Tag: New Jersey Conservation Foundation
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Vernal pools: Here today, gone tomorrow
By Jay Watson Imagine going out on a damp winter night, wearing waders and a headlamp, in search of a large, elusive salamander that spends most of its life underground. I was lucky enough to do exactly that more than a decade ago when working at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). I…
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Do wildlife a favor – ‘go native’ in the yard and garden
By Alison Mitchell Spring is just a few weeks away and there is a lot to look forward to; longer and warmer days, flowers blooming, the first green leaves emerging on trees and the songs of returning birds. If you are among those who can’t wait to get back to your yard or garden, you…
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The intersection of wildlife and climate change
By Tom Gilbert New Jersey has always been a busy intersection – and not just where major highways cross. This state we’re in is also a major intersection for wild things. New Jersey is the northern tip of the geographic range for many “southern” species, and the southern tip for many “northern” species. Ranges overlap…
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Celebrating Harriet Tubman, the ‘ultimate outdoorswoman’ for freedom
By Jay Watson Harriet Tubman is legendary for her intelligence, sense of justice and, above all, extreme courage in repeatedly risking her life to help some 70 people escape slavery. What else did it take for Tubman to lead her charges hundreds of miles to freedom in the 1850s while eluding capture? Exceptional outdoor skills.…
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For the love of birds, join the backyard count
By Alison Mitchell In the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, many people have taken solace in nature and developed a deeper appreciation for wildlife. One bright side to spending more time isolating at home has been the chance to observe more birds in our own backyards and neighborhoods. If you…
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Protecting forests that help fight climate change
By Tom Gilbert In the fight against climate change, some of New Jersey’s most powerful weapons are tall, green and leafy. Trees, through their natural process of photosynthesis, pull harmful carbon dioxide from the air and emit oxygen. Carbon gets stored in the wood, roots and surrounding soil – keeping it out of the atmosphere,…
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Serving up greater food equality in the Garden State
By Jay Watson Everyone has to eat, but not everyone in New Jersey has equal access to fresh, healthy, nutritious foods. This state we’re in has many “food deserts,” or communities without places to buy groceries. Food deserts exist mostly in cities where supermarkets are scarce and lower-income households do not have transportation to shop…
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Diverting New Jersey’s parkland erodes public trust
By Alison Mitchell Few things last forever, but one thing that must last forever is preserved land. Here in New Jersey, when towns, counties and nonprofit organizations use state Green Acres funds to buy or improve land for public parks and open space, all of the parkland designated on their Recreation and Open Space Inventory…
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Flooding, pipelines, warehouses top 2021 N.J. environmental news
By Tom Gilbert If New Jersey were to have a 2021 poster child for climate change, it would not be a child at all. It would be a storm named Ida which caused havoc and heartache by dumping up to 11 inches of rain on a landscape already saturated from previous storms. The remnants of…
