50th Anniversary Celebration of Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary featuring Hike & Seek

By Chris Neff

A 50th Anniversary celebration of Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary will take place on Saturday, October 17 from 12 pm to 3 pm, 11 Hardscrabble Road, Bernardsville, NJ.

This afternoon event features Hike & SeekTM, an interactive outdoor adventure that combines a nature hike and scavenger hunt. The goal of this event is to bring families together for a few hours of fun in the great outdoors, while commemorating the milestone of the Sanctuary.

Participants will set out on the 1.5 mile trail and visit five interactive Stop & Study nature stations. Each station comprises engaging learning activities and includes creating a nature craft. The stations are manned by New Jersey Audubon naturalists and wildlife experts. Activities are geared to stimulate all the senses using Mother Nature’s world as inspiration. A Map & Mission Guidebook will be given to participants to help direct their path. Once Hike & Seekers return to base camp to receive an Honorary Junior Naturalist badge, they will be greeted by more activities including exhibits, light refreshments and a live wildlife presentation by Rizzo’s Reptiles.

Check-in and registration begins at noon. When on the trail, take your time to enjoy and connect with the nature around you. Generally, the adventure takes two hours to complete. All children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Discounted fees are available by registering early. Fees are: Adults $10 preregistered, $14 day of event, Children ages 3 to 17 $5 preregistered, $7 day of event and Children under age 3 are free. Please call 908-766-5787 to preregister. Please be sure to wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots. Strollers are not recommended on the trail. This event will run rain or shine.

The Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, and Harding Township, NJ, has its beginnings in the 1965 donation of 125 acres by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Scherman to the New Jersey Audubon Society. Later, in 1973 and 1975, Mr. G. Frederick Hoffman donated parcels of land. The Hoffman estate house and caretaker’s house were added to the Sanctuary in 1981, at the time of Mr. Hoffman’s death. This completed what is now the Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, 276 acres of woodland, field, and floodplain habitat supporting over 200 species of wildlife over the course of a year.

The history of the center will be also be highlighted in an exhibit. The Hoffman estate house, added on to and renovated in 2004-5, is now New Jersey Audubon’s Hoffman Center for Conservation and Environmental Education. The Center, located in the foothills of the Highlands, boasts an environmental learning center, tree-top level observation deck, bookstore and The Wayrick Wildlife Art Gallery. The Center also houses the Sanctuary offices, as well as the office of the NJAS President, Eric Stiles. The bird-feeding station is a popular attraction for birds and bird-watchers alike, and can be viewed in comfort from the inside of the building.

Well-maintained and marked trails traverse the Sanctuary, ranging in length from 0.3 miles to 1.3 miles and passing through upland deciduous forest, fields, woodland, and the floodplain along the headwaters of the Passaic River. The Sanctuary is home to more than 60 species of nesting birds, and over 200 species of birds have been sighted at the Sanctuary, including as many as 25 species of warblers during spring migration. Nesting birds of interest include Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Ruby-throated hummingbird, Pileated woodpecker, Wild turkey, and Great-horned and Screech owls. Red fox, Long-tailed weasel, mink, numerous White-tailed deer, Eastern chipmunk, Gray and Red squirrels, coyote and many other mammals inhabit the diverse habitat at Scherman-Hoffman. There is also a Geocache trail that was added in 2014.

Scherman-Hoffman is conveniently located within minutes of the Morristown National Historical Park (Jockey Hollow preserves more than 2,500 acres, including the Cross Estate), the 7,700 acre Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, the Somerset County Environmental Education Center, the Raptor Trust, Washington Valley Park’s Chimney Rock Hawk Watch, and Montclair Hawk Watch.

New Jersey Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary provides educational programs throughout the year for adults and children, as well as Summer Nature Camp. To find out more detailed information on the diverse offerings provided, please visit www.njaudubon.org , E-mail: shws@njaudubon.org or call (908)766-5787.