Monthly Programs

Since 2015 Fyke's monthly speaker costs have been funded by a generous grant from the Winifred M. and George P. Pitkin Foundation

January 24, 2025, Friday - Monthly Meeting, 8:00 PM, live at the Allendale Municipal Building

From Invasives to Natives: How a Team of Volunteers Added to the Biodiversity of the Celery Farm Nature Preserve, Frank and Christian Alcaide

Garden Volunteers — Frank and Christian on the right, volunteers on the left

In 2023, a team of volunteers set about removing invasive shrubs and vines along Meadow Lane and between Lake Appert and the Allendale Brook, and cutting down invasive Phragmites reeds along the west side of Lake Appert. Then native plants were installed, including some 1,000 native perennials protected by fencing in what has come to be known as the East Side Native Plant Garden.

In this live presentation, Celery Farm volunteers Frank Alcaide and Christian Alcaide will explain how they came to volunteer at the preserve, how their enthusiasm drew more volunteers (70 as of the last count!), and their plans for the garden’s future. For a taste of the work they’ve done, check out Fyke Website Content Chair Tom Mitchell's interview in the garden with Frank.

As with all Fyke programs, all are welcome. Bring questions about native plants and volunteering.

February 28, 2025, Friday - Monthly Meeting, 8:00 PM via Zoom

Halcyon Journey: In Search of the Belted Kingfisher, author Marina Richie

Join author Marina Richie for a photo-filled presentation with stories and excerpts from her book Halcyon Journey: In Search of the Belted Kingfisher.

Marina's narrative weaves natural history, myth, and memoir to illuminate the jay-sized bird of the headfirst dive and rattling cry. Ultimately, she reveals an inviting pathway for all seeking kinship with nature nearby. The heart of the book takes place in Montana with forays afar that include the East Coast, Lower Rio Grande, and South Africa.

This is the first book to feature North America's beloved Belted Kingfisher. Halcyon Journey earned the 2024 John Burroughs Medal for distinguished natural history, a 2022 National Outdoor Book Award, and a 2022 Foreword Indies Award.

You can check out Marina’s blog at www.marinarichie.com.

March 28, 2025, Friday - Monthly Meeting, 8:00 PM via Zoom

Plants of the NJ Meadowland’s Losen Slote Creek Park, Mike Lefebvre

Losen Slote Entrance

The 28-acre Losen Slote Park is a botanical paradise filled with a rich variety of native trees and shrubs. It is because of these native plants that so many birds can be found in this wonderful woodland. Join naturalist Mike Lefebvre as he identifies the flora found in the park, one of the last remnant lowland forests in Bergen County.

Mike is a nature enthusiast who has led plant ID walks and talks for the Fyke Nature Association, NJ Audubon’s Lorrimer Sanctuary, the Native Plant Society of NJ Bergen/Passaic Chapter, NJSEA, Ridgewood Wildscape Association, Friends of the Bonsal Preserve (Montclair), and the Friends of the NJ School of Conservation (Stokes State Forest). He authored the nature blog NJUrbanForest for several years.

Click on the presentation title or the thumbnail to view the presentation.