HOW WE LIVE

Gardener State: Outdoors potpourri for Rutgers Day, turkeys, and poetry walks

Nicholas Polanin
Special to the Courier News
Petting farm at the 2107 Rutgers Day.

This spring, Rutgers University is rolling out the scarlet carpet and inviting New Jersey residents and beyond to experience hands-on learning activities in the sciences, arts, and humanities; enjoy performances by musicians and dancers; see exhibitions and demonstrations hosted by accomplished professors and students.

The 10th annual Rutgers Day, https://rutgersday.rutgers.edu/, will continue to have a statewide presence in 2018 with programming in Camden, New Brunswick, and Newark, with something for everyone at each location. 

Experience hands-on learning activities, see exhibitions and demonstrations, enjoy entertaining stage performances, and more. Rutgers will also celebrate Alumni Weekend with Rutgers graduates and their families. Taking place on the last Saturday in April each year, Rutgers Day is the annual spring event to attend.

In New Brunswick, The Cook/Douglass Campus boasts a mix of high-tech research centers and a lovely natural setting complete with an operational farm. Visitors are invited to explore the history of Douglass Residential College for women, and see how it has grown to foster women’s leadership on campus and outside its borders. Traditions like Ag Field Day, the New Jersey Folk Festival, and the annual plant sale continue here. If eco-programs like green living tips and petting zoos pique your interest, Cook/Douglass is the place to be on Rutgers Day.

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And if you’re looking for a place to meet up with former classmates and friends at Rutgers Day, you can reconnect at the Scarlet Headquarters on the Busch, Cook/Douglass, and College Avenue campuses. It’s best to visit the website to plan your day no matter what campus or city you decide to visit for another spectacular Rutgers Day.

For more on what's happening, be sure to see updates later this week on MyCentralJersey.com, as well as the Sunday, April 22, editions of the Home News Tribune and Courier News.

Get your gobbler

The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife wants to remind youth license holders who have obtained a "Y" turkey permit will have the first opportunity to harvest a Spring Gobbler during the Youth Turkey Hunting Day on Saturday, April 21.

All eligible youth hunters (those with a valid Youth License) are entitled to a "Y" permit for the Turkey Hunting Area of their choice. The "Y" permit is valid for the entire season (or until a bird is harvested).

The Youth Turkey Hunting Day is part of the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife's Take a Kid Hunting Program, www.njfishandwildlife.com/takekidhunting.htm. It is considered an extension of the regular season permit held by the youth. If a youth hunter harvests a turkey on this youth hunting day the "Y" period permit is no longer valid for future hunting. All other spring turkey hunting regulations apply.

The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Take a Kid Hunting Program is designed to provide a quality hunting experience for properly licensed youth hunters. These days, first added to the Game Code by the Fish and Game Council for the 2001-2002 season, is designed to increase a young hunter's opportunity for harvesting game in a setting which encourages responsible and safe hunting practices in a more relaxed setting. The program is coordinated by the division's Hunter Education Unit, www.njfishandwildlife.com/hunted.htm.  

The primary component of the program is a series of "youth hunts" — special days, often outside regular hunting seasons on days provided in the Game Code. Hunts often utilize the expertise of "mentors" to further enhance the hunting experience.

Helpful turkey hunting information and tips can be found on the ‘Wild Turkey in New Jersey’ page at www.njfishandwildlife.com/turkey_info.htm. The Wild Turkey Hunting Season Information booklet is no longer published so hunters should refer to the regulation information linked from the wild turkey page.

The poetry of nature

Everyone is invited to join the Delaware and Raritan Greenway at St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell for the first of a unique series of nature walks and poetry readings, http://drgreenway.org/.  

The program, presented on Wednesday, April 25 from 10:30 a.m. until noon, includes a walk on the preserve and a picnic lunch where poets Gael Gardner, Rosemary Wright, and Jeff Hoagland will read from their works.

This program is presented in conjunction with the Princeton Migrations Project, a community-wide investigation of the theme of migration taking place throughout Princeton and spearheaded by The Princeton University Art Museum.

The Poetry of Nature series will also include walks and poetry readings at Cedar Ridge Preserve on Wednesday, May 23, and Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve on June 13.  Participants should bring a picnic lunch and blanket and wear appropriate clothing for tick season.

All visitors are requested to RSVP by calling 609-924-4646 or send an email to rsvp@drgreenway.org.

Nick Polanin

Nicholas Polanin is associate professor, agricultural agent II, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cooperative Extension of Somerset County. Email him at polanin@njaes.rutgers.edu.​

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