Roses among thorns: Essex County's environmental gems

RELEASE: April 10, 2009 – Volume XLI, No. 15

Does “Essex County, New Jersey” bring nature and the outdoors to mind? It should! As the county’s first-ever Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI) acknowledges, Essex “has experienced tremendous environmental degradation from decades of sprawl, urbanization and industry” but “in spite of this, it remains host to a rich variety of cultural and natural resources.”

Essex County’s approximately 127 square miles cover 22 municipalities – from tony Montclair to urban Newark – and the county ranks second in New Jersey in both population and population density.

But, as is true in many of our state’s heavily developed counties, there’s more than meets the eye where the environment is concerned. Like tree roots pushing up from under a sidewalk, there are incredible natural resources persisting and twining amidst the sprawl.

Here are some examples from the recently-completed inventory: “a Piedmont geology rich with fossil remains; a vibrant and historic park system; a multitude of historic structures and sites; vital sole source aquifers; sprawling post-glacial freshwater wetland complexes; forested ridges of the Watchung Mountains; and fisheries of the Newark Bay and the Passaic River Watershed.” It’s an important reminder that nature comes in many shapes, sizes and shades!

Essex is home to some exceptional parks. And did you know that the Essex County Parks System is the first county park system in the country? It includes Branch Brook Park, Riverbank Park and many others!

One great place to visit is the new Essex County Environmental Center at West Essex Park in Roseland. Opened in 2005, it utilizes state-of-the-art environmentally friendly design elements, including natural and recycled materials, energy saving technologies, and a “green roof” to manage storm-water. It’s adjacent to the former Center for Environmental Studies, which operated for 23 years in the 1970s and ‘80s.

The park totals over 1,300 acres of undeveloped wetlands stretching along six miles of the Passaic River. It is available for fishing, boating and birding, and includes gardens, a greenhouse and a forested interpretive trail. It is a perfect setting for the Environmental Center’s hands-on educational programs.

The Center offers programs for all ages – everything from nature photography to composting, from beekeeping and canoe races! In addition to the Center’s own events, a partnership with the New Jersey Audubon Society offers additional family activities.

You can visit the Environmental Center Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. West Essex Park is open to the public every day from dawn until dusk. Learn more about their spring programs online at www.essex-countynj.org/p/spring09.pdf, or by calling (973) 228-8776.

The 334-page Essex County Environmental Resource Inventory is a wonderfully detailed documentation of the relationships between Essex’s history, climate, geology, land use, wildlife and the people who call it home. Check it out online at www.essex-countynj.org/2677.pdf.

And I hope you will consult New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources.

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