Virtual Eyes on Eagles

Get a little wild while being safe at home! Join Conserve Wildlife Foundation and Mercer County Park Commission to get your eyes on eagles – virtually.

We’re co-hosting hour-long webinars on May 10 and June 7 with Mercer County Park Commission. Each virtual event will feature current footage collected safely from one of the bald eagle nests in the County Park system, along with bald eagle history and interpretation provided by Park naturalists and David Wheeler, Executive Director of Conserve Wildlife Foundation.

Continue reading “Virtual Eyes on Eagles”

Wildlife Experts on your Screen: Speakers Bureau Goes Virtual

You can still get a little wild while staying safe at home by hosting a Conserve Wildlife Foundation virtual event.

Connecting the public with the incredible wildlife and nature all around us is a vital part of our mission. While social distancing prevents in-person talks for the foreseeable future, our educators, naturalists and biologists can still share the inspiring stories of at-risk wildlife through virtual presentations on Zoom, Google Meet, or other online platforms.

Choose from a variety of topics such as wildlife in New Jersey, raptors, shorebirds, reptiles and amphibians, pollinators, wildlife art, climate change and more! 

Speakers include CWF’s biologists and executive director David Wheeler, as well as special guest presenters such as ecologist Blaine Rothauser and artist James Fiorentino. 

Presentations are generally one hour long and can be customized to your audience. We’ll present engaging information and offer plenty of opportunities for questions. A combination of photographs, videos and even live streams of eagles, falcons or osprey may accompany each talk. 

For more information on scheduling and pricing, see www.conservewildlifenj.org/education/speakers/ or contact info@conservewildlifenj.org.

‘Eyes on Eagles’ Back for Second Year

Free public events start February 17

Nesting bald eagles return to the capital county. Photo by Kevin Buynie.

Join the Mercer County Park Commission, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF), PSE&G and the Wildlife Center Friends for the the second year of “Eyes on Eagles” programming to celebrate the four pairs of bald eagles that nest in Mercer County, including two pairs that have chosen County parks for nest sites.

Continue reading “‘Eyes on Eagles’ Back for Second Year”

KEEP NEW JERSEY’S SKIES WILD!

PSE&G, Conserve Wildlife Foundation, Mercer County Park Commission, Mercer County Wildlife Center and Wildlife Center Friends team up with free public programs on Bald Eagles, pollinators, and bats.

Bald eagle fishing in Mercer Lake. Photo by Mercer County Park Commission.

Join us on August 8th at the Mercer County Wildlife Center to learn about pollinators like bees, butterflies and moths and how they help keep flowers in bloom and food on your plate.

Continue reading “KEEP NEW JERSEY’S SKIES WILD!”

#OptOutside for Healthier, Happier Kids

Splashing across a stream, letting imagination take flight on the wings of a bird and the excitement of navigating a new trail are some magical moments in childhood that resonate through the years, not just as memories but as life lessons.

Kids who spend time outdoors, or #OptOutside, aren’t just having fun getting dirty. Time outdoors has been shown to reduce childhood depression and stress, build kids’ confidence and even improve performance in school.

Continue reading “#OptOutside for Healthier, Happier Kids”

The Sandpaper: LBI photo exhibit benefits CWF

Story by The Sandpaper

Photos by Ben Wurst

Ten percent of artwork sales at a current wildlife photography exhibition – featuring local photographers – at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies will be donated to Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

“Contributing to this effort will not only support local artists, but also the environment and ecosystem that CWF works to protect,” noted Jillian Schratz, membership and community coordinator.

Newark student wildlife artists honored at Jewish Museum of NJ

By David Wheeler, Executive Director

A proud fifth-grader shows off her ‘Soaring with Steam’ artwork.

Some of Newark’s top wildlife artists were recently honored at the Jewish Museum of New Jersey – and those talented fifth grade artists brought along their families and friends to help them celebrate!

Newark’s Sussex Avenue Renew School partnered with Congregation Ahavas Sholom to hold their seventh annual art exhibition on Sunday, February 24, 2019, with the main gallery displaying the students’ original art collages representing endangered and threatened wildlife in New Jersey. These works of art were created by fifth-grade students as part of Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s “Soaring with STEAM” programming in Newark Public Schools.

Continue reading “Newark student wildlife artists honored at Jewish Museum of NJ”

Fly Eagles Fly!

Eagle Viewing Event at Mercer County Park ~ Feb. 8 from 1-3pm

Bald eagle in flight. photo by Northside Jim

This breeding season, the Mercer County Park Commission is pleased to announce that two pairs of bald eagles have chosen County Parks for nest sites, continuing their expansion in New Jersey and the greater mid-Atlantic region. To celebrate the resident eagles, the Park Commission, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF), PSE&G and the Wildlife Center Friends have launched a partnership to provide bald eagle-themed programs.

The first free public event will be at Mercer County Park at the West Picnic Area on Friday, Feb. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants will meet with naturalist staff and walk to the viewing site, where interpretation on eagle nesting will be offered. Attendees will also have the opportunity to view eagle activity through a spotting scope and binoculars.

Senior Zoologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program Sharon Petzinger Honored for Inspriation

As a senior zoologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program, 2018 Women & Wildlife Inspiration Honoree, Sharon Petzinger has served as a dedicated champion for stabilizing the Golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), an endangered species which has declined as steeply as nearly any songbird species in America. Sharon works tirelessly, visiting key sites, spending countless early spring mornings completing bird surveys, and promoting the program to the public. Sharon has helped to create contracts with 30 landowners to help stop the decline of this bird and has helped to establish over 350 acres of actual habitat specifically created to promote this species.

Sharon also works collaboratively with the United States Department of Agriculture. She consistently goes above and beyond in her responsibilities to generate the greatest conservation impacts. Sharon enthusiastically spends her free time participating in meetings and workshops to help disseminate and apply the latest songbird conservation strategies in New Jersey. Continue reading “Senior Zoologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program Sharon Petzinger Honored for Inspriation”

Watershed Institute Educator Pat Heaney Honored for Education Efforts

As the Senior Educator at the Watershed Institute, 2018 Women & Wildlife Education Award Honoree Pat Heaney has spent over 30 years serving as both a steward of the environment and an educator about New Jersey’s wildlife. She has spent her career teaching about nature to diverse audiences in an engaging way, while also effectively leading organizations in promoting environmental education. She has worked with thousands of students over the years – thrilling kids by helping them catch and hold a frog so they could really feel the magic of nature.

Pat received a B.A. in Environmental Studies at Ramapo College of New Jersey and then went on to earn a Master’s in Geography from Rutgers University. Pat worked as an Environmental Specialist conducting wetlands investigations and presented expert testimony before municipal planning and zoning boards. She then spent two years as a Recreational Leader in the Monmouth County Park System, where she worked to provide nature opportunities to low-income residents. Pat spent over 25 years at Kateri Environmental Center and Day Camp in Wickatunk, New Jersey. She engaged over 4,000 students per year, many of whom were at-risk youth or students with special needs. Among her many impactful programs was Project ECO. Pat was in charge of all aspects of this summer-extended school-year program for special education students. She was able to make the students feel comfortable outside, something these students had rarely enjoyed. Pat ran a variety of special events from vegetarian cooking classes to Women’s Outdoor Survival Weekends. Continue reading “Watershed Institute Educator Pat Heaney Honored for Education Efforts”