Wildcat Ridge appreciation

[kaitlyn]

So, this set of trails is all of ten minutes from my house, and I love it. There's plenty of it that kicks my ass, there's plenty of it that I can do, and it's all great for my skills building. To whomever has been making and maintaining these trails...

I appreciate you.

 

[trailhead]

your sentiment is well shared amongst all of us, as there have been many who have contributed through the years.

 

[trailhead]

Rob Rooke - who through volunteering with the "Morris Land Conservancy" ( now TLC-NJ.org ) was the trail blazer for the "Four Birds" and Splitrock loop.

Four Birds Trail travels in Rockaway Township for 19 miles from Hibernia through Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, Farny State Park, and Newark watershed lands to Route 23. Trail volunteer Bob Rooke named the Four Birds Trail because he consistently spotted four birds inhabiting four distinct habitats wild turkeys in the hardwood forests, great blue heron in the marshes, osprey near the lakes, and soaring red-tailed hawks on the cliffs. This white-blazed trail is ready for hikers.

 

[trailhead]

Duncan Douglas - Volunteering through the Morris Trail Partnership and NYNJTC

NYNJ Trail Walker JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001
"Our deep gratitude to Conference member Duncan Douglas for his unflagging efforts to have 7 informational kiosks for the Farny Highlands Trails System made and installed. Duncan, president of the Morris Trails Conservancy, committed his organization and especially himself to this project which had been on our back burner for a couple of years. Conference member and Farny Highlands trail designer Bob Rooke first proposed the project, and the Morris Land Conservancy had secured a grant to assist with the costs. It took 4 months of almost daily work to get every thing done: all the approvals from the various land-managing entities, purchasing materials and supplies, encouraging the kiosk sign builder, scouting locations, digging holes for the posts, cementing the kiosks into place, and wrapping up all the paperwork. Duncan, you KNOW we couldn’t have done it without you!! Thank you so much."

Duncan continued to maintain trails in the area for many years.

 

[trailhead]

Bill Gallagher - When Bill started using the "overlook" now often referred to as the "Hawkwatch", he brought new visibility to the area. It became an education tool and podium for land preservation efforts that resulted in more funding and parcel additions to the area. He also routed the "Flyway Spur" which is the orange trail from the upper parking lot, to the overlook and the "Red" trail from Solar Pond.

From the http://www.wcrhawkwatch.com website:

At a dinner to commemorate Wildcat Ridge Hawkwatch founder Bill Gallagher, Dorie Cappiello made the following presentation.

​

"I would like to make this dedication to Bill Gallagher.

It all began about 18 years ago on a soccer field in Boonton where this crazy guy decided to start counting the migratory hawks that were flying overhead. From those modest beginnings evolved a sophisticated full time scientific hawk watch at Wildcat Ridge started by Bill and run by Bill and outfitted with a state of the art viewing platform.

But, I feel, what’s more important than the hawk watching is the network of friends that we have developed over the years. We all met each other through common interests of hiking, nature and hawk watching but the common denominator has always been Bill Gallagher. To all of us he has been the familiar constant at Wildcat Ridge; the man who brought us together and gave us a passion for staring up at the sky and identifying little tiny specks out in the distance. He’s taught us well and now his job is done and we are all going to miss him very much.

That is why we have decided to dedicate this plaque to Bill Gallagher to be displayed prominently at Wildcat Ridge so that we all can remember and appreciate the extent of his volunteer service for years to come and so that future visitors can read it and ask us "Who the hell is Bill Gallagher?" And we’ll tell them.

One of my favorite quotes is from the late anthropologist Margaret Mead. She once said,

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

The plaque reads: TO BILL GALLAGHER
RECOGNIZING YEARS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE
FRIENDS OF WILDCAT RIDGE

We are all the Friends of Wildcat Ridge; Bill and Sandy’s friends.

Good luck to both of you."

 

[trailhead]

Fred Vanderburgh - picking up where Bill left off, Fred continued to promote and defend wildcat ridge for many years. While also maintaining the bird count program, he also maintained the orange 'Flyway Spur" and worked to develop an "emergency response" program by installing unique identifier tags at every trail intersection in the WMA.