The Urban Habitat Project

The Urban Habitat Project

Conservation efforts in parks and other urban areas

Why It Matters

New Jersey is the most densely populated and urbanized state in the country, which has proven to be challenging for habitat conservation, connectivity, and urban wildlife. Citizens are also more disconnected from wildlife than ever before, meaning raising awareness and appreciation for certain species could be crucial to their survival.

Historically, conservation efforts have been focused in rural areas with intact swaths of habitat, largely funded by hunters and anglers through programs like the Pittman-Robertson Act, and directly benefiting those with access to these areas and interest in traditional outdoor recreation activities. Urban areas are generally overlooked in these efforts, making it more important than ever to undertake habitat restoration projects in these areas, for the benefit of both wildlife and people who enjoy passive recreation. In very populated areas, we are especially interested in the values and interests of park-users and plan to incorporate feedback from the communities in our restoration efforts.

Why It Matters

Partnering with Union County has already enabled us to stream a peregrine falcon’s nest live from the roof of the County Courthouse in downtown Elizabeth.

CWF and our many partners are currently working to restore several parks in Union County. These parks have historically supported numerous species of special concern including turtles, waterfowl, songbirds, and butterflies. Additionally, the parks have records of state and federally listed birds, bats, reptiles, and amphibians, though many species have not been recorded since the early 2010s. Some restoration examples in the works for these species include enhancing pollinator meadows, restoring wetland habitat, and improving wildlife corridors.

CWF is making a concerted effort to engage with the people who use each park, with an emphasis on traditionally underserved constituent groups so that their thoughts are heard and implemented. We are also working to recruit local groups to help with certain projects and learn what they would like to see CWF and our partner organizations do to improve their community. For example, we’ve partnered with the Green Team, a youth environmental group from Groundwork Elizabeth, to help our Union County park projects. Part of our plan also includes adding park signage for citizens to download apps like iNaturalist and eBird to document wildlife observations on a larger scale. Elsewhere we are working to enhance wildlife habitat on an innovative Blue Acres project in the Tremley neighborhood of Linden.

With more projects in Union County in the works, thanks to partners like Union County Parks and Recreation, Phillips 66, and Wildlife Habitat Council, we aim to broaden our engagement with urban communities and protect the wildlife that lives within them.

Urban habitats pose special challenges to wildlife conservation, but they also provide unique opportunities to utilize citizen science and engage in community outreach to enhance natural areas for both humans and wildlife.