In celebration of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Week in New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Division of Fish and Wildlife, Warren County Tourism and WNTI 91.9 North Jersey Public Radio of Centenary College will host the Upper Delaware Wildlife Heritage Festival at the Division's Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center in Oxford on Sunday, September 28. The free event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be held rain or shine.
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Week in New Jersey is September 28 - October 4. The purpose of the celebration is to raise awareness about our fish and wildlife resource and the contribution of hunters and anglers to wildlife conservation. For more than 100 years, hunters and anglers have been staunch supporters of conservation and scientific wildlife management. They were among the first to recognize that rapid development and unregulated use of wildlife was a serious threat to the future of many species.
The Wildlife Heritage Festival is designed to highlight the historical and present benefits of wildlife and to raise awareness of New Jersey's natural resources. Events include fly-casting demonstrations by Trout Unlimited members, trout spawning demonstrations, live music and a variety of children's activities. The Warren County Shade Tree Commission will distribute free tree seedlings.
Visitors can step back in time to visit an historical village to experience an era when people were more directly connected to natural resources for their survival. Presentations will highlight Native American life and the colonial fur trade, as well as showcase quill and beadwork, primitive archery techniques, flintlock waterproofing and shooting, leather working, apple cider making, 19th century photography and much more. There will also be ongoing activities including knife and tomahawk throwing and chainsaw art presentations. Several wildlife artists will also have their works on display and for sale.
Various Division staff members will be present at the event. The Black Bear Management Team will have a display of equipment and information about their research and management work. Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries biologists will also be on hand to present displays and demonstrate electro-shocking techniques.
The Pequest facility is located on Rt. 46, about nine miles west of Hackettstown in the Skylands of Warren County. To learn more about the festival, visit the Division's website at www.njfishandwildlife.com or call Liz Jackson at (908) 637-4125.
