Coming Soon: 2014 Summer Program Directory

Summer is in the air as the Monmouth County Park System plans to release this year's Summer Program Directory. Are you ready to start planning your summer with fun, exciting activities in the parks? This summer's Program Directory is filled to the brim with park information, special events, terrific programs and so much more. When you browse the summer issue, be sure to check out some of the following.

• Park System Spotlight: Do you love the beauty of the beach? Learn more about Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, Long Branch, in this two-page informational article.
• Summer Facility Profiles: Never been to one of our environmental centers? Discover what the Huber Woods and Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Centers have to offer.
• Special Events: When the weather is warm the parks have so much to offer! Here are just a few of the events you can learn more about in the Summer Program Directory:
• Monmouth County Fair  - This year's Fair is quickly approaching on Wednesday-Sunday, July 23-27, and is packed with entertainment, animal shows, amusement rides, tasty food, vendors, and so much more!
• Eco Elephant Family Flea Market - Looking to sell items you no longer use? Get a table and earn some money as our visitors shop 'til they drop on Saturday, June 21 and Saturday, August 23.
• Fishing Derbies - One fishing derby isn't enough! So we're doing three! The 2nd Annual Freshwater Fishing Derby takes place at the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, on Saturday, June 14 and then at Turkey Swamp Park on Sunday, June 15. Plus, if you enjoy surf fishing, don't miss our first ever Bayshore Saltwater Fishing Derby at Bayshore Waterfront Park on Saturday, August 30.
• Deep Cut Gardens Open House - Learn more about this beautiful 54-acre site with free guided tours, lectures, activities, demonstrations and horticultural advice on Sunday, June 8.
• Second Annual Sweet Corn Festival - There's nothing better than locally grown, sweet New Jersey corn in the summertime! This festival held at Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold on Saturday, August 16, offers live music, children's crafts and activities, our 25' rock climbing wall and of course delicious sweet corn.
• Family Campfires: Bring the entire family and spend an evening under the stars. On page 6 you'll find a full listing of campfires held at Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold that offer fun for everyone. The selection includes Are We There Yeti?, Touch-A-Truck at the Campfire!, Create Your Own Concert and more.
• Adult Programs: Learn something new this summer, or refine your skills in a favorite hobby. From arts & crafts to horticulture to sports & fitness and more, the adults section of this year's Summer Program Directory offers something for everyone. Constant favorites are joined this summer by new programs that include Clay Handbuilding Techniques, Paella Outdoors, Gardening for Butterflies and Other Pollinators, Kayak Birding Expedition, Fat Loss Boot Camp and more!
• Equestrian Programs: If you love horses, these programs are for you! And don't miss this year's  Student Horse Show featuring our Special People United to Ride (SPUR) equestrians showcasing their talents on Saturday, June 7.
• Family Programs: Ready to spend some time together as a family? We want to make that time even more special by offering exciting programs like Mess Fest!, Boat and Breakfast, Micro-Safari, Summer Beach Luau Blast and more! 
• Golf Programs: Looking to learn a new sport? Golf is a fun, popular sport that is easy to learn with the help of the Monmouth County Park System. Beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons are offered for ages 6-adult as well as a variety of clinics and other programs. If you're already an avid golfer, don't miss out on the Park System's summer tournaments; information can be found here.
• Historic Programs: If you've never been to Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel or Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold, we've got some additional reasons to get you there this summer. Historic Longstreet Farm offers a view into the past with free drop-in programs such as Blacksmith Demonstrations, an Independence Day Celebration, and the Potato Harvest. This summer Historic Walnford is offering an array of free drop-ins which include Antique Autos, Roots of Rootbeer, and the returning Sweet Corn Festival to name a few.
• Kids & Teens Programs: Is your child looking for something new and exciting to experience? We've got plenty of options both you and your children will love! Kids can improve drawing skills with Drawing Intensive, use science and technology during Engineering for Kids, enjoy fitness and fun with Circus Skills Camp, and so much more! Still on the look out for a terrific summer camp for your child? A variety of camps are still available; click here to find and register for summer camps.
• Parent & Child Programs: Why not learn something new...together! You and your child can enjoy creation OR recreation. Create beautiful ceramic art during Ceramic Family Fun; decorate tea cups and enjoy the outdoors with Tea for Two; or play in the dark during Glo in the Dark Sports Campfire.
• Special Needs Programs: At the Park System we work hard to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities to participate in Park System programs with their non-disabled peers. Special Needs programs are also offered that bring together special needs children and young adults like Introduction to Golf, Recreational Swim, and Teen Scene. For additional information on programs for those with special needs or on our inclusion services, please email Lauren.
• Trips: Let's go somewhere new! We're ready to hit the road with a variety of day trips and overnight excursions. Just a few of these locations include Historic Philadelphia, Untermyer Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, and Washington DC. The Park System makes it easy to enjoy a journey to somewhere new.

The above are just some of the fun you can look forward to in this year's Summer Program Directory.  Available this Friday, May 2, you can get your issue by mail, by visiting one of the Park System parks, or view it online. If you're not already on our mailing list, you can join by filling out our Program Directory Request form. Summer program registration begins at 8am on Wednesday, May 7.

See you in the parks!

Autumn in the Parks...

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." 
- Albert Camus

Labor Day has passed and children are heading back to school. Autumn is falling upon us, and with that comes shorter, cooler days, colorful foliage, and approaching holidays. And as your schedule becomes busier, don't forget that your Monmouth County parks await you seven days a week. Don't miss out on all the wonderful things in the parks this autumn!

Harvest Home Festival

Sunday, September 30 from 11am-5pm
Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel
Take a step back in time with this charming country fair reminiscent to those held in the late 1890s. Family friendly activities and demonstrations include old-fashioned games, wagon rides, demonstrations, live entertainment, pie eating contest, and corn husking competition. Our annual Harvest Home Festival Competition returns, inviting visitors to enter their best baked goods, canning, condiments, needlework, and vegetables. For a competition application, click here. Free!

Walnford Day
Sunday, October 7 from 11am-5pm
Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold
The sights and sounds of the past come alive as families experience hands-on history during this annual anniversary celebration of Historic Walnford. Visitors will enjoy wagon rides, trying a quill pen, old-fashioned games, demonstrations, dressing up in period garments, and exhibits about how homes were lighted before electricity and life at Walnford in 1862. Free!

Thompson Park Day

Sunday, October 14 from 11am-5pm
Thompson Park, Lincroft
This annual family festival is filled with even more fun than ever this year! Don't miss out on the corn maze, kids races, pumpkin painting, Meet the Mustangs, Zany Zombies, Pond Exploration, canoeing, and SO MUCH MORE! And don't miss the Friends of the Monmouth County Park System annual Strut Your Mutt Dog Costume Contest. Entrance and parking are free; some activities require tickets and/or registration.

Open Ceramics
12:30-4:30pm on September 9, October 7, November 4, November 8, November 9 & November 25
Thompson Park Creative Arts Center, Lincroft
Choose from our selection of bisque fired pottery to glaze and make your own. Cost is $6 per hour plus cost of bisque ware (cash or check only).

Stroll the Gardens
Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown
Head to Deep Cut to view seasonal plants that are native to our area. This 52-acre site also hosts some wonderful events this fall:

• Jersey Shore Rose Society Rose Show on Saturday, September 8
• Bonsai Day on September 16
• Great Fall Perennial Plant Swap on September 22

For more information on these Deep Cut Gardens events, visit our website. 

Visit Our Historic Locations
Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel
Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold
Take a step back in time to learn about life in our county many years ago. Both locations are open year round, but they also offer free drop-in demonstrations throughout the season. Visit the specific park link above for a list of upcoming historic events.

Enjoy Some Outdoor Adventures
Our Outdoor Adventures staff always has some fun lined up:

• Canoe Rentals
• Enjoy a calming paddle on picturesque Marlu Lake at Thompson Park on September 8 & 9 from 9am-3pm. Cost is $15 per boat for 1-3 people for 2 hours (cash or check only). All equipment is provided.
• Climb Time
• Enjoy a free chance to try our 25-foot rock climbing wall on Sunday, September 9 from 10am-2pm at Thompson Park, Lincroft and on Sunday, October 28 from 1-5pm at Dorbrook Recreation Area, Colts Neck. Climbers must be 42 inches or taller and between 40-250 lbs.
• Open Shoot Archery 

• Ages 8 and up (under 18 with adult) can try their hands at archery on Monday, September 10 from 4:30-7:30pm; Saturday, November 3 from 12-3pm; and Saturday, December 15 from 12-3pm at the Thompson Park Activity Barn, Lincroft. Cost is $5 per person (cash or check only). 

Get Ready for Halloween!
Sick of buying pricey Halloween costumes just to wear them once? Save the planet and your budget during Re-Spook, Re-Wear, Re-Scare! Upcycle gently used kids', adults', and even pet costumes for a spooktacular new-to-you ensemble.

• Costume drop offs can be done October 1-5 from 10am-4pm and October 6 from 9am-12pm at Huber Woods Environmental Center, Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, Thompson Park Visitor Center, and Dorbrook Recreation Area Visitor Center & Activity Center. For each costume dropped off you will receive a token to get a "new" costume the day of the swap. 
• Then find a new costume during our swap on October 7 from 1-5pm at Huber Woods Park Lodge, Manasquan Environmental Center, or Thompson Park Visitor Center. During the swap you can also enjoy snake and turtle shows as well as recycled craft activities!
• For more information, please call (732) 542-1642, ext. 30.

Enroll in a Fall Program

This year's Fall Directory is filled to the brim with old favorites and new fun! Here's just a sampling of what's available:

• Walnford Harvest Barn Dance - Put on your dancing shoes as we Swing, Do-Si-Do, and Sashay the afternoon away on Saturday, September 15. Enjoy dancing, old-fashioned fun and games, and ice cream making! A great family-friendly program!
• Early Fall BBQ - Just because it's fall doesn't mean you can't grill! Join us for this popular cooking class on Tuesday, October 9.
• History Alive!: Haunted History of New Jersey - Just in time for Halloween, learn about local legends, hauntings, ghost stories, folklore, and more on Saturday, October 20.

But that's not all! This fall there are hundreds of programs for you and your family to enjoy! Check out our Fall Directory for a full list of programs happening now until December.

Park System Trip Gives Rare Glimpse at Terracotta Warriors

This summer has become even more exciting with the Park System's August 11th trip to Discovery Times Square in New York City! What makes this trip different than those previous? This summer the museum has introduced the only East Coast exhibition of China's Terracotta Warriors. It is your chance to get up close and personal with an archaeological find that has been considered the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World. The warriors are a national treasure for China and have been under excavation since their inadvertent discovery in 1974. If you are not familiar with the story, let's bring you up to speed:

It began as these things usually do, with simple folk going about the business of everyday life, eking out a living to support their families. Foremost in their minds was the need to find water to support their village, never did they imagine that the basic act of digging a well would reveal the archaeological find of the century.

The excavation started out as any other dig, but the magnitude and scope of the project quickly became apparent as scientists found that the site extended approximately 16,000 meters. Thus, in 1975, the State Council authorized the building of a museum at the site, which is divided into three pits, encompassing over 7,000 pottery warriors, horses and chariots!

The army was created during the reign of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who is famous for unifying China’s warring states, and for beginning construction of the Great Wall. The warriors were intended to guard his tomb and replicate his living army. It is estimated that it took over 700,000 people 37 years to complete all of the figures, which are life-sized and painstakingly, individually detailed, with no two exactly alike.

One of the dismaying aspects of the excavation was that the once bright paint that brought the warriors to life would flake off within hours of exposure to the air. It was not until recently that a team of German scientists created a substance to coat the warriors and preserve their unique colors. Apparently it was the lacquer layer underneath the paint that would dry up as the air hit it, taking the paint as well. It is now hoped that as the excavations continue, more the warriors will be preserved with their original colors.

The current exhibit at Discovery Times Square, in addition to several of the actual restored warriors, includes Han Dynasty Burial Chamber gates, cooking utensils, weapons, jewelry and ritual items in a collection of over 200 artifacts more than 2,000 years old. By this point we're sure we have aroused your curiosity about these amazing artifacts, and want to know all about when to go and how to get there. The Park System wants to make it easy for you to see this amazing exhibit! On Saturday, August 11, we will be leaving Thompson Park by bus and heading to New York City for the day. Fees include timed admission ticket, round trip transportation, and Park System leader. There will be free time for you to enjoy the city and have lunch on your own. Register now!

Staff Contributor: Ann Sage, Cultural Services Division

Note: The Park System has a wide variety of trips scheduled every year! Check out the Fall Directory (to be released on August 10) for trips that will include: Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum; The Best of the Bronx; Total Amish Experience; Grounds for Sculpture; Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour; Montreal, Quebec & Vermont Overnight and so much more!

National Pollinator Week

One in three mouthfuls of food and drink we consume can be linked to insect pollination. Pollinators (primarily bees but also moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, and small mammals) assist in the production of more than 150 U.S. crops that include apples, alfalfa, almonds, blueberries, cranberries, kiwis, melons, pears, plums, and squash. Native pollinators not only contribute to the productivity of our crops, but also to the survival and reproduction of many of our native plants.

What is pollination? Pollination is when pollen is moved within a flower or from one flower to another of the same species, which leads to fertilization. With no pollination at all, many of the foods we enjoy would no longer be available. The plants that other creatures rely on for food and shelter would disappear as well. More than 80% of flowering plant species need the help of animals to move their pollen grains from plant to plant.

Five years ago the U.S. Senate designated the final full week of June as "National Pollinator Week" to raise awareness on the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinating animals are a vital part of our ecosystem, support terrestrial wildlife, provide healthy watershed, and more.

According the the Pollinator Partnership, here are some things we can do to help our pollinators:

• Reduce your impact. Reduce or eliminate your pesticide use, increase green spaces, and minimize urbanization. Pollution and climate change affect pollinators, too!
• Plant for pollinators. Create pollinator-friendly habitats with native flowering plants that supply pollinators with nectar, pollen, and homes. For information on what to plant in your area, download a free ecoregional guide online. 
• Tell a friend. Educate your neighbors, schools, and community groups about the importance of pollinators.
• For more tips on what you can do to help our native pollinators, visit the Pollinator Partnership website.

Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown will be hosting the following events to inform you and your family about native pollinators:

• Friday, June 22 from 7-8:45pm: Free viewing of the documentary Vanishing of the Bees which examines the decline of the honeybee, possible causes, and the greater meaning it holds. A brief discussion will follow, including tips on what you can do to support pollinators in your own backyard. Appropriate for ages 8 through adults. Popcorn will be provided!
• Saturday, June 23 from 1:30-3pm: Free drop-in for children ages 4-10 titled Celebrate Pollinators! Children will enjoy a special story as well as a fun craft!

Facts and figures for this post were found on the Pollinator Partnership website.

Exploring Creativity at the Creative Arts Center

Thompson Park Creative Arts Center

The Creative Arts Center at Thompson Park, Lincroft is a facility designed to give visitors the chance to experience a multitude of different crafts. The center features ceramics and pottery studios as well as classrooms for painting, drawing and other craft activities. One of this spring's newest programs was The Creative Arts Experience, a six session class for adults that covered a new medium each week. From painting to sewing, pottery to printmaking, and more, students were given the chance to explore crafts that they may have never tried before.

The Creative Arts Experience has been a terrific way for our participants to find a craft they enjoyed without committing to a full session of one activity. On the first week we delved right into pottery, showing participants (some of which had never touched clay before) how to use handbuilding techniques to create a fun birdhouse. In the weeks following we have explored acrylic paints,printmaking, origami, watercolors and a simple sewing project as time allows.

The Creative Arts Experience will be offered again this autumn, so be sure to keep an eye out for it in the Fall Directory (available on Friday, August 10).



 

If you're looking for a program to take this summer, be sure to check out the Summer Directory which lists all of our programs and special events for June, July and August. Some of this summer's arts & crafts programs include:
Adult Arts & Crafts

• Begginer Sewing and Beyond (adults)
• Intro to Traditional Painting (adults)
• PMC Box Pendant Workshop (adults)

Kids & Teens Arts & Crafts

• Fun & Funky Jewelry (ages 7 and up)
• Summer Shells (ages 6-10)
• Superhero in a Day (ages 4-7)

Parent & Child Arts & Crafts

• Family Time Pottery (ages 10-17, with adult)
• Sew Together Lounge Blanket (ages 6-12, with adult)
• Stars & Stripes (ages 5-8, with adult)

This is merely a sampling of the creative programs scheduled for this summer. Pick up a copy of our Summer Directory (available in most county parks) or visit our website for a full list of programs.

Staff Contributor: Christina Carlson, Creative Arts Center Staff