by Colin Wethered Director of Development Posted on
As we celebrate the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey’s (CWF) 25th anniversary, we reflect on a quarter-century of dedication to protecting and restoring the Garden State’s rare and at-risk wildlife. Over the years, your support has helped us achieve milestones that were once unimaginable—most recently being the recovery and expected delisting of bald eagles and ospreys.
Our new video, “Signs of Hope in a Race Against Time,” encapsulates the heart of our mission and showcases the transformative impact of conservation efforts across New Jersey. Narrated by our founder and first Executive Director, Linda Tesauro, this video tells the story of how CWF came to be and the powerful partnerships that have fueled our work for the past 25 years. CWF has been a leader in field science, habitat restoration, education, and public engagement. Check out the video below and discover why this mission is so close to our hearts.
This year also marked a significant milestone with A Wild Affair, our 25th-anniversary celebration. The event brought together conservationists, supporters, and partners who have been essential to our success. It was a night filled with gratitude, inspiration, and a shared commitment to protecting New Jersey’s unique wildlife for generations to come.
As 2024 draws to a close, we look ahead with hope and determination. Challenges remain, and the need to act has never been more urgent. Together, we can create a brighter future for these species and the habitats they call home. Your year-end donation is crucial to carrying our mission forward. It ensures we can continue vital work like monitoring nesting sites, restoring critical habitats, and engaging communities in conservation. Help us make 2025 another year of progress and promise for New Jersey’s wildlife.
Thank you for standing with us and for being part of this incredible journey. Here’s to the next 25 years of conservation success!
by Rachel McGovern Communications and Outreach Manager Posted on
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is thrilled to announce the return of the redesigned Species on the Edge 2.0 contest for its second year! High school students from grades 9 to 12 across New Jersey are invited to join this exciting competition and stand a chance to win fabulous cash prizes.
Participants will gain invaluable skills in STEAM, environmental advocacy, design thinking, social and emotional learning, teamwork, critical thinking, and project management. It’s an amazing chance to learn, grow, and make a real impact!
How to Join the Fun:
Form a team of 2 to 6 students.
Choose a threatened or endangered species native to New Jersey.
Create an awesome video to raise public awareness and propose solutions to help restore our ecosystem
Still images from the First and Second Place team’s videos in the 2024 contest
Participants will be amazed by how many species are currently “on the edge” in New Jersey, the nation’s most densely populated state. Registered teams will receive a contest kit with all the guidelines and are invited to attend information sessions where they’ll explore various scenarios. Each team will take on the role of a research scientist, citizen scientist, engineer, policy maker, investigative reporter, college professor, non-profit director, or environmental artist. The creativity is endless!
by Rachel McGovern Communications and Outreach Manager Posted on
CWF has had an incredible year, and we have so much to be thankful for! As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the growth of our organization and the amazing support we’ve received along the way.
The CWF staff gathered for a holiday celebration
First and foremost, we extend our deepest gratitude to our volunteers. We are fortunate to have hundreds of passionate and dedicated individuals whose efforts make our work possible. Our nest-watching volunteers provide critical insights into the nests of at-risk bird species across the state. Our amphibian crossing volunteers have helped hundreds of thousands of amphibians safely reach their breeding pools. And our event volunteers ensure we can create meaningful experiences that connect people to our mission. Simply put, we couldn’t accomplish what we do without these incredible individuals.
We also want to thank our sponsors for their steadfast support. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on donations to carry out our work. From businesses that understand the importance of protecting wildlife to private donors who generously invest in preserving our natural world—your contributions are vital to protecting the future of at-risk species.
Lastly, we are grateful to everyone who has attended our events or participated in our programs. Our mission to protect New Jersey’s wildlife includes fostering a deeper connection between people and the amazing species that call our state home. Thank you for joining us and for becoming advocates for wildlife in New Jersey.
Here’s to 25 years of conservation and to the many people who make it all possible!
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is excited to welcome Vera Figueiredo as our new Director of Education. A first-generation American, Vera grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and spent her summers with her grandparents in Portugal. It was during these summers, working on the family farms, that she developed a deep appreciation for the vital connection between humans and the natural world. Vera earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry, followed by a master’s degree in environmental sciences from Miami University.
Since 2008, Vera has built a strong foundation in both environmental science and education, working with various organizations and schools. Most recently, she spent five years at Solar One, where she developed and implemented sustainable energy STEM programs and solar workforce training for Newark Public Schools. Prior to her time at Solar One, Vera was an environmental science teacher at the Hunterdon County Environmental Sustainability & Engineering Academy. Her diverse experience in both formal and informal education has shaped her belief in empowering communities with the resources to achieve long-term environmental and social goals.
In addition to her professional background, Vera is a NABCEP-certified PV Associate and a certified Union County Master Gardener. She enjoys collaborating with fellow master gardeners to promote the therapeutic and ecological benefits of vegetable and habitat gardening. Vera’s passion for the natural world drives her to explore and share the hidden beauties of the Garden State.
We are thrilled to have Vera on board as she brings her expertise, dedication, and enthusiasm to our mission of wildlife conservation and science education.
New Jersey Fish and Wildlife has released their annual reports for the 2024 beach nesting bird season and the results were mixed. Piping plovers had one of their worst seasons on record in New Jersey since federal listing in 1986. Least terns also fared poorly, while black skimmers and American oystercatchers posted more promising breeding results.
According to the state report, piping plovers recorded their lowest population in New Jersey in 2024, at just 89 pairs, and statewide productivity was poor, as well, at just 0.54 chicks fledged per pair, third lowest on record. The state’s piping plover population has fluctuated greatly in the past five years, reaching 137 pairs in 2021, close to the peak of 144 pairs, only to now fall to the historic low. While the low pair count is concerning enough in its own right, this year’s poor productivity also doesn’t bode well for next year, as productivity is often strongly linked to short-term population changes for piping plovers. Productivity during the 2024 breeding season was well below both the long-term New Jersey average (1.01) and the federal recovery goal (1.50). Furthermore, productivity has been poor over the past several years, putting future population increases at risk.
Pair counts dropped along nearly the entire Jersey coast, with Sandy Hook having one of the most dramatic losses from 34 pairs in 2023 to 14 in 2024. The population loss there is especially troubling given Sandy Hook was once a stronghold for the state, its piping plover population has been trending downward from just over 50 pairs about a decade ago. Productivity was also very poor at Sandy Hook in 2024, just 0.50 chicks per pair, again this site used to be one of New Jerseys’ productivity hotspots for piping plovers. Holgate, a Unit of the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, and one of the sites monitored by CWF, continued its recent trend of having the most breeding plovers in the state, with 48 pairs or 54% of the state’s population in 2024. Unfortunately, it experienced especially bad productivity, producing just 0.35 chicks per pair. One of the notable highlights in the state was the Barnegat Light Habitat Restoration Area, a site CWF has had a lead role in creating and maintaining, where 5 pairs produced 10 fledgling or 2.00 per pair.
Although New Jersey’s least tern population was surprisingly robust this year with 1,436 total adults recorded, two concerning recent trends for this colonial species continued in 2024. The number of colonies dropped to just 11, the lowest since 1976. Productivity for the state’s least terns was poor, only 146 fledglings were recorded. The highlight was the TNC South Cape May Meadows site, where 80 fledglings were produced.
Black skimmers were also only present at just a few colonies in New Jersey in 2024 – three known active colonies at Holgate, Horseshoe Island, and Stone Harbor Point – the lowest number of colonies documented since 1976. On the other hand, their population, with 2341 adults, was on the high side of the past 20-year range and they had a very good season productivity-wise. Strong results were seen at all three colonies, resulting in nearly 1000 fledglings produced overall. Horseshoe Island had the state’s largest colony with 1,347 breeding adults, helping demonstrate the importance of the recent conservation efforts at this relatively new site.
Black skimmer fledgling, one of the beach nesting bird species that had a productive year in New Jersey in 2024. Photo courtesy of Sam Galick.
American oystercatcher data are more difficult to assess, as only a portion of the state’s breeding population is monitored, with most of the marsh nesting breeders, which account for a significant portion, left unmonitored. At 155 pairs in 2024, those oystercatchers regularly monitored – primarily the sandy beach strand population – continued their steady long-term growth trend over the past two decades or so since regular monitoring began in New Jersey.
Productivity was also strong for the oystercatchers in New Jersey in 2024, clocking in at just over 0.50 chicks fledged per pair, which is the recovery target. As a long-lived species, annual productivity goals are lower for American oystercatchers, compared to the shorter-lived piping plovers. Among the highlights for American oystercatchers in New Jersey this year were Holgate with 53 pairs, the most in the state, producing 0.79 fledglings per pair and Horseshoe Island recording an average of 1.50 fledglings from 16 pairs, both of these being sites CWF helped monitor and manage.
New friends and familiar faces gathered at the Cape May Point Science Center (CMPSC) earlier this month to learn about our American oystercatcher project in Delaware Bay, while enjoying a stunning exhibition of wildlife watercolors by artist James Fiorentino. Guests were warmly welcomed by the staff of Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) and CMPSC, and they enjoyed beautiful weather, delicious food, and engaging conversations. Each visitor received a complimentary set of twenty-five wildlife trading cards, showcasing Fiorentino’s realistic paintings of at-risk species alongside informative descriptions. These cards can be purchased at Wildlife Trading Cards / Rare Wildlife Revealed Collection | Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ.
A special thank you goes to the Cape May Point Science Center, James Fiorentino, and our event sponsors, Pure Insurance and the Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation.
The Cape May Point Science Center is a valued supporter of CWF’s American oystercatcher monitoring on the Delaware Bay and has provided funding for five GPS transmitters to study oystercatcher movements and habitat use. Thanks to this partnership, CWF and our colleagues at the Wetlands Institute deployed transmitters on two Delaware Bay oystercatchers this past season, marking the first time these birds have been geo-tagged in New Jersey. During the event, CWF biologist Emmy Casper highlighted this collaboration and shared initial movement data collected from the tagged birds.
CWF’s partnership with James began in 2016 with the successful “Rare Wildlife Revealed: The James Fiorentino Traveling Art Exhibition,” which featured twenty-five original watercolor paintings of some of New Jersey’s most endangered and vulnerable wildlife species. This exhibition captivated thousands at various venues, from museums and universities to breweries and ballparks.
James Fiorentino’s evocative artwork inspires viewers through lifelike depictions of rare wildlife in their natural habitats. His watercolor paintings truly bring these species to life on paper, educating and engaging the public about the significant declines many of them face. By highlighting these charismatic yet often-overlooked animals, our partnership aims to raise awareness about actionable steps individuals can take to support wildlife conservation.
The new wildlife trading card set represents the next phase of our collaboration with James to promote wildlife conservation through art. While James has previously created top-selling sports trading cards for brands like Topps and Upper Deck, this marks his first foray into wildlife art on trading cards. This exciting project merges his artistic talent with educational outreach, furthering our efforts to raise awareness and support for the vulnerable species that CWF is dedicated to protecting.
Stay tuned for future exhibitions featuring James Fiorentino’s wildlife watercolors and the new wildlife trading card set!
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) is pleased to welcome our new Director of Development, Colin Wethered. Growing up in Morris County, New Jersey, Colin developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors, spending his childhood hiking at places like Pyramid Mountain and Tourne County Park. He pursued an undergraduate degree in Economics at Florida International University. Located in Miami, a place famous for its biodiversity, he spent his time outside of school kayaking and exploring the Everglades.
Trading the sun for snow, Colin’s path towards nonprofit development took greater shape during his time as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Montana No Kid Hungry, where he coordinated statewide efforts to expand hunger relief programs for school age children. This experience steered him further towards fundraising, later joining Meals on Wheels Central Texas as a Development Assistant, supporting fundraising efforts that provided critical services to nearly 5,000 seniors and people with disabilities in the Austin area.
Driven to broaden his advocacy, research and writing skills, Colin attended Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law, earning his J.D. in 2021 with a focus on criminal law. Following law school, and up until now, he worked as a Development Officer at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, where he successfully managed research and grant efforts, supporting legal and social services for 14,000 clients.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Colin remains an avid hiker, exploring New Jersey’s trails with his four-year-old hound-mix, Sydney. He enjoys traveling, with recent adventures taking him to Wyoming, Idaho, and Iceland, and is currently training for the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November. At CWF, Colin is excited to combine his love for the outdoors with his passion for nonprofit development, working to protect New Jersey’s rare and at-risk wildlife.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is pleased to announce that it was recently awarded two grants by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through its Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF). The multi-year grants are Assessing American Oystercatchers to Inform Management and Restoration Strategies and Rare Turtle Research and Monitoring in the Southern Delaware River Basin.
The new American oystercatcher grant is a continuation of a similar current DWCF grant, the added years will allow for more comprehensive research and monitoring of oystercatchers on New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore to help us determine long-term breeding trends. We will also continue to assess oystercatcher habitat use, including the development of Best Management Practices to facilitate habitat restoration on the Bayshore. New research under the expanded funding includes foraging and chick provisioning studies, as well as more banding and use of GPS transmitters to enhance tracking of oystercatcher movements within the Bayshore and beyond.
American oystercatcher incubating its nest on Delaware Bay, as viewed from one of our research nest cameras
The turtle grant will allow for trapping, and telemetry surveys for bog and spotted turtles to be conducted at understudied and historically occupied New Jersey focal sites in the southern Delaware River basin. This project aims to provide the state with updated population demographics and landscape data for the region, in particular to direct and expedite future restoration and management activities. Restoration can then proceed at the highest priority sites to ensure inhabited wetlands retain all the landscape features necessary to sustain rare turtle populations.
CWFs new grant will be our first targeted effort of spotted turtle conservation.
The DWCF, created in 2018, is funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to achieve the goals of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act. The Act guides and supports federal, state, regional, and local partners to collaboratively identify, prioritize, and implement habitat restoration and conservation activities within the watershed.
Growing up on the edge of the Pine Barrens and the Barnegat Bay, Meaghan was surrounded by a diverse array of wildlife from a young age. It wasn’t until college that she realized that a career as a wildlife biologist was obtainable. She studied at College of the Atlantic and worked on Maine islands doing seabird research until graduating in 2016. To fill the years after graduation, Meaghan worked seasonal positions at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells Maine, Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge in Kauai Hawaii, and as the first female seawatch counter at Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory to name a few.
CWF Wildlife Biologist Emmy Casper handling an oystercatcher chick captured for banding. Picture courtesy of Northside Jim.
Those who have followed CWF’s work throughout the years know how important bird banding can be for wildlife biologists and conservationists. The practice, which involves placing metal and/or color bands on a bird’s legs, can provide useful information about that bird’s life history, site fidelity, and movement. Typically, banded shorebirds are equipped with a unique alphanumeric code or color combination (kind of like a name tag), which enables scientists to track an individual bird throughout its lifetime. For those monitoring New Jersey’s beach-nesting bird populations, bird banding greatly enhances the quality and accuracy of our productivity data, which allows us to make better-informed decisions regarding management.
