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Tag Archives: Mallards
Exploring Rockefeller State Park Preserve's Swan Lake!
The Rockefeller State Park Preserve
Welcome to the Rockefeller State Park Preserve! Located in Sleepy Hollow, NY, the 1,000 + acre park features a variety of habitats ranging from open meadows, deciduous forest & wetlands. Rockefeller State Park Preserve is listed as an "IBA" (Important Bird Area) by the National Audubon Society. Over 180 species of birds have been documented in the preserve!
Female Yellow Warbler
Common birds (depending on the time of the year) found in the preserve include the belong among others:
Orchard Oriole
Warbling Vireo
Wood Thrush
Welcome! Today, using the map below, we are going to explore the Swan Lake area of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve!
Trail map listed above taken from NY Parks.
The 22 acre Swan Lake was created by impounding a tributary of the Pocantico River (a tributary of the Hudson River).
Carriage Road Rockefeller State Park Preserve
The carriage roads we will be walking on were developed by John D Rockefeller Sr & John D Rockefeller Jr between the years 1910-1950. Every winter the Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve evaluates which trails need fresh surface material added. Drainage of trails is completed every spring to ensure carriage roads stay dry. Trail maintenance is a 12 month process!
After paying the minimal parking fee ($6 at the time of this writing in 2013) let's walk over to the visitor center.
Japanese Peony
After picking up a trail map let's check out the interesting flowering plants blooming nearby. These flowers are Japanese Peony and are known as the "King of Flowers" in Japan.
Just past the flowers and the visitor center there is a kiosk chock full of information about the Rockefeller State Park preserve.
Birds and Wildflowers of the Preserve
Here we can find excellent information regarding common flora and fauna of the preserve. All set? Let's head towards Swan lake!
Fern Garden
But first let's poke around the Fern Garden found just past the visitor center. The fern garden is populated with Cinnamon, Royal & Sensitive Ferns among other species including some rather large Jack-in-the-Pulpit plants!
Leaving the Fern Garden we follow a brief trail through a forest to get to Brother's Path.
Brother's Path
We are going to be following the 1.1 mile Brother's Path which encircles Swan Lake. As we start out heading south on the Brother's Path, the trailhead of the .7 mile Overlook Trail appears to our right.
Overlook Trail
Let's take a quick detour from Brother's Path to walk a section of the Overlook Path for a few minutes. According to the Hudson River Audubon Society website this area is one of the best spots to view Eastern Bluebirds. Eastern Bluebirds, New York's state bird, are a small thrush whose habitats include open woodlands and meadows such as where we are right now. Eastern Bluebird populations have experienced a decline due to strong competition from aggressive non-native birds like the House Sparrow and European Starlings.
Eastern Blue Bird (NY's State Bird!)
As we ponder the future fate of these birds a blue blur flies by and lands on a nesting box which has been placed in the meadow by a member of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve staff. Ready to head back to the Brother's Path? Let's head back to continue our journey around Swan Lake. Heading south on Brother's Path we see continuous views of Swan Lake mixed with occasional Flowering Dogwood to our left.
Flowering Dogwood
Flowering Dogwood, native to the eastern United States, is a common understory tree found in forest edges.
Rockefeller State Park Preserve Meadow
Continuing south an opening has appeared to our right providing a view of the sweeping meadows we sampled on the Overlook Trail. As we walk Swan Lake is becoming narrower. Turning east we cross over two Pocantico River tributaries draining Swan Lake.
American Beech Trees
We pass near a few American Beech trees and a Skunk Cabbage dominated wetland.
Passing the Farm Meadow Trailhead to our south we continue to follow the Brothers Path heading north.
Farm Meadow Trail Trailhead
Swan Lake is now on our left.
Swan Lake to our left
As we walk, we pass Canada Mayflower to our left in bloom.
Canada Mayflower in bloom
Canada Mayflower is part of the Lily family and native to the Eastern United States.
Eastern Chipmunk near it's home
A sudden squeak makes an Eastern Chipmunk known to us.
Northern Black Racer (Thanks Brian!)
I'm not sure if the chipmunk is sounding the alarm over us or this Northern Black Racer lurking nearby. Maybe both?
As we leave the chipmunk and snake we hear a sudden "meow" sound and realize that the sound is not coming from a cat but a bird! The bird is a Gray Catbird. Gray Catbirds are migratory and fly to the southeaster US, Mexico and Central America for the winter months.
Striped Wintergreen
Continuing north and passing the trailhead to the Ridge Trail, we spot some Striped Wintergreen, a species which is considered vulnerable in New York.
Mallards near Swan Lake
We cross over a Swan Lake feeder stream and pass a couple of Mallards and a turtle as we head west on the Brothers Path back to the parking lot to complete our hike. I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of Swan Lake and that it inspired you to visit it for yourself!
Recommended Books:
1) WALKABLE WESTCHESTER – The book covers over 180 parks with almost 600 miles of trails in Westchester County.
2) The Nature of New York – This work offers a sweeping environmental history of New York State. Author David Stradling shows how New York's varied landscape and abundant natural resources have played a fundamental role in shaping the state's culture and economy.
3) Eastern Deciduous Forest Ecology and Wildlife Conservation – This book is a useful tool for anyone who wants know or hopes to help one of North America's great natural resources!
Feel free to comment with any questions, memories or suggestions! Thank you and have fun exploring!
This entry was posted in American Beech, Baltimore Oriole, Birding, Black Capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Canada Mayflower, carriage road, Carriage Trail, Cinnamon Fern, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Chipmunk, European Starling, Fern Garden, Flowering Dogwood, Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Gray Catbird, House Sparrow, Hudson River, Hudson River Audubon Society, Hudson River Tributary, Important Bird Area, Indigo Bunting, Jack in the Pulpit, Japan, John D Rockefeller Jr, John D Rockefeller Sr, Mallards, Native Plants, Northern Cardinal, Orchard Oriole, Peony, Pocantico River, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Royal Fern, Sensitive Fern, Skunk Cabbage, Sleepy Hollow, Striped Wintergreen, Swan Lake, Warbling Vireo, Wood Thrush, Yellow Warbler and tagged American Beech, Baltimore Oriole, Birding, Black Capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Canada Mayflower, carriage road, Carriage Trail, Cinnamon Fern, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Chipmunk, environment, European Starling, Fern Garden, Flowering Dogwood, Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Gray Catbird, House Sparrow, Hudson River, Hudson River Audubon Society, Hudson River Tributary, Important Bird Area, Indigo Bunting, Jack in the Pulpit, Japan, John D Rockefeller Jr, John D Rockefeller Sr, Mallards, National Audubon Society, Nature, Northern Cardinal, Orchard Oriole, outdoors, Peony, plants, Pocantico River, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Royal Fern, Sensitive Fern, Skunk Cabbage, Striped Wintergreen, Swan Lake, Warbling Vireo, Wood Thrush, Yellow Warbler on June 13, 2013 by NJUrbanForest.
Emerson Woods Preserve Tour!
Emerson Woods Preserve
On December 4, 2011, Watershed Advocacy group Bergen SWAN (Save the Watershed Action Network) teamed with naturalist Nancy Slowik to host the first ever Emerson Woods nature walk. Once targeted for intense development, the woods are now preserved and help protect the Oradell Reservoir from non-point source pollution.
Emerson Woods and Oradell Reservoir
Bergen SWAN played a major role in preserving Emerson Woods. Bergen SWAN has fought for almost 24 years to help preserve the remaining forests surrounding upper Bergen County's reservoirs. The most recent settlement occurred in 2009 with United Water. United Water manages the Oradell, Lake Tappan and Woodcliff Lake Reservoirs in Bergen County. After 5 years of negotiations with Bergen SWAN & the Hackensack Riverkeeper, United Water agreed to granting conservation easements on 3,100 watershed acres to the NJDEP in addition to setting aside $1 million to assist in acquiring and preserving additional land along the Hackensack River and its tributaries. United Water has since become a close ally of Bergen SWAN by helping to sponsor events such as the 2010 "Planting in the Park" in Pascack Brook County Park and allowing Bergen SWAN to host the December 4th nature walk on United Water watershed land-land which is normally not open to the general public.
Emerson Woods Nature Tour
The tour, led by naturalist Nancy Slowik, started in the United Water recreation parking lot near Lakeview Terrace in Emerson, NJ. Once the group was organized, Bergen SWAN opened up the gate to the Oradell Reservoir providing a rare opportunity to walk along the shore of the reservoir. Nancy directed the tour to the waterfowl present on the open water of the reservoir. Double-crested Cormorant were seen in addition to Hooded Mergansers.
Double Crested Cormorant
Heading away from the shore, the tour passed a stand of American Sycamore with their white peeling bark.
Early settlers used to make buttons out of American Sycamore seedpods. The "button" is found inside the seedpod. This practice created another name for the American Sycamore: the Buttonwood Tree. Nancy pointed out Poison Ivy growing on a dead Eastern Hemlock tree. Members of the tour were advised to never touch the hairy vine of Poison Ivy as you can still get a painful itchy rash even in winter.
Poison Ivy Rope on Dead Hemlock Tree
Palmolive dish washing liquid was recommended as an inexpensive cure for poison ivy. The tour then led participants up a gas line right of way for about ¼ a mile.
Along the way, White-Tail Deer were seen browsing in the woods west of the right of way.
White Tail Deer
As the group proceeded on, Nancy pointed out large rectangular holes found on a dead tree.
Pileated Woodpecker Holes
These holes were created by a Pileated Woodpecker, North America's largest woodpecker. Most likely the bird was hunting carpenter ants, one it's favorite sources of food. While the group admired the holes, a Black-Capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker and Red-Bellied Woodpecker were heard calling.
Up ahead on the gas trail was a stand of Northern Red Oak (NJ's state tree!) with its characteristic "ski slope" bark. Nancy informed the tour that when a Northern Red Oak gets cut it admits a foul odor.
Northern Red Oak
Shortly before turning west onto the Heck Ditch trail, the group happened upon a White Pine plantation.
White Pine Plantation
White pines make excellent habitat for Great Horned Owls and other birds of prey which frequent Emerson Woods.
Possible Hawk or Owl nest in White Pine
Cones of White Pine are sticky with the seeds found inside. Native Americans used to chew on White Pine needles to obtain Vitamin C.
As the group passed the Heck Ditch Nancy pointed out that the oily looking water surface of the ditch was caused by bacteria decomposing leaves.
Heck Ditch
Ground Pine was found growing in large colonies on the other side of the Heck ditch trail. Ground Pine takes years to become established.
Scouring Rush near Cotton Wood Tree
After walking for about 15-20 minutes on the Heck Ditch trail, the tour headed south on the Equisetum trail which leads back to the United Water Recreating parking lot. Along the way, Nancy pointed out large growths of equisetum growing near massive Cottonwood trees. This collection of Equisetum is thought to consist of the largest stand in New Jersey. Equisetum are members of an ancient order of plants and appeared well before the appearance of the first flowering plants. Equisetum was known to early settlers as "Scouring Rush"-a name given for its ability to clean and scrub pots and pans.
Check out Plant Communities of New Jersey.
NJ's geology, topography and soil, climate, plant-plant and plant-animal relationships, and the human impact on the environment are all discussed in great detail. Twelve plant habitats are described and the authors were good enough to put in examples of where to visit!
Giant Cottonwood
The group headed back to the parking lot as twilight descended. As we walked, we happened upon an abandoned Red-Eyed Vireo nest. The red-eye vireo spends the winter living in South America.
The group proceeded to the parking area and the tour concluded.
A special thanks to Bergen SWAN and Nancy Slowik for offering the opportunity to explore Emerson Woods in great detail. For more information on Bergen SWAN click here.
The Emerson Woods Preserve are accessible from off of Main Street in Emerson or Lakeview Drive. Ample parking is available on Summer Street. Be sure to check out Bergen SWAN if you wish to participate in nature walks, community clean-ups and educational events in Emerson Woods.
This entry was posted in American Beech, American Sycamore, Bergen County, Bergen SWAN, Black Capped Chickadee, Clubmoss, Conservation Easement, Ditch, Double-crested Cormorant, Emerson Woods Preserve, Equisetum, Fall Hike, Forested Wetlands, Fresh Water Wetlands, Great Horned Owl, Green Acres, Ground Pine, Hackensack River, Hackensack Riverkeeper, Herbacious Wetlands, Hike, Hooded Mergansers, Lake Tappan, Land Conservation, Mallards, Nancy Slowik, Native Plants, Naturalist, Nature Trail, NJ DEP, NJ Nature, Northern Red Oak, Oak Leaves, Oradell Dam, Oradell Reservoir, Pascack Brook, Pascack Brook County Park, Pileated Woodpecker, Planting in the Park, Poison Ivy, Red-belly Woodpecker, Red-Eye Vireo, Reservoir, Scouring Rush, Trail, Tulip Poplar, United Water New Jersey, Urban Nature, Urban Woods, Water Quality, Watershed Land, White Pine, White Pine Plantation, White Tail Deer, Woodcliff Lake Reservoir and tagged American Beech, American Sycamore, Bergen County, Bergen SWAN, Black Capped Chickadee, Clubmoss, Conservation Easement, ditch, Double-crested Cormorant, Emerson, Emerson Woods Preserve, Equisetum, Forested Wetlands, Freshwater Wetlands, Great Horned Owl, Ground Pine, Hackensack River, Hackensack Riverkeeper, Heck Ditch, Hike, Hiking, Hooded Mergansers, Lake Tappan, Land Conservation, Mallards, Nancy Slowik, Native Plants, Naturalist, Nature Trail, NJ DEP, NJ Fauna, NJ Flora, NJ Hiking Trail, NJ Nature, NJ Nature Trail, Northern Red Oak, Oak Leaves, Oradell Dam, Oradell Reservoir, Pascack Brook, Pascack Brook County Park, Pileated Woodpecker, Planting in the Park, Poison Ivy, Red Belly Woodpecker, Red-Eye Vireo, Reservoir, Scouring Rush, Trail, Tulip Poplar, United Water, Urban Nature, Urban Woods, Water Quality, Watershed Land, White Pine, White Pine Plantation, White Tail Deer, Woodcliff Lake Reservoir on December 16, 2011 by NJUrbanForest.
Ridgewood's Twinney Park!
Twinney Park
Welcome to Ridgewood's Twinney Park! The park is owned by the Village of Ridgewood and maintained by the Ridgewood Wildscape Association.
Ridgewood's Twinney Pond
Twinney Park, located off of Red Birch Court, has Valleau Cemetery to the southeast, Franklin Turnpike to the North and dense residential development to the south and west. Ridgewater Water, which supplies water to an estimated 65,000 residents in Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff has Twinney Well located to the east of the park.
Ridgewood Water Dept Twinney Well
Twinney Park's three acres consist of remnant deciduous woodlands and freshwater wetlands. The focal point of the park is Twinney Pond. Twinney Pond, at almost an acre, is a figure eight shaped freshwater body of water created from glaciers.
Twinney Pond
Twinney Pond Trail Map
A rough trail encircles the pond. Occasionally the path is laden with woodchips. The trail goes through upland and freshwater wetland habitat.
Mallards and Ducklings on Twinney Pond
Twinney Pond is home to Mallards, Wood Ducks and other waterfowl. American Bullfrogs and Green Frogs can be heard seasonally. The surrounding remnant woodland is home to countless Eastern Chipmunks and Eastern Gray Squirrels as well as other mammals.
The pond and woodlands features a nice diversity of flora including:
American Beech
Swamp White Oak
Northern Red Oak (NJ's State Tree)
False Solomon's Seal
The park is open from dusk to dawn. It is absolutely amazing to find a natural pond teeming with wildlife in such a built up area. Click here for directions.
Feel free to comment below with any bird sightings, interesting plants, memories or suggestions! Thank you and have fun exploring!
This entry was posted in American Beech, Bergen County, Bullfrog, False Solomon Seal, Forested Wetlands, Fresh Water Wetlands, Green Frog, Herbacious Wetlands, Hike, Mallards, Nature Trail, NJ Nature, NJ State Tree, Red Oak, Remnant Wetlands, Ridgewood, Ridgewood Water Company, Ridgewood Wildscape Association, Twinney Pond, Wetlands, White Pine, Wildscape and tagged American Beech, Bergen County, Bullfrog, False Solomon's Seal, Forested Wetlands, Fresh Water Wetlands, Green Frog, Herbacious Wetlands, Hike, Mallards, Nature Trail, New Jersey State Tree, NJ Nature, Red Oak, Remnant Wetlands, Ridgewood, Ridgewood Water Company, Ridgewood Wildscape Association, Twinney Pond, Wetlands, White Pine, Wildscape on June 6, 2011 by NJUrbanForest.
Teaneck Creek Conservancy!
Welcome to the Teaneck Creek Conservancy!
Teaneck Creek Conservancy (TCC) is a 46 acre urban forested wetland located in Teaneck, NJ. The park is bordered to the north by Fycke Lane, DeGraw Avenue to the south, Teaneck Road to the west and Teaneck Creek to the east. The park is owned by Bergen County and managed by the Teaneck Creek Conservancy.
TCC was founded in 2001 by the Puffin Foundation after red survey flags were found on the woodland in back of the building at 20 Puffin Way in Teaneck, NJ. After discovering that the property was owned by the County of Bergen, TCC signed a long term licensing agreement with the county to allow it to develop the property into a park. The conservancy applied and received $500,000 from NJ Green Acres, $450,000 from Bergen County Parks Department and Open Space Trust Fund, $50,000 from the Puffin Foundation and $300,000 from the NJ Wetlands Mitigation Council to form trails, site improvements and wetland hydrology analysis. Teaneck Creek Conservancy became part of Bergen County's Overpeck Park in July of 2004 and opened up to the public on May 7, 2006.
The conservancy has created a natural masterpiece by blending the perfect mixture of artwork with nature. The Puffin Sculpture Park greets you as soon as you arrive in the parking lot of the Puffin Cultural Forum.
Puffin Sculpture Park
Example of Artwork found in Puffin Sculpture Garden
More Artwork found in Puffin Sculpture Garden
Artwork may appear around the corner on any of TCC's nature trails such as this wooden turtle (carved from a Black Locust tree trunk) which may be found on the blue trail or this wooden rabbit found near Dragonfly Pond off of the Red Trail.
Turtle carved from Black Locust Tree Trunk
Carved Rabbit Near Dragonfly Pond
Teaneck Creek
The 1.5 mile Teaneck Creek, for which TCC is named, is a tributary of Overpeck Creek which in turn is a tributary of the Hackensack River.
There are two tributaries of Teaneck Creek found in the conservancy.
Tributary stream confluence with Teaneck Creek
95% of Teaneck Creek's watershed is urban which causes flash hydrology during storm events. Flash hydrology consists of the rapid movement of water through Teaneck's storm system into Teaneck Creek, followed by a rapid elevation of water height, accelerated water flows and then a rapid return to low flow water levels. Flash hydrology can destabilize the stream channel by erosion of the stream banks.
Despite Teaneck Creek's poor water quality due to non-point source pollution, the creek and surrounding wetlands and woodlands host a large diversity of wildlife. Wildlife that have been observed at TCC include:
Green Frogs
Bullfrogs
Eastern Box Turtle
Female Mallard & Ducklings in Teaneck Creek
Degraded Wetlands
The 46 acres which comprise Teaneck Creek Conservancy experienced degradation from dumping and filing of debris in the 1960's during construction of the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 80. The dumping of debris caused degradation in TCC's wetlands by cutting off the historic hydrology to Teaneck Creek causing the wetlands to act more as a perched bog rather than a functioning riparian wetland. A Conceptual Wetland Restoration Plan was developed for the preserve after three years of study by Rutgers University, United States Geologic Survey and TRC Omni. The restoration plan essentially breaks the 46 acres into four sections (Section A, B, C & D). Each section will have its own restoration plan based upon existing soil, vegetation and hydrology.
A, B, C & D Restoration Areas
Section A consists of 9 acres and is located in the northeastern section of the preserve near Fycke Lane. Section A consists of the highest quality forested wetlands remaining in Teaneck Creek Conservancy. Analysis of the soil indicates that the 9 acres have remained unchanged for the past two to three hundred years. The goal for this area is to maintain the existing conditions and protect the 9 acres from future negative environmental impacts that may occur.
Section B, at 15 acres is located in the heart of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. A prominent feature of Section B is a body of water known as Dragonfly Pond whose water comes directly from storm water runoff from nearby Teaneck Road.
DragonFly Pond
Dragonfly pond is surrounded by large stands of Common Reed. The goal for Section B is to leave existing stands of Common Reed near the pond and prevent its spread by planting native shade trees. Common Reed, though invasive, is useful in removing excess nutrients and sequestering contaminants from water. In addition, given the source of water for Dragonfly Pond, the area is prone to drought conditions in the summer months. Under drought conditions, obligate wetland plants such as Skunk Cabbage cannot survive.
While invasive plants such as Garlic Mustard and Mile-a-Minute Vine are found throughout Teaneck Creek Conservancy's 46 acres, they are especially plentiful in the 14 acre Section C and 8 acre section D.
Mile-a-minute-weed and 1st year Garlic Mustard rosettes
Section C and D are located in the southeast and southwest section of the park respectively. These areas of the park historically received the largest amount of disturbance during the construction of Route 80 and the NJ Turnpike. The soil consists primarily of debris. Only pockets of native vegetation remain in the 8 acre section D. The restoration plan for section D indicates that 5-6 acres will be clear cut and reconfigured into a series of freshwater wetlands. 3 upland native wooden acres will be spared. In Section C, a large clay berm was constructed in past wetland management efforts to help stem flooding from Teaneck Creek. Restoration efforts call for the clay berm to be broken so that water will be able to flow and pool creating new freshwater wetland habitat naturally.
It is hoped that 20 new forested freshwater wetlands will be created from the Conceptual Wetland Restoration Plan for the Teaneck Creek Conservancy.
Mallards on Teaneck Creek
Teaneck Creek Conservancy features 3 trails. All trails are nearly flat. Blazes are created in the shape of a turtle and are colored and numbered. Trail maps are available near the entrance by the parking lot for the Puffin Cultural Forum. Click here for a map of Teaneck Creek Conservancy from the Teaneck Creek Conservancy website.
The handicapped accessible .65 of a mile red trail traverses the preserve from DeGraw Avenue to Fycke Lane. Starting from the Puffin Cultural Parking lot, the red trail leaves the parking lot heading down wooden stairs where artwork known as "Migration Milestones" showcases pictures of migratory birds and facts.
Red Knot Migration Milestone
This information is all carved on old cement which was previously dumped in the conservancy during construction of the intersection of nearby I-80 and I-95.
Silver Maple Red Trail
From here, the red trail heads north or south. Heading south, the red trail passes upland forest to the east which contains a big Silver Maple with a label near blaze R2.
Bergen County Audubon Society Butterfly Garden (before its official opening)
Continuing south, the red trail passes by the newly (as of July 2012) opened Bergen County Audubon Society's Butterfly Garden.
The idea for the garden came about in the fall of 2011 and funding from the Bergen County Audubon and National Audubon Society helped make the dream a reality. Native plants such as Swamp Milkweed, Buttonbush, Ironweed and Spicebush among others were planted for a two fold purpose. The first is to provide habitat for butterflies to lay eggs and for their caterpillars to eat. The second purpose is to provide nectar sources for butterflies. It is hoped other species of wildlife will be attracted to the butterfly garden as well.
Volunteers from three groups assisted with the project. The Teaneck Creek Weed Warriors cleared the garden of non native vegetation such as Japanese Knotweed and Porcelain Berry. Volunteers from the Teaneck Garden Club (members stored plants over the winter donated by Metropolitan Plant Exchange. Finally, members from the Bergen County Audubon Society completed the planting and will maintain the garden.
The butterfly garden marks the first time native plants have intentionally been planted to replace invasive species at TCC.
Updated Green Trail as of July 2012 (circled area)
Heading closer to DeGraw Avenue, a new section (as of July 2012) of Green trail appears to the northeast. Turning back north, the red trail retraces its steps and heads back to the entrance of the TCC. A little north of the main entrance, the red trail comes to a "T" near blaze R4. Turning left (west) this section of the red trail heads to Puffin Place and the Blue Trail.
Heading east, the red trail comes to blaze R5 with upland forest to the south and dense scrub shrub land to the north. Heading northeast, the red trail passes the green trail to the east and heads past Dragonfly Pond to the west near blaze R7.
This section of the red trail follows the historic public service trolley route which was in service from 1899-1938. The public service trolley route connected Paterson to Edgewater where a ferry took passengers to NYC.
Remains of Historic Public Trolley Route on Red Trail
Continuing north, the red trail comes to the 5 Pipes. The five pipes were leftover massive drainage pipes that are large enough to stand in. Rather than discard them, volunteers painted the interiors and exteriors to represent five eras of time.
Fives Pipes before any work was done
Primer with sketching
Completion!
The exteriors of the five pipes represent natures flora and fauna found at the Teaneck Creek Conservancy across time. The interiors of the five pipes represent the human relationship to TCC in 5 different historical eras. These eras include:
1. Native American (The Lenape)
2. Colonial Period (The Dutch and the English)
3. A new nation's early years (1776-1899)
4. USA: The 20th Century
5. USA: The 21st Century and Beyond
From here, the northern end of the Green trail is accessible immediately after the five pipes to the east near Teaneck Creek. A bridge crossing Teaneck Creek from the Heritage Point of Teaneck is found here.
Massive Black Willow
Continuing north, two massive Black Willows can be found at blazes R10 and R11 respectively. Near blaze R12, the Blue Trail is accessible to the west. Continuing north, the red trail crosses Teaneck Creek in the Fycke Woods section. (FYI: Fycke, is a Dutch word meaning fish or animal trap)
2 Gray Catbirds Teaneck Creek Conservancy
The Red Trail parallels Teaneck Creek to the west and comes to an outdoor ecology classroom at blaze R14. The outdoor ecology classroom is located near the highest quality forested wetlands remaining in TCC (Section A near Fycke Lane). The location of the classroom was previously surrounded by large dense stands of Common Reed. After most of the Common Reed was removed, native trees, shrubs and herbaceous species were planted. The outdoor ecology classroom was built after receiving funding of $100,000 from private and public sources in 2003. The classroom has four 12-foot long benches, a boardwalk and a 30 foot –wide five-sided opening in the middle that looks down into wetlands.
Outdoor Ecology Classroom
The red trail ends at Fycke Lane where the Fycke Lane Interpretive Project at Teaneck Creek Conservancy is found.
Welcome to the Fycke Lane Entrance of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy
The Fycke Lane Interpretive Project was conceived in 2003 and constructed in 2011 after being funded with a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
Fycke Lane Entrance
The project consists of 8 educational signs which provide illustrations and information on landscape perspectives ranging from habitat, wealth, and history among other landscape perspectives. The signs were constructed by a wall made of recycled materials. These signs will be replaced from time to time to provide fresh perspectives. The Fycke Lane Interpretive Project opened Earth Day in 2012.
Green Trail
Starting from the red trail near DeGraw Avenue, the rustic estimated .41 of a mile green trail traverses northeast to the Lenape Turtle Peace Labyrinth at blaze G2.
Lenape Turtle Peace Labyrinth Teaneck Creek Conservancy
The Labyrinth, located inside a Cottonwood Forest, was made from rubble found in Teaneck Creek Conservancy.
Labyrinth this way
The turtle shaped Labyrinth was created to honor the Hackensack Lenape Native Americans whose lands included the TCC.
Labyrinth Summer
Labyrinth Winter
The Lenape Native Americans believed that the world began when a giant turtle swam to the surface of an ocean that covered the earth and the turtle's back supported the continent. Hikers are encouraged to follow the rubblestone to the center of the labyrinth. A sign posted at the entrance states "A walk to the labyrinth's center can provide an opportunity to meditate, heal and grow".
Brown Headed Cowbird Teaneck Creek Conservancy
From the labyrinth, the green trail continues through the cottonwood forest until it reaches Teaneck Creek at blaze G8. Here there is a bridge crossing Teaneck Creek connecting the Glen Pointe Development with TCC. The green trail continues north following Teaneck Creek to the east. The Green Trail ends at the Red Trail at blaze G10 near the Five Pipes.
An interesting note is the green trail is the only trail in the park system that was designed and built by volunteers. The red and blue trail were designed and built by contractors.
The woodchip lined .27 of a mile blue trail traverses the northwestern section of TCC. Starting from Puffin Place, the blue trail heads north through a dense area of wetlands and reeds and passes a picnic area known as Black Walnut Meadow near blaze B4.
2009 Windows on the Park Exhibit
Black Walnut Meadow is the location of one of the first ongoing art exhibits I saw at Teaneck Creek Conservancy: Windows on the Park. Generally once a year, old window frames are taken and hung up alongside the blue trail to challenge the separation between public and private spaces.
Windows on the Park Public Space-Private Space
Windows on the Park IV April-May 2012
After leaving the Black Walnut Meadow, the blue trail heads north through wetlands and connects to the red trail at blaze B8 near the red trail's R12.
TCC includes over 140 native species of plants including:
Silver Maple
Green Ash
Virginia Creeper
Pokeweed
Eastern Skunk Cabbage
Eastern Cottonwood
Click here for directions to this unique urban wetland. Click here to check out the official website of Teaneck Creek Conservancy.
Great Ecology/Hiking Books!
2. 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: New York City: Including northern New Jersey, southwestern Connecticut, and western Long Island – Packed with valuable tips and humorous observations, the guide prepares both novices and veterans for the outdoors. From secluded woods and sun-struck seashores, to lowland swamps and rock-strewn mountain tops, this practical guidebook contains all the information needed to have many great hikes in and around New York City.
Click here to check out the latest bird sightings for Teaneck Creek!
http://www.teaneckcreek.org/
http://urbanhabitats.org/v05n01/history_full.html
http://urbanhabitats.org/v05n01/hydrology_full.html
http://urbanhabitats.org/v05n01/restore_full.html
http://urbanhabitats.org/v05n01/wetland_full.html
http://urbanhabitats.org/v05n01/vegetation_full.html
http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/teaneck-creek-conservancy
This entry was posted in Bergen County, Bergen County Open Space, Bergen County Park, Bergen County Parks, Black Locust, Bullfrog, Degraded Wetlands, Eastern Box Turtle, Flash Hydrology, Forested Wetlands, Fresh Water Wetlands, Garlic Mustard, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Acres, Green Frog, Hackensack River, Herbacious Wetlands, Hike, Invasive Plants, Killifish, Mallards, Mile-a-Minute Vine, Native Plantings, Native Plants, Nature Trail, NJ Meadowlands, NJ Nature, NJ Wetlands Mitigation Council, Obligate Plant, Overpeck County Park, Overpeck Creek, Puffin Cultural Forum, Puffin Foundation, Rain Garden, Red Fox, Remnant Wetlands, Snapping Turtle, Teaneck, Teaneck Creek, Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Trail, Urban Nature, Urban Park, Urban Watershed, Urban Woods, Wetland Restoration, White-Tailed Deer and tagged Bergen County, Bergen County Parks, Black Locust, Bullfrog, Degraded Wetlands, Flash Hydrology, Forested Wetlands, Fresh Water Wetlands, Garlic Mustard, Great Egret, Green Acres, Green Frog, Hackensack River, Herbacious Wetlands, Hike, Invasive Plants, killifish, Mallards, Mile-a-minute vine, Native Plantings, Native Plants, Nature, Nature Trail, NJ Meadowlands, NJ Nature, NJ Wetlands Mitigation Council, Obligate Plant, Overpeck County park, Overpeck Creek, Puffin Cultural Forum, Puffin Foundation, Puffin Sculpture Park, Rain Garden, Red Fox, Remnant Wetlands, Snapping Turtle, Teaneck, Teaneck Creek, Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Trail, Urban Nature, Urban Parks, Urban Watershed, Urban Woods, Wetland Restoration, Wetlands on January 26, 2011 by NJUrbanForest.
Ridgewood's Grove Park
Grove Park Village of Ridgewood, NJ
Grove Park
Grove Park is a 32 acre deciduous forest and wetland owned by the village of Ridgewood, NJ and maintained by the Ridgewood Wildscape Association.
The forest was purchased with Green Acres funding. Grove Park has dense residential development to the west, the confluence of the artificial paths of the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River to the south, Grove Street to the north and the Saddle River Pathway and Saddle River to the east.
Saddle River Pathway next to Grove Park
In 1996, the Ridgewood Sports Council proposed to destroy a portion of Grove park for a sports field. Residents from the nearby developments and the Ridgewood Council opposed this proposal as the woodland is environmentally sensitive and the remnant forest was preserved.
Grove Park Trail Map
The park contains several trails. I found (as listed in the picture above) the best combination is to do a loop trail by combining the .34 of a mile White blazed trail with .28 of the .36 of a mile Yellow blazed trail for a total of .62 of a mile. From the entrance on Grove Street, walk to the white trail which traverses the western portion of the park through a wetland area. I usually spot white-tail deer in this area running away with their white tails upheld high.
Blurry Deer Hooves in the mud
Take the white trail until it terminates on a White Oak near the yellow trail to the east of the woods.
White Trail Terminus on White Oak
Follow the yellow trail north back to the entrance on Grove street. Be careful, during my last visit there were several large blowdowns blocking the trail. I just ducked and went under some and crawled over others.
Blowdown on the Yellow Trail
The interesting thing about blowdowns is eventually all that dirt that surrounds the root structure will eventually come down and form a sort of pillow near the tree. These pillows, if left undisturbed, can last hundreds of years and are a way to determine if a forest is old growth. A forest that lacks these pillows was most likely farmed within the past hundred years or so.
Another way of reading the forested landscape is looking at bizarre tree formations. This American Beech tree in the picture below (found on the White Trail) was tipped by the wind and eventually was able to righten itself.
Wind-tipped American Beech
Grove Park provides much needed habitat for the fauna that inhabit this densely developed area of north jersey. Just like with the deer prints, I found evidence of raccoon prints (which look like little hands) in the mud.
Raccoon Prints
Plus I've have seen these other characters during my travels in this suburban woodland:
Mallards on Vernal Pond
Blurry Eastern Chipmunk
Grove Park features quite a diversity of flora. Flora I've found includes:
Black Birch
Northern Red Oak (NJ's State Tree!)
Tulip Poplar
White Wood Aster
False Hellebore
Dwarf Ginseng
Trout Lily
Lesser Celandine
In early spring Lesser Celandine (an invasive plant) carpets the floor of Grove Park.
Thank you for tagging along in this virtual exploration of Ridgewood's Grove Park!
The entrance to this park is available from Grove Street or off of the nearby Saddle River pathway. Parking is available on Berkshire Road which is located to the west of the park and is a quick walk away from the entrance. Click here for directions.
Local Ecology/Environment Books!
1. Eastern Deciduous Forest, Second Edition: Ecology and Wildlife Conservation – This book is a useful tool for anyone who wants to know or hopes to help one of North America's great natural resources.
2. Protecting New Jersey's Environment: From Cancer Alley to the New Garden State – With people as its focus, Protecting New Jersey's Environment explores the science underpinning environmental issues and the public policy infighting that goes undocumented behind the scenes and beneath the controversies.
3. Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State:
Wild New Jersey invites readers along Wheeler's whirlwind year-long tour of the most ecologically diverse state for its size in America.
This entry was posted in American Beech, American Robin, Bergen County, Black Birch, Blowdowns, Eastern Chipmunk, Forested Wetlands, Fresh Water Wetlands, Green Acres, Herbacious Wetlands, Hike, Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, Land Conservation, Mallards, Native Plants, Nature Trail, NJ Nature, Red Maple, Red Oak, Red Tail Hawk, Red-belly Woodpecker, Ridgewood, Saddle River, Saddle River County Park, Salamander, Trail, Tulip Poplar, Urban Nature, Urban Woods, Vernal Pond, Wetlands, White Oak, Wildscape and tagged American Beech, American Robin, Bergen County, Blowdowns, Confluence, Eastern Chipmunk, False Hellebore, Fresh Water Wetlands, Green Acres, Herbacious Wetlands, Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, Land Conservation, Mallards, Native Plants, Nature Trail, NJ Nature, Raccoon Prints, Red Maple, Red Oak, Red Tail Hawk, Red-Belly Woodpecker, Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Wildscape Association, Saddle River, Saddle River Park, Salamander, Skunk Cabbage, Sugar Maple, Trout Lily, Tulip Poplar, Urban Nature, Urban Woods, Vernal Pond, Wetlands, White Oak, Wildscape on December 26, 2010 by NJUrbanForest.
Pascack Brook County Park Volunteer Opportunity!!!!
An unique opportunity will open up to the general public to help plant native plants and remove invasive plants around the pond at Pascack Brook County Park in Westwood NJ on the weekend of May 15th and 16th. There will be a training session and breakfast/lunch will be served. Click here for more information.
Pascack Brook
This entry was posted in Bergen County, Invasive Plants, Native Plants, Pascack Brook, Pascack Brook County Park, Urban Nature, Urban Woods, Water, Westwood and tagged Invasive Plants, Mallards, Native Plants, Pascack Brook, Pascack Brook County Park, Pond, Ponds, Westwood NJ on May 1, 2010 by NJUrbanForest.
Central Park Manhattan
Central Park is the most amazing feat of landscaping I've ever seen.
Gapstow Bridge over the Pond
It is the largest green spot in all of Manhattan but it is not the only green spot. There is also Riverside Park, Inwood Hill Park and Bryant Park to name a few. But as with any park you never know what or who will be lurking in the trees and bushes. Keep your wits about you and prepare yourself for encounters.
Psst! Hey Buddy! Got some crocus here, I'll sell them to you real cheap!
So keep your eyes peeled. You never know what you will find in your travels.
What? No bread?! I'm outta here
This entry was posted in Central Park, Hike, Manhattan, New York City, Urban Nature, Urban Woods, Water and tagged Central Park, Eastern Gray Squirrels, Gapstow Bridge, Mallards, Manhattan, Pond at Central Park, Sparrows on April 19, 2010 by NJUrbanForest.
Ridgewood's Dunham Trail!
Dunham Trail Village of Ridgewood
Welcome to Ridgewood's Dunham Trail!
The Dunham Trail is about 1/4 of a mile (one way) and takes the hiker through an estimated 9.61 acres of deciduous forest and wooded wetlands. The trail is named after Dr. Dunham who was a nature consultant for the Ridgewood school district. The Dunham trail is owned by the village and maintained by the Ridgewood Wildscape Association as one of ten wildscape areas found in the village. The Ridgewood Wildscape Association helps to raise awareness for the remaining natural areas in the township.
Ho-Ho-Kus Brook
The trail is bordered by the Ho-Ho-Kus brook to the east, dense residential development to the west, Grove Street to the south and Spring Ave to the north.
The Dunham trail is flat and follows the artificial path of the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook (a tributary of the Saddle River) for its entire length and features uplands and an estimated 3.6 acres of remnant wetlands. The wetlands are found near the Grove Street entrance. Check out Eastern Deciduous Forest Ecology and Wildlife Conservation for more information on your local woods.
Some notes of interest on the trail include sandstone which was mined from Totowa, NJ which was placed alongside of the Dunham Trail for unknown reasons.
Sandstone mined from Totowa
The trail also features several massive American Sycamores that are at least two hundred years old found near the Spring Avenue entrance.
Massive American Sycamore
Other flora includes:
Common Blue Violet
Grape vine
Yellow Wood Sorrel
Animals that have been observed on the Dunham Trail include:
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Mallard on Ho-Ho-Kus Brook
The Dunham trail ends at Spring Avenue.
Ridgewood Dunham Trail
The Dunham trail is located between Grove Street and Spring Avenue along the Ho Ho Kus brook and the public service right-of-way. Parking is available on South Irving Street. My hope is this post inspires you to check out the Dunham Trail for yourself!
Check out the official Ridgewood Wildscape Youtube video of the Dunham Trail!
Click Here to check out the latest bird sightings on the Dunham Trail!
This entry was posted in American Beech, Bergen County, Dunham Trail, Forested Wetlands, Fresh Water Wetlands, Herbacious Wetlands, Hike, Ho-Ho-Kus, Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, Mallards, Nature Trail, NJ Nature, Remnant Wetlands, Ridgewood, Saddle River, Trail, Urban Nature, Urban Woods, Water, Wetlands, White Tail Deer, Wildscape and tagged American Beech, Bergen County, Downy Woodpecker, Dunham Trail, Forested Wetlands, Fresh Water Wetlands, Herbacious Wetlands, Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, Mallards, Nature Trail, New Jersey, NJ Nature, Parks, Remnant Wetlands, Ridgewood New Jersey, Ridgewood Wildscape Association, Trail, Urban Nature, Urban Park, Urban Woods, Village of Ridgewood, Wetlands, White Tail Deer, Wildscape on March 22, 2010 by NJUrbanForest.


We all go to those pot-luck dinners at church or with your garden clubs and you're asked to bring a dish to share with the group. Right? And you want yours to be one of the dishes that everyone loves, it all gets eaten, and everyone wants the recipe.
This one works for me every the time. In fact, they ask me to bring it!
Strawberries are available any season now, so it is the perfect time to make this Strawberry Make-Ahead Fruit Flan. But you can make this flan-style cake with any fruit you like or any in season. My husband loves the blueberry version. The blueberries go well with cream cheese and Cool Whip, so just make whatever you want!
Make it for Christmas with some sliced kiwis along with strawberries. So festive!
Fruit Flan is beautiful at Fourth of July holiday picnics made with BOTH strawberries and blueberries!
I feel the lemon cake mix adds a zing to the recipe, but you can use yellow cake mix if you prefer.
Before I retired, I used to take this to the office when we had a "carry-in day" or any celebration of any kind. It was easy to throw together the night before. One box of cake mix makes two of the flans, and since they need to be baked and cooled prior to putting it together, it can bake and then cool while you get things done after work or as you fix some supper.
And don't forget to use your parchment paper to line the pans. Just cut it into a circle (unless you get some that already comes that way?) The flan cake is so much easier to remove when you are sure to cut a circle out of parchment paper and line the "well" of the baking pan.
Quick and Easy recipe for a fruit flan cake. Make ahead and it is chilled and ready to take to the party or eat.
Mix Duncan Hines cake according to directions. One box will make 2 flans.
Spray tins with butter Pam spray and line with a parchment paper circle.
Pour half batter into each tin and bake.
Cool cakes for 10 mins, then remove to your cake plates.
Mix all Cool Whip with both blocks cream cheese, lemon juice, and honey.
Pour half of this mixture into each flan "well" and smooth. It will be deep!
You can slice strawberries and arrange on top as decoration.
Chill covered in fridge, overnight is fine. Or slice and dig in now!
I have two cake domes as in photo to store mine. Transports fine.
← What Are These Shrubs and Trees In My New Garden?


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How Do Colleges Track Community Engagement?
by GivePulse Team
Tracking community engagement is an essential element of service-learning. By tracking and measuring impact, program leaders can determine the outcomes for students and community leaders. But tracking can also pose a significant challenge. Staying up-to-date with students' schedules and attendance, along with ensuring that your community partners have adequate support, can take countless hours and resources.
Luckily, GivePulse's service-learning management platform is here to help. Our all-in-one service-learning management software helps colleges and universities list, organize and measure the impact of service-learning, community engagement and student volunteerism.
But how should you track and measure community engagement, and why do you need a platform to help you? Today, we are diving into some best practices for colleges and universities.
Community Engagement: What to Track
If you are leading a community engagement project or program, you might be wondering how best to measure its impact. Like classroom learning, part of measuring service-learning is tracking student attendance and measuring student learning. But since service-learning also engages the community, your tracking and assessment should, too.
Below are three ways to measure the impact of your service-learning project.
Participation is the measure of the time that students spend engaging with their community partner. Program leaders can measure participation in two ways:
The number of participants (students, faculty, staff, community members)
The total hours participated
Colleges can track community student service hours through service-learning management software. GivePulse allows organizers to set up orientation dates, one-time events or ongoing opportunities and post them in a calendar, map or list. Once students have signed up for an opportunity, administrators can sign people in to track attendance and measure hours.
Student learning outcomes (SLOs) measure individual growth and learning that takes place as a result of community engagement. Student learning outcomes should be designed and shared before a course begins, and they should measure students' progress in several areas, which may include:
Developing analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Deepening a sense of civic responsibility and local/global citizenship
Building career-readiness skills, both technical and relational
Strengthening personal outcomes like confidence, self-awareness and responsibility
Program leaders can track progress towards student learning outcomes through student reflections, surveys and community partner feedback. At GivePulse, we put a strong emphasis on pre and post-reflection. Our platform makes it easy to gather student reflections at regular intervals and allows faculty, students and partners to engage in a productive post-reflection dialogue. Administrators can also design surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data from students and community partners.
To get a complete understanding of the success of your program, you should also have mechanisms in place to measure the outcomes for your community. Data you gather to assess this may include:
The number of community partners you collaborate with
The overall retention rate of partners
Quantitative data to demonstrate the efficacy of your program in meeting community goals
Feedback from community partners on the impact and effectiveness of your program
Using GivePulse, program leaders can gather this data using surveys, which can be designed with quantitative and qualitative fields so you can accurately assess your community impact. And with all your tracked data in one place, it is easy to review and report on specific users, activities, groups and partners.
Tracking Community Engagement with GivePulse
At GivePulse, we believe in the power of service-learning. That's why we designed our platform to help professors, teachers, educators, staff and community engagement centers streamline the logistics of managing community partnerships and tracking student engagement in service-learning courses.
Our intuitive tracking tools make it straightforward to track and measure the impact of community engagement. Plus, our Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) integrates with any Learning Management System (LMS), allowing you to embed the GivePulse LTI into assignments and courses to organize service-learning from a single location.
Ready to get started? Schedule a demo with GivePulse today to see how we can help your college or university track and scale community engagement.
About GivePulse
GivePulse's mission is to enable everyone in the world to participate and engage in lifting their community to new heights. We do so by providing a platform to list, find, organize and measure the impact of service-learning, community engagement, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility and volunteerism.
Founded in 2012 in Austin, Texas, GivePulse works with 650,000+ groups, including colleges and universities, nonprofits, businesses, K-12/school districts and cities and municipalities. Together, we connect millions of people in an effort to create positive social change.
Start making a difference today by visiting www.givepulse.com.
Related Press and News
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For the well-being of our community, all School of Continuing Studies operations and programs will be conducted remotely until further notice. To enhance social distancing, we are open remotely, our courses are running and being delivered fully online, and we're available to support you by phone and email.
Together we can do our part to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please care for yourself and others.
View all communication & updates
School of Continuing Studies» Certificate Programs» Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration
Advance your career by studying the fundamentals of business.
What do most successful managers, whether they work for start-ups, established corporations, or non-profit organizations have in common? A solid foundation in business. Whether you're looking to build on existing experience or gain entirely new professional skills, our Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration is the perfect tool to prepare you for exciting opportunities in your field.
The program will teach you how to make strategic marketing decisions, effectively manage projects, and increase productivity. You will also study current economic, social, and environmental business trends. Designed in consultation with senior industry executives, thought leaders, and prominent York University academics, the Certificate will equip you with relevant and in-demand knowledge and all course content will be immediately applicable to your current (or future) role.
Prepare today for a management role tomorrow.
Today's business leaders require even more than foundational business knowledge. For example, many top employers believe that emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and communication are equally important skills to have. Professionals who master these key competencies routinely receive the best job offers and promotions throughout their careers.
Our Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration will deepen your understanding of interconnected business functions while simultaneously sharpening your critical thinking, communication, and management skills. The program culminates with a unique final capstone course where you will apply your knowledge to real-world business challenges.
"This certificate program is the perfect way for someone to learn fundamental business administration skills and combine it with work experience. It is great for professionals who are new or are aspiring to be in a management role and would like to learn core business functions."
Maurizio Bevilacqua – Mayor of Vaughan, former MP and Minister of State for Finance. Advisory Council Member for the Post-Grad Certificate in Business Administration.
The entire program can be completed in just eight months, which is considerably quicker than comparable certificates. You will also benefit from studying alongside a network of peers who are completing the program on the same schedule.
"I have had a good appreciation for the program. It was quite rewarding because I got to learn a lot about the world of business within a very short time frame. Our instructor, Mark Carbonelli, made the program very engaging, interesting and educative."
Yaa Serwaah Owusu-Adansi, 2016 Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration Student
Who should take this program?
College or university graduates in fields outside of business who are looking to add a specialization to their resume
Early career professionals and new/aspiring managers
Professionals who want to develop foundational business administration skills
Professionals interested in future leadership roles within their organization
International students interested in gaining a Canadian perspective on business administration or management
"As someone with an artistic background who has leveraged that creativity into a successful business, I cannot stress enough the importance of having fundamental business knowledge in order to turn artistic endeavours into business realities, to make a living."
Dan Banko, Creative Director, Banko Media
Full-time: Earn your post-graduate certificate in just 8 months by studying full-time in our accelerated program.
This full-time post-graduate certificate program will prepare you for a successful career in business and future managerial roles in just 8 months while helping you successfully balance your professional and personal responsibilities.
Register for this Program
Examine the external context of business and the challenges of managing in the Canadian business environment. Explore the external context of business considering economic, competitive, labour, technological, societal, global, and political issues. Gain insight into current challenges and opportunities that play a dramatic role in the business landscape and affect business strategy.
Examine the functional areas of business through a critical discourse about management, its sub-disciplines, and the current issues and future challenges it faces. Compare classic management articles with writings from alternative or contradictory perspectives. Examine current news stories to illustrate and assess the practical relevance of each of the management ideas presented. Develop, articulate, and support your own thinking in relation to contemporary business issues.
Develop transferable skills that can be applied to a variety of roles in business. Develop key business/management skills that are required of business professionals and prepare for the business and professional environment in Canada through theoretical instruction, practical case analyses, interactive and team-based exercises, as well as oral and written assignments. Develop strong critical thinking skills, business acumen, oral and written communication skills (including presentation skills), negotiation and influencing skills, and data and numeracy skills, and much more.
Accounting – Analysis & the Use of Financial Information
Explore basic concepts in financial accounting, managerial accounting and their interrelationships to duties and responsibilities of a manager. Gain a critical overview of the accounting process and a broad, conceptual understanding of the role of accounting in modern society. You will study financial statements prepared for external audiences and how those statements contribute to financial decisions and capital markets; and, internal reports that affect managers' day-to-day decisions.
Examine fundamentals of marketing theory, concepts and management as applied to marketing's strategic role in meeting customer needs, including product (goods and services), price, promotion, distribution, consumer, segmentation, positioning, ethics, and research to prepare to create a marketing plan.
This course introduces you to the basic principles and concepts of human resources management, and provides a context for the challenges facing HR managers in contemporary Canadian organizations. You are given opportunities to identify organizational problems, and to prescribe and implement corrective actions.
Examine the theory and practice of project management with a problem-solving approach to planning, budgeting, implementing and completing small and large-scale projects. Gain a strong working knowledge of project management fundamentals and be able to use this knowledge to positively impact workplace projects.
Applied Capstone Course
The purpose of the capstone course is to create an opportunity for you to make connections between the various topics in the program; to analyze, synthesize, and apply the knowledge gained throughout the program to real-world business cases.
This unique post-degree program provides the educational experience that upper-year undergraduate students enjoy with an exposure to a multi-cultural environment that only York University can provide. Graduates of this program will be uniquely positioned to thrive in Toronto's diverse workplaces — a critical asset for global companies.
Develop a rich professional network that includes global and local peers and instructors with significant industry experience. As a pioneer in professional education, York has the expertise to offer you a vibrant, meaningful post-degree experience. You'll graduate work-ready and promotable in Canada's largest labour market.
York University's Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration is absolutely unique in Canada. This program provides the educational experience that Canadian upper-year undergraduate students enjoy with the academic language supports needed for success. As a leader in academic English education, York has the expertise to offer you a vibrant, meaningful post-degree experience.
Unlike other Canadian business certificates that only offer classes in the evening and on weekends, York offers a full-time schedule. Despite the accelerated format of the full-time program, the course scheduling provides opportunities for students to study and work outside the class schedule.
Graduates of this program will be uniquely positioned to thrive in vibrant multi-cultural workplaces. Develop a rich professional network of local students, international peers, and Canadian instructors with significant industry experience. You'll graduate work-ready and promotable.
You may be eligible to transfer a maximum of one equivalent course from another institution to receive advanced standing.
Transfer credits must meet basic conditions and be supported by documentation. Please forward requests for transfer credit to the Program Coordinator for approval via email at cpehelp@yorku.ca. Transfer credit requests approved by the Program Manager will be discounted based on the cost of the course.
Approved courses for advanced standing in the York University School of Continuing Studies must meet the following criteria:
There must be a minimum 90% overlap in content and curriculum.
There must be the same number of contact hours or greater as compared to the course offered in the School of Continuing Studies program.
The course must be at the university level (from an accredited academic institution) with a grade of B or better. College equivalents will be considered.
The following information is required to be sent electronically to cpehelp@yorku.ca in order to assess a transfer of credit:
The name and/or course code of the York University School of Continuing Studies course for which you wish to receive advanced standing
The course you wish to transfer from another institution
When and where you completed the course
A complete SCS Transfer Credit Request Form
An official transcript, demonstrating your completion of the course and final grade
A full course outline that provides the following details:
Weekly content covered
Please note that incomplete packages cannot be reviewed.
Transfer credit requests may take a minimum of six-eight weeks to process and must be submitted before the start of the program.
Have you recently graduated from a non-business field and are looking to differentiate yourself for new and exciting job opportunities in business?
Careers in areas such as:
Or, are you looking to broaden your professional working knowledge to become a T-shaped professional? No matter what field your educational background is in, graduating from our Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration will help you develop the skillset to work more effectively on a cross functional team – leading to more job advancement opportunities.
Graduates of our Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration meet the educational requirements to obtain the Certified In Management (CIM) designation from the Canadian Institute of Management.*
Specialized university degree (in psychology, English, nursing, etc.)
Front line/management roles in your field
A more well-rounded career, working cross-functionally
*Please note there are additional requirements in addition to the Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration that are needed for the CIM designation. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that these are met.
Business Administration Advisory Council
Senior executives from many of Toronto's leading organizations help us ensure our graduates have the skills and knowledge that employers value most, including the following:
Gary Spraakman, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University
Stephen Gaskin, Senior VP Ontario Region, Scotiabank
Maurizio Bevilacqua, Mayor, City of Vaughan
Anthony Dale, President and CEO, Ontario Hospital Association
Bal Sahjpaul, Senior Director E-commerce, Acklands-Grainger
Roberta Wilton, Chief Executive, The Dunfield Group
Greg Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer, DHL Express USA
Rose Cammareri, Executive Vice President, Retail Distribution, AGF
Faith Tull, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Randstad Canada
Judy Chang, B.A.Sc., MBA (Marketing & Strategy)
Judy has over 20 years of experience in brand management, marketing, and business strategy analytics in the consumer packaged goods industry, steering multi-million dollar franchises to rapid growth. Judy has led Fortune 500 teams at Kraft, Mondelez and The Nielsen Company, where she served as Vice President, Client Services. Judy currently leads York University's YSpace Food Accelerator to help food start-ups scale and accelerate growth. She also serves as a Program Advisor for York University's Entrepreneurial Leadership & Learning Alliance (ELLA) Accelerator supporting women's entrepreneurship, and as a Business Mentor for youth entrepreneurs with the City of Markham. In 2014, Judy founded Pivot Perspectives Coaching & Consulting, a training organization for leaders and entrepreneurs.
Judy holds a Masters of Business Administration from Rotman School of Business with specializations in Marketing and Strategy. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Sciences from the University of Toronto and is a Certified Coach with the Coaches Training Institute (CTI).
Nidhi Chopra, CPA, CA, FRM
Nidhi brings over 20 years of accounting and finance experience. Her professional growth with large multinationals, start-up businesses and entrepreneurial enterprise has allowed her to develop a strong appreciation for evolving financial reporting and controls. During her career, Nidhi co-founded and operated a multi-modality medical clinic in the GTA and was a financial leader for a privately pharmaceutical business which was later acquired by a TSX listed company. During this time, she provided cross-functional leadership and her financial expertise was integral in growth strategies for products and services.
Nidhi now spends her time providing advisory services for small business, teaching at York University School of Continuing Studies, and volunteering in the non-profit sector. She is the Treasurer for a nonprofit organization, is the former Vice Chair at Skylark Youth and Families and a former board member for the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences. She also brings board experience from the private sector. Nidhi is a CPA, CA, and is certified in Risk Management.
Joanna Drakakis, BSBA, MBA, CPHR Candidate, DBA (in progress)
Joanna has more than 20 years of experience in international business operations with industry expertise in manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and international logistics operations. Her progressive experience in human resources and organizational operations culminated in becoming the Chief Executive Officer of 3Ks Unique Co., a successful multinational firm. As a business and human resources consultant with a focus on business development, compliance, and health & safety for international organizations, Joanna brings a passion for teaching that brings business world reality into classroom instruction.
Joanna brings a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, an MBA from William Howard Taft University, and Certificates in Project Management, Human Resources Management and TESOL. She is currently in the process of completing her Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialization in business leadership and management, and receiving validation as a CPHR. Joanna teaches a variety of business and human resources courses at York University, Seneca College, and Centennial College and is a facilitator for HRPA-York Region's Educational Committee.
Su-Yan Gay, MHRM, BA, B.ED, CHRL, CTDP
Su-Yan Gay is a Human Resources professional who brings almost 20 years of HR experience to York University. Su-Yan worked as the Manager of Learning & Development for a large crown corporation for over 10 years. Her most recent position took her to Alberta, where she was the Supervisor of Employee Education and a Senior HR Advisor within a municipal government organization. Based in Toronto, Su-Yan is currently managing her own HR consulting firm (NAYUS Consulting Group) where she is advising public and private organizations in both Canada and the Caribbean with their HR and talent management needs.
Su-Yan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Education degree (specializing in Adult Education) from Brock University, and a graduate degree in Human Resources Management from York University. In addition, she holds the professional designations of Certified Human Resources Leader and Certified Training & Development Professional.
Anwar Habib, MBA (Marketing)
Anwar has over 20 years of industry experience working for Unilever and Johnson & Johnson in Australia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. During this time, he has managed global brands including Ponds, Vaseline, Sunsilk, Pepsodent, Aim, Band-Aid, Carefree and Acuvue.
Starting as a brand manager, Anwar progressed through various responsibilities in marketing and sales to become Regional General Manager and then Country Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, receiving recognition as a multi-year President's Club award winner for outstanding achievement.
Anwar has been teaching marketing and international business for the last 13 years, both at York University and McKeil School of Business. He is also co-author of "Principles of Marketing," the 1st Arab world edition with Professor Philip Kotler.
SYEDA FAHMIDA HABIB, DBA, MBA, M.APP.FIN
Dr. Habib is a passionate, student-centered educator with 25 years of teaching experience at both the University and College level. Her core areas of expertise are finance, banking, accounting and general management. Fahmida has been involved in the development of curricula, course material and assessment, managing teaching teams, and textbook writing, authoring a textbook on Finance and Banking for Wiley Publishers in 2018.
Fahmida brings particular expertise in working with mature multicultural student groups and believes that the best learning happens when the material is adapted to the learner's abilities, interests and experiences. Leveraging her vast international experience, Fahmida strives to instill in her students a passion for life-long learning and learning beyond borders. In 2020, Fahmida was nominated for the Minister's Award of Excellence with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for going above and beyond in both the classroom and community.
Fahmida completed her Doctorate of Business Administration, Finance and Banking from SMC University in Switzerland, has a Masters in Applied Finance and Banking from Macquarie University in Australia and an MBA, majoring in Marketing from the University of Dhaka in India.
Shirley Lamarre, MBA, CPA, CGA, ACCA
Shirley has taught a wide range of courses including accounting, finance and taxation for over ten years at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her industry experience spans both the public and private sectors in the areas of corporate finance, accounting, controllership and project management.
Shirley is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). She holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with a focus in Commerce and Strategy from Laurentian University.
Shirley also teaches in the MBA Program at Cape Breton University and has been involved as a subject matter expert in curriculum design to meet industry and professional certification requirements. Her teaching philosophy includes motivating and encouraging students to learn from one another, while always challenging them to be critical thinkers.
Cheryl Lee, PMP, PMI-PBA, CBAP
Cheryl is the CEO of Knowledge Adapters, a Toronto-based consulting firm that offers business analysis and project management consulting and training services in the areas of business analysis, project management and change management. Clients include public and private sector organizations across all industries, including financial services, high tech, telecommunications, transportation, construction, entertainment, and all levels of government.
Cheryl is co-author of "Effective PM and BA Role Collaboration" (2015), J. Ross Publishing, and one of four global authors of The PMI Guide to Business Analysis (2017), published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). She has spoken at conferences, chapter meetings, colleges, and at universities to audiences across the globe.
Cheryl founded the PMI Toronto Chapter Business Analysis Community; the first Business Analysis Community within a PMI Chapter, and has served as a Director at Large for the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) Toronto.
Cheryl is a certified Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA), Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP).
Jeff May, M.Ed, BA (Hons)
Jeff's background in business and human resources management spans more than twenty-five years. In his capacity as an independent consultant, he has worked with some of Canada's most influential companies, completing client engagements in both the public and private sectors. His international experience includes working with post-secondary partners in Indonesia to assist with the development of applied entrepreneurship curriculum and the establishment of community business support centres.
Jeff has taught management development, organizational behaviour, human resource planning and development, and business foundation courses at McMaster and York universities, and at Seneca, Conestoga, and Confederation colleges. He has an undergraduate honours degree in Economics from Laurentian University in Sudbury, and a graduate degree in Education from Nipissing University in North Bay.
Janet Melo-Thaiss, PhD (ABD), MA, BA (Hons)
A passionate and enthusiastic instructor, Janet Melo-Thaiss believes that York University's classrooms have the power to change the world for the better. Winner of multiple teaching awards, including the President's University-Wide Teaching Award and Humanities Teaching Award, Janet focuses on mentoring students and facilitating their journey towards the highest expression of their own skills and talents.
Janet's work in the financial and insurance industries as a Marketing Professional and Financial Writer informs her focus on experiential learning in the classroom and helps students to see the connections between their academic and professional paths. Known as an innovative teacher, Janet's classroom is a dynamic space where mindfulness meets academic excellence.
Janet brings a Masters in English and is completing a PhD in English through York University.
Chris Rotolo, MBA
Chris is a data expert: determining its value, monitoring its integrity and managing its performance. After spending decades working in full-service and multi-national marketing agencies, he has turned his passion and experience to helping organizations build positive, long-term relationships with their stakeholders.
For more than ten years, Chris has created, revised and taught a range of courses for Canadian colleges and universities. On his own time, he works with sector development organizations to educate non-profit leaders on best practice. Additionally, he creates and delivers workshops to under-served communities to improve employment opportunities. Chris holds his MBA from the University of Ottawa.
Rehan Sher, MA, MASc, BA (Hons), PMP, CHRL
Rehan is an HR and Project Management Professional with over 20 years of experience. In January 2014, he became the Founder & CEO of the HR and Project Management Corporation, a global firm specialized in providing recruitment and training services.
Rehan is a part-time faculty member at York University, Humber College, and Lambton College where he teaches HR and project management. He has an Honours BA in Economics from the University of Toronto, an MA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario, and an MASc in Management Science from the University of Waterloo. He also has a Master's Certificate in Learning & Development from Schulich's Executive Education Centre and holds both the PMP & CHRL Professional Licenses.
Indira Somwaru, PhD, MBA, BEd, CHRP
Dr. Indira Somwaru is a human resources professional and educator with over twenty years of experience in both business and academic settings. Her industry experience includes senior human resources management positions in a variety of organizations including health care, real estate and publishing.
Indira currently teaches courses in business and human resources management at York University in the Schulich School of Business, School of Administrative Studies, School of Continuing Studies, and School of Human Resources Management, from which she is a Teaching Excellence Award recipient. She brings specialized expertise in negotiations which she teaches to Schulich undergraduate, graduate and executive level students. Indira also teaches courses in the Master's Degree program in Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto and Rotman Commerce.
In addition to teaching, Indira designs and delivers workshops and provides consulting services to private industry, particularly in the area of human resources management. Her areas of expertise include negotiations, change management, leadership and managing diversity.
Indira's brings a PhD in Management from Griffith University as well as an MBA, BEd and BA from the University of Toronto. She is also a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP).
Faith Tull, MHRM, CHRE
A senior global executive with over 25 years' experience, Faith has served in roles such as Chief People Officer, Global Head of Talent as well as SVP, Human Resources for a number of multinational organizations. She currently serves as an active Professional Advisory Committee member for degree programs for two Canadian universities.
Faith brings expansive expertise and specialization in Organizational Design & Development, Talent Management, Succession Planning, Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Employee Relations, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Strategic Planning. Additionally, Faith's background has given her broad experience across a range of industries that include Technology, Pharmaceutical, Engineering, HR Services, and Insurance.
Faith obtained her Masters of Human Resources Management (MHRM) from York University, a BA in Industrial/Labour Relations from the University of Toronto, a Certificate in Adult Training & Development from OISE, as well as a Business Administration Diploma from Sheridan College. Faith is a member of the HRPA, from which she holds the top tier designation of Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE).
Faisal Yousuf, MBA (Strategy), BComm., PFP
Faisal has 20 years of experience in national, regional and branch leadership roles with TD, Laurentian Bank and London Life, progressing to executive-level roles including District Vice President and Associate Vice President of Sales, Strategy and Digital. He is also a management consultant within the Canadian financial services sector.
Faisal has worked in many different areas of the industry which includes analytics, sales leadership, capability development, advice strategy and distribution leadership roles within insurance, retail banking and wealth management.
Faisal has over 10 years of experience as an educator. He is currently a part-time professor in the Business Faculties at York University, Humber College, and Sheridan College. He is Co-Founder & Chair of Refugee Girls Worldwide, a current Board Member at William Osler Health System Foundation, and past Cabinet Chair at United Way.
Faisal holds a Bachelor of Commerce (concentration in Finance) and an MBA (concentration in Strategy) from the University of Windsor.
Technology Requirements for Remote/Online Courses
http://continue.yorku.ca/technology-requirements-for-remote-online-courses/
Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration – Program Policies
Program Format
In Ontario, gatherings are restricted, and no university is offering classes in person for the foreseeable future. We have been successfully delivering many of our courses online for years. So please know that you will not be compromising on your learning experience.
When the situation changes and it is once again safe to offer face-to-face instruction, full-time programs will make the transition back into the classroom.
Until then, this program will be offered in our "live online" format which offers students the structure and group interaction of a face-to-face experience without travelling to York's campus. Our live online classrooms enable students to hear and interact with the instructor and other students like in a normal classroom. Course materials and assessments vary by course but students can expect online articles, videos, practice opportunities, discussion boards, etc to help learn the content.
Please note that each lesson is recorded so students can review them multiple times to ensure they meet the learning objectives.
How do I get my certificate and graduate?
The School of Continuing Studies has a student record review process of students that have completed courses in the previous semester. Students who have successfully completed all the program requirements are eligible to graduate. Students are not required to formally apply to graduate.
Students will have their course grades reviewed by the Program Manager as they approach the end of the program. Students should expect to receive their Certificates in October/November by mail.
Library privileges
Students enrolled in all of our Certificate programs have access to the York University Library. The School of Continuing Studies will provide you with the library application form.
How do I get the books and reading materials, and how much will they cost?
It is wise to budget approximately $150 — $200 per course. All the books and reading materials will be available at the York University bookstore. You can also order your books online at http://bookstore.yorku.ca/
If you would like to visit the bookstore in person, store hours are as follows:
Monday & Tuesday 9am–7pm
Wednesday–Friday 9am–5pm
Open Saturday for the month of September.
What does it mean to be in a cohort?
Students in a cohort travel together through the program, learn through shared experiences as a group, and complete courses in a designated sequence.
The cohort model provides an opportunity to network and build professional relationships that may extend beyond the program. Therefore, the courses cannot be taken at your own pace.
Simranpreet Kaur Dhaliwal started the Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration program with big dreams of launching her own small business and giving back to her community in India. Now that she's a graduate she feels confident in her ability to make real change.
Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Relations
If you would like more information or have a question about the Certificate in Business Administration (Online), please Contact us
Price (CAD)
Summer 2021 Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration - Full-Time (Domestic) (May 2021-December 2021) $6,599.00 Apply
Summer 2021 Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration - Full-Time (International) (May 2021-December 2021) $15,199.00 Apply
Fall 2021 Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration - Full-Time (Domestic) (September 2021-April 2022) $6,599.00 Apply
Fall 2021 Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration - Full-Time (International) (September 2021-April 2022) $15,199.00 Apply
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text:
Hattie (film)
Hattie is a television film about the life of British comic actress Hattie Jacques, played by Ruth Jones, her marriage to John Le Mesurier (Robert Bathurst) and her affair with their lodger John Schofield (Aidan Turner).[1] First broadcast in January 2011, it became the most watched programme on BBC Four ever and defeated biopic The Curse of Steptoe, which had held the record since 2008.[2] Jacques' son Robin Le Mesurier later described Jones' performance as "(having) captured my mother perfectly".[3]
Hattie: The Authorised Biography of Hattie Jacques
by Andy Merriman
Dan Zeff
Robert Bathurst
Theme music composer
Stephen McKeon
Seb Barwell
Lois Bygrave
Angel Eye Media
19 January 2011 (2011-01-19)
CastEdit
Ruth Jones as Hattie Jacques
Robert Bathurst as John Le Mesurier
Aidan Turner as John Schofield
Jeany Spark as Joan Malin
Jay Simpson as Bruce
Graham Fellows as Eric Sykes
Marcia Warren as Esma Cannon
Stephen Critchlow as Gerald Thomas
Susy Kane as Young Actress
Lewis MacLeod as Eamonn Andrews
Brian Pettifer as Ron
James Martin as Reg
^ "Hattie – introduction". BBC.co.uk. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
^ "Hattie carries on with biggest ever BBC4 audience". BBC.co.uk. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
^ Henry, Graham (17 January 2011). "'Ruth has captured my mum Hattie perfectly'; star's son praises actress' portrayal of comedy icon". The Western Mail.
Hattie on IMDb
Hattie at BBC Programmes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8685253.stm
This article related to a British film of the 2010s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hattie_(film)&oldid=988924796"
Last edited on 16 November 2020, at 01:33


text:
Volunteer Vietnam
His name is Dang Van Quoc Viet, but he goes simply by Viet. He's a child of war; what the Americans call the Vietnam War and what the Vietnamese call the American War. To him, it's simply The War. He was one a year-old riding in a car with his family when the car hit a land mine. His father and brother were killed. He, his mother, and his unborn sister survived. It was a tragedy that caused his mother such mental distress that she could no longer care for him. He was a year old and found himself in an orphanage.
A year passed and his mother was doing better. She claimed him from the orphanage and he returned to live with her and his nine month-old sister. The war raged on for another five years. Things were tough. He finished school and went to work, saving his money with the goal of, someday, attending college. At twenty-six he enrolled in college and, at thirty, he graduated, proving that if you want something badly enough and work hard enough, you can do just about anything. He taught English at the university for some time before finding his true calling – philanthropy.
Truong, 15 years-old, and Viet, Director of Volunteer Vietnam
Viet is Founder and Director of Volunteer Vietnam, a non-profit organization supporting various orphanages, social centers, homeless centers and low-income schools. While some of the buildings are governmental, most of the staff is not. I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Social Support Center, which houses approximately two-hundred people, most of whom used to be homeless. The children, many of whom suffer from severe mental and physical disabilities which have been blamed on Agent Orange, include Hga, who is ten years-old and was found living on the streets. And Truong, who has no parents but does have a grandmother who left him a scar on his face due to her physical abuse. He's fifteen but is about the size of a ten year-old.
This is Truc after she injured her foot. All I could do was hold her ankle and try to comfort her.
Then there's Truc, ten years-old, who has severe mental and physical disabilities. She has spasms which sometimes cause her to injure herself. On the day I was there, we took her to the on-site hospital as she had injured her foot during a spasm and was crying in pain. The doctor applied medication to guard against infection and bandaged it and, for the next hour, I held her foot up to prevent her from re-injuring it, as well as from causing her discomfort. It was a small thing and I wished I could do more.
The center also houses abandoned, elderly people. Some are physically disable, some have lost their mental facilities either due to age or, in the case of some, due to trauma experienced from the war – they've never been the same.
Shower Bucket, soon to be replaced by an actual shower made possible by one volunteer and the contributions she collected
New showers being built
Besides the hospital, the building includes an area called "Step-by-Step" which is the physical therapy room, beds for children and adults, a schoolroom, in which Viet and other staff teach English, a newly built shower, made possible by Anouk, a volunteer from the Netherlands who raised money on a Facebook page when she saw elderly bathing from water in a bucket, as the facility had no showers. Other volunteers I met, Marikan and Danielle created a similar Facebook fundraising page which allowed for the purchase of wheelchairs and other needed equipment. Some of the money also went to painting the dank walls. While there, I also helped paint murals on the now more brightly colored blank walls in order to help make it a place of hope and comfort. And that's what these people are doing here – creating hope and comfort where there was once hopelessness and pain. Nobody should be forgotten or abandoned.
You may know that I once worked for Disney Cruise Line. We called each other our Ohana, a line taken from the movie Lilo and Stitch. In it, Lilo is heard to say, "Ohana means family. And family means, no one gets left behind or forgotten." Viet truly believes this and, while their families seem to have forgotten this, Viet is making sure that his Ohana are taken care of.
When asked what Volunteer Vietnam needs, Viet responds, "Volunteers! Volunteers are our number-one need." He makes it easy, as anyone who volunteers with them can pay a small fee which takes care of their housing at the Volunteer Center with shared rooms, air conditioning, showers and WiFi (I checked out the rooms and they're basic, but nice and clean), three meals per-day, and transfers to and from the volunteer sites. Evenings and weekends are free to check out the surrounding area.
The second item on Viet's wish-list is funding. They do so much with so little, but a Vietnamese Dong (the currency) can only be stretched so far.
This is not a place which exists to make life nicer for people. This place exists to make life livable for people who, through no fault of their own, are in dire straits and have little hope. If you have some extra cash, or even better, a desire to visit Vietnam and really make a difference, please consider Volunteer Vietnam.
For more information, please visit their website at http://www.volunteervietnam.vn/
Or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/vnvolunteer.org?fref=ts
Tags: Charity, child, Children, Da Nang, disability, elderly, Faith, Giving Back, Goodness, Grace, Homeless, orphan, orphanage, Pay-it-Forward, Philanthroopy, Travel, vietnam, Volunteer, volunteer vietnam, Volunteering, Voluntourism
A Special School for Special People in Bali
If you're a regular reader, you know that Rebel-With-A-Cause is part of a larger project called www.DropMeAnywhere.com where readers choose where I travel to without a plan. This time, the readers have chosen to drop me in Bali, Indonesia. It was there that I had the chance to volunteer with a wonderful organization helping to change the lives of some special people. It's in Ubud, a town in Bali, and it serves a community that can use all the help it can get; the mentally disabled.
It's called Sjaki-Tari-Us and it's a school for mentally disabled children and teens. Sjaki-Tari-Us is the brainchild of Thais and Karen van Harte. Thais and his twin brother Sjaki are the children of a Dutch father and an Indonesian mother and, while they grew up in The Netherlands, they visited Bali often as children and adults.
As Thais and his wife Karen had a child, Tari, who was born Down's Syndrome, they and their friends decided to investigate the quality of special education services while on a visit to Bali. What they found was not great. While there are schools for these kids, the teachers aren't trained in special ed. and students must meet minimum requirements such as a measured IQ of 55. If they don't meet the qualifications, they have no opportunity to receive an education.
I visited Sjaki-Tari-Us on King's Day, a day of celebration in the Netherlands and therefore, a day a celebration at Sjaki-Tar-Us. The early morning was spent in the classroom with five and six year-olds, where they learned how to introduce themselves, how to say the date and worked on writing letters of the alphabet. Beginning in the late-morning, a party was underway with sack-races, ring-tosses and face-painting. Just like other kids, these kids need both structure and physical activity and the staff at Sjaki Tari-Us provides just the right balance.
Thais and Karen founded Sjaki-Tari-Us in 2006 and named it after Thais' brother, Sjaki, who died in 2002, Thais and Karen's daughter, Tari, and Us, as in all of us. The first school was located in Singaraja and they soon opened one in Ubud. While the Ubud school is the larger of the two, both schools are still currently operating. The Singaraje school has five full-time teachers, twenty-five smaller children and three teens, while the Ubud school currently has seven teachers, twenty-five to thirty younger students and thirteen teenagers. Interns from Holland work at both schools as part of their university program
Sjaki-Tari-Us provides education to all. Parents can choose to enroll their struggling kids here with the goal of getting them qualified for the special education governmental schools within a few years. If a child does not qualify for the government run schools, they're welcome to stay at Sjaki-Tari-Us. There is a small, one-time fee for the first school T-shirt and shorts, and then it is free to attend. And if a family can't afford the initial fee, they won't be turned down.
The youngest kids – up to eight years old – participate in "Play-Learn Groups" which provide two to three lessons each the morning and include play as part of the educational process, as these kids tend to learn differently than thers. Kids are split into groups depending on their disability and ability to learn and sit still.
The program for teenagers concentrates more on life-skills such as personal hygiene and job training, which they can use working in the on-site restaurant, of which all profits go back to the school. They're also taught craft skills which are common in Bali and are sold at the Sjaki-Tari-Us gift shop in order to help support the school. Teenagers also have the chance to play sports which helps them socialize, learn teamwork and increase their fitness levels.
Finally, they offer a "Teach the Teacher Program" which educates Balinese teachers on teaching those with mental disabilities. Knowledge is then passed on from teacher to teacher and adds to the wealth of information and understanding about people with special needs.
Sjaki-Tari-Us is supported by the original foundation and the on-site gift shop and restaurant, as well as private donations. While the school is happy to accept school supplies, money is the best gift, as it can be used for a variety of needs from gas for the small shuttle bus which picks up students from further out whose parents have no transportation, to cleaning supplies, to paying the minimal staff in the restaurant, to funding for field trips. And if you're ever in Bali, they'd love for you to visit one of their schools take a tour or eat at the restaurant. By helping these special people live up to their full potential, the people at Sjaki-Tari-Us are doing important work and all support is greatly appreciated.
To find out more about Sjaki-Tari-Us, and how you can help, visit their website at http://www.sjakitarius.nl/
Also check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SjakiTariUs
Tags: Bali, Children, disability, Dutch, education, Indonesia, mentally disabled, Netherelands, Philanthropy, School, schools, teaching, Volunteer, Volunteering, Voluntourism