18 IeH-E A UD U2BiOeN - B Ur i Gee iia 
‘ONLY 40 MILES WEST OF TIMES SQUARE’ 
A Penetrating, Personal View 
of Great Swamp Refuge — 
Still Safe in New Jersey 
by BETTY GROTH 
IAS Vice President for Conservation 
Our Illinois Astrojet descended over the Delaware River and Penn Woods 
in golden autumn. It swung over the Hudson, and winged down in New 
Jersey only fifteen miles east of “Great Swamp.” All around us thunderous 
jets screamed into the airport like great hawks, scraping the bulldozed 
acres of oil-stained cement with their steel claws. Industrial scarring had 
gnawed off the scenery for miles. 
As our private green-gold car carried us quietly away into the New 
Jersey timbered hills, we crossed the winding Passaic River, remnant of 
Lake Passaic formed by the glacier 10,000 years ago, which gave birth to 
the Great Swamp. Thirty-five minutes later we arrived at the big white 
house, from whose comfort and elegance we were to explore the 6,000 wild 
acres of this national wildlife refuge. From the sunny woodland porch 
we saw Great Swamp lying off in the distance under a blue haze, just a 
Six thousand wild acres. 
