The Watershed Institute has created a slate of exciting adult education programs and we invite you to explore our early 2022 offerings. Our lives depend on clean water for drinking water, recreation, food, goods, physical/mental health, and more! These topics will be presented by experts, professionals, and engaged community members.
On Sunday, Jan. 23 from 2 – 3 p.m., come explore the history of the Watermills of the Stonybrook-Millstone Watershed with Richard Hunter, founder and President of Hunter Research, Inc. a Trenton-based historic preservation and cultural resources consulting business. The dozen-plus watermills, dating from the 18th to early 20th centuries, were mostly grist and sawmills. Learn how these mills shaped and supported communities along the watershed. This is a hybrid class with both in-person and virtual options available for participants.
Our popular Language of Nature series begins on Thursday, Jan. 27 from 7- 8:30 p.m. with an Eco-Justice Poetry series with Winnie Spar. Her four-part course features poetry readings with an environmental justice twist. Each week, participants will read and discuss selections from the works of established authors such as Gary Snyder, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Jorie Graham, along with exciting newer voices. This is a hybrid series with both in-person and virtual options available for participants.
Birds of New Jersey, which begins March 10, is another offering in our Language of Nature Series consisting of six Thursday lectures from 7:30 – 9 p.m. and three Saturday morning field trips. This intensive course will deepen your understanding of birdlife in our area and improve your ability to identify birds by exploring their behavior, habitats, morphology, and evolution in an engaging classroom setting. On guided trips at three birding hotspots you’ll observe birds as they transition out of winter and into spring. This is the sixth year of this Birds of New Jersey course taught by Luke K. Butler, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Biology at The College of New Jersey. Proof of vaccination is required to attend this in-person program.
This year, we are launching our Watershed Wednesdays series of webinars on a wide variety of topics. We will explore the environmental laws that arose after the Clean Water Act, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. We also will learn about the creation of urban farms to counteract the dearth of healthy food options available in some communities. Another webinar will delve into composting, soil health, eliminating waste naturally and DIY composters.
On Wednesday, Jan. 19 from 6 – 7:30 p.m., the first webinar will be on Restoring Stream Banks. Many of the streams that run through our backyards and parks lack a healthy stream bank. By working to restore stream banks, community members can help to stop erosion, reduce flooding and improve the health and quality of streams. Learn from the experts at Princeton Hydro about what makes a healthy stream bank and how you can help to restore a stream bank near you. This webinar will be given by Princeton Hydro staff, Jake Dittes, Water Resource Engineer/Project Manager, Casey Schrading, Staff Engineer, and Cory Speroff, Landscape Architect.
Learn more about these adult education programs and check back soon for additional offerings!
