tepees in the woods from natural sticks can be an exciting team-building activity filled with imaginative play. Unfortunately, when these structures are built in protected areas, such as South Mountain Reservation, there are unforeseen negative consequences, the South Mountain Conservancy warns. Tepees are generally built off-trail from fallen limbs. Removing […]
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Because of the pandemic, trails in the South Mountain Reservation are being used now more than ever. With the increase in foot traffic, there is a lot more trash, too. In response, the South Mountain Conservancy and Sassquad Trail Running are asking residents to get involved in a plogging weekend, from […]
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped large gatherings from happening, Essex County residents spent months protesting a proposed 500-seat amphitheater to be built in the South Mountain Reservation northeast of the penguin pavilion at Turtle Back Zoo. As recently as March, residents held events at the entrance to the zoo, asking the […]
By Svanfridur Mura / Youth Correspondent MAPLEWOOD, NJ — On Saturday, March 7, more than a dozen young people and adults set to work in a room in the Maplewood Senior Center. Scattered among tables, the air thrummed with a steady stream of calls and in a corner a lively discussion about gun control drifted […]
NUTLEY, NJ — Scouts from Troop 147, Nutley’s Beav-Haw team, sponsored by the Franklin Reformed Church, placed first in the Panner Division for younger Scouts in the Feb. 1 Lenape Trail District Klondike Derby held at the South Mountain Reservation for Essex County Scout troops, according to a March 3 press release from the troop. […]
Students speak out against proposed amphitheater at Turtle Back Zoo
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders unanimously passed a resolution that authorized the county Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to apply to the state for a $4 million grant for the proposed “conservation pavilion,” a 500-seat amphitheater to be built in the South Mountain Reservation northeast of the […]
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Runners are invited to register for the 11th Mayapple Trail Runs to be held Saturday, May 16, in South Mountain Reservation. The races are organized by the volunteers of the South Mountain Conservancy with the support of the Essex County Parks Department. The USA Track and Field–sanctioned races provide an informal […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — A student-led rally to Save South Mountain Reservation will be held in front of the Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Ave. in West Orange, on Sunday, March 1, at noon. Organizers are demanding that Essex County stop construction of a planned amphitheater in the reservation, construction of which would detract 1.5 […]
Residents call for conservation of reservation land; Adams misses TC meeting to speak out against plan
CEDAR GROVE, NJ — Essex County officials held a public meeting on Jan. 21 about the proposed “conservation pavilion,” a 500-seat amphitheater to be built on the South Mountain Reservation northeast of the penguin pavilion at the Turtle Back Zoo. The meeting, held at the Essex County Police Academy in Cedar Grove, saw more than […]
Maplewood officials discuss reservations about project
WEST ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The West Orange Planning Board made seven recommendations to Essex County when the plan for a 500-seat amphitheater was presented at a Jan. 8 courtesy hearing featuring three witnesses and extensive questioning from the public. The Planning Board does not approve or deny county applications; the Board of Chosen […]