Forest Fest to Celebrate Local Plants, Animals

Hillside Intermediate School is preparing for its annual Forest Fest with a day of activities celebrating animals, the environment and much more.

The event will be held June 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school.

This year marks the 17th anniversary of the backyard meadows and trails with the annual Forest Fest event celebrated by the Roots & Shoots program that sponsors the event.

According to a release from the school, the event will feature animals, make-and-take booths, live entertainment, environmental information and food, plus a pie-ing station.

Admission is $5 at the door for those under 18, and free for adults.

The event will also feature informational stations, with vendors that include the Jane Goodall Institute, Lakota Wolf Preserve, Somerset County 4-H clubs, Students Raising Students, Horse Rescue, Autism Awareness, Seeing Eye and many more.

But the festivities don’t end at 3 p.m.

From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be a BioBlitz for members of the school’s Roots & Shoots clubs. This is a national event in which scientists, volunteers and community members come together to find, identify and learn about as many plant and animal species in their local areas as they can.

From there, there will be a late-night owl walk and sleepover in the school’s library for sixth grade students who have been most involved with the program during the school year.

For more information on the program, contact Katrina Macht at Hillside Intermediate School by calling 908-231-1905, ext. 220, or emailing kmacht@brrsd.k12.nj.us.