GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - The 37th annual Pinelands Short Course returns to Stockton University March 7 and will feature 39 presentations, including 20 new programs that will explore the region’s unique history, ecology, culture and music.
Registration is now open for the daylong event, which will be held at Stockton main campus in Galloway Township. The event is co-sponsored by the Pinelands Commission and Stockton University. Full course descriptions and registration available online.
“From box turtles to blueberries and meteors to muskrats, this year’s Pinelands Short Course boasts a wide range of topics that showcase the region’s extraordinary resources,” Pinelands Commission Executive Director Susan R. Grogan said.
The Short Course features several sessions taught by Stockton faculty and staff, including Birding the Pinelands of Stockton University by John Rokita, the assistant supervisor of the university’s Vivarium, and Stewardship of Stockton University Forest by Matthew Olson, assistant professor of Environmental Studies.
“For nearly four decades, the Pinelands Short Course has inspired learners of all ages to discover the natural and cultural wonders of the South Jersey Pine Barrens,” said Patty Weeks, director of the Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center at Stockton University. “Each year, we aim to provide engaging, hands-on programs that deepen participants’ understanding of the Pinelands and connect them with experts who are passionate about preserving this remarkable region.”
This year’s Short Course features several new presentations, including:
Box Turtles (covering the life history of eastern box turtles and the Pinelands Commission’s ongoing radiotracking study of box turtles);
Keeping Up with New Jersey’s Changing Climate and Extreme Weather in the Pinelands and Elsewhere;
Wish Upon a “Shooting” Star (exploring meteoroids, meteors, meteorites and “meteor-wrongs”);
Ospreys and Menhaden: A Shared History of Abundance and Decline.
Spicebush swallowtail butterfly caterpillarThe day will also feature several popular presentations from the past, including:
Raptors of the Pinelands (with live raptors);
A Pinelands Road Trip; the People of Double Trouble Village;
Birding the Pinelands of Stockton University (indoors and outside); and
Paddling the Pines: An Overview of Kayaking and Canoeing the NJ Pine Barrens.
Participants should register early to help ensure that they receive their first course selections. The Pinelands Short Course is registered with the New Jersey Department of Education, and professional development credits are available to New Jersey teachers who attend.
Saturday’s activities are followed by the annual Lines on the Pines event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 8 in Stockton’s Campus Center. The theme for this year’s free event is “Safety in the NJ Pine Barrens.”
More than 80 Pine Barrens authors, artists and artisans will sign their books, display their artwork and play their music.
