FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2010

Register for Summer Fun at Trailside:
Lottery Drawing for Registration Begins Feb. 6

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – Families enjoyed using dip and seine nets to sample the aquatic life found in Seeley’s Pond during one of Trailside’s many summer offerings. Participants in a Pond Life program worked with Trailside Naturalist Karen Inzillo (left) to identify a pickerel fish caught using a seine net. Frogs, dragonfly larvae, snails and water scorpions were also caught, identified and released. Due to the enormous popularity of Trailside’s summer camp and family programs, a lottery system will be conducted for residents of Union County beginning Feb. 6 and continuing through Feb. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. daily or until all numbers have been chosen.  The number drawn will indicate the registrant’s placement on line and arrival time for summer camp registration on Saturday, March 6. Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license will be required. Please call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visit us on the web at www.ucnj.org/trailside for complete details about Trailside’s summer camp and family programs. Trailside is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and it is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal announce a new and exciting season of summer programming at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. A variety of camps and family programs will be offered throughout the summer.

Due to the enormous popularity of Trailside’s summer activities, a lottery system will be used beginning on Saturday, Feb. 6, and continuing through Feb. 19, to determine placement in line for summer program registration.

“Trailside summer programs offer the perfect opportunity for adults and children of all ages to explore the outdoors while learning all about nature,” said Freeholder Chairman Daniel Sullivan.  “Each Trailside camp is filled with hands-on, educational activities that encourage a child’s natural curiosity. Theme hikes, games and crafts are all part of the Trailside experience.”  

Half-day camps for 4-5 year old children investigate popular topics like dinosaurs, Native Americans, turtles, seasons, birds and kitchen chemistry. Half and full-day camps are offered for children entering the first through ninth grade. Children entering the first and second grades will delight to travel “Around the World in Five Days” to learn about wildlife inhabiting five different continents or they can use their imaginations to find out about “Mythical Creatures of Fields and Forests.” Children entering the third and fourth grades will have fun in the “Junior Naturalist” program learning about wetlands or navigating the many hiking trails with a map and compass in “Trailside Treks.”

Visiting Sandy Hook to collect and identify fish, crabs, snails and other ocean creatures is a highlight of the “Ocean Wonders” camp for children entering fifth and sixth grades. Children entering seventh through ninth grades will have fun learning about various New Jersey habitats through field trips to the Pine Barrens, Sandy Hook, Jenny Jump, and Stokes State Forest.

Family and evening programs provide an excellent opportunity for parents with children of all ages to enjoy the scenic Watchung Reservation. Each week, Trailside offers evening themed hikes, campfires with sing-alongs, or an over-night campout for beginner campers. On Fridays, families can take part in programs that give participants an opportunity to catch salamanders, look for bugs, catch frogs, go on a scavenger hunt, or participate in other outdoor activities.

Union County residents may visit Trailside to draw a lottery number beginning Saturday, Feb. 6, and continuing through Friday, Feb. 19, from noon – 5 p.m. daily. The number drawn will indicate the registrant’s position on line and time of arrival for registration day on March 6th.

Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license, will be required to draw a number and only one number may be drawn per family/address. Registrants must pick their own lottery ticket for their family. Each registrant’s name, address, lottery number and arrival time will be recorded when the lottery number is chosen. A total of 520 numbers are included in the lottery system. The lottery will be conducted from Feb. 6 - 19 or until all the numbers have been drawn.

Summer registration will take place on Saturday, March 6, beginning at 8 a.m. for Union County residents who have drawn a lottery ticket. Registrants must bring their ticket with them to register and must be present when their number is called or their position in line will be forfeited. A person may register only their children/family with their lottery ticket. If a registrant arrives after their number is called, but within their designated registration hour indicated on the lottery ticket, they may register at the end of the one-hour time block. If the registrant misses their one-hour block all together, they may return at 4:30 p.m. to register. No exceptions will be made.

Registration for out-of-county participants will begin Monday, March 8, from noon – 4:45 p.m. Lottery tickets will not be required. Registration continues until all programs are filled.

For a description of Trailside’s 2010 Summer Camps, including registration procedures, please call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visit us on the web at www.ucnj.org/tralside. Summer brochures and registration cards will be distributed during the February lottery. Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.