Species on the Edge Winners Explore Sedge Island

by Rachel McGovern, Communications and Outreach Manager

Just off the coast of Island Beach State Park, you can find the Sedge Islands Marine Conservation Zone. This unique area is managed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and is home to a great number of wildlife species. Across this 1,900-acre preserve, one can find ospreys, rays, Northern diamondback terrapins, American oystercatchers, and many other incredible animals. Tucked away in this area is an island with a historic building that was once a duck hunting lodge but is now the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center.

The Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center is located in the Sedge Islands Marine Conservation Zone.

Each year, winners of the Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest are invited to the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center (often referred to as simply “Sedge” or “Sedge Island”) to spend a day exploring the salt marsh. The Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest is held annually for fifth graders in New Jersey. To enter, students submit an original art piece and essay centered around an at-risk New Jersey species of their choice. A panel of judges chooses a winner from each county in New Jersey. A trip to Sedge Island is one of the ways that we celebrate the winners’ achievements. Winners of the 2024 contest and their adult chaperones were offered a choice of dates to join us for a trip to Sedge Island this summer.

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Springtime Resources for New Jersey Educators

Environmental Education Workshops, Field Experiences and STEM Contests

By: Lindsay McNamara, Communications Coordinator

 

Green Eggs and Sand Curriculum Workshop

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A Green Eggs and Sand Curriculum Workshop will be held May 29-31 at the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, Cape May County, New Jersey.

The workshop will delve into the ecological connections between horseshoe crabs and shorebirds, human connections to horseshoe crabs, and the challenges encountered in managing this resource via presentations, field trips and hands-on activities.


 

Sedge Island Summer Experiences

Kayaking at Sedge Island (c) Stephanie Feigin
Kayaking at Sedge Island (c) Stephanie Feigin

The Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center offers week long experiences in the heart of Barnegat Bay.

Three programs will be offered in 2015:

  • Sedge Island Fishing Experience: June 25 to 28, 2015 open to students entering grades 8 and 9 in the fall of 2015. Application deadline is March 31.
  • Sedge Island Field Experience: July 28 to 31, 2015 open to students entering grades 7, 8, and 9 in the fall of 2015. Application deadline is March 20.
  • Sedge Island Field and Research Experience: July 8 to 14, 2015 for students entering grades 10 and 11 in the fall of 2015. Application deadline is April 17.

For more information, visit Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s website.


 

Species on the Edge 2.0 Multimedia Contest

An American kestrel. Photo courtesy of Jim Gilbert.
An American kestrel. Photo courtesy of Jim Gilbert.

The Species on the Edge 2.0 Multimedia Contest combines high school students’ expertise with technology and their love for nature. Students show why New Jersey’s wildlife is important by creating a video, app, podcast, webpage, or other multimedia project.

But best of all, its FREE and offers all New Jersey high school students the opportunity to win scholarship money!

Special thanks to Species on the Edge 2.0 Multimedia Contest sponsor PSE&G.

All entries are due before April 30, 2015.

For more information and to learn how to enter the contest visit our website.

Questions?
Contact Stephanie Feigin at stephanie.feigin@conservewildlifenj.org.

 

Lindsay McNamara is the Communications Coordinator for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.