Archive for November 2025

All over the United States, abandoned railways have been finding new life. Once the arteries of America’s industrial expansion, these rail lines carried commuters, and commerce. But as the automobile took over in the mid-20th century, thousands of miles of track fell silent. By 1963, more than 50,000 miles of railway were unused and overgrown.…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation As the last maples drop their leaves and frost arrives, the fall clean-up begins. Those with lawns rake, blow, bag, and drag to create the tidy, bare winter landscape we’ve been taught to equate with “good gardening.” Kazys Varnelis, President of the Native Plant Society of…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation New Jersey is home to an abundance of wondrous creatures. Some, like crows and ravens, may seem like an everyday occurrence in our lives, but it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate just how incredible they are. This state we’re in has two species of crows…

  By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation Hidden in the wet, shady woods of northwest New Jersey blooms a remarkable and rare plant – Yellow Hammond’s Spring Beauty. Found nowhere else on Earth, it’s just one example of the many plants that make our landscape special. We have a natural heritage that…