J. A. McFaul Environmental Center — Attraction in Wyckoff

(9/16/21) I used to come here with my family as a kid (b.1965) & have pleasant memories of the swans, ducks, daffodils, and slow Sunday traffic. I brought my 5yo grandson for a nature "exploring" walk today and found it partly saddening & partly hopeful - insofar as it appears to be returning to nature. It appears that the resident animals are still being cared for, and that the infrastructure may be in a rehabilitation phase, and maybe this is the beginning of "off season" when the most critical repairs are executed, but I was disappointed, saddened, by what appears to have decayed and not been maintained. The honeybee colony exhibit, glass-walled on the indoor side of the education center, was killed off by a fungus decades ago, and has never been revived but is still behind plywood. The herb garden still exists but appears unkempt & unmaintained. The nature trail is still a great place to exercise your senses, but the interpretive signage is half-missing and what remains has not kept up with the obvious environmental changes. Residential property has been developed quite close to the park's boundaries, so that where one could otherwise feel deep in the native forest observing a natural swampland, there are cedar shakes and asphalt to be seen and the ice cream truck to be heard. The predictable encroachment of other zones wd be forgivable if the park itself were being maintained & developed to continue serving its mission and purpose. Still, it was interesting to see the changes in areas being permitted to return to nature or repurposed to showcase native vegetation, rather than enclose the ancient mule deer that was there when i was 7. There were many quiet walkers enjoying the company of Canada geese and white-tail deer in a haven of nature amid two-car garages and 25-mph side streets. I suspect that the jobs available here (county park) do not pay what they should, commensurate with the potential public good, and that maintenance funding has always been slender and is now on starvation. I'm sure that the remaining employees are devoted beyond their pay scale and are essentially donating half of their services. This place has been, and could again be, such a little secret gem of educational...

J. A. McFaul Environmental Center in Wyckoff, NJ, offers an enriching experience for nature lovers of all ages. We participated in their "Survival Class," which was highly informative, teaching us essential skills like identifying poisonous plants and animals, building a fire, and creating emergency shelters. We also learned how to pack appropriately for a day of hiking. These are paid classes but a great price for what you get.

The center features well-maintained trails, free and accessible to the public. It's a peaceful escape, and we appreciated that the trails were easy to navigate due to their frequent use by fellow hikers. For those interested in learning more, the center offers a variety of educational programs for different age groups, including wildlife exploration and hands-on activities with local animals.

Open daily, the park operates from 8 AM to 6:15 PM on weekdays and weekends, with slightly different hours for the indoor exhibits. It's an excellent spot for a quiet walk, and there’s no admission fee, which is a nice bonus. They also have picnic areas, so it's a great place to bring lunch and spend the...

Beautiful trails, totally free and you can see an array of turtles inside the building and a few birds outside- wish that they had more enclosures filled with more but overall nice place. 4 star rating is because I encountered a man/employee in a bulldozer truck today- who rudely told me “Do NOT Feed the Deer” The park clearly states in numerous signs not to feed the wild life- I read the signs, and wouldn’t disobey the rules- also I have Never fed a deer in my entire life, ever- I realize that they are wild and need to not trust people… It would of been fine if he passed by and said please don’t feed the deer (which we weren’t- just merely taking pics while sitting in the car) I told him that we weren’t feeding them and he continued to repeat his statement in his ride tone, ignoring what I had just said. There is NO Need to be rude- this man does not need to be rude and deter people from this...