Skip to main content

Spotlights

Every Drop Counts Logo Murphy Administration Issues Drought Watch, Urges Residents and Businesses to Conserve Water as Dry Conditions Persist

The Murphy Administration today issued a statewide Drought Watch, strongly urging residents and businesses to voluntarily conserve water as persistent dry and warmer-than-average conditions continue to stress the state’s water supplies.

Whale acoustic monitoring buoy New Jersey Research & Monitoring Initiative Makes $4.75 Million Available for Projects to Ensure Ecologically Responsible Development of Offshore Wind

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, in conjunction with the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, today announced that the state’s Research & Monitoring Initiative (RMI) is issuing a request for proposals that will make $4.75 million available for research projects focused on furthering ecologically responsible offshore wind development.

Erase Food Waste New Jersey Murphy Administration’s Work to Reduce Food Waste Honored by National Conference of State Legislatures

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Sustainable Waste Management has been honored by the National Conference of State Legislatures for spearheading a comprehensive and ongoing set of actions to reduce food waste in New Jersey through its Food Waste Reduction Plan, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.

Heat Hub NJ Murphy Administration Releases Groundbreaking Plan to Better Protect Health and Welfare of Residents from the Effects of Extreme Heat

As New Jersey becomes progressively hotter, the Murphy Administration today released a groundbreaking plan that sets specific actions to be taken by agencies across state government to protect the health and welfare of residents from the impacts of extreme heat caused by a changing climate.The finalized Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan, developed by the New Jersey Interagency Council on Climate Resilience, with significant public input, is only the third of its kind in the nation. The plan sets 136 specific actions to be implemented by individual agencies (or across multiple agencies) to mitigate the effects of extreme heat, one of the deadliest climate-related hazards facing New Jersey residents.

Commissioner LaTourette Marking Climate Week, DEP Presents Our Water’s Worth It Award to Lambertville For Exemplary Stormwater Management Efforts

Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette today presented the second Our Water’s Worth It trophy to Lambertville for the city’s tireless efforts to improve its stormwater management program to address flooding issues, better protect local waterbodies and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The Commissioner presented the award as part of the Department of Environmental Protection’s recognition of Climate Week, which provides the public with an opportunity to learn more about climate change and the steps that can be taken to mitigate its impacts.

Our Water's Worth It Murphy Administration Releases Innovative 2024 Statewide Water Supply Plan to Modernize Water Policy and Enhance Climate Resilience

Kicking off Climate Week, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette today announced the release of the final 2024 New Jersey Statewide Water Supply Plan, which for the first time assesses water supply challenges resulting from climate change and offers climate resilience solutions. Climate Week provides an opportunity for the public to learn about the many ways climate change is threatening the planet and the steps that can be taken to become more resilient and mitigate its impacts.

Wharton State Forest image July Events at Wharton State Forest (South Central Pinelands)

Wharton State Forest is New Jersey’s Largest state forest. It encompasses approximately 125,000 acres covering parts of Atlantic, Burlington and Camden counties providing a variety of recreational activities including hiking, biking, swimming and horseback riding. You can find more information about Wharton State Forest and other New Jersey state parks on our website at njparksandforests.org.

Forest Resource Education Center (Jackson, NJ) - July Events July Events at the Forest Resource Education Center - Jackson, NJ

Tune into nature, it is the best way to relax!
The team at FREC are ready to show you how with 
many forest-focused educational experiences.
Peruse and pre-register for our small-group outdoor nature programs here:

Barnegat Lighthouse after Restoration Barnegat Lighthouse to Reopen to Visitors This Weekend Following Completion of $1.3 Million Restoration

More than a year after closing for an extensive $1.3 million exterior and interior renovation project, Barnegat Lighthouse will fully open on Saturday, June 10 for park visitors to climb or tour the iconic structure, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.

logo Plants for Pollinators - Online Sale ends Friday, April 28th

The Great Swamp Watershed Association’s 3rd annual, online Plant for Pollinators Native Plant Sale will once again provide a full selection of attractively priced native perennials and simple guidance for planting delightfully alive pollinator gardens that will thrive with minimal care.

Logo - Fund for a Better Waterfront A guided Arbor Day tour through Hoboken’s parks - April 28th!

The City of Hoboken and its Shade Tree Commission to host 2nd Annual Arbor Day Free Tour on April 28!


 

Duke Farms logo of grasses, trees and birds Plan a Bike Trip at Duke Farms!

Bike rentals are $15 for two (2) hours for adults and $10 for riders under 18. Those who refuse to wear a helmet will not be allowed to rent a bike. We have 3 adult tricycles that can be reserved for visitors requesting accessible bike options.

wildfire Forest Fire Service Reminds Residents to be Careful with Fire as New Jersey Enters Peak Wildfire Season

With New Jersey now in peak wildfire season, the Forest Fire Service is reminding the public of important safety tips to help reduce the possibility of wildfires across the state.

NJ man with Rainbow Trout Spring Tradition Gets Underway with Opening Day of Trout Season on Saturday, April 8

Anglers may cast their hopes for a great catch this weekend, as New Jersey waterways – freshly stocked with more than 180,000 rainbow trout – are ready for the beginning of spring trout season on Saturday, April 8.

Outside, together Logo Help plan for parks and open spaces in your neighborhood!

New Jersey, with its Outside, Together! partnership, wants your input as we update the State’s five-year Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. 

United States Environmental Protection Agency - Logo ICYMI : EPA Announces $500 Million Loan to Modernize Wastewater and Drinking Water Infrastructure in New Jersey

WASHINGTON (Jan. 5, 2023) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $500 million loan to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to modernize wastewater and drinking water systems serving over 10 million people throughout New Jersey.

Logo - D & R Greenway Land Trust Visit D&R Greenway’s Land, Light, Spirit Art Exhibit – Now Through March 10, 2023

Stop by the Johnson Education Center to enjoy thebeautiful pieces of art now on display.

US EPA logo US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Recycling Focused Grant Announcements & Resources

Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Program, Accepting applications until 1/16/2023

Organization logo: silhouette of farm and marsh with heron in the foreground Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat Improvement in New Jersey’s New Jersey’s Coastal Plain Region (Cape Atlantic Conservation District)

This guide provides information for native plant species beneficial to wildlife of the Coastal Plain region of New Jersey. These plants can be used to help establish wildlife habitat areas on your property. The plants are listed in the categories of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. In addition, environmental parameters for the use of these plants are identified in terms of soil moisture conditions, light preference and plant characteristics. Most of the plants in this guide are readily available from the nurseries and garden centers in this region.

Organization logo: "SAVE Coastal Wildlife" in blue text with blue silhouette of horseshoe crab with text, "Education", "Restoration", "Research"  A Guide To Seals Along The Jersey Shore! (Save Coastal Wildlife)

The Jersey Shore is a seasonal home to several species of seals or pinnipeds during the late fall, winter, and early spring; sometimes even year-round as every so often a juvenile seal might be spotted during the summer. Seals are protected pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, meaning that it is illegal to harm or harass them.

Red banner in foreground with text "Rutgers Agricultural Experiment Station" with farm in the background Weathering The Storm: Increased Resiliency a Decade After Superstorm Sandy (September-November 2022/Rutgers University NJ Agricultural Experiment Station)

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, we pause to reflect and evaluate on how our state has become more resilient to environmental impacts, with an emphasis on storms and extreme weather. Join us for this webinar series as we learn from experts on how New Jersey has become more resilient.

Organization logo: text with grey silhouette of bird Union County Falcon Cam (Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey)

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ has partnered with Union County to stream this falcon nest live from the roof of the County Courthouse in downtown Elizabeth, New Jersey!

Organization logo: white text on green background with white silhouette of leaf Grand Opening Tour Of the Historic Bonaparte Garden: Farming the Land with Seeds of History at Point Breeze (D&R Greenway Land Trust/Saturday, October 1, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.)

D&R Greenway’s president and CEO Linda Mead invites the public to join D&R Greenway’s Garden Steward Lara Periard to celebrate the newly planted historic garden at Point Breeze and its first harvest season 

Black silhouette of a bat with text, "Wildlife Conservation and Management" Bat Colony Reporting (Rutgers University Wildlife Conservation & Management Program)

Since 2006, over 5.7 million bats have died from White Nose Syndrome, a devastating disease that destroys their wing tissue. Despite many inaccurate myths about bats, they are important providers of ecological services, particularly as insect pest managers. Please help us monitor bat populations in New Jersey by letting us know if you have an active bat colony on your property!

Organization logo: graphic of house on green hills by a river with a brown wheel in the foreground The Lenape (Millstone Valley National Scenic Byway)

For about six centuries during a period called the Late Woodland Period (ca. A.D. 1000 A.D. -1600) the entire region now identified with New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, southern New York, and the northern portions of Delaware and Maryland, was the homeland of the ancestral Lenape and related tribes.