Category: Volunteer Programs

Every summer, volunteers across New Jersey spend their evenings watching the skies as bats emerge from their roosts. Through the Summer Bat Count, these observations help us better understand the status of New Jersey’s bat populations.

The Summer Bat Count is a volunteer-driven program led by the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP). Volunteers monitor known summer bat roosts such as attics, barns, bat houses, and churches, and count the number of bats that emerge at dusk.

Continue reading “Photos from the Field – Summer Bat Count”

by: Larissa Smith, Senior Biologist

This shorebird season 43 stewards worked a total of 1,374 hours over a two week period from May 9th thru May 25th.  Stewards were posted at restricted access beaches in Cape May and  Cumberland Counties.  Stewards help to protect the migrating shorebirds that stop over on the Delaware Bay to feed on the horseshoe crab eggs.  They keep people off of the restricted beaches by educating them about the importance of letting the shorebirds feed undisturbed so that they can gain the weight needed to continue their journey north to their breeding ground’s. Continue reading “NJ Delaware Bay Shorebird Stewards: Protectors and Educators”

by: Senior biologist, Larissa Smith

The 2025 NJ Bald Eagle Project report developed by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey , has been released.  In 2025 the NJ eagle population had a decline in the number of active (laid eggs) nest from 264 active nests in 2024 to 251 in 2025.  The decline is partly due to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Testing confirmed that 28 of 56 bald eagle mortalities last year (for which testing was completed) were the result of HPAI.

Continue reading “2025 New Jersey Bald Eagle Report”

by: Larissa Smith, CWF Senior Biologist

The New Jersey Bald Eagle nesting season is finished for the year, so both the eagles and volunteer nest monitors now get a few months rest.  Conserve Wildlife Foundation and the NJ ENSP hosted the annual eagle volunteer get-together at the Assunpink WMA this past Saturday.  Forty-five volunteers attended and enjoyed discussing the season with fellow nest monitors and NJ eagle project staff.

On behalf of the NJ Eagle Project we thank all the 160 nest monitors who are dedicated to monitoring and protecting the NJ bald eagle population.

Thank you to Barb & Rick McKee for providing sandwiches and everyone who generously brought delicious side dishes and desserts to share.

by Larissa Smith, CWF Senior Biologist

The 2025 New Jersey Bald Eagle nesting season is finished. We are still gathering up the data for the final numbers which will be published in the annual NJ Bald Eagle Project Report. The 160 eagle project nest monitors spend countless hours monitoring eagle nests through out New Jersey. I’ve asked the nest monitors to share two of their favorite photos from the 2025 nesting season. Enjoy.

Please click on the first photo to see the Slideshow:

Northern diamondback terrapin nesting season may be coming to end, but Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s Great Bay Terrapin Project volunteers are still hard at work. During the peak of their nesting season, in June and July, they drive up and down Great Bay Boulevard in Little Egg Harbor Township in search of terrapins crossing the road. 

Summertime is peak terrapin crossing season, with females coming to shore to lay their eggs in early to mid-summer and hatchlings finding their way back home in August. The problem is, they often end up on the road, where they run the risk of being crushed by passing vehicles. On Great Bay Boulevard, a coastal road with few speed limit signs and a great number of terrapins, this is especially troublesome. 

Continue reading “Ensuring More Terrapins Live to See Tomorrow”

Horseshoe crabs are ancient creatures, having first evolved hundreds of millions of years ago. Since then, they haven’t changed much, but the world around them certainly has. Human activity has taken a toll on horseshoe crabs- for years, people have been harvesting them for use as bait and in medical applications. New Jersey now has a moratorium preventing this from continuing, but their population is still lower than it should be. Luckily, something as simple as flipping a horseshoe crab off of its back can help to restore their numbers. I recently had the privilege of joining Larissa Smith, Senior Wildlife Biologist at CWF, on a trip to the Delaware Bay. In partnership with ReTurn the Favor, she regularly visits beaches that are rife with stranded horseshoe crabs and helps them get back to the water. At the nightly high tide, hundreds of crabs come up to shore to spawn, but when the tide goes out, many of them get stuck on their backs or buried in vegetation, unable to return to their habitats. Rescuing them can be as easy as turning them back onto their legs, but others need a bit more help.

On this day, we started with just a few unfortunate crabs that needed assistance getting off of their backs. We picked them up, flipped them, and off they went. But then, as we turned from the beach to a marshy creek, we were met with hundreds of crabs trapped in the grass. At first, it seemed like we were too late to save them, but as we went along, we found that almost every single one was still alive. So, we wrestled them out of the greenery and carried them back down to the water.

It was a lot of work, but we soon managed to rescue over 100 horseshoe crabs from that section alone. Most of them were females, as evidenced by their large size and pincers. Each one that survived represented a potential new generation of crabs. Female horseshoe crabs can lay around 80 thousand to 100 thousand eggs per year, most of which become food sources for other animals like laughing gulls, which were flocked heavily on the beaches that day. While it’s a bit unfortunate for the crabs, the loss of some of their eggs helps to keep the ecosystem running smoothly.

In just a few hours, we helped 198 horseshoe crabs return to the bay, and we had a lot of fun doing it. The effort to restore the populations of New Jersey’s horseshoe crabs is full of obstacles, but there is also so much hope. Just about anyone can flip an overturned horseshoe crab, and the feeling that comes along with doing so is wonderful. While the horseshoe crabs may not be able to thank us, we can always tell that they greatly appreciate our support.

Returnthefavornj.org

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.

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”?

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.

Thank you to 2025 shorebird superheroes!

I recently headed home from eagle nest checks near the Delaware River.  As usual, I was on the lookout for interesting raptor sightings, especially eagles.

I spotted a beautiful sub adult eagle perched along the South Branch River.  I pulled over, took out my camera, and got some great photos of this gorgeous bird.  I guessed it might be 4 years old because of the amount of white on its head.  Could this be one of the eagles from the local nests?  We have long suspected that fledglings return to their natal area. We had proof of this while tracking “Duke”, the 2019 banded eagle from Duke Farms, who had a solar tracker backpack attached. He returned frequently to his natal area. While I watched this eagle, it took off and even more exciting, I spotted a green NJ band on its right tarsus!!  Unfortunately, when I downloaded the photos, I could not make out the number of this NJ banded eagle.

I sent photos and a description of its location to all the knowledgeable and experienced Eagle Project volunteers in my area of Central NJ.  I also notified a couple of local (and always very helpful and supportive) interested supporters in the area who are “unofficially” part of the Eagle Project.  I am so thankful that everyone in our group works together for the benefit and protection of our eagles!  There is no possessiveness, jealousy, or one-upmanship, just help, support, and encouragement!

I had confidence that with this group, someone was sure to spot something!!  Imagine my absolute surprise and delight when Steve, a talented and devoted local eagle watcher emailed the group that he had found “my” sub adult and gotten a clear image of her green band:  H22!!  She is one of “mine” which I held at banding in 2022. I was overcome with emotion and excitement!  I would never have known that H22 was alive and thriving if not for Steve’s search and photos. Right on cue, Mary Ellen, another Eagle Project volunteer produced emails and photos that I had sent to the group after the 2022 banding showing H/22 as a 6-week-old nestling.  How heartwarming it was seeing her again as a nestling!

What a joy it is knowing that she is still living and healthy.  I still can’t believe that an eaglet that I held is the same one I saw as a thriving three-year-old. Hopefully she will stick around our area, avoid dangers, find a mate, build a nest, and raise her own eaglets in about 2 years’ time!

Each spring, as the ground begins to thaw and warm rains roll in, a quiet but extraordinary migration takes place in New Jersey. Spotted salamanders, spring peepers, wood frogs, and other amphibians emerge from their winter shelters and begin their journey to vernal pools – temporary, fish-free wetlands that are essential for breeding.

But for many of these small, slow-moving creatures, the journey is perilous. Their paths often cross busy roads, and without help, countless amphibians are killed by passing cars. That’s where we come in.

Every year, Conserve Wildlife Foundation coordinates Amphibian Crossing – mobilizing dedicated volunteers to assist amphibians as they make their way across roadways to reach their breeding grounds. By guiding amphibians across safely and carefully tracking each species, we give these important animals a fighting chance at survival.

This season, our incredible volunteers helped 1,938 amphibians safely reach their destination.

Here’s a breakdown of the amphibians we saved:

• 154 Spotted Salamanders
• 820 Wood Frogs
• 677 Spring Peepers
• 234 Jefferson Salamanders
• 28 Red-Spotted Newts
• 19 American Toads
• 3 American Bullfrogs
• 1 Pickerel Frog
• 1 Gray Tree Frog
• 1 Hybrid Jefferson Salamander

Totals for each crossing site:

• Waterloo – 1,286 amphibians guided
• Swartswood – 529 amphibians guided
• Hope Road – 123 amphibians guided

These numbers represent more than just stats – they’re a reminder that small, collective actions can make a big difference for wildlife. Amphibians are crucial to healthy ecosystems. They help control insect populations and serve as vital links in the food web. Many species are also sensitive to environmental changes, making them key indicators of ecosystem health.

As development continues to fragment natural habitats, programs like Amphibian Crossing are essential to supporting amphibian populations and raising awareness about their importance.

We are deeply grateful to every volunteer who braved the rain, cold, and darkness to protect New Jersey’s amphibians. Thanks to everyone’s help, the road to survival is a little safer.