The New Jersey WILD Outdoor Expo which celebrates the state's bountiful natural resources and rich outdoor heritage will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily on September 14 and 15 at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in Jackson Township, Ocean County. Admission and parking are free. Most activities are free, except for a few that are offered for a modest fee. The Expo in its fourth year is an annual event which takes place rain or shine.
The Expo is sponsored by the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, Division of Parks and Forestry, the Green Acres Program and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. It is partly financed by a grant from the USSAF Trailblazer Adventure Program.
The event also has several exhibitors and vendors from the field of outdoor recreation and a flea market will be held. Food vendors will be available but you are welcome to bring and enjoy your own food in the picnic tent. Dogs or other pets are not allowed. Only dogs participating in events and service dogs are permitted on the grounds.
This fun-filled family event is designed for visitors to discover new ways to appreciate and enjoy New Jersey’s great outdoors. Participants have an opportunity to try a broad spectrum of outdoor activities such as fishing, kayaking, hiking, shooting sports, rock climbing, camping skills, off-road bicycling, geocaching and wildlife watching. Demonstrations include sporting and tracking dogs, scuba dives, turkey calling, nature photography, honey bee shows, an inflatable soil tunnel, WILD crafts, birds of prey and snakes of New Jersey, and a historic encampment and re-enactment of crafting dating to the 1740s.
A centerpiece of the Expo is the giant mobile fishing tank which holds thousands of gallons of water and will be loaded with monster trout and warm water game fish from the Pequest and Hackettstown State Fish Hatcheries.
