“This is the best field trip ever!” shouted the fifth grader at the edge of the bay. Many of her Newark classmates agreed.
Brooke Sambol with Ann Street School Students
On a Thursday in June, fifth graders from Ann Street School of Newark came to Island Beach State Park for a day of nature education and fun! Sponsored by PSEG the program was part of Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s WILDCHILD urban initiative, which seeks to make the experience of and knowledge about nature accessible to children from urban environments.
The park is situated on roughly 3,000 acres of barrier island in Seaside Park, New Jersey. Its access to the ocean and Barnegat Bay, as well as the surrounding maritime thicket, makes it a prime location for aquatic and coastal education.
Ann Street School Students looking at a horsehoe crab
The program allowed the children to venture the bay and search for sea creatures like blue claw crabs and silversides while seining, hear a talk on ospreys given by CWF’s Maria Grace, examine bones and shells of the animals that live in the region, and visit the park’s nature center.
Students from Ann Street School at Island Beach State Park
As a CWF intern working in Island Beach State Park, it’s truly a joy to experience the natural beauty of the Jersey Shore along with the kids, and to help contribute to an environmental understanding for children who might not ordinarily have the opportunity. The excitement and happiness was evident on their faces when they got to examine up close the critters of the bay. Their willingness to participate in activities and answer questions about horseshoe crabs and moon snails was a testament to just how fun caring for the environment can be.
The day proved to be a great success! The children from Ann Street School got to experience and enjoy the natural beauty of Island Beach State Park, and we all learned more about this unique ecosystem from each other and from the land, itself.
With Memorial Day Weekend upon us, summer is unofficially here for New Jerseyans. That means plenty of tourists enjoying shore, sand, surf, and sun – but it also means other types of annual summer visitors to our coast: bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, and whales. However, what may be inspiring sightings from a healthy distance can become tragic encounters when marine animals become stranded or entangled in nets.
This story marks the fourth of five blog stories spotlighting New Jersey’s marine mammals and sea turtles – and educating people how to help animals in need, rather than make a bad situation worse.
Part 1, on Monday, revealed the bottlenose dolphin die-off striking the Eastern Seaboard. Part 2, on Tuesday, featured a Question-and-Answer on the dolphin mortality event with NOAA’s MendyGarron. Part 3, yesterday looked at how people can safely help stranded marine mammals without making the mistake of being a “hero”. And Part 5, tomorrow, will reveal the importance of reporting sightings – both for live or dead marine mammals.
MARINE MAMMAL & SEA TURTLE WEEK: Sea turtles navigate a dangerous path, from entanglements to cold-stunning
By Sara DeAngelo, Conservation Intern
Over 100 first responders along the coast of New Jersey attended Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s marine mammal stranding workshops this past month. Speakers and interactive discussions educated the first responders on how to handle a marine mammal or sea turtle stranding.
The term “stranding” is used for sea turtles and marine mammals that are found along the beach dead or alive. Their death or injury may be resulting from a predator, parasites, pollution, entanglement, etc. In most stranding cases, the cause of the animal stranding itself is unknown. Determining the cause of the animal stranding will help us understand what is going on in the ocean that may be harmful to certain populations.
Sea turtles, however, face a unique set of challenges. We have four species of sea turtles that may be found in New Jersey waters during the summer. Loggerheads are the most common, while green sea turtles and Atlantic leatherbacks – massive creatures weighing as much as a small car – are less frequently seen but not uncommon. Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles are the rarest visitors.
Most of these sea turtles come to New Jersey during the summer months and enjoy the warmer waters. Yet when our seasons change and the waters cool, some sea turtles may lag behind rather than returning south for warmer waters. These turtles can face “cold stunning”.
In colder waters, sea turtles do not have the capability of warming their own bodies. If a turtle is cold stunned, it looks as if it is dead because its heart rate decreases, it becomes lethargic, circulation decreases, and it may be in shock or have pneumonia.
This condition can even result in a common mistake of a passerby or first responder believing a turtle is dead, when it is actually just “cold-stunned”. Unless the sea turtle clearly looks like it has been dead for a while, it is best to report the turtle to a marine mammal and sea turtle stranding hotline.
A green sea turtle. Photo by Cordell Brown.
Sea turtles can also get entangled in fishing nets. At the Conserve Wildlife Foundation workshops this month, first responders were informed to, upon sighting of an entangled or stranded animal, immediately call the Marine Mammal Stranding Center located in Brigantine, NJ, by calling 1-609-266-0538. They could also contact NOAA’s Northeast Region Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding and Entanglement Hotline by calling 1-866-755-6622.
Boaters who encounter an entangled sea turtle should try to remain near the turtle until help arrives if possible. On shifting seas, it could be hard for the expert responding to the call to locate the animal without the initial person spotting it standing by to direct them there.
One warning was made very clear in the workshop: boaters should never get into the water with a sea turtle or stranded marine mammal. It is extremely dangerous for both the responder and for the animal.
Should the sea turtle be on the beach itself, other tips are helpful for the first responders. While waiting for the trained rescue staff, the first responders were urged to secure the scene, try to keep people at least 100 feet away, and not to touch the animal. Keeping curious beachgoers distant from the animal will minimize stressing out the animal even more. The responders were told that calling the local police department may help enforce the directions to keep back from the animal.
A Kemp’s ridley turtle. Photo courtesy of Jenkinson’s Aquarium.
With Memorial Day Weekend upon us, summer is unofficially here for New Jerseyans. That means plenty of tourists enjoying shore, sand, surf, and sun – but it also means other types of annual summer visitors to our coast: bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, and whales. However, what may be inspiring sightings from a healthy distance can become tragic encounters when marine animals become stranded or entangled in nets.
This story marks the third of five blog stories spotlighting New Jersey’s marine mammals and sea turtles – and educating people how to help animals in need, rather than make a bad situation worse.
Part 1, on Monday, revealed the bottlenose dolphin die-off striking the Eastern Seaboard. Part 2, yesterday, featured a Question-and-Answer on the dolphin mortality event with NOAA’s Mendy Garron. Part 4, tomorrow, will investigate the fascinating condition of cold-stunned sea turtles. And Part 5, on Friday, will reveal the importance of reporting sightings – both for live or dead marine mammals.
MARINE MAMMAL & SEA TURTLE WEEK: Encounter a stranded marine mammal? Here’s how to help (Hint: Don’t try to be a hero!)
By Jennifer Dexter, Conservation Intern
Last year, over 150 marine mammal strandings occurred in New Jersey, ranging from humpback whales to harbor seals.
In order to better prepare first responders and the general public for such incidents, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ hosted the NJ Marine Mammal Stranding Workshop. For me, the biggest take home message I retained from attending this workshop was a clear one: “Don’t be the hero!”
Keeping people and their pets away from stranded marine mammals is for their safety as well as the animal’s. Photo by Mike Davenport.
Everyone has good intentions when they attempt to ”rescue” a marine mammal stranded on the beach, but often you may be doing more harm than good. Usually, there is a good reason why the animal washed ashore, whether it be injuries or illness at fault. If you simply return the animal to the ocean, it’s likely that they will just become stranded again.
The same goes for animals in danger at sea, such as a turtle entangled in fishing nets. DO NOT go all gung-ho by jumping in the water in attempt to cut the turtle free, as you are putting the animal and yourself in danger.
Close human interaction will put the already stressed animal in defense mode. Sea turtles, such as the leatherback, can weigh more than 1,000 pounds and one thrash of their flipper can leave a human severely injured. In addition, a human can just as easily become entangled in the netting so it’s best to remain on your boat, safe out of harm’s way.
The best and most helpful thing a witness can do in New Jersey is to immediately call the Brigantine Marine Mammal Stranding Center (609-266-0538) and provide the following information: description of the animal, photograph from a distance, location, and description of any injuries.
Most importantly, do not touch, feed, pour water on, or cover the animal. Stand by until a MMSC staff member or local police is dispatched. From that point on, it will be up to the MMSC and the authorities to assess what measures need to be taken based on the animal’s needs. You can walk away knowing you did the right thing – and helped the animal as much as you could.
With Memorial Day Weekend upon us, summer is unofficially here for New Jerseyans. That means plenty of tourists enjoying shore, sand, surf, and sun – but it also means other types of annual summer visitors to our coast: bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, and whales. However, what may be inspiring sightings from a healthy distance can become tragic encounters when marine animals become stranded or entangled in nets.
This story marks the first of five blog stories spotlighting New Jersey’s marine mammals and sea turtles – and educating people how to help animals in need, rather than make a bad situation worse.
Part 2, on Tuesday, will feature a Question-and-Answer on the dolphin mortality event with NOAA’s Mendy Garron. Part 3, on Wednesday, will look at how people can safely help stranded wildlife. Part 4, on Thursday, will investigate the fascinating condition of cold-stunned sea turtles. And Part 5, on Friday, will reveal the importance of reporting sightings – both for live or dead marine mammals.
MARINE MAMMAL & SEA TURTLE WEEK: Dolphin die-off kills over 1,000 bottlenose dolphins along Atlantic coast
By David Wheeler, Executive Director of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey
At least 136 bottlenose dolphins became stranded in New Jersey over the past year. Most of the strandings were fatal, and many dolphins showed lesions and other infections. Over 1,200 dolphins have stranded along the entire Eastern seaboard – a situation bleak enough that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) declared an Unusual Mortality Event.
Bottlenose dolphin. Photo by Cordell Brown.
The cause is Cetacean morbillivirus. About half of coastal migratory bottlenose dolphins are affected, leading to this stock’s federal classification as ‘Depleted’ under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Bottlenose dolphins were already considered species of special concern in New Jersey, and this only further threatens their population.
In stark contrast with the 136 dolphins stranded in New Jersey since last July 1, the average number of strandings in the state for a given year is 10.
The last major morbillivirus mortality event among bottlenose dolphins occurred in 1987-88, which ultimately helped lead the U.S. Congress to establish the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program.
The dolphin virus was among the issues discussed atConserve Wildlife Foundation’s inaugural marine mammal stranding workshops last month at Monmouth University and Richard Stockton College.
Speakers at our recent stranding response workshops led interactive discussions to educate first responders on how to handle marine mammal and sea turtle strandings. Jen Zebrowski from Jenkinson’s Aquarium educated responders on how to identify some 13 species of marine mammals and 5 sea turtles they might encounter on the New Jersey coast. Mendy Garron, Kate Sampson and Scott Doyle from NOAA explained what a responder should do once they encounter the animal, how to make the situation safe, and the legal obligations facing first responders with a stranding.
Now we enter this summer hoping that cetacean morbillivirus will not claim nearly as many dolphins this year. Keep your fingers crossed!
Jen Zebrowski from Jenkinson’s Aquarium providing an overview of NJ’s marine mammal & sea turtle species at CWF’s recent stranding response workshop at Stockton College. Photo by Stephanie Feigin.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s inaugural Barnegat Bay Business Forum brought together a diverse mix of businesses, government representatives, and conservation advocates to discuss how to strengthen the watershed’s recovery. An article by the Asbury Park Press captures many of the challenges faced by the Barnegat Bay.
“Absolutely anyone can be a birder.” says Ben Kingsley in the new movie, A Birder’s Guide to Everything, directed by Rob Meyer, a coming of age comedy about teenage bird watchers.
This main-stream movie is an important public engagement tool to raise awareness for the conservation of birds and to hopefully excite some people into picking up a set of binoculars and start the addicting hobby of bird watching.
The Fledging Birders Institute will be hosting a special screening and meet the director event on Thursday, April 24th at the AMC Deptford 8 Theatre in Deptford, NJ beginning at 6:30 pm.
More info, and to purchase tickets, can be found here.
100% of proceeds support our conservation efforts!!
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Each item from our auction was donated by wildlife enthusiasts and CWF supporters in New Jersey. Their donation of an item, trip, or service will directly support our mission to “Protect New Jersey’s Wildlife.” This is our largest fundraising effort of the year and will help us to make sure salamanders will cross safely on a rainy night. It will also help make sure piping plovers can successfully nest on our beaches without getting trampled by tourists. It will give a pair of ospreys a safe place to nest on our coastal saltmarshes. Lastly, it will make sure that our future generations learn why it’s important to protect wildlife and the habitat that they depend on to survive.
Win a trip to band peregrines, ospreys or bald eagles! All support our mission!!
Please check out our online silent auction to get some awesome gifts for wildlife lovers in your family this holiday season. There are plenty of items for everyone, especially for outdoor enthusiasts! We have several outdoor “excursions” which put you in touch with some of species we work so hard to protect.
Through our annual Women & Wildlife Awards we recognize women who represent a broad range of wildlife protectors in our state:
Tracy Leaver, who rehabilitates orphaned and injured animals, including bobcats and bears;
Linda J. Mead, who has a distinguished record in permanently preserving over 15,000 acres of natural habitats, farms, and open space for New Jersey’s wildlife;
Jo Ann Frier-Murza, who played an important role in protecting our most charismatic wildlife as part of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife;
Pat Sutton, who has educated about the natural world in New Jersey, especially in Cape May, for over 30 years; and
Dr. Edith Wallace, who has devoted more than half a century to inspiring people, young and old, to make the wild places of New Jersey part of their everyday experiences.
At the event we will also commemorate the 40th Anniversary of New Jersey’s Endangered Species Conservation Act. This landmark legislation directed the Department of Environmental Protection to protect, manage and restore the State’s endangered and nongame wildlife species and allowed state biologists to bring key species back from the brink of extinction – species such as the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and osprey.
When: Wednesday, December 4th, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Trenton Country Club, 201 Sullivan Way, Ewing, New Jersey
Tickets: $75 individual ticket
$250, $500 and $1,000 sponsorships will be listed in the event program
Public invited to hear expert panels on invasive species, wildlife disease, and other threats facing sportsmen and wildlife conservationists
Hunters and birdwatchers alike will come together for the first annual New Jersey Wildlife and Conservation Conference on April 26, 2013 in Eatontown, New Jersey. Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ (CWF) is partnering with the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife to host these expert panels at the Sheraton Eatontown Hotel at 6 Industrial Way East in Eatontown, N.J.
“Working together for wildlife was the catalyst that blurred the lines between the Federation camouflage and Conserve Wildlife green, enabling us to partner together and tackle the complex fish and wildlife issues facing New Jersey today,” said Frank Virgilio, President of the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs.
The inaugural conference will feature panels of wildlife experts from New Jersey Audubon, the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, and many other organizations, exploring timely and controversial issues ranging from invasive species and wildlife disease to our declining forest health and conservation advocacy.
“The many conservation enthusiasts in New Jersey owe a great deal to sportsmen, who practiced wildlife conservation long before it entered national consciousness,” said CWF Executive Director David Wheeler. “Today our shared interests have led to countless success stories, protecting New Jersey’s valuable habitat and wildlife species during a time when we face more challenges than ever. This conference will tackle those issues with the most timely and meaningful information available.”
Individuals or companies seeking to register should visit www.ConserveWildlifeNJ.org. Discounted rates for attending are as low as $20 for the all-day panels.
“Absolutely anyone can be a birder.” says Ben Kingsley in the new movie, 
