Skylands of New Jersey Tourism Council


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Home education

Morristown National Historical Park

Part of this historic park is currently under construction however there are some opportunities for small groups. Please check back often on the progress and completion of the construction. The park's 1930s Washington's Headquarters Museum is closed for a major construction rehabilitation and expansion project and cannot currently accept groups larger than 12 people at the Washington's Headquarters unit of the park. The museum is expected to remain closed until at least the summer of 2007.

Small groups may take a tours of the 1770s Washington’s Headquarters at the Ford Mansion. Tours of the Ford Mansion are offered daily at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 2 PM, 3 PM, and 4 PM. Students in small groups are always welcomed to hike Jockey Hollow and experience that section of the park. Activities the students can participate in include hiking, viewing the 10-minute video and soldier hut exhibit in the Visitor Center, and visiting the Wick House and reconstructed soldier huts. This is self guided and the best dates available are mornings or afternoons on Mondays, and Tuesday-Friday in the afternoon only.

Jockey Hollow does have curriculum based educational programs, but plan way in advance for a visit as the 2006-2007 slots have all been filled. For more information about our curriculum-based education program, please visit the website.

Please be aware that due to the museum construction project there is currently no flush toilets for visitors (port-o-potties only). Call 973-539-2016 to make a reservation and for costs.

Pequest Trout Hatchery & Natural Resource Education Center, Oxford, NJ

Pequest offers 2 basic programs for individual groups, each being about 2 hours long.

The Hatchery Tour is offered for groups ages 8 years and up. The basic program consists of a video or slide presentation about the hatchery followed by a guided tour. Natural Resource Trail hikes, focusing on wildlife habitat and natural resources, and a session on aquatic ecology are also offered. 15 minimum

Hands on Fishing Education Program also for ages 8 years and up. Classes cover safety, ethics, technique and equipment followed by an actual fishing experience on Pequest's trout stocked education pond. Limit for the fishing program of 15 minimum and 20 maximum.

For more information check the website. To arrange call Carole at 908-637-4125, Wednesdays through Sundays

Valley Shepherd Creamery

Spring Lambing Tour offered April through June

Children learn the sheep dairy concept, spring renewal and its relationship to the lambing season as well as the "grass to cheese" ecosystem. The guide also discusses the cheese making process and a glassed-in viewing areas provide a real life peek into the world of sheep milking and old world cheese making.

Students can also take a look into our state-of the-art barn with automatic feeding belts. They will be able to watch as our sheep are milked on the only rotating sheep parlor in the United States. A stop at the lamb house allows the children to visit with our fluffy newborn lambs.

Reserve lambing season tours as early as possible because the season gets booked early. Click for more details and a registration form.

Sheep Products Tour April through November 1

Children will learn the cheese making process and a glassed-in viewing areas provide a real life peek into the world of sheep milking and old world cheese making. In essence, the children will learn how our premier cheese "Oldwick Shepherd" starts as grass and ends up as cheese for sale in the wonderful cheese shops that we supply.
They can also take a look into our state-of the-art barn with automatic feeding belts. Watch as our sheep are milked on the rotating sheep parlor. The wool fiber process will be explored and the children will have a chance to touch wool fibers from all stages of processing (raw sheep wool, carded sheep wool and yarn). Click for more details and a registration form.

The Fall Harvest Tour offered September, October and up to November 1

Your guide will discuss our cheese making process and a glassed-in viewing areas provide a real life peek into the world of sheep milking and old world cheese making. In addition, you can also take a look into our state-of the-art barn with automatic feeding belts. Watch as our sheep are milked on the rotating sheep parlor. Then, your students will board our Hay Wagons for a leisurely ride through our pastures to our cheese aging cave, reminiscent of the old-world aging cave found throughout Italy and France.

The students will tour our caves and hear how our cheeses are aged to perfection. After, they will return to the dairy aboard our wagons and enjoy the panoramic fall foliage show that only nature can provide.
Click for more details and a registration form.

The Shakespeare Theatre

A number of education programs are available to homeschooling students and parents. Age-appropriate performances are scheduled during the school day throughout the academic year, at a cost of only $10-16 per person.
Hands-on workshops are also available for groups of 10 or more students, either here at our theatre, or in a facility in your community. To learn more about our workshops, click on “In Your School” from the same Education & Outreach web page . For questions contact Jamie at (973) 408-3980

Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center

Seven full-time Naturalists are employed at this facility. The property is 450 acres and is located in the western end of the Great Swamp (northeast corner of Somerset County) and adjacent to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The property is bordered on the eastern edge by the Passaic River and the land includes forests, fields, swampy areas, and five man-made ponds of differing sizes and biotic content.

Program offerings can be viewed on the Park Commission website by clicking on the section listed in the left hand margin of the home page as 'programs' then 'Naturalist programs' then 'school programs'. You can also download this pdf for more information.