Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in northern New Jersey preserves a wetland landscape formed from the former basin of Glacial Lake Passaic at the end of the last ice age. People have lived around the swamp for thousands of years, from Indigenous communities to later Dutch and British settlers. Established in 1960, the refuge grew through a successful local campaign that stopped a proposed regional airport and assembled land for federal protection; it was dedicated in 1964. Covering nearly 7,800 acres by 2010, including the first wilderness area within the Fish and Wildlife Service, it provides vital habitat for hundreds of bird species and other wildlife while also reducing floods and improving water quality.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey · USA