Teachers: Bring the Salt Marsh to Your Classroom

Teachers: You can join NJDEP Fish & Wildlife's Sedge Island staff and explore the salt marsh with activities that you can bring back to your classroom and students.

Participants in this overnight workshop will engage in classroom-ready activities, learning about New Jersey's salt marshes, all while staying at the Sedge House.

During the workshop, educators will:

• Explore the unique ecology of the salt marsh by kayak.
• Learn about the flora and fauna of the marsh through trawling, seining, clamming, fishing, and more.
• Receive classroom-ready lesson ideas and resources aligned with science standards.

Two dates to choose from: August 17-18 or August 18-19.

Registration deadline is August 7, 2026.

More information and registration

Fish for Trout Year-Round

As the weather gets colder and the days grow shorter, don’t put your rod and reel away just yet! Winter trout fishing can be incredibly rewarding. So, if you haven't tried targeting trout during the winter, this seminar is perfect for you!

Join NJDEP Fish & Wildlife's Fishing R3 program for a FREE Winter Trout Fishing Seminar. You'll learn how to effectively target trout during the winter months and get recommendations on gear.

Saturday, December 6, 2025 - 9:30 a.m.
Ocean County Library - Jackson Branch, Jackson Township

Registration is required. Limited space is available.
Registration deadline is December 4, 2025, or when full.

Ice Fishing Seminar Register by November 2

Personally, I hope it's too early for ice to be forming on lakes, ponds, or even on puddles near my home, but it's not too early to join NJDEP Fish & Wildlife's R3 Fishing Program for an introductory Ice Fishing Seminar. 

This free seminar, scheduled early in November, is designed to provide an informative and welcoming environment to prepare you for ice fishing. This program is open to experienced anglers, 18 years and older, who will be introduced to the sport of ice fishing by outdoor and ice fishing enthusiast David Alexander. David is a lifelong educator, naturalist, and conservation biologist. This seminar will cover ice safety, staying warm and dry, targeting specific fish species, depth maps, ice fishing equipment, knots, bait selection, and techniques. Through lecture, demonstrations, and hands-on components, you'll leave the workshop prepared to hit safe ice - if and when New Jersey gets any this winter.

Sunday, November 16, 2025 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
at the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery
Deadline to apply November 2, 2025.

Information & Register

Free Fly Fishing for Bass Workshop

 

Are you interested in learning to fly fish for bass? Join NJDEP F&W’s Fishing R3 Program to learn about the equipment and basic skills you need to target largemouth and smallmouth bass with a fly rod.

This free workshop is for anglers 18 years and older who are interested in learning how to fly fish. The program will start with an in-depth classroom session before putting newly learned skills to practice on August 15, 2025, at Echo Lake in Howell Township, Monmouth County.

All equipment will be provided, or you can bring your own.

All participants must have a valid 2025 NJ Freshwater Fishing License.

Registration Deadline: July 27, 2025 see forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx

Workshop is limited to 12 participants. Only selected participants will be notified by email. 

You will need your Conservation ID (CID#) to apply. Your CID# can be found on your Freshwater Fishing License or by logging in to NJ Fish & Wildlife’s License Sales Site at: nj.aspirafocus.com/internetsales

Horseshoe Crab Workshop for Teachers

 

Horseshoe crab migration during mating season in Southern New Jersey

During the full and new moon events in May and June, thousands of horseshoe crabs come ashore to spawn, primarily in Delaware Bay. It is also during this time when migrating shorebirds descend upon the beaches to rest and feed on the horseshoe crab eggs before continuing onto their breeding grounds. This interaction between horseshoe crab, shorebird and humans makes it a perfect time for the latest edition of the Seussically-named Green Eggs & Sand (GE&S) workshop.

Green Eggs and Sand

May 3-4, 2025 Educator Workshop

at The Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor, NJ

Registration Flyer 

The GE&S workshop focuses on promoting understanding of the issues, the science, and the management of the horseshoe crab/shorebird controversy. Workshop participants learn from top researchers and natural managers in the field, as well as get to visit a horseshoe crab spawning beach.

Educators and natural resource managers from Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey developed the curriculum and designed it for use with middle and high school students. It is broken down into four modules that introduce students to the lives of horseshoe crabs, their extraordinary history, ecological niche, interrelationships with other species, and the challenges of managing horseshoe crabs.

December at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center

Ready for some winter fun? Join the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center staff this December for some winter-themed programs!

Holiday Fly Tying December 4, December 11, December 18
The Holiday Fly is a highly effective fly to tie. No house should be without one and it is guaranteed to catch a smile. This fly also makes an amazing gift for the angler who has everything. Let the staff at the Pequest Natural Resource Education Center walk through the tying process of the fly. At the end, you will then get to take the fly home that you will tie. All tools and materials will be supplied. If you would like to bring your personal tools and vice you are welcome to. There is a $10.00 donation fee to cover materials for this program. For ages 12 years and above. Participants 16 years and younger must be accompanied by a participating adult.

December 13 - Nature Nurturers  Winter Sleep – A Hibernation Story@ 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Join us for story and craft time! Each month, Pequest Natural Resource Education Center staff will read a nature-based book. After the story, we will create a craft with you to take home. The program is 45 minutes long. For ages 3-6 years.

December 21 - Winter Solstice Stroll @ 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Join Pequest Natural Resource Education staff on December 21st for a short hike on the shortest day of the year. We will explore the diverse habitat of the Pequest valley. Bundle up for a 2-mile hike on our trails as we move through woods, fields, and aquatic environments. Who knows what we may find? If the holiday season has you stressed, then a walk in the woods is the perfect way to unwind. We will be outside the entire time so dress appropriately for the prevailing weather conditions. For ages 10 years and above. We will be moving on trails that are not suitable for wheeled conveyances.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/freshwater/learn-at-pequest/ 

The New Year at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center

The Pequest NREC on Rt. 46 between Great Meadows, approximately 9 miles west of Hackettstown in Warren County offers 3.9 miles of trails through a variety of habitats. 

The Red Trail offers interpretive signs about the habitat and is used to access the other two trails on site, the Yellow and Blue trails. (Horses, bikes, ATVs, and other motorized vehicles are not permitted on the Wildlife Management Area.)

You can learn about the Pequest Trout Hatchery by following the self-guided hatchery tour, marked by green trout on the sidewalks that lead to two different hatchery areas. The first sidewalk will take you up to the Nursery Building where you can look through the windows of both the Egg Room and the Nursery Area. The Egg Room is in operation from mid-September through early October. The Nursery Area is in use from Late September through mid-May.

The second sidewalk will take you to the Observation Platform where you can overlook the raceways or pools filled with trout. The raceways hold fish year-round.

You can also register for classes year-round 

For example, in January:

First Friday Flies: Inch Worm on January 6, 2023 at 10:00 am
The snow is coming. Ice isn’t thick enough to fish – what’s a person to do? How about tying flies for April trout? If you’ve always wanted to learn, winter is the perfect time to pick up some foundational fly-tying techniques. We have the equipment, knowledge and the basic supplies to get you started. Simple patterns can be amazingly effective at catching trout. When you learn the basics, you can tie what you need when you need it. We will talk a bit about how to fish the fly you tie, and how to match the hatch. If you don’t know the terms we just mentioned that’s okay as you will learn all about them in class. In January, this series will start out by tying a basic inch worm. This class is for ages 15 and above. To register, please go to eventbrite.com/e/first-friday-flies-tickets-483834170027

Nature Nurtures: Opossum Opposites, January 12, 2023, 10:00 am
Join us for story and craft time! Each month, Pequest staff will read a nature-based book. After the story is done, we will create a craft for you to take home. For ages 3-5 years.
To register, go to eventbrite.com/e/nature-nurtures-tickets-483860127667

Lunch and Learn: Binos and Birds, January 17, 2023, 12:00 pm
Did you get a new pair of binoculars over the holidays? Having a hard time locating birds or other wildlife on your travels? If you can manipulate a full-size pair of binoculars this class is for you. This one-hour program will connect you to one of the most useful outdoor tools. At NJ Fish and Wildlife, we have a wealth of answers to your optics questions. We also have a host of suggestions and tips that will help you bring the animals closer without taking a step. Even if you don’t have binoculars, no worries – we have some you can borrow.
Join us for the basics of binoculars, best practices for target acquisition, focusing techniques and more. If you plan on traveling or exploring nature, binoculars are the essential tool that brings everything up-close and personal. Let us show you how.
To register, go to eventbrite.com/e/lunch-and-learn-series-binos-and-birds-tickets-490622183157

Parents Only Fishing Classes at Pequest

Photo: Brett Sayles

Parents, guardians, and other family members can learn fishing basics to take back and share with your family! Spend two evenings at Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center in Oxford, NJ learning fishing basics and how to safely fish with your children. All equipment, expertise, and a trout-stocked pond are provided. 

Thursday, June 16 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm and

Thursday, June 23 from 7:00 pm to dusk

You must attend both sessions.

Does a child in your life want to fish, but you’ve never learned how? Mom’s, Dad’s, caregivers can spend two evenings at Pequest Trout Hatchery in Oxford, NJ learning about equipment, techniques, and tactics. At the end of this experience, you will know fishing basics and more importantly, you will be prepared to teach children how to fish safely.

Class size is limited 20 adults, 18 years and older.

To register, please go to eventbrite.com/e/parents-only-fishing-school-tickets-355180924707 

An additional pair of classes will be held Thursday, September 15 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm and Thursday, September 22 from 7:00 pm to dusk

More Programs and Events at the Pequest Trout Hatchery

Sedge Island Sampler August Workshops Open for Registration

Bay fishing, crabbing, clamming and kayaking will be offered at two Sedge Island Sampler workshops. 

Held August 3 & 4 on Sedge Island in beautiful Barnegat Bay, these low-cost NJ Outdoors Program workshops are designed for women and families to learn new skills and new ways to enjoy the outdoors. 

• Outdoor Women Sedge Island Sampler
  
• Outdoor Families Sedge Island Sampler

Register soon as workshops fill every year.