The Alternative Press

On Saturday, March 23 and Sunday March 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold its annual Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center Open House, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the state’s only trout production facility.

 

 

 

The open house is one of Fish and Wildlife’s premier events and is annually held just prior to the opening day of trout season, which falls on April 6 this year. This year’s event also will herald the reopening of the refurbished exhibit hall of the Pequest Natural Resources Education Center at the hatchery complex located in Oxford.

 

 

 

The event will be held rain or shine. Admission and parking are free.

 

The Pequest Trout Hatchery raises more than 600,000 brook, brown and rainbow trout each year for stocking the public waters in New Jersey. The 27-year-old Pequest Natural Resources Education Center offers education and exhibits on trout, fishing, geology of the region, native wildlife and New Jersey's natural resources. The exhibit hall has been closed for almost a year for renovation and the installation of new exhibits, including interactive displays and hands on learning opportunities for children.

 

The upcoming open house event will feature family friendly activities and conservation exhibits, focusing on fishing, hunting and wildlife in New Jersey. There will be plenty of kid-friendly features, including the Hog Trough -- a giant mobile fishing tank holding thousands of gallons of water and loaded with monster trout and warm-water game fish.

 

Media members interested in covering the open house should call Al Ivany at (908) 319-2456.

 

 

 

For more information on the open house visit: http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/peqoh.htm

 

 

 

For GPS users, the Pequest Trout Hatchery is located in Warren County at 605 Pequest Road, Oxford, NJ, 07863. For directions, visit: http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/peqdirct.htm