A program about the New Jersey Highlands will be held Thursday, March 30 in Sparta.
Covering more than 800,000 acres of rolling hills, steep cliffs, trickling streams and diverse forests, the Highlands attracts more visitors a year than Yosemite, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks combined.
The area supports an immense biodiversity of plant and animal life, provides clean drinking water to more than 70 percent of New Jersey residents and is the state’s greatest defense in mitigating climate change.
Although protected under the Highlands Act passed in 2008, the region is under threat by development and attempts to undermine protections to its water, forests, and other natural and cultural resources.
Dylan Medici, manager of outreach and education for the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, will show a short film, then lead a discussion on the history, legacy and challenges faced by the region today and what the future could look like.
The program begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Sparta Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7248, 66 Main St.
It is free and open to the public. No registration is required.