Tag: New Jersey Conservation Foundation
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Environmental justice: Clean and green in every community
By Michele S. Byers Growing up in Camden, Olivia Carpenter Glenn suffered from asthma and allergies. She wasn’t alone: many of her family members, friends and neighbors also had respiratory ailments, a result of breathing the polluted air in their industrial city. Respiratory health issues were so common in Camden that Olivia gave them little…
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Remediation of contaminated land will fulfill a dream for Liberty State Park
By Michele S. Byers Liberty State Park in Jersey City – the state’s most popular park, with more than five million annual visitors – has been called New Jersey’s Central Park. But it has something Central Park doesn’t have: spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Manhattan skyline, New York Harbor and…
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The timeless tale of monarch butterfly migration
By Michele S. Byers Do you ever read through old newspapers and notice that sometimes the topic and perspective are still pretty current and fresh? So much has changed in the world in recent decades, but our fascination with nature is timeless. Please enjoy the following column written 34 years ago by Dave Moore, the…
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Saving a rare and ‘picky’ wildflower
By Michele S. Byers One of the rarest wildflowers in New Jersey – and the entire northeastern United States – is American chaffseed (Schwalbea americana), a perennial in the snapdragon family. Twenty years ago, the future was dim for this native flower with reddish-purple blooms, and it has been listed as a federally endangered species…
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Grow crops, not solar panels, on New Jersey’s best farmland
By Michele S. Byers If there’s any doubt that New Jersey is the Garden State, visit a local farm stand or a farmers’ market. This time of year, you will find some of the world’s most delicious produce: fresh Jersey tomatoes, peaches, sweet corn, peppers, blueberries, melons, squash and much more. What makes them so…
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Landmark funding for more parks in New Jersey’s great outdoors
By Michele S. Byers With all that has been happening in New Jersey lately, you may have missed out on the biggest conservation news of the decade. With strong bipartisan support in Congress, the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump, providing a huge shot in the arm for parks…
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Explore the wilds of the Jersey shore
By Michele S. Byers For most folks, globe-trotting vacations and cross-country road trips are out this year due to travel restrictions and quarantines. Instead, “staycations” within the Garden State seem to be the new fad. If you haven’t explored New Jersey from top to bottom, now’s the time to discover the treasures of this small,…
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Missing the Olympics? Try the Greenway Games!
By Michele S. Byers The summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, are on hold due to the pandemic, just like hundreds of other athletic events ranging from local 5K races and biking events to the New York City Marathon. If you are missing the action and want to participate in a large-scale athletic event while supporting…
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Comet Neowise illustrates the importance of dark skies
Since the earliest days of human civilization, the night sky has been a source of fascination and mystery. Ancient star-gazers saw human and animal shapes in clusters of stars, and invented elaborate mythologies. Trying to understand the night sky inspired science, religion, philosophy, mathematics, art and literature. One of the most awe-inspiring sights is a…
