Archive for January 2026

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation New Jersey’s new governor, Mikie Sherrill, takes the helm at a time of urgent need for climate leadership, environmental justice, and stronger protections for public land and water. Hopes are high given Sherrill’s record in congress and her selection of Ed Potosnak, who led the state’s…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation We’re having a real winter this year in New Jersey, and if you can brave the cold you’ll find there are some amazing wildlife experiences to be had! Even spending more time looking out the window or listening at night has its rewards. In the sky,…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation When people think of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, they usually focus on the fascinating life there: rare orchids, carnivorous plants, pine snakes, frogs that “quonk” from hidden pools. The region’s biodiversity is rightly celebrated. But there is another kind of diversity hiding underneath. Older, quieter,…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation When winter locks a pond or stream under a lid of ice, the surface goes still. But beneath that frozen cap, there is life! Since ice is less dense than liquid water, it floats to the surface and insulates the slightly warmer water underneath. This phenomenon…