Tag: Environmental education

CWF Celebrates World Shorebirds Day With Release of Our First Story Map: “American Oystercatchers Through the Seasons”

By Michael Davenport, GIS Program Manager

Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF), today released a new interactive “Wildlife Story Map” in support of this Saturday’s first annual World Shorebirds Day! The Story Map can be viewed here!

A Story Map is a web-based interactive GIS map embedded with multimedia content, such as text, photographs, and video. CWF, working with GIS software developer ESRI and with financial assistance provided by a grant from the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, plans to make this Story Map the first of many, helping engage the public about New Jersey’s rare wildlife in a dynamic and interactive way.

 “American Oystercatchers Through the Seasons” tells the story about a species of migratory bird, the American Oystercatcher, which spends the summer breeding season along the New Jersey coast, but is present year-round along the southern New Jersey coast. Our state represents the northern limit of the species’ winter range. While some New Jersey birds migrate during the winter to Florida, those that breed in New England during the summer may end up spending their winter here in New Jersey.

This Story Map also provides stories about individual banded birds, which have been tracked on journeys between New Jersey and southern states such as Florida, as well as between New Jersey and more northern states, such as Massachusetts.

Make a donation today to support additional Story Maps!

How to Use the Story Map:

On the left side of the Story Map page are several “buttons” which will allow you to flip through the different seasons in an oystercatcher’s life: Breeding, Migration, and Wintering.  Each page provides information and photos and a map specific to that portion of the bird’s life cycle. By clicking on an individual point within the map, a box containing more specific information, and a photo in some cases, will pop-up. The map also provides the ability to zoom-in and out in order to see areas of interest in more detail.

This Story Map is especially exciting since it helps celebrate the first annual World Shorebirds Day. This event seeks to “…raise global public awareness about the conservation of, and research about, shorebirds. About half of the world’s shorebird populations are in decline, and the rate of habitat loss is worse than ever before” (World Shorebirds Day 2014).

World Shorebirds Day hopes to accomplish the following:

• To raise public awareness about the need to protect shorebirds and their habitats throughout their life cycles;
• To raise public awareness about the need for ongoing shorebird research;
• To connect people with shorebirds through important shorebird sites around the world;
• To get shorebird enthusiasts to introduce shorebirds to more birdwatchers;
• To raise awareness about the need for increased funding for shorebird research, monitoring and conservation.

CWF’s shorebird leadership ranges from the American Oystercatcher celebrated in this Story Map, to the beach nesting birds along the Atlantic Coast, to the red knots and ruddy turnstones along the Delaware Bay.

Your support can help CWF develop additional Story Maps on other rare wildlife. Support our work on Story Maps on the American Oystercatcher and other important shorebirds in honor of World Shorebirds Day by supporting research, education, and public awareness efforts carried out by CWF:

We hope that this will be the first of many Story Maps that CWF will use in order to communicate the many fascinating stories that New Jersey’s wildlife have to tell.

Make a donation today to support shorebirds today!

By Juliann Fiorentino, CWF Intern

With the sun shining, everyone set out on a beautiful short boat ride from Island Beach State Park in Seaside, New Jersey to Sedge Island, a small island in the brackish waters (a mixture of salt and fresh water) of Barnegat Bay. There, the winners, proud parents and teachers from the Species on the Edge Art and Essay Contest learned about the island and the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center. After the tour of the house and island, the group set off on a fascinating two hour-long kayak journey into the bay.

After paddling through a very narrow water channel, the group stopped at the first man-made Peregrine Falcon nest in New Jersey. This nest was the first hacking site for the once critically endangered Peregrine Falcons, ultimately leading to the rise Peregrine Falcon population in the late 1970’s. Hacking is an old falconer’s term for a process that provides captive-bred youngsters with a sheltered experience, giving them the advantage of a “soft release” into the wild.

As the group paddled on, we traveled through the different areas of the bay including the grassy areas where we learned about the different grasses that could grow in this brackish water, and which ones were edible.

Next we reached an area referred to as the Bahamas because of its shallow clear, calm water. We  all got out of our kayaks and walked around to search for animals and plants on the sandy floor. We could see hundreds of fish, mud snails, and sea hermit crabs. Even a green crab made an appearance and the Sedge tour guide lifted him up from under the water to teach everyone about its unique body.

 

After returning to the island, the group then got to experience the thrill of clamming in the bay, and learned about the efforts of the biologists on Sedge Island to protect the Diamondback Terrapin population that breeds on the island. This was my first time at Sedge Island, along with many others. It was very interesting to learn about the history of this island, and the many wildlife species that inhabit the area. The trip to Sedge Island was a wonderfully breath taking experience – an experience I will never forget.

The nonprofit Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey seeks an Environmental Education Coordinator to lead our fast-growing education program and support our program work. The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic, knowledgeable professional with experience in environmental education, strong communication skills, multi-tasking ability, and the motivation to be a successful self-starter.

• Learn more about this job opportunity

D & R Greenway exhibit brings wildlife to life

By Jen Smith, CWF Outreach Intern

The D&R Greenway Land Trust’s “Wild Creatures: 40 Years of Protecting Endangered Species” exhibit is being featured at the Johnson Education Center in Princeton, NJ.  It is a vivid art-viewing experience that celebrates the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the wildlife it has sought to protect since its inception.

But time is running out to catch this unique blend of science and art!

“The response to the exhibit has been overwhelmingly positive with visitors who are simultaneously delighted by the whimsical creatures, reverent of their noble struggle, and inspired by the recovery efforts undertaken across the globe to save them,” said Diana Moore, curator for the exhibit.

Eight local artists were featured for their work, including Tricia Zimic’s foreboding mobile entitled “A Cautionary Tale.” Henslow sparrows, a Bobolink, and a Peregrine Falcon struggle in an all-to-lifelike storm of fishing wire, plastic and debris. Annelies van Dommelon’s playful yet informative work is also not to be missed. Filling up an entire room with her breathtaking “Bestial Alphabet” viewers can glimpse the A to Z of creatures aided by the Endangered Species Act, many of those depicted being native to New Jersey. More than one viewer compared the exhibit to watching an Aesop’s Fables book come to life.

“This creative exhibit highlights just how special our wildlife is in New Jersey – and why so many species continue to need our protection,” noted David Wheeler, CWF Executive Director. “Each artist brings a unique vision to illustrating the challenges that so many wildlife species face, and to capturing the extraordinary beauty possessed by each species.”

D&R Greenway Land Trust’s mission is to preserve and protect the permanent network of lands they have ensured remain open spaces and to create conditions for a healthy and diverse environment to flourish. In creating public access to these open spaces, it is D&R’s goal and hope that people will develop a greater appreciation for the natural world, and be inspired by conservation ethics and education.  D&R President Linda Mead was honored this past December at Women & Wildlife by CWF for the Greenway’s leadership in protecting wildlife habitat in a region of the state that desperately needed that protection.

“Wild Creatures” will be running now through March 21st. The Johnson Education Center in Princeton, NJ is open 10am – 5pm on weekdays. You can call ahead for availability (609)-924-4646 or visit www.drgreenway.org for more details and driving directions.

More information about Tricia Zimic’s artwork can be found at www.triciazimic.com.

Hurry now before this rare showcase comes to an end!

The Bahamas Blog – Trip 1, Day 5

By Todd Pover, Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager and  Stephanie Egger, Wildlife Biologist

Last night we presented for the Abaconian community at Friends of the Environment’s office on the international link of piping plovers between the Bahamas and the United States, draft results from the 2011 International Piping Plover Census, and the importance of the Bahamas to piping plovers. We had a decent turnout including David Knowles from the Bahamas National Trust and a writer from the local Abaco newspaper.  We spoke at length with Abaco’s premier birder, Woody Bracey, who has helped with on the ground coordination for piping plover surveys over the last several years.  We hope to work with Woody and other Abaconians to develop a citizen scientist network to survey sites that we have been unable to get to because of time or logistics (i.e. tide cycle, transportation to the site) and to have the network securely in place for the 2016 International Census. Continue reading “Plovers in Paradise”

together on the Delaware Bay

by Larissa Smith, Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Coordinator

Once again migratory shorebirds, including the NJ endangered red knot, have returned to the Delaware Bay to feed on horseshoe crab eggs.  This annual phenomenon brings people from around the world to the Delaware Bay beaches.

Beaches are closed during the migration from May 7th through June 7th to protect the shorebirds from disturbance when feeding.  Just as the birds return each year so do volunteer Shorebird Stewards who educate the public about the beach closures , shorebirds and horseshoe crabs on nine beaches in Cape May and Cumberland County.  Now is a great to come out to the beaches to view shorebirds and crabs and say “hi” to the stewards.

This year the hot spots for shorebirds  in Cape May County  are Reed’s , Cook’s  and Kimble’s Beaches and  Fortescue in Cumberland County.

 

 

…and learn about threatened and endangered species.

by Larissa Smith; Biologist/Volunteer Manager

For the second year in a row  5th graders at the Ocean City Intermediate school adopted a species from the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ.   The 40 students are in two of  science teacher Mrs. Rosander’s  classes. They earned the money through chores and donations to adopt the Bald Eagle.  This year they chose to adopt a bald eagle which is one of the species that I work with so I was glad for the opportunity to talk about NJ eagles.

Students learned about threatened and endangered species as well as the NJ bald eagle project. The students asked a lot of great questions and I’m pretty sure they’ll now be on the look out for eagles!

Thank you to the students for their donation to CWF!

 

Birding by Kayak on Barnegat Bay, surf fishing off Island Beach, night hikes, and more…

CWF is excited to partner with NJ State Parks and offer incredible programs about New Jersey’s natural world.  Programs are taking place at both Island Beach State Park and Allaire State Park.

Become a WILDCHILD, take a sunset kayak tour, try your hand at surf-fishing, go bird watching, or discover the night. Whatever you decide, you will be guided by professional educators and naturalists who have plenty of natural and wildlife stories to share with you.

At nearly 10 miles long, Island Beach is New Jersey’s most expansive stretch of undeveloped barrier island.  Our programs help you to connect with the beauty of this ecosystem and its ample natural resources.  Have your kids participate in a WILDCHILD program including surfing, surf-fishing, and island exploration. Try and catch the big one during a surf-fishing class or discover the beauty of Barnegat Bay through kayaking.

Allaire State Park covers almost 3,000 acres within the coastal plain of New Jersey.  An extension of the Pine Barrens, Allaire has sandy soils and forests of oak, cedar, and pine.  The Manasquan River flows through the park, creating floodplain that serves as habitat for many species of wildlife, including the barred owl, wood turtle, and bald eagle.  Discover moths, take a quiet bird walk, or splash around in the pond and stream during one of our summer programs.

For more information, visit CWF’s Parks Programs section on our website.

Interested in the environment? Want to learn from local and regional environmental experts?  Then become a Rutgers Environmental Steward!  There is still room (& time!) to register to become part of the Class of 2012 for the Rutgers Environmental Stewards Program!

The Rutgers Environmental Steward program provides training and experience which equips participants to contribute effectively to the process of finding solutions for environmental problems in the communities of New Jersey.

Graduates become knowledgeable about the basic processes of earth, air, water and biological systems. They increase awareness of the techniques and tools used to monitor and assess the health of the environment. They gain an understanding of the research and regulatory infrastructure of state and federal agencies operating in New Jersey that relate to environmental issues. They are given an introduction to group dynamics and community leadership.

They learn to recognize the elements of sound science and public policy based on that science. They acquire some sense of the limits of current understanding of the environment.

Training takes place regionally – in the northat the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Warren County in South Belvidere; in the center at Duke Farms, Hillsborough; and in the south at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA)  in Egg Harbor Township. 

For more information, a 2012 lecture schedule,  or to register, visit http://www.envirostewards.rutgers.edu/index.htm