Category: Uncategorized

by Nicole Porter and David Wheeler

Many of New Jersey’s streams have been manipulated by being impounded with dams or weirs, or otherwise redirected over time – decreasing their ecological habitat diversity and blocking fish passage for native brook trout and other species. Restoring these streams to a more natural state can greatly benefit wildlife. 

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, along with assistance from Conserve Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Urbani Fisheries, worked on a stream restoration project on a highly modified part of stream flowing through the West Brook Preserve in West Milford this summer. This vital 170-acre preserve holds the headwaters of the West Brook, one of the primary sources of water for the Wanaque Reservoir, which provides drinking water for two million New Jerseyans. 

It appears that sometime in the 1950s, part of the West Brook was taken out of the original stream channel and redirected to a channelized ditch that ran alongside it. There were also several culverts installed in the stream (including one that was the size of a small grain silo) which restricted flow and acted as a blockade to fish passage. In addition, one of the unnamed tributaries leading to the mainstream channel had a pond where water was being held back by a weir, resulting in elevated water temperatures. The original channel and tributaries also needed an enhancement of a thalweg, the line of lowest elevation that the stream follows as well as the addition of pools, riffles and runs.

A healthy stream should have an established thalweg – a connected floodplain – as well as pools, riffles, and runs. All of these features are important in the function of the stream.  For example, pools provide areas for various aquatic species to seek refuge, while riffles aid in the reoxygenation of the water. 

The ultimate goals of the West Brook project included restoring the native fish habitat, improving the overall water quality, and rejuvenating the macroinvertebrate population. 

The work done to accomplish this included:

• Restoring the river back to the original stream channel. 
• Enhancing features along the whole length of the stream.
• Creating wetland pools out of the old ditch and within the riparian zone. 
• Removing five culverts and the small weir. 

After the restoration, it appeared some of the site is now suitable for native brook trout, and the project has greatly improved habitat diversity in a stream that flows into a Category One trout production stream. New Jersey Fish & Wildlife and The Land Conservancy will continue to monitor the project.

Nicole Porter is a biologist with Conserve Wildlife Foundation.

---

Learn more about New Jersey’s Brook Trout here.

by Meaghan Lyon

Beach goers are not the only ones that enjoy the sandy shores of New Jersey’s beaches. Wildlife like deer, fox, racoon, opossum, and skunk also make use of the beach and dunes. At the Sea Girt National Guard Training Center (NGTC), wildlife game cameras have been capturing images of the wildlife prowling in the dunes for the past two years. Conserve Wildlife Foundation has been contracted to monitor wildlife populations at the NGTC under an Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan.

Wildlife game cameras are a common tool used by biologists to observe mammals with very minimal disturbance to the animal itself. The cameras are installed along potential travel paths and dens sites to optimize sightings and when the camera senses movement it captures a series of images or video depending on the specified settings. Wildlife game cameras could also be valuable to homeowners who are curious to see what wildlife they have in their own backyard.

Another useful tool used when determining wildlife populations is tracking. At the NGTC, there are approximately 16 acres of sandy coastal habitat, including the dune and beach. Sand is an ideal substrate for reading tracks as it often provides a clear footprint or other evidence of many species that wander by.

Continue reading “Tracking The Mammals Of The Coast”

by Ethan Gilardi

CWF Biologist Todd Pover and the Barnegat Light Habitat Restoration Project are back in the news with a wonderful write-up by Juliet Kaszas-Hoch on TheSandpaper.net.

With major construction wrapping in late-2019, we’re now seeing the project’s positive impact on the local piping plover population. Only time will tell just how successful the restoration truly is, but until then we will continue to chart it’s progress and do what we can to make life better for New Jersey’s beach nesters.

Read an except of article here and remember to check out the video update on the project linked below!

---

With fall on its way, most piping plovers and other migratory coastal birds have headed south, where they will remain for the duration of the winter months. While they’re gone, other species will happily utilize the new pond feature and habitat site along the inlet in Barnegat Lighthouse State Park created specifically to benefit beach-nesting birds such as plovers.

The Barnegat Light Habitat Restoration Project is a collaborative effort led by Todd Pover, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey senior wildlife biologist, and Brooke Maslo, Rutgers University assistant professor of ecology, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife.

As Pover explained in a recent blog post on conservewildlifenj.org, the goal of the project, begun two years ago, was to enhance breeding habitat near Long Beach Island’s north-end inlet “by clearing out the vegetation and re-grading the sand, because this once important breeding site had become overgrown and was no longer suitable for piping plovers to nest. Plans also called for building a shallow pond to create productive foraging habitat for chicks (to) be protected from human disturbance.”

Continue reading “CWF In The News: Habitat Restoration Project in Barnegat Light a Collaborative Success”

by Larissa Smith, CWF Biologist

None of us could have predicted what would happen in 2020, and that’s certainly true for New Jersey’s bald eagles.

When our eagle volunteers joined me at our kick-off training in February, we prepared as usual to monitor known nests and educate landowners and the public about the importance of minimizing disturbance to our breeding pairs.

We never imagined how important eagles would become to so many people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens of you shared the wonder you felt in seeing eagles fly overhead, some for the first time. Eagles became a sign of strength and resilience for those staying at home, as well as those venturing out to do essential work.

And New Jersey’s eagle population soared – both literally and figuratively – breaking records with more than 200 active nests (with eggs) and 300 young fledged – up from just one pair in the early 1980’s.

We can thank our devoted eagle volunteers for this year’s success, as well as the individual, foundation, and corporate supporters who came through with funding to support our tireless efforts.

Unfortunately, not everyone who gave in the past, or who expected to give this year, donated as planned. And we recently learned that we’re losing our largest project funder for the coming season.

That is why I’m asking you to donate today to help CWF raise $10,000 to help cover the shortfall. Two generous donors have each put up a $2,500 match, which means that the first $5,000 donated will be matched dollar for dollar.

While having the best season on record is exciting news for all of us, important work remains to be done. Eagles still face serious threats of habitat loss and disturbance. The increasing population will require an even larger team of trained volunteers to observe nesting behavior and determine egg laying, hatching, and fledging dates. It also means an increase in the number of injured eagles which will need help. All of this takes time and resources.

For my part, I’m happiest when I’m outside working with bald eagles as I have for 20 years. After all, I’m a biologist, not a fundraiser! But in this case, I’m reaching out to ask for your support for the Eagle Project. We have overcome financial challenges in the past with the help of people like you. Whether you have always supported this project, or have newfound appreciation for these majestic raptors, please help us to ensure that this incredible success story continues to inspire all of us!

Thank you and stay safe.

---

Learn more about CWF’s Bald Eagle Project here.

Learn more about New Jersey EagleTrax here.

Watch the CWF/Duke Farms Eagle Cam here.

by Ethan Gilardi

Northern Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) are a native species of New Jersey turtle, inhabiting the brackish waters of the state’s coastal salt marshes and estuaries. The survival of the species depends on the ability of female turtles to access safe nesting habitat every summer, a struggle for the species these days with roadways disconnecting large swaths of their habitat. To help give females a better chance of successfully reproducing, CWF partnered with New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife last year to create a half-acre “turtle garden” at a former marina within the Great Bay Wildlife Management Area.

CWF Habitat Manager Ben Wurst took Pat Johnson of TheSandpaper.net to the site recently to survey the success of this new turtle garden and walk through what it takes to save a species like the diamondback terrapin.

Check out the except below!

---

It’s diamondback terrapin hatching season in the newest turtle garden established by the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey in the Great Bay Wildlife Management Area. Project Manager Ben Wurst has been monitoring the 50 or so nests that were created this spring to protect them from predators so the hatchlings could have a fighting chance of survival.

Continue reading “CWF In The News: Conserve Wildlife Foundation Reports Turtle Garden Success”

by Ethan Gilardi

Today is designated World Shorebirds Day!

Here at The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey we are proud of our ongoing conservation efforts with piping plovers and red knots, both imperiled shorebirds. Along with our partners, we are doing our best to keep these species in our future, but our work is not done, as shorebird species all around the world are in steep decline. Habitat across the range, critical for their survival, is under siege from development, commercial uses, and human recreational activity.

Click on the link below to hear what CWF Senior Wildlife Biologist Todd Pover had to say about piping plovers, their success this past season in New Jersey and challenges over the decades, as part of a series of interviews compiled for World Shorebird Day!

Read the interview HERE.

---

Learn more about Conserve Wildlife’s Beach Nesting Bird Project HERE.

Learn more about Conserve Wildlife’s Piping Plover Project HERE.

Learn more about Conserve Wildlife’s work with plovers in Barnegat Bay HERE.

by Ethan Gilardi

Philanthropy can be difficult when in person benefits and charity functions are out of the question. But thanks to the internet, anything is possible!

Join Civic Duty Partners for “Win For Wildlife,” an online auction benefiting The Raptor Trust and The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Bidding will run from September 19 – 26, and features prints and original art by renowned painter, James Fiorentino.

Know worldwide for his stunning portraits of sports figures, James Fiorentino is considered to be one of the best watercolorists working in the United States today. Able to capture his subjects with incredible depth and detail, it was an honor for Conserve Wildlife to partner with the painter for “Rare Wildlife Revealed,” an exhibition containing original portraits New Jersey’s endangered wildlife.

Original paintings from “Rare Wildlife Revealed,” signed prints of sports figures & wildlife, and even a baseball signed by Mike Piazza will all be up for auction at “Win For Wildlife.” All proceeds will go towards supporting CWF’s ongoing work to preserve New Jersey’s Wildlife, as well as The Raptor Trust, one of the country’s best rehabilitators of wild birds and raptors. Based out of New Jersey’s own Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, The Raptor Trust is home to an avian hospital and a collection of unreleasable resident birds.

We hope you can come out (online, of course!) and support Civic Duty Partners, The Raptor Trust, and The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

Visit here to view the collection and bid September 19 – 26, 2020.

by Milena Bimpong

This story marks Part 4 of CWF’s series about COVID-19’s impacts on nature in New Jersey and beyond. Part 1 can be found here, Part 2 can be found here, and Part 3 can be found here. CWF Executive Director David Wheeler discussed COVID-19 and wildlife on our podcast, State of Change, which can be found here.

Less Air Pollution & More Plastic Pollution

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected human lives in many different ways. However, the pandemic has been impacting our environment and nature as well. For example, air pollution decreased when people started staying inside due to lockdown restrictions, which is beneficial towards wildlife. However, there have been negative impacts as well. The amount of debris in marine ecosystems has increased due to improper disposal of face masks. What will the future for wildlife species in New Jersey look like amid the pandemic?

One temporary positive impact that the pandemic has had on the environment is reduced carbon dioxide emissions. According to a study published in Nature Climate Change, global carbon dioxide emissions have decreased by 17% from 2019 to early April 2020. Although this won’t last once we return to pre-pandemic conditions, reduced carbon dioxide emissions is great for wildlife. Since too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has amplified the effects of climate change, this has threatened the habitats of many wildlife species. If reduced carbon dioxide emissions were to occur long-term, it would be able to have a larger impact on wildlife habitats. 

Continue reading “NEW JERSEY’S WILDLIFE IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 – PART 4”

by Todd Pover, Senior Wildlife Biologist

Over the past two years we have frequently reported on the progress of a habitat restoration project along the inlet at Barnegat Light to benefit piping plovers and other beach nesting birds.

The goal of the project was to enhance the nesting habitat by clearing out the vegetation and re-grading the sand, because this once important breeding site had become overgrown and was no longer suitable for piping plovers to nest. Plans also called for building a shallow pond to create productive foraging habitat for chicks that could also be protected from human disturbance.

The initial construction was completed over the past two winters and has already shown promise with a slight uptick and recruitment of new birds to the nesting site. Furthermore, this year, the piping plovers chicks that hatched at the site exclusively used the new ponds, and as a result, the fledge rate, the number of chicks reaching flight stage and the main measure of success for this endangered species, was much higher than average.

The project is a collaborative effort, led by Todd Pover, CWF’s Senior Wildlife Biologist and Dr. Brooke Maslo, Rutgers University Assistant Professor, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife.

We are excited to share the video above, produced by the Division, which provides an overview of the project and wonderful footage of the restoration site.

by Milena Bimpong

Though few people had these on their shopping lists at the start of 2020, face masks have become arguably the most important way to stay healthy for New Jerseyans in the face of COVID-19.

Conserve Wildlife Foundation is now offering attractive and durable masks featuring our falcon-themed logo, so you can protect yourself – and protect wildlife at the same time!

Our face masks can be purchased here at $10.00 per mask.

CWF masks come in three colors: black or navy with a white CWF logo, or white with a black CWF logo. They are made of cotton and are three-ply, which makes wearing this mask very comfortable. The CWF logo is displayed on the right side of each mask. With a simple design and soft material, these masks are a convenient way to not only protect yourself and others, but also to show support for CWF. 

Continue reading “Support Wildlife – and Protect People – with Our New Face Masks!”