Tag: New Jersey Conservation Foundation
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Climate change in New Jersey: warmer and wetter
By Michele S. Byers Does New Jersey seem rainier than usual? Are the winters milder? How about high tide flooding at the shore? It’s not your imagination. According to a new report by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, increased rainfall, warmer temperatures and more coastal flooding are all happening right now due to…
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Is that spinach? No, it’s rare seabeach amaranth!
By Michele S. Byers If you are lucky enough to walk on the beach this summer, you may notice a plant that looks like spinach growing in the bare sand, apart from sea grass and other dune vegetation. Don’t step on it! It could be the rare seabeach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) that is making a comeback…
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New Jersey is home to aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals
By Michele S. Byers You’re walking near a stream or a lake and suddenly catch a flash of a small, sleek creature with dark, glossy fur. Could it be a mink? Or maybe you hear a loud slap on the water, followed by a glimpse of a submerged creature diving under a pile of sticks…
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Looking back: 60 years of conservation in New Jersey
By Michele S. Byers It’s hard to imagine New Jersey without its strong environmental bent and legacy. Over the past few decades, New Jersey has passed landmark regional planning laws, laws to protect wetlands and farmland, drinking water, air quality and funding for preserving open space, farmland and historic sites. But 60 years ago –…
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American Farmland Trust report shows New Jersey is keeping its nickname alive
By Michele S. Byers Nothing says summer like Jersey tomatoes, blueberries, sweet corn and peaches. We’re not called the Garden State for nothing! A new report by the nonprofit American Farmland Trust ranks New Jersey No. 1 of all states in preserving its agricultural lands and keeping farming viable. New Jersey is continuing to earn…
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Green investments critical to strong economy
By Michele S. Byers The coronavirus hit hard, infecting more than 1.5 million residents in the United States and triggering the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. New Jersey is at the epicenter of the pandemic, with more COVID-19 cases than any state except New York. Thanks to difficult but essential social distancing and…
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Glittering jewels of the sky
By Michele S. Byers This time of year, New Jersey is popping with color from blooming flowers and shrubs and beautiful songbirds. One of the brightest is the ruby-throated hummingbird, which returns to the Garden State each spring to breed and raise young. These tiny birds – weighing only a little more than a nickel…
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Eating organic foods could have benefits for one’s health
By Michele S. Byers A trip to the supermarket, or to a local farmers market or farm stand, offers a dazzling array of fruits and veggies. Which should you pick? If you are looking for the healthiest choices, head straight for the organic section. Organic foods are those grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers, as…
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Join May ‘bioblitz’ and document nature in New Jersey
The New Jersey Conservation Foundation is celebrating May by inviting New Jerseyans to participate in a statewide “bioblitz” to document nature in backyards, neighborhoods, parks and nature preserves. “We encourage as many New Jersey residents as possible – from every part of the state – to become a citizen scientist and join this effort,” said…
