Spotlights

As part of the Exploring Watershed Event Series, participants will join Rahway River Watershed Association President Dr. Kirk Barrett on a walk through Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ during Cherry Blossom season!

Registration is now open for Clean Ocean Action's 27th Annual Spring Beach Sweeps on Saturday, April 9, 2022 from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.!

The Sustainable Minds series will break down important sustainability topics into paired evening sessions, exploring complex issues just one hour at a time. During the first session, a local thought leader will provide insights and expert insights on a regional climate concern. Then, a week later, an action leader will host the second event to provide practical examples of how residents can help address these complex issues. The first pair of events will focus on stormwater.

In this talk, Adriana Compagnoni will share fun facts about bees that she learned in her years of beekeeping, some little-known facts about bees & beekeeping, and share recommendations on what suburban gardeners in North Jeresey can do to help the bees. Because of the susceptibility of bees to pesticides, the synergy between gardening and beekeeping leads to environmentally-friendly gardening practices. 

Join us for our final clean-up on Saturday, March 26, 2022 from 12:00-3:00 p.m. before the beach area of Two Mile Beach Unit closes in April. Every year, according to federal environmental laws, the beach area closes until September 30 to protect the beach nesting of endangered birds and the migratory bird population who stop for an undisturbed rest on our peninsula

Attend one of these "drop-in" sessions on March 15, 16, 24, and 25, 2022 to learn more about the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Climate Corps Program. EDF Climate Corps Fellows provide no-cost expertise and support for school districts and municipalities to take advantage of utility and New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP) incentives for energy efficiency audits and facility and/or equipment upgrades to help save energy and money. 

Join naturalists at The Nature Conservancy’s South Cape May Meadows for this 2-hour walk around The Nature Conservancy's South Cape May Meadows property! Spring birding can be very rewarding at this freshwater wetland for lingering waterfowl and migrant shorebirds. The series takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on March 21, March 28, April 4, April 11, April 18, April 25, May 2, and May 9, 2022. 

Join the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge for an evening of floral fun! Make a flower craft, plant a flower to take home, and enjoy a warm fire. 

Please join the Society of Women Environmental Professionals New Jersey Chapter and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey for a virtual event on Thursday, March 10, 2022 @ 4:30-5:15 p.m.! It will feature a presentation on migratory shorebirds and navigating through the regulatory process for rare, threatened, and endangered species as part of land use permitting. 

On Saturday, March 5, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Jersey Shore Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is hosting a beach cleanup in Ocean Grove, NJ in Monmouth County. 

Bee-killing pesticides have driven bee populations down for decades. But not for much longer in New Jersey, where thousands of citizens succeeded in standing up for our best pollinators by advocating for the passage of Bill S1016/A2070.  This Bill classifies neonicotinoid insecticides, also known as neonics, as restricted-use pesticides. New Jersey is the sixth state to adopt this save-the-bees policy, which limits non-agricultural uses of neonics. 

The State of NJ Pinelands Commission Climate Committee’s upcoming meeting shall take place on Friday, February 25, 2022 @ 9:30 a.m. The meeting will include discussion of a draft resolution amending Pinelands Commission Resolution PC4-20-37 to express the Commission’s support of the goals of the New Jersey Global Warming Response Act and intention to implement strategies that will contribute to the State’s meeting its 2050 greenhouse gas emission target.

Harriet Tubman is legendary for her intelligence, sense of justice and, above all, extreme courage in repeatedly risking her life to help some 70 people escape slavery.

What else did it take for Tubman to lead her charges hundreds of miles to freedom in the 1850s while eluding capture? Exceptional outdoor skills.

D&R Greenway Land Trust, a leading conservation nonprofit dedicated to preserving and caring for land across central New Jersey, today announced that the family of the late Betty Wold Johnson has gifted to the organization the renowned philanthropist’s nearly 800-acre historic Hopewell farm. Betty Wold Johnson supported the land trust’s mission for more than a quarter century. With this exceptional gift, D&R Greenway begins 2022 with more than 22,000 acres of land preserved in New Jersey.

Most of our beautiful butterflies sip nectar from flowers for their food, but what they eat when they're in the not so pretty caterpillar stage is just as important! This program will introduce you to many of New Jersey's 125 fascinating species of butterflies - from the Least Skipper to the Giant Swallowtail - and to the native plants they and their caterpillars depend on, many which you can grow in your garden.

The Trailside Nature & Science Center located within Union County’s Watchung Reservation in Mountainside, NJ is hosting family-friendly February Festivities during the Presidents' Day Holiday weekend on February 19 & 21, 2022.

The theme of Black History Month for 2022 is Black Health and Wellness. A great way to kick it off is with the legendary story of Dr. James Still. (Article by Becky Free, published February 1, 2022)

"A Rutgers Law Camden student and a Rutgers–New Brunswick alumnus helped transform an abandoned Camden landfill into a waterfront park and a community center, embracing the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision that presaged the environmental justice movement."

This article is from Rutgers–Camden Office of Civic Engagement's "Beyond the Dream" series to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Article by Sam Starnes, published January 13, 2022)

The Pinelands Short Course is a daylong event co-sponsored by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission & Stockton University. It features many educational presentations that explore the unique history, ecology, and culture of the Pinelands.

This virtual event from the Northeast Earth Coalition (NEEC) based in Montclair, NJ will explore issues of climate change, environmental justice, and local sustainability.

Hoboken’s first parks — Church Square, Columbus, Stevens and Elysian — dating from the late 1880s to 1912, all contain London plane trees. What remarkable foresight the city leaders of that era had, as their investment has lasted for over a century. Potentially, they could last another century as these trees are known to have a lifespan of several hundred years. In Hoboken, they have provided a slice of nature for generations of urban dwellers. Today, these trees have grown to an immense stature, some with trunks expanding to three feet in diameter and reaching heights of fifty feet.

The Essex County Beekeepers Society, Raritan Valley Beekeepers Association, and South Jersey Beekeepers Association are offering courses on sustainable beekeeping for beginners in early 2022. Registration is now open, and scholarships are available for New Jersey students.  

"Climate change is affecting all of us. It is making our city hotter and wetter than ever but there are ways to cool and dry our neighborhoods using green infrastructure. We want to hear from you about how you've experienced heat and flooding and what the city should do about it."

The Climate Safe Neighborhoods Task Force will take the results of this survey to the City and discuss how they can help to cool and dry our community."

For families who love the outdoors, the holidays, and music – this is a must-see display. Gaze across Lake Meone as over 120 decorated, brightly lit trees magically float across the smooth waters. After sundown, the light show begins, as the trees seem to dance as the lights synchronize to your favorite holiday tunes. The reflections of the lights on the water beneath creates an even grander show for New Jersey families to enjoy together.

The Climate Change Resilience Strategy includes recommendations to promote the long-term mitigation, adaptation, and resilience of New Jersey’s economy, communities, infrastructure, and natural resources throughout the State.