by Larissa Smith Senior Wildlife Biologist Posted on
photo by Bill Reinert
Shorebird stewards may not wear capes but they are superhero’s to the multitude of shorebirds stopping along the Delaware Bay in the spring. During May, the beaches in New Jersey are an important stopover for these migratory birds who are mainly feeding on the horseshoe crab eggs, deposited during the annual horseshoe crab spawn. The shorebirds, which include the red knot a NJ endangered species, have a short window to reach their ideal weight before leaving on the next half of their journey north to breed. Eight beaches in Cape May County and two in Cumberland County have restricted access during the migration so that the shorebirds can feed undisturbed.
photo by Dom Manalo
Since 2003 Conserve Wildlife Foundation has coordinated the Shorebird Stewards, who help protect the feeding shorebirds by educating the public. This season thirty-one stewards were stationed at beaches between May 10th to May 26th. While most stewards are from New Jersey, we have stewards from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Some of the stewards volunteer for a day, while others work the entire season and many return year after year. No matter how often someone has been a steward, they have a made a difference and we have definitely seen a positive change in peoples attitudes over the years. Visitors come from all over to view the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs and one of the main questions the stewards get asked is, “where are the shorebirds today”?
photo by Luke Tan
Some days the beach where the steward is assigned has only few shorebirds, while other days the beach is covered with the feeding birds. While the majority of beach goers have a positive attitude about the beach restrictions, there will always be those that want to go on the beach. While these situation aren’t always pleasant, the stewards are trained to handle them calmly and with education.
by Vera Figueiredo Director of Education Posted on
Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s 2024-2025 Soaring with STEAM programs at Ridge Street Elementary soared to new heights, all made possible by the incredible support of sponsors PSEG Foundation, David and Carol Lackland Family Foundation, The Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation, and The Zoological Society of New Jersey!
Designed for curious minds from kindergarten to 6th grade, these hands-on, action-paced lessons transformed classrooms into buzzing hubs of adventure and discovery. Soaring with STEAM brought New Jersey wildlife to life for Ridge Street Elementary students. They uncovered the challenges these animals face and explored exciting conservation efforts to make a difference–one discovery at a time. Talk about learning with a wild twist!
Soaring with STEAM programs spotlight New Jersey’s rarest wildlife, helping students gain a fresh perspective on how everyday actions ripple through the natural world around us. Monthly in-school lessons, awe-inspiring live wildlife visits, guest speakers, and unforgettable field trips ensured students unlocked their full learning potential.
For over twenty years, the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey has hosted the Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest, inviting fifth graders from across the state to showcase their creativity and passion for wildlife conservation. This year, students from twenty counties participated, submitting imaginative artwork and thoughtful essays focused on New Jersey’s threatened and endangered species.
To enter the contest, students created original artwork and wrote an essay about an at-risk species, exploring its challenges and conservation needs. While a variety of species were featured, the Pine Barrens tree frog stood out with numerous stunning portrayals, alongside popular choices like the humpback whale, bobcat, and green sea turtle.
Vesper Sparrow by John Chanwoo Lee (Upper School in Englewood Cliffs)
A panel of judges, including CWF biologists and representatives from two of our sponsors—PSEG Foundation and Church & Dwight —carefully evaluated each submission. Judges assessed the quality of both the artwork and essays, as well as the accuracy of the species’ depiction. After much deliberation, they selected one winner and one runner-up from each participating county.
Left: Daniel Laue from PSE&G and CWF biologists Leah Wells and Todd Pover. Right: CWF Director of Education Vera Figueiredo, Barbara Kossmann from Church & Dwight and CWF Director of Development Colin Wethered.
We are grateful to our contest sponsors PSEG Foundation, Church & Dwight, NJEA, Atlantic City Electric, The Zoological Society of New Jersey, and Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery.
We are thrilled to announce the first and second-place winners of the 2025 Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest.
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!
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.
by Rachel McGovern, Communications and Outreach Manager
Just off the coast of Island Beach State Park, you can find the Sedge Islands Marine Conservation Zone. This unique area is managed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and is home to a great number of wildlife species. Across this 1,900-acre preserve, one can find ospreys, rays, Northern diamondback terrapins, American oystercatchers, and many other incredible animals. Tucked away in this area is an island with a historic building that was once a duck hunting lodge but is now the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center.
The Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center is located in the Sedge Islands Marine Conservation Zone.
Each year, winners of the Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest are invited to the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center (often referred to as simply “Sedge” or “Sedge Island”) to spend a day exploring the salt marsh. The Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest is held annually for fifth graders in New Jersey. To enter, students submit an original art piece and essay centered around an at-risk New Jersey species of their choice. A panel of judges chooses a winner from each county in New Jersey. A trip to Sedge Island is one of the ways that we celebrate the winners’ achievements. Winners of the 2024 contest and their adult chaperones were offered a choice of dates to join us for a trip to Sedge Island this summer.
by Rachel McGovern, Communications and Outreach Manager
CWF’s Wildlife Science Summer Camp on Long Beach Island has wrapped up for the 2024 season. This camp was produced by CWF in partnership with the Osprey Foundation and the Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts & Sciences (LBIF). This year, we offered two distinct weeks of camp, both with hands-on activities and nature exploration.
Our first camp week was “Junior Wildlife Biologists,” which served children ages 10-12. Our intention for this week of camp was to introduce campers to the wildlife studies that are done in New Jersey, learn some of the methodologies used in the field, and witness wildlife data collection.
Campers had the opportunity to work with our wildlife biologists during the week to learn about their areas of expertise. Wildlife Biologist Christine Healy came in for a day of camp to help campers understand land use and its impact on salamanders and to explore how she uses GPS trackers to study turtles.
Wildlife Biologist Christine Healy helps campers design a salamander-friendly town.
Peregrine falcons are fascinating to learn about—they are swift, fierce, and intelligent birds. They are a joy to teach about, too! CWF is fortunate to have the opportunity to teach about these amazing birds of prey with students in Linden Public Schools, due to the generous support from Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery.
Each year, CWF visits every third-grade classroom in the Linden Public School District to deliver in-depth lessons about peregrine falcons. These lessons delve into the life history of peregrines, the reason for their decline, and how they are recovering today. Students explore how these falcons have adapted to modern-day landscapes by nesting on manmade structures rather than exclusively choosing their traditional cliffside sites. For city-dwelling students, it’s a revelation to discover that these endangered raptors thrive in environments like their own.
Central to this educational initiative is the Union County Falcon Cam– a live camera on a falcon nest located just a couple miles from Linden’s elementary schools. This camera has been in operation since 2016. It is run in cooperation with Union County and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. A live feed brings the viewer into a nest on the roof of the Union County Courthouse where Frida and Mango, the current pair at this nest, raise young each year. Students learn about the history of the camera and check in with the birds during their lesson. Teachers are also encouraged to check in with the falcons regularly for students to watch them raise their young.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey’s Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest encourages fifth-grade students to create artwork featuring endangered or threatened species in New Jersey. Every year, fifth-grade students from Ridge Street Elementary School in Newark, New Jersey eagerly participate in this contest as an integral part of the Soaring with STEAM curriculum. This curriculum includes a series of specialized lessons taught by CWF educators throughout the school year. To honor these students’ engagement, CWF organizes an annual assembly featuring acclaimed artist James Fiorentino. Renowned for his diverse portfolio spanning wildlife, sports icons, and landscapes, James embarked on his artistic journey at the age of fifteen, with his work showcased in the Baseball Hall of Fame. During his visit to Ridge Street Elementary, James shared his inspiring narrative and engaged with the young artists on the subject of art.
The spotlight was on the third graders at Ridge Street Elementary School during the Annual Bird Festival! Over the school year, the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey guided third graders at Ridge Street Elementary School in Newark, New Jersey through an exploration of the state’s fascinating birds as part of the Soaring with STEAM curriculum. Students delved into the lives of ospreys, peregrine falcons, bald eagles, and other avian species while engaging in STEM-based projects. To culminate their learning journey, the third graders organized a festival aimed at educating parents, visitors, and younger students about the diverse birdlife in New Jersey.
Students gather to learn about peregrine falcons from third graders at Ridge Street Elementary School. Photo Credit: Ashley Menniti
