Spring Tree Plantings Events
Raritan Headwaters Association has partnered with the Readington Township WaterWatch Committee to improve the riparian buffer along the Chambers Brook in Whitehouse Station and will be planting 875 native trees and shrubs along the riverbank from May 2-6 from 9:00am-4:00pm each day. We have also partnered with the Morris County Parks Commission to improve the riparian buffer along the Herzog Brook at the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center and will be planting 80 native trees and shrubs along the riverbank on May 8th from 10am-1pm.
RHA is seeking volunteers to help plant these trees and install tree protection to prevent deer browse. We will be pre-drilling holes for the trees, so no to very minimal digging will be necessary during the planting. If you are interested in joining us, please pre-register for a date and time preference. Click the links below to sign up!
Sign up for May 2nd at Chambers Brook
Sign up for May 3rd at Chambers Brook
Sign up for May 4th at Chambers Brook
Sign up for May 5th at Chambers Brook
Sign up for May 6th at Chambers Brook
Sign up for May 8th at Herzog Brook Brook
Please contact Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Newcomb if you have any questions.
Tree Planting Maintenance
Raritan Headwaters and Somerset County Parks Commission planted 1,000 trees and shrubs at North Branch Park in the fall of 2022 and 150 trees and shrubs at Natirar Park in the spring of 2023. We had some heavy winter storms this year and some of the tree protection materials got banged up, so we are seeking your help to re-secure all the tree protection materials before this year’s growing season. We have two volunteer days available: April 10th at North Branch Park and April 11th at Natirar Park.
To learn more and sign up, click here for the April 10th sign up and here for April 11th. Please contact Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Newcomb if you have any questions.
Site Leaders Needed for Annual Stream Cleanup
RHA is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help us lead groups of volunteers on the day of our Stream Cleanup event scheduled for Saturday April 20, 2024. Site leaders would need to attend a brief, virtual training in February, would need to pick up a supply bin the week prior to the event, would give instructions to a group of volunteers at an assigned site on the day of the event, and would need to return the supply bin and data collection cards the week following the event. Having your help would ensure that RHA could target municipalities where cleanups are not currently being done. If you are interested and would like to help, the Stream Cleanup team would be very grateful!
Please reach out to streamcleanup@raritanheadwaters.org with any questions you may have or click here to sign up!
Junior Counselor Needed for Nature Day Camp
See the schedule and sign up here!
About Our Camp:
We are excited for our 29th year of Nature Day Camp! Our camps take place at Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve in Bedminster. Our preserve is a 170-acre property with 5 miles of trails, a small pond, three classrooms, and lots of room to explore! At Nature Day Camp we use nature as a classroom: we explore trails, go on adventures, do nature crafts, and even look for fairies and sasquatch! Being a volunteer at our camp is a fun learning experience; we hope you will join our team of enthusiastic, supportive educators, teens, and campers!
A great Nature Day Camp volunteer:
- Loves working with children.
- Loves the outdoors.
- Is responsible, on-time, and enthusiastic.
Volunteer Responsibilities:
- You must be available to volunteer for the entire week-long session that you sign up for. Sessions are Monday to Friday, June through August, from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm each day. Volunteers may sign up to help at multiple sessions of camp throughout the summer!
- You will be contacted to attend a volunteer orientation and training in June. You’ll get a tour of the property, see what classroom(s) you’ll be working in, meet other volunteers, and get an overview of what is expected of you!
- Volunteers assist Educators at camp by helping keep campers organized, and help with simple tasks like tying shoes, washing hands, holding hands on the trail, etc.
- Depending on the age, different campers need help in different ways. Younger children may need to hold hands with someone on a hike, while older children may need help understanding a project.
- Volunteers are an essential part of our Nature Day Camp team. Campers love interacting with volunteers, look up to them, and look to them for guidance and support.
If you have any questions about our camp, about what age group is right for you, or anything else we can help you with, please reach out to Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Newcomb or Director of Education Lauren Theis!
Volunteers over the age of 18 will be asked to complete a background check before their camp session begins.
Scout Projects
Eagle Scouts (and other local troops) are needed to help with the following projects. Please contact Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Newcomb if interested.
-construct kestrel boxes
-put chicken wire down on slippery trail surfaces
-construct boardwalks along trails
-propose your own project idea
34th Annual Stream Cleanup
Join the more than 1,000 volunteers who fan out across the watershed and beyond each year to clean up our waterways! Our biggest cleanup event of the year will take place on the morning of Saturday, April 20th, 2024. To learn more and register, click here or contact Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Newcomb.
Join our Stream Monitoring Program
Are you interested in learning more about your local environment? Do you want to be a part of a large group working to understand and protect the health of our water? Become a Stream Monitoring volunteer! Each year, our team of citizen scientists collect important water quality and habitat data from streams and rivers in the Raritan Headwaters region. Data is utilized by NJDEP and EPA for regulatory purposes, stream antidegradation categories, and to inform public policy. Click here to learn more or contact Watershed Scientist, Ben Harris at bharris@raritanheadwaters.org or 908-234-1852 ext. 315. We are willing to provide short presentations on the project to interested groups or classes.