Tag: New Jersey Conservation Foundation
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Bike (mostly) off-road from NYC to Philly next spring
By Michele S. Byers Since Colonial times the route from New York City to Philadelphia has been a well-traveled corridor, with most of its miles in New Jersey. Philadelphia was the nation’s first capital, the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed. New York served as the capital city when George Washington was inaugurated…
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Where do the wild things go?
By Michele S. Byers Winter is coming and wildlife is getting ready. New Jersey’s wild animals – mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and more – have many strategies for coping with winter. Some hibernate, some migrate and others stay put. Who does what? • Hibernators – Hibernation is more than a long winter’s nap. Animals that…
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Energy efficiency crucial for New Jersey’s future
By Michele S. Byers Imagine two light bulbs side by side. One is a 12-watt LED bulb and the other is a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb. When the switch is flipped, the two bulbs glow with the same amount of light, but the LED bulb uses 75% to 80% less energy. This means lower electric…
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Massive bird losses should be ‘a rallying call to action’
By Michele S. Byers Bird watchers all over New Jersey have been feeling something amiss. “I see lots of backyard birds like cardinals and robins, but I have to search harder to find birds that thrive in more natural habitats,” says Dr. Emile DeVito, staff biologist at the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. “The birds are…
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Get rid of the ‘bad apples’ of land conservation
By Michele S. Byers Farmers have long known that one rotten apple is enough to spoil the whole bunch. In the land conservation business, a couple of “bad apples” are threatening to spoil the work of hundreds of reputable land conservation groups and projects. The Land Trust Alliance, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting…
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Is your yard a ‘food desert’ of non-native plants?
By Michele S. Byers Your yard may be your neighbors’ envy … beautifully landscaped and well maintained, but if it’s full of non-native plants, to birds it’s a parched desert. A recent study by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute found that birds who need high-protein insects often go hungry in yards landscaped with non-native plants.…
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New Jersey forests age like fine wine
By Michele S. Byers Many things improve with age, like wines, cheeses, friendships, antiques and leather boots. How about forests? It turns out that new research shows aging mature forests improve, too. They are better at storing carbon and are more resilient to climate change than young forests. They also protect native animal and plant…
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‘Vine That Ate the South’ comes north
By Michele S. Byers You might think kudzu – jokingly referred to as “The Vine That Ate the South” – is an exotic sport, but it’s a fast-growing, highly invasive vine. And it is spreading into this state we’re in and beyond. Michael Van Clef, director of the New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team, said…
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Diamondback terrapins, our salt marsh turtles
By Michele S. Byers Why did the turtle cross the road? On a mid-July day, a diamondback terrapin tried to cross busy 2nd Avenue in downtown Stone Harbor, in Cape May County. How the turtle got there and where it was going are mysteries. The turtle was not near any water. One thing was certain:…
