Audubon Society recognized outstanding local volunteers

The Sparta Mountain Coalition was recently awarded the NJ Audubon 2009 Richard Kane Award for outstanding volunteer service. This award recognizes the Sparta Mountain Coalition for their annual Sparta Mountain Day event, their Sparta Mountain cleanups, their tree plantings, their trail maintenance, etc. According to Mitch Morrison, coordinator of the Sparta Mountain Coalition, “Sparta Mountain Day is an annual event to celebrate our health and our incredible Sparta Mountain ecosystems. We offer a great day of outdoor recreation and expert health information.” Sparta Mountain Day includes presentations from the NJ Audubon Society, the NJ Division of Environmental Protection, the NY/NJ Trail Conference, the Avian Wildlife organization, the NJ Highlands Coalition, the NJ Geo-Caching organization, the County of Sussex Department of Environmental & Public Health Services, the NJ Initial Response Team, the Jersey Off-Road Bicycling Association, The Jersey Sustainable Organization, the American Cancer Society, historian Bill Truran and mining expert Rod Johnson. The next Sparta Mountain Day is slated for May 23, 2010. Morrison said, “We will offer hiking, birding walks, mining tours, geo-caching walks, mountain biking tours, environmental arts and crafts, etc. We’ll have discussions pertaining to our ecosystems, presentations of raptors, turtles and snakes — a spectacular day of outdoor fun!” Morrison went on, “It is up to us as hikers, mountain bikers, birders, hunters, geo-cachers, fisherman, photographers, artists, etc. to help take care of this magnificent ecosystem. We look forward to holding our sixth annual Sparta Mountain Day.”