Welcome To The Demarest Nature Center
The Demarest Nature Center is located in Demarest, NJ, USA, and is open to all persons, residents and non-residents alike, every day of the year. In addition to preserving and protecting important open space here in the midst of a large metropolitan area, the center seeks to educate young and old alike as to the beauty of nature and the importance of protecting our environment.
We, the trustees of the Demarest Nature Center Association, encourage you to use this site to find out more about the Demarest Nature Center and its programs. Click on the topic of your choice and find out more; the links will tell you about the Center, introduce you to our events and endeavors, and also take you to other nearby nature centers, as well as environmental organizations, National Parks, and suggestions for things to do.
The site is constantly growing and being updated, so we hope you will come back again and again.
If there can be such a thing as bureaucratic “shock and awe,” Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin tried to unleash it Wednesday. He unveiled the Trump administration’s widely anticipated more

Bumblebee numbers in Great Britain declined by almost a quarter in 2024 compared with the 2010-23 average, making it the worst year for the genus Bombus since records began, according more

Neither Porto Alegre, Brazil, nor Valencia, Spain, are in the news this week. But they have been before, and almost certainly will be again, as bouts of extreme drought, followed more

If you are caught cutting down the Amazon Rainforest illegally, chances are you will get off without being required to pay for the environmental damage. According to a recent report, more
A judge in Floyd County Circuit Court ruled from the bench last week that Virginia does not need to return to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the carbon market known more

Each year, during summer and fall, large groups of baleen whales gather off the coast of California, U.S., to feast on krill and fish before heading south to breeding areas more
The Trump administration has declared it is killing $20 billion in congressionally appropriated funding for solar power, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and other money-saving and carbon-cutting investments for U.S. companies more

This is part one of a series on the operation to evict illegal gold miners from the Munduruku Indigenous Territory. Part two, three, four and five are coming soon. In more

In his new book, biologist Thor Hanson reveals the power of paying attention to the natural world "close to home." more

The largest and most infamous corruption scandal of the last decade began with a criminal investigation into the operations of Brazil’s largest corporation: Petrobras. The scandal got its name because more

The government says it cannot accept any new applications for its key green farming funding scheme. more

The approval of Iroquois’ enhancement project, which utility companies argue is needed to heat New Yorkers’ homes in the coldest months, amps up planet-warming pollution — and signals that the more
As waters rise along the Egyptian coast, hundreds of buildings in the historic port city of Alexandria have collapsed.Read more on E360 → more

In the early 2000s, deforestation levels in the Brazilian Amazon rose so tremendously that, faced with both national and international pressure, the federal government decided to implement forest timber management more

Despite planning and accomplishing some wildlife conservation actions over the years, Bangladesh has yet to achieve success in protecting its elephants (Elephas maximus indicus). Instead, the country has lately witnessed more
Professor Arline T. Geronimus of the University of Michigan developed the theory of “weathering” while studying health complications of first-time mothers and identifying racial and economic differences. In early research, more

Trump pushed the bank to freeze a green investment program. Nonprofits are suing to save it. more

The justices shrugged off a complaint described by legal experts as a “political stunt.” more
As Illinois looks to prepare its electric grid for the future, a new voluntary program in the Chicago area promises to lower costs for both customers and the utility system more
Everyone agrees that California’s major utilities are charging too much for electricity. But as in previous years, state lawmakers, regulators, and consumer advocates are at odds over what to do more

The home range of fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus), found in parts of South and Southeast Asia, could be more expansive than previously thought, a recent GPS-collaring study focusing in and more

The infrastructure required to host COP30 in Belém is undermining the cause, campaigners say. more

LAKE SINGKARAK, Indonesia — Mardianis recalls reading the Quran with his parents and two children here on the western shore of Lake Singkarak before the desperate cries of galodoh. A more

The situation is worse than previously thought In February 2025, three scientific papers were published showing that the climate situation is much worse than the scientific community thought, much less more

UK skywatchers will see a partial but still hopefully spectacular eclipse before dawn on Friday. more

Male chimpanzees in Côte d’Ivoire’s Taï National Park use distinct “auditory gestures” to attract females. However, researchers have found that when the males die, these behaviors can disappear with them. more
State Sen. Paul Newton introduced Senate Bill 261 on Tuesday with the gusto of a car salesman: “I’m here to offer you an opportunity to save North Carolina billions of more

A useful framework for considering the needs of the “more-than-human world” when designing human-made systems is “ecological empathy,” the focus of Lauren Lambert, founder of Future Now, a sustainability consulting more
More than 200 wildfires broke out in the Southeastern U.S. last week, marking an active start to the region’s annual fire season. A particularly large fire in a forest near more

In March 1995, a few wolves cautiously exited their pens into the melting snow of Yellowstone National Park, returning there 70 years after guns, traps and poison had wiped them more

Experts are assessing the potential fallout for marine species and nearby wildlife populations. more

The Galápagos rail, a small, black, ground bird, hadn’t been seen on Floreana Island in the Galápagos since 1835, when Charles Darwin first described it. That changed recently when researchers more
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—On Monday, as afternoon sank into evening, a haze fell over the Magic City. Soon, the questions began popping up. “What’s burning?” Julia Juarez, one Birmingham resident, posted on more

Heavy rainfall and flooding damaged homes and vehicles in Australia, with locals even reporting shark sightings in inland canals. Cyclone Alfred formed over the Coral Sea on Feb. 22, NASA more
Some 2,000 records went missing from government data sets after the Trump administration took office in January. Canadian geographer Eric Nost talks about the work he and colleagues are doing more

COLOMBO — In December 2024, Sri Lanka’s newly appointed minister of agriculture K. D. Lalkantha told the Parliament that farmers should have the right to take action against crop-raiding wild more
For most U.S. homes , heat pumps are a no-brainer: They can lower energy bills and eventually pay for themselves all while slashing carbon emissions. But the economics don’t work more
OTTAWA, Canada—“Better catch up, Dad,” my daughter said as she and her brother skated into the night. We were at the start of the Rideau Canal Skateway, part of a more
After years of planning to deal with climate change at some of the country’s military bases, local Northern Virginia government officials are seeking funding for climate adaptation that, at this more

"You really cannot address a problem that you can’t identify." more
Last May, Florida enacted a law deleting any reference to climate change from most of its state policies, a move Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis described as “restoring sanity in our more

Dom Philips, Bruno Periera, Mukesh Chandrakar, Chhoeung Chheng — these are just a few environmental journalists among many who have been killed while doing exactly that: environmental reporting. Mongabay’s own more

CHITWAN, Nepal — One of Nepal’s biggest cities on the northwestern fringes of Chitwan National Park has been dumping its municipal waste in a forest that serves as an international more

GEBE ISLAND, Indonesia — Abdul Manan Magtiblo watched the excavator dump a piece of Gebe Island into the back of a truck. Barely a thicket remained on the buzz-cut upland more

The Ocean Census project has identified 866 new marine species, many from the deep seas, less than two years since its launch. The project announced its findings on March 10, more

A new-to-science species of praying mantis found in Iran has been named as a symbol of universal freedom. Sinaiella azadi was found in the mountainous region of central Iran in more
A growing number of House Republicans are asking federal budget planners to protect Biden-era tax incentives for clean and renewable energy projects from repeal by Congress and freezes by the more

The Trump administration, as part of its downsizing of the federal government, fired roughly 1,000 National Park Service (NPS) employees, who manage protected areas in the U.S. With more terminations more
By the end of the century, a shrinking atmosphere could create a minefield for satellites. more

Synthetic chemicals found in a wide range of products, from textiles to food packaging, and now even breast milk, are endangering infants’ lives in Africa, researchers say. Scientists are still more
The U.S. provides nearly a tenth of all climate finance globally, a well of funding that is at risk of drying up as the Trump administration takes aim at overseas more

What’s new: Rising temperatures and variation in the length of dry seasons appear to influence the prevalence of dengue fever, according to a recent study conducted in the Philippines. What more
BELLE GLADE, Fla.—Of all the cane sugar produced in the United States, half of it originates in a remote area of Florida’s heartland, where from fall to spring the fires more

The proposed safety rules would have been the first. more

Tribunal judges found the industry guilty of “ongoing ecocide.” more
As winter turns to spring, Texas is setting new records with its nation-leading clean energy fleet. In just the first week of March, the ERCOT power grid that supplies nearly more
As the legal fight continues over whether the Trump administration can ignore climate spending laws passed by Congress, North Carolina advocates are preparing for the next brewing federal threat. A more

Numerous events and policy decisions across the world in the last several months are causing despair among many environmentalists. The abrupt freeze, and potential termination, of international funds for conservation more

KOH KONG, Cambodia — “[Officially], the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project was suspended for more than a year and then restarted/reinstated recently. But what I actually see here on the ground is more

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is looking at how it can speed up the approval process for lab-grown foods. more

The administration’s wrecking-ball approach has raised profound questions about the integrity and future of vast amounts of information. more

Women already had an intimidating entry point to the male-dominated field. Trump's orders to dismantle DEI in the federal government could hurt years of progress. more

As the growing demand for charcoal and firewood hastens the decline of shea trees in Ghana, communities living on the fringes of the country’s Mole National Park are planting fast-growing more

Three New Zealand islands will join an international initiative to remove invasive species and restore native wildlife. With the addition of Maukahuka (Auckland) Island, Rakiura (Stewart) Island and Chatham Island, more

Jeane Da Gama Costa, 42, grew up in Umburanas, a small municipality of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil. Her family raised cattle for meat and grew crops like beans, corn and more
This analysis and news roundup comes from the Canary Media Weekly newsletter. Sign up to get it every Friday. Illinois legislators and clean energy advocates have found themselves in a more

The mission was supposed to last 10 days but less then a day after landing, the craft is running out of power. more

LUMBINI, Nepal — Three years ago, Ram Chandra Kurmi, a farmer from the village of Gaidahawa in south-western Nepal, abandoned his small vegetable plot . The 39-year-old, who once supported more

The Great Green Wall in the Sahel, a mosaic of forests, farmlands and grasslands dotting the arid fringes of Sahara, was launched by the African Union in 2007 to fight more
Ukraine lost roughly 600 square miles of forest in the first two years of its war with Russia, an area of woodland twice the size of New York City.Read more more
The White House is revoking its own authority to oversee implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act — and leaving a bureaucratic mess in its wake. more

And that could drive an emissions spike. more

For Americans to adopt electric cars, many experts believe that charging a battery needs to be as convenient as filling a gas tank. more
Months of proactive community engagement appeared to be paying off for the developer of the Grange Solar Grazing Center agrivoltaics project in central Ohio. Open Road Renewables knew it faced more
See more from Canary Media’s "Chart of the week” column . Last year was fantastic for battery storage . This year is poised to be even better. The U.S. is more

However the researchers say butterflies may be able to recover if urgent conservation measures are taken. more

Scientists have found a genetic cause of many labradors' - and some people's - tendency to overeat. more

Inside Science unearths everything you need to know about these precious resources. more
South Africa’s Succulent Karoo is the most biodiverse arid region on the planet, with thousands of plants found nowhere else. But to meet a demand fueled by social media, criminal more

Climate action is a guilt trip. Let’s make it aspirational instead. more

Government-backed heat pump installations in the UK reached record levels for 2024. more

Government-backed heat pump installations in the UK reached record levels for 2024. more
This story was originally published by Grist . Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here . Editor’s note: This story, first published by Grist on Feb. 25, references the Trump more
Two years after slashing compensation for rooftop solar owners who send power back to the grid, California policymakers are once again looking for ways to contain high and rising electricity more

New part of the immune system - hidden inside our bodies - could be used to make new antibiotics. more

Climate themes have long been the purview of sci-fi and fantasy films. Advocates say we need more representation in realism as well. more
A U.S. biotech firm working to bring back extinct animals said it had reached a milestone in its quest to recreate woolly mammoths. This week it unveiled "woolly mice" — more

Federal programs are a lifeline for farmers. Now many are questioning whether they can stay in business. more
Electricity usually runs one way, but EV and large home batteries could provide a vast network of backup energy to draw on. more
This story originally appeared in New York Focus, a nonprofit news publication investigating power in New York. Sign up for their newsletter here . New York state is one step more
Ascend Elements , a leading contender in advanced battery recycling, canceled a portion of its planned battery-materials plant last week. The company still aspires to expand a fully domestic battery more
Since its founding back in 2010, Shine Technologies has raised nearly $800 million to deliver on the potential of generating cheap, abundant energy from fusion. Like the dozens of other more
Northern states are depending on imported Canadian hydropower to clean up their grids. What happens now? more

With catastrophic wildfires on the rise, Washington State has implemented a holistic approach to fire prevention — and it’s working. more
A single storm in 2022 dumped enough snow on Greenland to replace 8 percent of ice lost that year. With warming, the Arctic is seeing stronger atmospheric rivers, which could more

Experiments on mice could see hairy, genetically modified elephants living in the Arctic, a US company claims. more

Experiments on mice could see hairy, genetically modified elephants living in the Arctic, a US company claims. more

Former fracking company CEO Chris Wright played a key role in efforts to roll back workers’ choices in socially conscious ESG investing. more
Sunnova , one of the country’s largest residential-solar companies, has warned investors that it may run out of money within the next 12 months. It’s a snapshot of a company more
Maine’s solar incentive program has become a political scapegoat for rising electricity prices in the state, but clean-energy advocates say the numbers don’t add up. Maine utility customers pay some more
U.S. manufacturers rely on more than 30,000 small industrial boilers to make a large number of things: foods, drinks, paper, chemicals, clothes, electronics, furniture, transportation equipment, and more. The vast more
In California, a state increasingly beset by devastating wildfires, the Karuk Tribe will be able to freely set controlled burns, helping to clear the dense underbrush that fuels larger and more
Activist Bill McKibben says Americans upset by the Trump administration’s gutting of U.S. climate efforts need to move beyond despair. In an interview with e360, he talks about rethinking the more
Since 2017, sweeping legislation in Illinois has sparked a solar-power boom and launched ambitious energy-equity and green-jobs programs. Now, for the third time in under a decade, state lawmakers, advocates, more
A 67-person Finnish startup called Hycamite has just completed a facility it hopes will revolutionize production of low-carbon hydrogen. The plant, in the industrial port city of Kokkola, on Finland’s more

How a new atomic clock might be the way to tackle attacks on plane GPS systems more
Welcome to Ohio Utility Watch, a monthly newsletter tracking developments in Ohio’s ongoing public-corruption saga, often referred to as the House Bill 6 or HB 6 scandal. I’m Kathiann Kowalski, more
This analysis and news roundup comes from the Canary Media Weekly newsletter. Sign up to get it every Friday. It’s been a roller coaster of a month for recipients of more
The Trump administration axed hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the key agencies tasked with making sure offshore wind activities can coexist with wildlife, more

The decision follows years of trials but some farmers are concerned there could be negative impacts. more
This story was originally published by Capital B , a nonprofit newsroom that centers Black voices and experiences. To read more of Adam Mahoney’s work, visit Capital B . Ninety more
See more from Canary Media’s "Chart of the week" column . The numbers are in, and clean energy is set to sweep U.S. power plant construction yet again this year. more

Funding agreed at UN conference in Rome that would attempt to tackle the rapid loss of biodiversity more

Google has launched a new AI tool called Co-Scientist. How good is it? more

The pea-sized brain was found in the skull of a 20-year-old man killed in the volcanic eruption. more
Wildfires, floods, intense heat, droughts, and other extreme events fueled by climate change are threatening water systems in the U.S. and around the globe. Experts warn of the increasing threat more
A fast-growing startup is giving Texas homeowners cheap access to unusually large batteries for backup power — and paying for it by maneuvering those same batteries in the state’s ERCOT more
This is the fourth and final article in our series “ Boon or bane: What will data centers do to the grid?” Tom Wilson is aware that the explosive growth more
It’s been a grim five weeks for the clean energy transition in North Carolina. From rooftop solar to electric vehicle charging to offshore wind , a slew of renewable energy more

The energy giant has announced its strategy after rivals also rowed back on green energy plans. more

The energy giant has announced its strategy after rivals also rowed back on green energy plans. more
Solar panels and batteries will account for more than 80 percent of new power capacity installed in the U.S. this year, officials say. Both technologies are set for record growth, more

The UK's greenhouse gas emissions should fall to 13% of 1990 levels by 2040, government advisors say. more
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A handful of school buses in northern Illinois will soon have a new summer job. ComEd is the latest utility to explore whether electric school buses could help manage the more
The European Union is set to unveil its grand strategy to decarbonize factories and smelters and make its energy supply cheaper and less vulnerable to geopolitical meddling. Leaked drafts of more
A Michigan nuclear plant is looking to make history not once but twice over: First by restarting a reactor shuttered in 2022 and second with newly solidified plans to build more
Facing trade barriers in the U.S. and other wealthy nations, Chinese solar firms are exporting cheap panels to poorer countries, fueling a surge in solar installations in parts of the more
A number of Connecticut cities and towns want to secure more clean electricity for residents using a program that has already saved millions of dollars for consumers in other states. more
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Government support for clean energy has spurred new projects across the U.S., with more than 80 percent of the spending flowing to Republican districts. But since President Trump took office, more
In Ohio, county and township officials have a lot of influence over permitting decisions for wind and solar farms. So when local elected officials oppose a project, it matters whether more
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Residents living near a nuclear power plant have seen rents double to £3,000 a month. more
This analysis and news roundup comes from the Canary Media Weekly newsletter. Sign up to get it every Friday. When solar developers look to build big projects on farmland, the more
A new study details how, as wealthy countries rewild farmland, they are driving the destruction of forests in poorer countries that are more abundant in wildlife.Read more on E360 → more
In the disaster relief industry, it’s dubbed the “second disaster”: a mass of donations, from food to bars of deodorant, that ends up rotting or collecting dust on shelves because more
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An asteroid is heading in our direction. Will it hit us in 2032? more
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The planet's glaciers have lost 5% of their ice in little over 20 years, according to a major study. more
Dark algae are spreading across the Greenland ice sheet as snow retreats. Their dark color causes ice to absorb more heat from the sun, accelerating melting, and according to a more
This story was first published by CalMatters . California’s push to electrify its cars is facing a potentially serious problem: People aren’t buying electric cars fast enough. After three straight more
A new analysis shows that a clear majority of people submitting comments on a planned central Ohio solar farm support the project — a stark contrast with how opponents have more
Robin Wall Kimmerer, the bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, recently published The Serviceberry, which explores the economies of nature. In an e360 interview, the Native American ecologist discusses reciprocity, gratitude, more
PJM Interconnection, the organization that manages the transmission grid delivering electricity to about 65 million people from the mid-Atlantic coast to the Great Lakes, badly needs more power. In fact, more
Our Mission

According to the 1972 articles of Incorporation, the purposes of the organization are:
- To acquire or lease undeveloped lands and establish thereon educational building(s).
- To develop natural history and conservation education programs in cooperation with schools, colleges, hospitals, youth groups and other organizations which will develop an understanding and appreciation of natural resources.
- To cooperate with national, state, county, municipal and private natural resource agencies in providing an outdoor laboratory in which to demonstrate natural resource problems and management techniques.
Check Out Our Latest Newsletter
Events
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- 1Community Trail Walk & Volunteer Day (Spring Cleanup)- March 202510:00 amMarch 1, 2025 at 10AM , ...
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- 13Monthly Nature Center Meeting7:30 pm - 8:45 pmMonthly meeting is open to all members at the Demarest Train Station. If you are not a member come join us today! , ...
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- 5Birdhouse Building Event/Community Nature Walk April 5, 2025Saturday April 5, 2025 at 10AM , ...
Birdhouse Building Event/Community Nature Walk April 5, 2025
DNC- Imagination Playground (Wakelee Field)
Birdwatching & Nature Walk with Don Torino (Bergen County Audubon Society)-April 2025
DNC- Imagination Playground (Wakelee Field)
Canoe Day, Birdhouses/Birdfeeder Building, Beekeeper, Earth Day/Arbor Day-April 2025
Demarest Duck Pond
Marc Gussen School Field Trips- May 2025
DNC- Imagination Playground (Wakelee Field)
Native Plant Day at Dekorte Park in Meadowlands- May 2025
DNC- Imagination Playground (Wakelee Field)
Community Trail Walk & Nature Trails Day (Improve Trails)-June 2025
DNC- Imagination Playground (Wakelee Field)
Birdwatching & Nature Walk with Don Torino (Bergen County Audubon Society)-Nov 2025
DNC- Imagination Playground (Wakelee Field)
What We Sponsor
The DNC sponsors numerous programs to bring residents of Demarest and the surrounding areas into closer contact with wildlife and the natural world. Programs have varied, including adult oriented sessions on topics such as hiking the Appalachian trial or composting, family hikes in Harriman Park or along the Palisades, and various children’s programs. Local outdoor activities have been held at the Nature Center, Wakelee Field, various school grounds, and at the Duck Pond.
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Demarest Nature Center
Box 41
Demarest, NJ 07627
Location
Trail Map
You can download a Trail Map here.
Become a Member

Since its incorporation in 1977 the Demarest Nature Center Association has cared for a 55-acre parcel of land bordered by Columbus Road on the west and County Road on the east. The Demarest Nature Center is open to all every day of the year. In addition to protecting woods, vernal ponds, meadows, and a section of the Tenakill Brook, as well as establishing and maintaining walking trails, the center provides educational events for everyone about the beauty of nature and the importance of preserving our amazing forest habitat. Your membership dollars go towards sponsorship of environmental education programs for kindergarten through the fourth grade in the Demarest schools, and a yearly scholarship given to a local high school senior who plans to pursue environment-related studies in college. Your membership also helps support our birdhouse/bird feeder building program, our annual photo contest, Breakfast in the Woods (free to all members), and the Craft Show at Oktoberfest/Fall Festival Event.
The Demarest Nature Center Association is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, run solely by volunteers and receives no funding from the Borough of Demarest.
Residents of Demarest receive all DNC mailings as postal patrons. Non-resident members receive DNC mailings by 1st class mail.