My latest column for The Record and Herald News is on my three favorite local hawk lookouts -- Montclair, Mount Peter, and State Line -- and why I love hawk-watching so much.

The link is here.

Marsh Warden Mike Limatola and I are doing our first-Saturday-of-the-month walks again this fall -- on Sept. 8 and Oct. 6 at 8 a.m.

The September walk will be followed by an optional half-hour tour of the historic Fell House nearby.

We'll have a spotting scope or two, but bring binoculars if you have them.

Note: We suggest wearing long sleeves, long pants, socks and shoes to reduce the chances of ticks.

The 90-minute walk, open to nature lovers of all ages and abilities, are designed to acquaint more people with the 107-acre Celery Farm  -- and the 250-year-old Fell House.

The walks begin at the end of Green Way (a right turn off of northbound Franklin Turnpike, just before Crescent Avenue).  (Directions are in the left-hand column.)

The walks are sponsored by the Fyke Nature Association, which helps maintain the Celery Farm, and the Concerned Citizens of Allendale, which saved the Fell House and its 2.8-acre property from becoming a townhouse development.

E-mail Jim Wright here to rsvp or get more info. Check this blog, celeryfarm.net, for updates, last-minute weather advisories for the walk, and directions to the Celery Farm, Green Way and the Fell House.

We hope to see you on Sept. 8. Listing follows.

Bergen SWAN is sponsoring a guided paddle of Lake Tappan Reservoir and beyond, led by naturalist Nancy Slowik, on Sunday, Sept. 9, from 3 to 6 p.m.

The paddle launches from a ramp at the southern end of the reservoir.  After a safety and paddle technique introduction from an Eastern Mountain Sports veteran kayaker, we will travel north through what is known as the 40 Foot Hole and then further north through the bewildering lovely Spatterdock Marsh.  

Nancy will provide insights into the flora and fauna and seasonally changing landscapes of these unique sections of the Upper Hackensack River Watershed. Full info, including cost and kayak availability, is here.

Sounds pretty nifty.

More info follows.

Hawk Watch Coordinator Judy Cinquina writes:

I'm very pleased to announce that the Mount Peter Hawk Watch now has 54 years of data in Hawkcount.

Many Fyke members, especially in the 1950's, '60's, and '70's contributed time and effort to the count, and their data will now be available to researchers and the public.

Denise Farrell & I worked a good part of the summer entering data, and I couldn't have kept up the tedious work without her.
Check it out at http://mount-peter.hawkcount.org/

Our Mount Peter Clean-Up date is set for Sunday, September 2, 2012 at 9 a.m.

If you can help out for a few hours or just an hour, we'd appreciate your help. We pick up garbage and cut brush & small trees. Bring work gloves, loppers, saws, anything you think might be of use. If you can make it, please let me know.

More info follows.

Don Torino wrote a great column on Celery Farm Warden Mike Limatola on the wildnewjersey.tv blog.

Don writes: