Informational exhibits spotlighting sea-level rise, harmful algal blooms, extended wildfire seasons and ghost forests are available at state parks this year to educate the public about how these specific climate change impacts are affecting New Jersey’s state parks and forests, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today to mark Climate Week.
The exhibits, which feature physical displays at parks and also have a corresponding interactive component, highlight four of the many impacts that climate change is having on New Jersey’s state parks and forests. They are part of DEP’s ongoing climate change education initiative that includes radio public service spots, billboards and social media announcements to spread awareness about climate change. A complete schedule for the exhibits may be found here.
“New Jersey continues to remain ground zero for some of the worst impacts of climate change and these exhibits address the impacts of four core aspects of a changing climate that affect our waterbodies, coasts, state parks and forests,” Commissioner LaTourette said. “The exhibits present our guests with a real-time opportunity to immediately understand how these impacts are affecting our state parks and forests and what can be done to protect them for future generations.”
“New Jersey’s state parks and forests are at the forefront of climate change impacts, from rising sea levels and prolonged wildfire seasons to the emergence of ghost forests and harmful algal blooms,” said John Cecil, Assistant Commissioner for State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites. “These exhibits offer visitors a firsthand look into how our cherished state parks and forests are transforming before our eyes.”
Visitors to the sites that will host the informational exhibits may view displays providing a brief description of climate change and some of the core climate impacts that affects that specific state park. Each impact display will have a QR code that visitors may scan to test their climate change resilience knowledge through an interactive quiz.
“Educating the public about the impacts of climate change on our natural resources is yet another opportunity to learn how we can best protect and preserve our state parks and forests, as well as our coasts, for generations to come,” said Chief Climate Resilience Officer Nick Angarone. “These teaching moments may be brief, but they can go a long way to broaden understanding about impacts here in New Jersey.”
A display with information about how sea-level rise in New Jersey is about twice the global average will be at coastal locations in Cape May Point State Park in Cape May County, Liberty State Park in Hudson County, Leonardo Marina and Twin Lights Historic Site in Monmouth County, and at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County.
Information about how climate change is extending wildfire seasons will be displayed at locations in the Pine Barrens, at Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Burlington County, the Forest Resource Education Center and Double Trouble State Park in Ocean County, and Belleplain State Forest in Cape May County.
The harmful algal blooms display will be at parks with water bodies that have been affected by blooms, namely the Round Valley and Spruce Run recreation areas in Hunterdon County, Hopatcong State Park in Morris County, Parvin State Park in Salem County and Swartswood State Park in Sussex County.
Displays with information about extended wildfire seasons and ghost forests, large expanses of dead and dying trees caused by rising sea levels, will be at Wharton State Forest in Atlantic/Burlington/Camden counties, and at Bass River State Forest in Burlington/Ocean counties. The ghost forest display will also be at. The DEP plans to expand the exhibits to other state parks and forests and to include additional climate change impacts.
In addition to the interactive exhibits, visitors may also take part in the MyCoast Photo Station Challenge through the end of October at six locations: two at Island Beach State Park and one each at Liberty State Park, Cheesequake State Park, Cape May Point State Park and the Margate City Fishing Pier. More information about the challenge may be found here. DEP launched climate change learning stations in four state parks a year ago at diverse locations along New Jersey’s coast, where shorelines are changing due to higher tides, more intense and frequent storms, and resulting erosion. Each station has a MyCoast photo station that encourages the public to document impacts to the shoreline over time. DEP is hosting the challenge in partnership with the Rutgers University Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve.
To view a video about the exhibits, visit https://youtu.be/wgYzKwOOBTw
For more information about New Jersey’s Parks, Forests & Historic Sites, visit njparksandforests.org
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