Rich History, Bright Future

Dive into our seasonal Parks and Recreation newsletter to discover the latest events and activities in our diverse parks, ensuring you never miss a moment of the outdoor excitement happening right in your community.

Passaic County Parks & Recreation | 1310 Route 23N. Wayne, NJ

 973-881-4833 | ParksAndRecreation@PassaicCountyNJ.org

www.PassaicCountyRec.org

County Commissioner Director John W. Bartlett, Esq.

"It's easy to feel like winter is a time when there's nothing happening outside: the trees are bare, migratory animals have left for warmer locales, there's not much green, and lively summer sounds like insects buzzing and birds chirping have gone silent. But here in Passaic County, there's a lot going on – because winter is about getting ready for the year ahead in our parks and recreational facilities. Staff are conducting repairs, making plans for planting and programming in the spring and summer, and thinking about what we can learn from 2023. And even in the coldest months, there are still activities for you, our Passaic County residents: indoor athletics, movies, culinary workshops, and other activities for young and old. Check out this newsletter for reflections on the year we just finished, plans for the year ahead, and a list of January and February activities that you might enjoy. We hope to see you again soon!"

Passaic County Commissioner Director John W. Bartlett, Esq.

Winter 2024 Events

Discover the best of winter in Passaic County with our upcoming events for January, February, and March 2024. From cozy community gatherings to outdoor adventures to indoor youth athletic programs, our Parks and Recreation department has something for everyone. Explore the season's offerings and make the most of the colder months with us!

You can register for all of our events by visiting: PassaicCountyRec.org

Kyle's Garden

Corner

Winter Garden Preparation

By: Kyle Kaps, Parks Horticulturist

Winter is often thought of as a time when gardeners, landscapers, and horticulturist alike go dormant, but this is far from the case. Even though the plants are dormant, you’ll find us gardeners occasionally braving the cold to complete much needed maintenance. Winter is the best time for garden clean up, pruning, and planning. For this season, I would like to focus on winter maintenance and two common winter pruning methods.

What is clean up? Many in the garden and landscape world know the importance of pruning and clean up. However, the degree of “tidiness” differs for each. For me, as a horticulturist, cutting back perennials and pruning trees/shrubs is an integral component of plant health, size management, and propagation. The best time to do this is winter with several exceptions. Winter pruning should be avoided on most evergreens and some deciduous materials. One must carry out their own due diligence and be aware of what they have in the garden and plan the best time for necessary maintenance.

When pruning and cutting back materials it is important to use clean tools and sterilize often to reduce the risk of spreading disease. Always be mindful of your local regulations regarding disposal. Leafy and herbaceous materials can be easily composted and added as topdressing. Some waste materials such as branches cannot be easily composted and should be disposed of properly. Pruning most deciduous trees and shrubs in early winter is best due to their visible structure and reduced risk of stress/disease. Pruning in late winter gives the plant an entire growing season to recover. There are two main reasons for pruning: size management and production. There are various methods involved in pruning.

One common pruning method practiced mostly on shrubs in winter is coppicing, sometimes known as rejuvenation pruning. This method is often used on ornamentals such as dogwoods, willows, Russian sage, and other woody plants with a good suckering habit. It is an example of a hard prune method done before spring growth. With coppicing, a shrub or juvenile tree is cut at or close to ground level. Shrub and young trees can survive this due to dormant buds that lie under the bark that are forced to initiate. This method can also be done on evergreen shrubs such as holly or boxwood but should take place in early spring as unlike deciduous, evergreens tend to keep more energy and resources in the leaves and stems through winter whereas deciduous ones draw most of their reserves below the soil line for winter. Pruning evergreens in late springs reduces the time branches will be without photosynthesis.

Another common and important method of pruning is structural pruning with directional and head cuts. This method is especially important for fruit tree production but also applies to ornamentals. It involves selectively pruning away branches and reducing to buds that are or will be growing in undesirable locations. In general crossing branches are never a good thing and should be avoided. Ideally branching should be consistent and density should be uniform allowing for improved airflow and light penetration. For fruit trees a central leader with evenly spaced horizontal branching is desired. Its important to select strong primary branches when the tree is young and tip them before they get too long to encourage branching, Leading to studier primary branches. 

I hope you were able to gain new insight or ideas from this brief article. Winter can be an active time in the garden!

An example of a coppiced dogwood shrub.

The Ranger Station

Fallen Leaves & Evergreens

By: Scott Campbell, Visitor Services Ranger & Naturalist

Once again, I find myself raking the leaves off my lawn. As I push and pull the piles into a sizable heap, I shoot a glare toward the barren oak branches that once cast shade from the summer sun. “Why can’t you be more like your friend over there?” I ask, gesturing to the exemplary white pine, its needles still clinging tightly to each twig. This pine hasn’t dropped a single leaf all year! If every tree kept its leaves, we wouldn’t be stuck managing this tedious chore several times each season. 

Have you ever wondered why some trees stay green all year, while others are leafless for months at a time? In this article, we’re going to examine the how’s and why’s of these winter survival strategies.

Before we jump in, let’s sort these trees into two groups: “deciduous" and "coniferous". You probably know an evergreen is a tree that stays green all year. Well, conifer is just a fancy way of saying evergreen. Scientists prefer to call them conifers because of the seed-bearing cones they produce. Conifers, including species such as pines, cedars, spruces, and firs, can be easily distinguished by their cones, and by their needles or flat and scaley leaves that feel waxy to the touch.

On the other side, we have our deciduous trees. In Latin, deciduous means to “to fall off” or “shed”. This group includes species such as oak, maple, birch, and hickory. These species have flat, wide, paper-thin leaves. Deciduous trees are certainly the predominant group in Passaic County. Next time you’re outside, look around. You’re likely to see a sparse scattering of conifers scattered in a landscape of empty branches. 

Before we go further, I have a point to make! “Deciduous” and “coniferous” are just words made up by humans to help us categorize nature, nature does not like to fall neatly into specific boxes! As the saying goes, there is always an exception to every rule (including this one!) Most evergreens are conifers and vice versa. Surprisingly though, some conifers are deciduous, and not all evergreens are conifers! For today, though, we’re going to keep things simple and ignore nature’s rule-breakers. 

Now that we have a better idea of the groups we’re discussing, it’s time to rephrase the question; why do deciduous trees lose their leaves, and how can conifers keep them? 

Leaves are like little solar panels that turn light into energy. Simply put, the more sunlight that touches a leaf, the more energy it creates. The more energy it creates, the faster the plant grows! Deciduous trees, with their leaves broad and wide, access much more sunlight than their coniferous counterparts. While this allows them to capture ample energy for rapid growth, that benefit comes at a cost. 

Due to their papery-thin structure, deciduous leaves are prone to losing water in the hot seasons. In the cold seasons, they risk being damaged or killed by razor sharp ice crystals. And while wide leaves are great for capturing extra sunlight, they also excel at catching snow! When enough snow accumulates, it can weigh enough to snap branches clean off, or even topple the whole tree over. 

Deciduous trees understand that once temperature drops and daylight hours diminish, their once advantageous leaves become a liability. To compensate, they pull all the nutrients left in the leaves back into their trunks, and they let their leaves fall to become fresh soil before they start growing again next season. 

A deciduous tree’s motto is “work hard now and rest later”. For conifers, their strategy is slow and steady. While deciduous trees are sleeping through the winter, conifers have a few tricks that help them deal with the freezing weather and damaging snowfall. Evergreen sap works like a natural antifreeze that protects the leaves from damage or death by freezing, and the leaves are covered in a waxy layer that keeps the water inside from escaping. And though the slender leaves don’t excel at harnessing solar energy, they boast a huge advantage by letting heavy snow and ice slide right off the branches, preventing al that extra weight from damaging or killing the tree. 

Each and every tree that’s alive needs energy to grow and survive. Some choose to create extra energy when conditions are favorable at the cost of taking a rest when conditions are harsh. Others are equipped to power through the winter, growing slowly and steadily all year long. In some regions, the climate is so cold that only evergreens can thrive. And in regions without a winter season, most trees don’t drop their leaves at all, so the reds and yellows of autumn will never show. In Passaic County, we are lucky to have a wonderful diversity of trees all around us to marvel at. With that in mind, maybe we can all appreciate raking just a little bit more. 

Evergreen leaves come in a

variety of shapes and sizes. Pictured above are the small, blade-like leaves of the Eastern Hemlock.

Evergreen leaves come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Pictured above are the scaley branches of the Eastern Red Ceda.

Pictured above is a stand of European Larch. For most of the year, its branches are covered in unmistakable conifer needles. But in winter, it drops its needles just like a deciduous tree does! While most conifers are evergreen, this tree is an example nature playing by its own rules.

Cookies with Santa & Miss Jolie

On December 2nd, children from across Passaic County came to Camp Hope for cookie decorating, a story and photos with Santa, and singing & dancing with Miss Jolie. It was a perfect family-friendly celebration with sweet treats, joyful memories, and a jolly good time for all.

White Reindeer Bingo

On December 19th, Seniors from around Passaic County came to Camp Hope for a bingo night like no other! During our annual White Reindeer Bingo, participants brought one wrapped item to be given out as a bingo prize! It was the perfect afternoon spent with new and old friends!

Senior Holiday Party

On December 21st, Seniors from around the county gathered at Camp Hope to celebrate the holidays at our annual Senior Holiday Party. With a festive meal, music & dancing, a roaring fire, and a special appearance by jolly old Saint Nick, fun was had by all!

Winter Photo Contest

1.     This contest is free and open to all park visitors.

2.     All photographs must be taken within the boundaries of the Passaic County Parks System.

3.     Each participant may enter one (1) photograph that has been taken within the current contest year.

4.     A digital copy of the photo must be submitted to brittanyr@passaiccountynj.org

5.     Each submission must include the photographer’s name, town, phone number, age, location of photo, and photo title.

6.     Entries must be received by the following dates:

a. March 1, 2024 for Spring 2024 Newsletter

b. June 1, 2024 for Summer 2024 Newsletter

c. September 1, 2024 for Fall 2024 Newsletter

d. December 1, 2024 for Winter 2025 Newsletter

7.     Judging will be based on creativity, technical superiority, composition, and the photographs’ depiction of the uniqueness of the Passaic County Parks System.

8.     Winner of the photo contest will be featured in the pages of Passaic County seasonal newsletter as well as on Passaic County social media pages.

9.     Any entries featuring an individual must be accompanied with a release statement (provided by Passaic County) signed by the individual or the individual’s guardian indicating their consent for full use of this photo as well as their understanding of the contest rules.

10. All entries will become the property of the Passaic County Department of Parks and Recreation and may be used in future publications, promotional materials or displays.

Passaic County Parks & Recreation | 1310 Route 23N. Wayne, NJ

 973-881-4833 | ParksAndRecreation@PassaicCountyNJ.org

www.PassaicCountyRec.org