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February 16th, 2012
RELEASE: Feb. 16, 2012 – Volume XLV, No. 7
Ask any biologist and they’ll tell you that invasive species stink. In the case of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, they really mean it! Chances are you’ve had the “pleasure” of meeting and smelling this latest invasive insect in your home.
The United States is home to several native bugs in the stink bug family, such as the common green stink bug (Acrosternum hilare). But the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) is a native of Asia. It first showed up in Allentown, Pa., in the late 1990s and has spread rapidly. Today stink bugs have been detected in all but 14 states, reached nuisance levels in 10 states, and become severe agricultural pests in five more.
Stink bugs live only 6-8 months. In adulthood they take on a distinctive, elongated “knight shield” shape. They get their name from their self-defense mechanism. Lacking the ability to bite humans or other predators, stink bugs instead emit a pungent odor – sort of like a skunk – when they are aggravated or crushed.
You may not notice the little stinkers until they come calling in your home when the weather turns colder. They’re looking for a warm place to spend winter, in a state almost like hibernation. In the spring they emerge, hungrily making their way back outside to eat plants.
Although Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs don’t directly harm humans, they do threaten agriculture and biodiversity. This is true of many invasive species. In 2005, for example, researchers estimated the annual cost of damage from all invasive species and the expense of controlling them to be over $138 billion, just in the U.S. alone.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs are not picky eaters. They feed on a wide variety of plants – from ornamentals to fruits trees and vegetables. Apple and pear crops have been severely damaged in this state we’re in, along with parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.
In Asia, a parasitic wasp keeps stink bug populations under control by attacking their eggs. But with no natural predators here, the population is exploding. Government and university research, both expensive and time-consuming, has yet to yield a biological control for stink bugs.
So what can you do about Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in your home?
Don’t think saturating the area with insecticide will help. Adult stink bugs are hardy and shake off many of the available broad spectrum insecticides. You would likely kill many more beneficial insects, and expose your family to more chemicals, for no real reason. The best solution is to keep them out of your house in the first place. Seal cracks and gaps with caulk or weather stripping, wrap window air conditioners and cover vents with screens.
If they get into your home, here are some suggestions. Scoop them gently into a container, take them outside, dump them into a bucket of soapy water, and close the lid. You’ll avoid most of the stink from being released inside you house. If you have hundreds or thousands, a vacuum will work. Just make sure you get them outside and into the soapy water right away! And you will probably have to deodorize your vacuum cleaner! Don’t flush every stink bug down the toilet, as that will waste countless gallons of water!
In the garden, hand pick the bugs and drop them into soapy water – and keep a lookout out under leaves for egg clusters to scrape off. You can buy traps that entice stink bugs with scent; young bugs respond all season, but adults will respond only in late summer.
You can find out more about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in New Jersey at the Rutgers Agricultural Experiment Station website at www.njaes.rutgers.edu/stinkbug.
And if you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: Brown Marmorated stink bug, insects, invasives, Michele Byers, nature, New Jersey, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, stink bugs
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February 9th, 2012
RELEASE: Feb. 9, 2012 – Volume XLV, No. 6
This state we’re in often gets a bad rap. New Jersey is known more for hairspray and concrete than natural wonders. But, in truth, our state’s diverse terrain – from the Delaware to the Atlantic, from High Point to Cape May – offers an amazing variety of outdoor hiking experiences.
Here’s my personal Top 10:
Franklin Parker Preserve: I’ll admit my bias: I’m a “Piney” and New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s Franklin Parker Preserve in the Pine Barrens of Burlington County represents some of the best of the Pines. Its iconic pitch pine forest, former cranberry bogs, sandy roads, open waters and cedar swamps are spectacular. Covering 9,400 acres, with 21 miles of trails and habitats that nurture more than 50 rare, threatened or endangered species, it’s definitely a top nature destination.
Terrace Pond at Wawayanda State Park: At the opposite end of the ecological spectrum is northern New Jersey’s Highlands, where glaciers scraped the bedrock clean millennia ago, carving steep ridges and narrow valleys. Wawayanda straddles Sussex and Passaic counties and offers 60 miles of hiking trails – but none beat the 4-mile loop through the rugged Bearfort Mountain Natural Area to Terrace Pond, one of New Jersey most pristine glacial lakes. Take in 360-degree views of the Highlands and the western ridges, including High Point, and remind yourself that this is New Jersey!
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge: Sandwiched between the Highlands and coastal plains is our Piedmont region … and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is one of its most exciting natural areas. This is the place that catalyzed New Jersey’s conservation movement in the early 1960s, when citizens organized to save the land from becoming a major airport. The refuge includes over 12 square miles of varied wildlife habitat (including resting, nesting and feeding places for almost 250 bird species) and trails and observation platforms that allow hikers easy access and great views.
Hacklebarney State Park: No words can aptly describe this magnificent state park. The Black River and its tributaries, the Rinehart and Trout Brooks, thunder through a glacial valley of exposed rock, hemlock and oak trees. The land was actively mined for iron in the 18th and 19th centuries, but today it’s a favorite spot for hiking, fishing, birding and family picnics. It is not to be missed!
Estelle Manor County Park: Visit the 1,700-acre Estelle Manor County Park in Atlantic County for great trails, including a marked fitness trail, orienteering trail and bike trails. And don’t miss the Swamp Trail Boardwalk that runs for almost two miles through cedar swamp and coastal forest. Historic ruins, excellent views of South River and the W.E. Fox Nature Center make it well worth the trip.
Jenny Jump State Forest: This Warren County state forest offers amazing views of the Highlands, including the Kittatinny Mountains and Valley, Mountain Lake and Great Meadows. Fourteen miles of trails, lined with rocky outcroppings and boulders, run through the forest. The Summit Trail reaches 1,090 feet with views of the Delaware Water Gap and Pequest Valley. The views are so clear, in fact, that astronomers maintain the Greenwood Observatory there!
Sunfish Pond: This popular trail is located in Worthington State Forest, along the Kittatinny Ridge in Warren County. The beautiful glacial lake is stunning enough, in fact, to be designated as a National Natural Landmark. Surrounded by hardwood forest and stands of laurel, the pond can be accessed by several trails, including the Appalachian Trail.
Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area: Hike Morris County’s Pyramid Mountain to see the impact of glaciers in the Highlands …and why this region is so worth preserving. Be sure to visit Tripod Rock – a car-sized boulder left balanced atop three soccer-ball sized rocks!
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway: You can’t truly experience New Jersey without hiking this urban linear park along the waterfront, with breathtaking views of the New York City skyline. The walkway is an ongoing project that will ultimately stretch over 18 miles from the George Washington Bridge to the Bayonne Bridge, connecting Palisades Interstate Park (another spectacular park), Liberty State Park, Liberty Science Center and a host of other landmarks and historic sites.
Whitesbog Village in Brendan Byrne State Forest: Whitesbog Village, a preserved cranberry and blueberry “company town” founded in 1870 to house workers at one of the state’s largest berry farms, is a rare glimpse into another era in Garden State history. Brendan Byrne State Forest is the second largest in the state and it includes 25 miles of hiking trails.
You may be surprised at what I’ve left OFF this list. No Batsto Village? No Delaware Water Gap? No Patriots’ Path? New Jersey has so much to offer, it’s almost impossible to pick just 10!
And don’t forget that all of these great hikes are just a few hours from anywhere in the state … and you’re never far from good restaurants and hotels. Get out and hike these special New Jersey trails in 2012!
For more New Jersey hiking ideas, visit the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference website at www.nynjtc.org.
If you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: best hikes, Michele Byers, New Jersey, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, outdoors, parks, trails
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February 2nd, 2012
RELEASE: Feb. 2, 2012 – Volume XLV, No. 5
Bird watchers are a unique breed. The hobby rewards patience, quiet and stillness… but get a group of birders together and it won’t be long before they’re chirping away about the birds they’ve seen, where to find certain species, and other bird-related esoterica.
But modern times call for modern means, and the New Jersey Audubon Society’s new “eBird Regional Portal” gives birders a 21st century tool. It’s a great resource for all birders.
Since ancient days, bird watchers have recorded detailed notes and observations the old-fashioned way. As a result, a wealth of information has been locked away in the margins of battered field guides and in dusty notebooks buried in closets and drawers.
Modern birders may keep notes electronically, but rarely in a way that allows for effective collaboration or sharing. eBird will change all that by harnessing the power of the internet!
eBird is a free “real-time, online checklist program” that was launched as a joint venture between the National Audubon Society and Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. It’s a central place where anyone can log on and record observations. The incentive is that eBird maintains individual records for each user, including date, location, and checklists of birds observed.
The data can help give each user insight into his or her own information, without the time-consuming number crunching required in the past. For example, a birder can turn his eBird data into charts, graphs and even interactive maps.
All this individual data is integrated with data from around the nation, which in turn is shared with other bird data networks across the globe. This is the real power of eBird, allowing deeper knowledge for casual birders and invaluable insight for conservation biologists, teachers and others.
eBird is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing sources of data on biodiversity, offering information on where to find specific birds, population numbers, migration timetables, and much more. The global network means, for example, that a species like the Red Knot can be tracked in real time as it migrates from South America to the Arctic Circle, stopping at New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore to feast on horseshoe crab eggs!
Regional portals – like the one maintained by the New Jersey Audubon Society at ebird.org/content/nj – takes this wonderful tool two steps further.
Quality Control: Unusual data will trigger automated filters developed by regional bird experts, who will review flagged bits of information before they are included in the database. This ensures that the basic data in the system is as reliable as possible;
Local Context: While the global data network is eBird’s power, the designers of the system recognized that, as in politics, “all birding is local!” So a user from New Jersey won’t have to wade through data and news from Costa Rica or Romania. The New Jersey Audubon portal means local birders get news, event listings, tips, rare bird alerts and articles focused right here.
eBird is simple enough for beginners, but detailed and insightful enough for scientists and experts. It’s also a great example of using modern technology for the benefit of nature, while retaining the community spirit that is so much a part of birding!
If you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: birding, Cornell University Ornithology Lab, eBird portal, Michele Byers, National Audubon Society, New Jersey, New Jersey Audubon, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, outdoors
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January 27th, 2012
RELEASE: Jan. 27, 2012 – Volume XLV, No. 4
For most people, January is quiet. We recover from the holiday whirlwind, pay off credit cards (at least partially!) and resolve to eat less and exercise more.
But in even-numbered years like 2012, the new year is hardly quiet for the New Jersey Legislature. Rather, it’s the tail end of the “lame duck” session, the two-month period between the November election and the expiration of legislative terms.
During lame duck, the Legislature enters a mad flurry of activity. Dozens of bills are proposed, passed, defeated or ignored as the clock ticks down. At the end, the governor has about a week to accept or reject the bills passed by the Legislature.
As the curtains went down on the 214th Legislature and Governor Chris Christie got his chance to “yea or nay,” a number of things happened that will impact the environment of this state we’re in … a mixed bag of good news, bad news and wait-and-see.
First, some good news. Governor Christie is to be applauded for his conditional veto of a bill that would have allowed large, commercial-scale wind turbines on preserved farms in the Garden State. This was a wise move because allowing commercial uses would undermine the public’s substantial investment in farmland preservation and the integrity of the farmland preservation program.
In another positive move, the Legislature passed and Governor Christie signed Senator Bob Gordon’s so-called “Blue Acres” bill, which clarifies that towns can spend open space funds on flood-prone properties and turn them into parks. Done right, this is a win-win for all, as it removes structures from flood plains – where development should not have been allowed in the first place. When it comes to preventing devastating floods, it’s better to work with Mother Nature than against her!
Sometimes, what doesn’t get passed is just as important. That’s the case with a bill which would have allowed commercial logging in state forests, parks and wildlife management areas without adequate safeguards. After a month of heated debate – and public outcry – the Assembly opted not to post the bill for a vote. However, this bill has already been reintroduced in the Senate in the new legislative session.
Now, some of the bad news.
The Legislature passed, and Governor Christie signed, a bill widely derided as the “Dirty Water Bill.” This legislation is a giveaway to developers, putting 300,000 acres of New Jersey’s most environmentally sensitive land at risk of development by allowing for continued sewer service extensions. This is a bill that should have been vetoed to protect our state’s clean water!
In another lame duck disappointment, a move to override Governor Christie’s conditional veto of an anti-fracking bill did not gain traction. By an overwhelming vote last summer, the Legislature passed a bill prohibiting the practice of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in New Jersey. The Governor conditionally vetoed it, instituting a one-year moratorium instead of a permanent ban.
As the 215th Legislature gets under way, it’s time to turn our attention to what comes next.
My hope for 2012 is that the Legislature will adopt an outright ban on fracking in New Jersey – and that Governor Christie will sign it this time – and that the Legislature will rethink and rework the bill that would establish logging on state land.
Another bill that should be rejected is the Permit Extension Act, which would extend all permits and approvals for developers at the state and local levels until December 31, 2014. If the bill is passed, it would allow projects that were approved many years ago but never built to avoid changes in environmental law, public health standards, building codes, or local zoning.
Another hope for the coming year is that the Legislature and governor will recommit to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and pass a bill clarifying the state’s required participation in RGGI. This initiative is our only tool to directly control carbon dioxide emissions from power plant smokestacks. In just three years, the program has delivered considerable benefits both to New Jersey’s environment and economy.
We also need forward thinking, robust energy conservation legislation. Given the enormous potential for saving money and natural resources from energy conservation, we can’t afford to wait any longer to take action!
For more information about conserving our state’s precious land and natural resources, visit New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: environment, environmental legislation, Governor Chris Christie, lame duck session, Michele Byers, New Jersey, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, New Jersey Legislature
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January 20th, 2012
RELEASE: Jan. 20, 2012 – Volume XLV, No. 3
By the time Howard P. Boyd graduated from high school in 1932, he had earned every possible Boy Scout nature merit badge. Those two loves – scouting and nature – defined his life.
Howard passed away in December at the age of 97, and his huge legacy will live on through the definitive books he penned on New Jersey Pine Barrens ecology, the thousands of scouts and naturalists whose lives he touched, and an enriched body of science about Pine Barrens insects.
Howard grew up in the Boston area and cultivated his love of nature at an early age, spending his time on the area’s suburban farms. He graduated from Boston University in 1938 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with an emphasis in botany. It would be 39 years – and a lifetime of hands-on experience – before he earned his master’s in entomology from the University of Delaware.
Not long after graduating from Boston University, he went to work for the Boy Scouts of America in the Philadelphia area. It was here that he discovered the Pine Barrens, visiting often to collect insects. He and his wife of over 70 years, the late Doris Boyd, settled in the Pine Barrens community of Tabernacle in Burlington County.
After 31 years with the Scouts, Howard retired in 1969 and turned his attention to the Pine Barrens. He embarked on what grew to become a second career: an instructor, lecturer and field leader on Pine Barrens ecology for students and aspiring naturalists. He was considered one of the country’s leading experts on predatory tiger beetles, and he studied the numerous rare and exciting species that inhabit the Pine Barrens. Howard was a member of the American Entomological Society for 77 years, and edited its Entomological News publication for almost 30 years.
Howard spent decades exploring the sandy trails of the Pine Barrens and studying insects and other unique flora and fauna. He cataloged the region’s distinctive natural features and demonstrated the complex interdependence of ecological systems. His scientific work helped to lay the factual foundation for the preservation of the million-acre Pineland National Reserve. Louis Cantafio, Ph.D., Senior Land Steward with New Jersey Conservation Foundation, states it plainly: “If it weren’t for Howard, there would be no Pine Barrens.”
In 1991, he collected his life’s work into A Field Guide to the Barrens of New Jersey. Now in its sixth printing, the book is 423 illustrated pages of just about everything that lives in the Pine Barrens, from algae to eagles. Twenty years later, his book is still widely regarded as the definitive field guide to the Pine Barrens.
Howard wrote four books, all on the Pine Barrens, including A Pine Barrens Odyssey: A Naturalist’s Year in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (1997), Wildflowers of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (2001). The last, The Ecological Pine Barrens (2008), examines the science behind ecosystem fragmentation and the threats that still face the region today.
Howard also served as charter member and trustee of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA), board member and vice president of the New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS), and helped to establish the Rancocas Nature Center.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation gave Howard his own key to the Franklin Parker Preserve, a 9,400-acre former cranberry farm in Burlington County. It was fortuitous, since he knew more about the land than anyone else. At the young age of 93, Howard convinced the American Entomological Society to embark on a long-term study of Pine Barrens insects at the Franklin Parker Preserve, the first in-depth study in over a century. Howard continued his own field work through 2010, and his study team has discovered dozens of insect species never before known to exist in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
A new species of crane fly, previously unknown to science and endemic to our Pine Barrens’ Atlantic white cedar swamps, has been discovered! This crane fly will officially be named in honor of Howard Boyd. Some people might not be excited at the prospect of having a crane fly named after them. But Howard was thrilled and humbled to learn of this tribute to a lifetime filled with discovery and reverence for nature.
If you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: environment, Howard Boyd, insects, Michele Byers, New Jersey, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Pine Barrens
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January 13th, 2012
RELEASE: Jan. 13, 2012 – Volume XLV, No. 2
It’s a sad reality that preserved farmland and open space need saving over and over again. Though secured from housing sprawl development, New Jersey’s preserved farmland often finds itself the target of proposals that would destroy the very natural resource value that prompted its preservation in the first place! Governor Chris Christie deserves credit for his conditional veto of efforts to open up preserved farmland to commercial wind farming.
Assembly Bill 3992 and Senate Bill 2887 would have allowed large, commercial-scale wind turbines on preserved farms in Salem and Cumberland counties, and would have streamlined the process for siting them on farms not yet preserved. The Governor’s conditional veto means he wants certain parts of a bill amended before he’ll sign it. In this case, among other changes, Governor Christie specifically objected to wind turbines being placed on preserved farmland.
The distinction between preserved farmland and unpreserved farmland can be confusing. And no wonder. Except for the green-and-white “Preserved Farmland” signs posted at many preserved farms, they both look alike – fields, barns, pastures, crops, animals.
But if you were to visit your county deed room and look up the deeds on preserved farmland, you’d see that New Jersey’s taxpayers have purchased and retired the development rights to these farms. So even though preserved farms are privately owned, they can never sprout a crop of condos, a strip mall …or a commercial energy generating facility. Because the public – you and I – made an investment to ensure these fertile New Jersey soils will continue to be available for agriculture. Period. Forever. The Legislature should honor that promise.
Farming provides the fresh, healthy food we need and helps keep our economy ticking. Local foods taste better, cost less and help fight climate change by leaving a smaller “carbon footprint” than produce shipped from distant places. Residents of the nation’s most densely populated state should feel secure knowing there will always be large swaths of farmland in this state we’re in. Preserved farmland also helps keep the Garden State’s agricultural heritage because it’s just about the only land in New Jersey that’s even marginally affordable to the next generation of farmers.
Yes, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels by increasing renewable energy is a critical goal. But good intentions for solving one problem should not result in another type of harm. The Governor’s veto was a wise move, because commercial-scale wind turbines were certainly not what New Jerseyans had in mind when they repeatedly voted YES on ballot questions replenishing funding for the Garden State Preservation Trust. This bill would have undermined the public’s billion dollar investment in farmland preservation.
It’s important to note that Governor Christie’s veto won’t prevent the owners of preserved farms from using wind energy to defray their own costs. Preserved farms can still harness wind power on a small scale for their agricultural operations to reduce their farms’ energy costs.
In the end, the Legislature did not accept the Governor’s veto conditions, so none of the wind energy bill became law.
Governor Christie should be applauded for recognizing – and undoing – this bill’s potential to undermine the Garden State’s outstanding farmland preservation program, which has successfully saved more than 190,000 acres of agricultural land. Agriculture must remain the primary use on preserved farmland – forever!
If you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: agriculture, farming, Governor Chris Christie, Michele Byers, New Jersey, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, preserved farmland, wind energy
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January 6th, 2012
RELEASE: Jan. 5, 2012 – Volume XLV, No. 1
Snakehead. The name sounds foreboding, especially for those with “ophidiophobia,” otherwise known as fear of snakes. But this freshwater fish isn’t frightening because of its name; it doesn’t have a long, slithering body, venom-filled fangs or a coil-and-strike pose.
Instead, the Northern Snakehead is scary because it’s an alien invasive fish with the potential to disrupt the ecology of New Jersey’s rivers, streams and lakes by decimating native species. And it may be headed for the Pine Barrens, home to some of the most pristine waters and robust native fish populations in this state we’re in.
The snakehead threat is being taken seriously by the nonprofit New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences, which plans to launch a research project to scientifically assess the damage the Northern Snakehead could cause if it takes hold in the Pine Barrens.
In a recent presentation to fellow scientists, Dr. Alejandro Vagelli of the Camden-based Academy says the snakehead has been detected in at least five locations in southwestern New Jersey, and one breeding population has been established in Stewart Lake in Gloucester County. Dr. Vagelli believes the snakeheads came from localized populations in south Philadelphia and are likely to continue to spread upriver on the Delaware and its tributaries, eventually reaching the Pine Barrens.
“If snakeheads can tolerate highly acid streams (of the Pine Barrens), their predatory behavior could dramatically and permanently alter the structure of local aquatic systems,” says Dr. Vagelli. “Most freshwater aquatic systems have already been dramatically altered by introduction of game fish and other organisms, pollution and altered stream flows, but many of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens waters are still contain pristine, native fish communities, not significantly altered by human-induced changes.”
The snakehead, Channa argus, is a native of Asia and was first spotted in Maryland in 2002. It is believed to have been introduced to East Coast waterways through the release of fish from pet store aquariums or by food suppliers specializing in live fish for Chinese restaurants.
Ecologists quickly dubbed it “Frankenfish” for its uncanny ability to survive where other fish cannot. To call it resilient is an understatement. It tolerates a wide range of temperatures, including freezing, and can breathe air, allowing it to move short distances across land from one water body to another.
It can survive in waters with very low oxygen, known as hypoxia, giving it a competitive advantage over many local species. Snakeheads also have high reproduction rates. Parents aggressively protect their nests, which may contain broods of up to 15,000 larvae! And they’re voracious eaters, competing with local species for food during all life stages. Juveniles grow into fierce adult predators, eating other fish, crustaceans, frogs, small reptiles, and sometimes even birds and small mammals.
In the unlikely event you would like more information about the Northern Snakehead – including photos, videos and links to numerous articles – go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center at www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/snakehead.shtml.
If you think you have caught or found a snakehead, don’t throw it back in the water. Instead, double-bag and freeze it and contact the New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences at 856-365-0352 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 800-344-WILD (800-344-9453). Be sure to take note of the exact location of capture; this will help scientists determine the spread of the population.
And for more information about protecting our precious land and natural resources, please visit New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: fish, invasive species, Michele Byers, New Jersey, New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, snakehead
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December 28th, 2011
RELEASE: Dec. 28, 2011 – Volume XLIV, No. 51
It’s not an exaggeration to say that nature inspires. The visual arts are perfectly attuned to capturing everything from a majestic blazing sunset to a delicate wildflower blossom. But nature has also inspired countless writers to paint pictures with words. The Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail in Princeton is a great place to explore and enjoy poetry in the context of central Jersey’s natural beauty.
Some walking trails are meant for exercise; others for getting from point A to point B as directly as possible. But the Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail reminds walkers of their connection to the natural world.
In Scott’s words: “Inspired by Nature and the human voice responding to the wonder of being alive on a biologically rich and amazing blue-green Earth, Scott and Hella McVay –having lifelong interests in education, the arts, and natural history – chose to create a poetry trail for the benefit of the community.”
The Poetry Trail is in the 55-acre Greenway Meadows Park in Princeton, the former estate of Robert Wood Johnson that was preserved in 2001 by D&R Greenway Land Trust.
The idea and funding for the trail came from the McVays, and combines their life passions. Scott was the founding executive director of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, a leading environmental grant maker, and creator of the bi-annual Dodge Poetry Festival. Hella is a founder of the Whole Earth Center, a community-based natural foods store, and also serves on the board of the D&R Greenway Land Trust.
Linda Mead, President and CEO of D&R Greenway Land Trust, speaks of working with the McVays to design the trail, “We saw it as a gift to the community, a place where people could walk and think, rest and reflect on their place in the natural world. It is a gift that will keep on giving as new children and adults are inspired to environmental stewardship by connecting to nature with their heart on the Poetry Trail.”
The course of the trail is symbolic. It covers 1.5 miles of looping paths, with no distinct beginning or end. It winds gently uphill toward a striking overlook of the Sourland Mountains and is easily navigated; some parts are even paved. Poems are mounted on attractive signs sometimes leading hikers off the path and into the meadows. Rustic benches fashioned from tree branches dot the sides of the trail, inviting hikers to pause and reflect.
Forty-eight poems populate the Trail, from poets from over a dozen countries and from eras spanning the 8th to the 21st centuries. This diversity itself speaks to the universal link humanity has to nature and poetry!
The McVays selected the poems based on how they connect to nature. You will find familiar verses from Emily Dickinson (“A Narrow Fellow in the Grass”) and Shakespeare (“Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day”), as well as less familiar works. One song even made the cut, in the form of “Both Sides, Now” from Joni Mitchell’s album Clouds.
If the trail has one signature poem, it is perhaps “Vacant Land” by Mary DeLia – an ironic answer to the question of which land is more barren: an open space filled with hundreds of species of birds, flowers, butterflies and more… or a redundant mall and parking lot?
If you’re looking for a special walk this winter or early spring, treat yourself to a trip to the Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail. You can learn more about it at the D&R Greenway Land Trust website at www.drgreenway.org/walks.htm. You can also watch a video documentary and tour of the trail at http://vimeo.com/33563097 .
And if you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: D&R Greenway, environment, Michele Byers, nature, New Jersey, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, poetry, Poetry Trail, Scott and Hella McVay
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December 20th, 2011
RELEASE: Dec. 20, 2011 – Volume XLIV, No. 50
Mistletoe is one of our most iconic holiday symbols. You see it in pictures, hear about it in familiar carols, and either look for it or avoid it depending on your romantic status! But what do you really know about the plant, the origins of the many customs surrounding its use, and New Jersey’s unique tradition of “mistletoe hunting?”
American Mistletoe – the species Phoradendron leucarpum in our eastern forests – refers to a variety of semi-parasitic plants that grow on a wide range of host trees. Mistletoe plants have evergreen leaves that generate some nutrients through photosynthesis, but most of their nutrition comes from the host tree.
In New Jersey, American mistletoe often grows as clusters of evergreen, twig-like masses, 50 feet high in the tops of black gum or red maple trees. As with many rare plants of this state we’re in, mistletoe is at the northern reach of its range. It’s an imperiled species in our state, with fewer than 20 populations scattered among the remaining mature swamp forests of southern and central New Jersey.
Mistletoe’s milky white berries – poisonous to humans and other mammals – provide a ready food supply for fruit-eating birds. Seeds pass through the birds’ guts primed for germination, and any bird dropping with a lucky mistletoe seed that lands on just the right twig may set the stage for a new plant! In Anglo-Saxon, mistletoe literally means “dung-on-a-twig” …or if you prefer, some other more alliterative alternative.
By now any sensible person might ask: Why do we kiss under this stuff!?
Like many customs, the origins are fuzzy. Mistletoe is the subject of both Greek and Scandinavian myths. In medieval Europe it was a symbol of romance and fertility, which may explain the evolution of the “kissing” tradition. Regardless of its origin, the custom surrounding mistletoe was common across the English-speaking world by the 18th century.
Washington Irving described the kissing custom in his 1820 The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon: “The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.”
New Jersey’s part in the mistletoe custom is unique. After all, what’s the best way to get a plant growing 50 or more feet in the air? If you said “shotgun” you are either a Piney or a resident of one of the more rural areas of New Jersey. You’re also correct!
New Jersey mistletoe hunters traditionally blasted the plant out of trees, this method being cheaper than a cherry-picker and safer than climbing high branches! In deference to the plants’ endangered status, most of today’s mistletoe hunters are now like bird watchers, identifying mistletoe clusters and snapping pictures from a distance.
This year, stand under the mistletoe with pride! Amaze (and shock) your friends with your new knowledge of mistletoe. And reflect on how this unique plant is woven tightly into the ecosystem, providing food and shelter for birds in exchange for propagation of the species.
Also, it’s good to remember that mistletoe is one of New Jersey’s more than 1,000 native pants, many of which are also imperiled. For more mistletoe information and photos, go to the Natural Resources Conservation Service webpage at http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PHLE14
And if you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: Christmas, holidays, Michele Byers, mistletoe, native plants, New Jersey, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, tradition
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December 16th, 2011
RELEASE: Dec. 16, 2011 – Volume XLIV, No. 49
If you could travel back in time to the end of the Civil War, you’d be amazed to see that New Jersey had virtually no forests. Beginning in colonial times, vast primeval forests filled with centuries-old trees were cleared for timber and agriculture.
Most forests were logged repeatedly, but with few deer and no invasive plant species, they recovered. By the end of World War I, the Industrial Revolution had changed our relationship with the land. As the population shifted from rural, agricultural areas to the cities, denuded landscapes rapidly grew up into young forests.
A century later, New Jersey’s forests have finally matured enough to attract the attention of the lumber industry … and legislators looking to stimulate the economy.
Right now, a bill making its way through the Legislature would encourage commercial logging on state-owned lands. The problem is, the bill, “Forest Harvest on State Lands” (S1954/A4358), makes neither economic nor ecological sense!
Responsible logging, or forestry, with adequate safeguards can be beneficial in certain cases. In fact, many conservation groups, including New Jersey Conservation Foundation, conduct forestry projects on our conservation lands to restore critical natural resources.
But under the provisions of this bill, logging our public lands will worsen existing forest problems without addressing their core causes. And the costs of dealing with the cascade of negative ecological outcomes will far exceed the value of forest products sold from the public trust.
First, the causes. Our forests face many threats and challenges, including over-abundant deer, invasive plant species and lack of regeneration. These threats have been slowly developing for many years and have finally reached the point that new trees are not able to establish themselves and hundreds of rare native plants are in serious decline.
The logging program proposed in this bill will make almost every one of these forest problems worse by:
- Introducing invasive species to new areas, and exacerbating existing invasive species problems by allowing too much sunlight to reach the ground in places where deer have eaten the native shrubs. Under this scenario, invasive weeds will explode into prominence, as the bill does not require deer fencing.
- Making it even more difficult to preserve our dwindling natural heritage. With over 1,000 species of rare plants and animals on our state lands, very few will benefit from commercial logging; and many will become even more imperiled;
- Expanding the deer herd. More sunlight in the forest will result in an even larger food supply for deer and, thus, more deer!
- Removing huge amounts of carbon stored by massive canopy trees. New studies show that our maturing trees are “sequestering” carbon at very high rates. As concerns about climate change deepen, why would we want to reduce the number of mature trees that pull carbon from the atmosphere?
Second, the cost. By the state Department of Environmental Protection’s estimate, it will cost $2.7 million to implement the logging program. Most commercial harvests bring in only about $60-70 per tree, so tens of thousands of trees would have to be cut just to run the program, and hundreds of thousands more to turn a profit! The long-term costs of removing our trees and then addressing the resulting problems of forest recovery will far exceed any short-term monetary benefit.
What can be done? Responsible forest stewardship on public land should have the following safeguards: a baseline inventory of all rare plants and animals, post-logging monitoring, deer-proof fencing to protect plantings and natural regeneration, control of alien invasive plant species, and dramatic reduction of deer populations. None of these safeguards are required by this bill.
Finally, New Jersey forest scientists and ecologists have been researching and studying forest dynamics for more than 50 years, and results of their work are largely ignored in this bill.
Please call your state legislators and Governor Christie and tell them to oppose the Forest Harvest on State Lands Bill, S1954/A4358. The bill is simply the wrong approach for addressing our serious forest ecosystem issues. To find your legislators, go to www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp. To reach Governor Christie’s office, call 609-292-6000.
And if you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
Tags: Forest Harvest on State Lands bill, forests, Governor Chris Christie, logging, Michele Byers, New Jersey, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, tree cutting
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