Archive for May 2026

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation Some dismiss the endearing opossum as unattractive – or even a nuisance – but this quiet creature is actually one of our gentlest and most essential wild neighbors. Despite their scruffy looks and dramatic defense tactics, opossums are shy creatures that play a vital role in…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation Ask someone to name a pollinator, and they’ll likely respond with a bee or butterfly, or perhaps a hummingbird. But moths? They rarely make the list. “Moths have been underappreciated,” says Jill Dodds, a biologist who has spent decades surveying rare and endangered species across New…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation Liberty State Park lies in the middle of one of the most densely populated regions in the country. Surrounded by Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne, it stands out on the map as a large, contiguous oasis of green. As the park marks its 50th anniversary this…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation Nowadays, children and young adults are mostly indoors, glued to screens for school and “social life”. Research suggests it is taking a toll on their mental health, with experts pointing to correlations between screen time and anxiety and depression. Dr. Patricia Shanely, co-founder of Forest and…

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation Across New Jersey, takeout orders come with a side of waste – plastic utensils and condiment packets we never use. Those small items add up quickly, often spilling into our parks and waterways. Each year, volunteers comb New Jersey’s beaches and consistently find that plastic dominates…