We’re proud to release results of the 2022 New Jersey Osprey Project Survey, which documented the greatest number of nesting ospreys in the history of the project. Overall, surveys by staff and loyal volunteers recorded a total of 733 occupied nests throughout the state. The majority of ospreys (83%) continue to nest along the Atlantic coast of New Jersey with the remainder nesting along the Delaware Bay and inland locations. Surveys recorded the outcome of 73% of the known population, which allows us to present these results with confidence.
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
A discarded mask drifts in the tide. Mark Makela/Getty Images
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.
CWF biologist Ben Wurst (above), and all our staff and volunteers are practicing social distancing and following all state and CDC guidelines while in the field to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
With the COVID-19 pandemic causing global shutdowns, how has wildlife reacted to the absence of humans in New Jersey – and across the world? What impacts are we seeing so far, and what should we expect in the long-term?
COVID-19 has changed our lives in virtually every possible way over the last few months. Our relationship to wildlife is no different. This three-part series explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown on wildlife in New Jersey and across the world. Read Part 1 and Part 2 and check out our podcast on COVID-19 and wildlife.
Part 3 The Threat of COVID-19
No discussion of COVID-19’s impact on wildlife would be complete with its fated beginning and its long-term threats posed by the global economic shutdown. As a zoonotic disease, COVID-19 likely was triggered by a virus in bats that got into a pangolin in a wet market that was then consumed by people, chance encounters made much more likely by a number of destructive human activities.
Clearing primal forests bring people into contact with remote wildlife for the first time, while also changing wildlife behaviors to increase the likelihood of their interaction with humans. Live animal markets offer ideal opportunities for viruses like COVID-19 to emerge. Illegal trafficking incentivizes further habitat clearing and poaching. Trading in exotic wildlife creates a host of problems both to the species themselves and to their ecosystems. (Though underexplored in the popular Tiger King series, the impacts of the exotic wildlife trade could make a fascinating series in its own right).
COVID-19 has changed our lives in virtually every possible way over the last few months. Our relationship to wildlife is no different. This three-part series will explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown on wildlife in New Jersey and across the world. Be sure to also check out our podcast on COVID-19 and wildlife.
From my car window, I observed as many red foxes in a recent week as I had seen in the previous year combined. And it wasn’t just fox I was seeing more of. Wild turkeys, raccoons, migratory songbirds – I was seeing them all in greater abundance since the COVID-19 pandemic restricted most of us to our homes for nearly all of our waking hours.
Wildlife takes center stage this summer in a series of virtual presentations.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation and Mercer County Park Commission will present four one-hour webinars this summer, focusing on wildlife that affects our lives, even in an urbanized environment.
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day in the spirit of resilience and recovery. Today we thank the countless biologists, volunteers, educators, and supporters who have played a critical role in the survival of so many of our rare wildlife species. Together, we will continue to stay strong and save wildlife.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation executive director David Wheeler brings you on an uplifting journey through the environmental progress we have made since the very first Earth Day in 1970, with a special focus on wildlife – and its importance to us in this challenging time of pandemic and social restrictions.
by Marissa Murdock, 2019 NJ Osprey Project Intern; Rider University ’21
Marissa holds osprey 83/K who was banded after pre-maturely fledging and landing on the ground.
This past summer I was lucky enough to work with Conserve Wildlife Foundation as a volunteer student intern. I worked alongside Ben Wurst, CWF’s Habitat Program Manager, helping with the New Jersey Osprey Project. My internship consisted of assisting with osprey surveys, banding young, and recording data so that we can estimate the health of the population in New Jersey.
