Author: CWF

Can A Bobcat Pose For A Picture?

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Encourage your 5th graders to find out by entering the Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest!

by Maria Grace, Education & Outreach Manager

SpeciesOnEdgeLogoNow in its 11th year and open to all 5th graders throughout New Jersey, the very popular Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest encourages students to think about rare wildlife in New Jersey.

To enter the contest, students research a species of wildlife that is rare or endangered in New Jersey.  They write an essay detailing the needs of the species and the challenges to its future existence. They then create artwork – a painting or collage – depicting their chosen animal in its natural habitat.

Over the past 10 years, over 25,000 students have entered the contest and have expanded their knowledge about New Jersey’s imperiled wildlife.  Hundreds of teachers throughout the state have participated in the contest and have praised its interdisciplinary approach and its ability to create a deep appreciation for nature:

“My students love the Species on the Edge Contest because they enjoy learning about the many endangered animals in New Jersey, which fits into our curriculum.  The contest helps raise their awareness about how humans interact with the natural world. My students take ownership of one species, and through artwork and research, they express their concerns about the environment and how to protect it.”

–Mary Keyser, Maple Road School, West Milford, NJ

A winner is chosen from each county in NJ, 21 winners in all. The winning artwork and essays become part of a statewide traveling exhibit, helping to raise awareness for New Jersey’s endangered wildlife.

Check out the 2013 winners!

The contest is free and it’s easy to participate! Download your contest kit today from our website.  The kit contains everything you need to participate – lesson plans, entry forms, and a list of approved resources for research.

Basic Training Course for Wildlife Rehabilitation

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ANNOUNCEMENT:

Basic Training Course for Wildlife Rehabilitation

Where:  Mercer County Community College

When:  Weekdays Nov 4 – Nov 8, 2013

 

A young Barn Owl, healed of a leg fracture and about to be returned to its nest. Photo by MacKenzie Hall
A young Barn Owl, healed of a leg fracture and about to be returned to its nest. Photo by MacKenzie Hall

Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of  caring for injured, ill and orphaned native wild animals with the goal of releasing each back to their natural habitat.  This course is designed for individuals interested in becoming licensed wildlife rehabilitators, rehabilitators who wish to include additional species to their current permit and any person wishing to obtain knowledge about native New Jersey wildlife. Over the course of five (5) weekdays, students will have the opportunity to be taught by, interact with, and build relationships with some of the foremost experts in wildlife rehabilitation.

 

Course Description

 

The Basic Training Course for Wildlife Rehabilitation focuses on the skill sets necessary to become a successful wildlife rehabilitator. This course offers information and professional training provided by some of the most knowledgeable instructors in the field of wildlife rehabilitation. It includes history, licensing requirements and regulations, mammal, bird and reptile species identification and anatomy, proper handling, care and nutrition, medical procedures, and much more. Approved by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife (NJDEP), this course is part of an alternative route program to meet New Jersey State licensing requirements for wildlife rehabilitators. Successful completion of the course will count for 40 hours toward the 200 hour New Jersey apprenticeship licensing requirement. This course will also benefit anyone interested in the handling and care of native wildlife. 

 

Objectives

 

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

 

  • better understand all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation
  • know how to provide safe handling and care of wildlife
  • have basic knowledge that encompasses mammal, avian and reptile species

 

The course will run five weekdays Nov 4 through Nov 8, 2013 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm each day. Completion of the course requires attendance at all classes. The course schedule and instructor bios can be found on the CDI website at www.cditraining.org.

Tuition for this program is $499.00, which includes all materials. Registration will be through Mercer County Community College at 609-570-3311. There is no requirement for prior experience or training to attend this course. Please contact Career Development Institute (CDI) with any additional course content questions that you may have:  732-821-6997, www.cditraining.org.

Overview of piping plover flight behavior research

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CWF alumni guest blog

By Emily Heiser, Piping Plover Research Technician

Emily Heiser (l) and Lauren Gingerella (r) with piping plovers in hand for banding.
Emily Heiser (l) and Lauren Gingerella (r) with piping plovers in hand for banding.

Call me crazy, but the combination of piping plovers and New Jersey are just too much for me to resist! Over the last six years, I have spent the majority of my time working for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife protecting piping plovers on their nesting grounds. Most recently I worked on a research project with the State University of New York-ESF that dealt with piping plover flight behavior in Stone Harbor, Avalon and Strathmere, New Jersey. The project’s graduate student, Michelle Avis conducted the other half of the study on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The project was specifically designed to look at piping plover flight patterns across their breeding grounds. The results of the study could have implications for the management of coastal wind turbine development. Continue reading “Overview of piping plover flight behavior research”

Photo from the field

Posted on by CWF

A long-tailed salamander in northern NJ. 

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 In the next few weeks, these salamanders will return to their breeding and hibernation grounds in limestone seepages, rocky outcrops, and streams.

Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s New Shorebird Site

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Find beautiful photographs like this one of a red knot preening on our new shorebird page. © Jan van de Kam
Find beautiful photos like this one of a red knot preening on our new shorebird page. © Jan van de Kam

 

Wondering how you can learn more about shorebirds? Look no further.

 

Despite its part in one of the world’s most incredible migrations, the annual arrival of tens of thousands of shorebirds in Delaware Bay remains relatively unknown to many New Jersey residents. Only recently have shorebirds received some news coverage, but it’s not good news – their numbers are declining rapidly. Scientists have begun to fear that without concerted conservation efforts, species like the red knot may soon go extinct.

 

Check out the vibrant new migration map on CWF's new shorebird page! © NJDFW
Check out the vibrant new migration map on CWF’s new shorebird page. © NJDFW

The Delaware Bay Shorebird Project, a study led by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program, has documented shorebird activity in Delaware Bay for nearly thirty years. The result has been an extensive knowledge base that documents every aspect of shorebird life – from measuring food availability and weight gains to tracking migration routes and breeding success – in New Jersey and beyond. Now, as a longtime partner on this project, the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is proud to introduce a new way to learn about these wonderful birds and the work underway to save them: a brand new shorebird site!

 

CWF's Larry Niles holds a red knot with a geolocator. Read about this research and more on our new shorebird page. © Jan van de Kam
CWF’s Larry Niles holds a red knot with a geolocator. Read about this research and more on our new shorebird page. © Jan van de Kam

These new additions are loaded with content to bring you up to date on all the latest developments in the protection of shorebirds. Learn about these special birds on the Key Species page, and find detailed descriptions about their appearance, life cycle, and where to see them on their own pages in our online Field Guide. Check out the Media page for videos, photos, news articles, scientific publications, and more. Take an in-depth look at all the different areas of shorebird study currently underway on the Research page, and click on the Conservation page to discover how these birds are being protected. Finally, visit our Get Involved page to learn how you can become part of the efforts to help save these remarkable species from extinction.

 

Be sure to check out all the new additions at:  http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/protecting/projects/shorebird/

 

CWF Spotlight on Ashley Hecht, Great Bay Terrapin Project Intern

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Ashley Hecht, Great Bay Terrapin Project Intern helps band ospreys.
Ashley Hecht, Great Bay Terrapin Project Intern helps band ospreys.

My name is Ashley Hecht and I’m going to be a senior this year at Delaware Valley College. My major is Biology with a concentration in Zoology.

This summer I had the opportunity to work with northern diamondback terrapins. Every year female terrapins come out of the bay to lay their eggs and end up crossing the roads, often getting hit by cars. My job was helping reduce the high mortality rates of terrapins from motor vehicles by safely crossing terrapins across the road. My days consisted of patrolling for terrapins along Great Bay Blvd, in Tuckerton, New Jersey. I came across anywhere from 20-60 terrapins a day. I recorded data on the age, length, width, height, and weight, along with if they were gravid (i.e – a female who is full of eggs) .

I didn’t just work with terrapins; I also had to work with the public, which I found many to be very supportive of the conservation effort. One day I was taking measurements on a female, and a car came up behind me. The next thing I know a whole family ran out grabbed another female walking by and moved her safely across the road. They continued to do it for 3 more hours. I’m pretty sure they crossed more terrapins than I did that day.

Many times I came across dead terrapins. Usually it was when the road had a lot of traffic and a ton of terrapins.That’s what you have to expect. I only came across one injured terrapin. After she got hit, she laid 9 eggs on the side of the road. With the help of a volunteer I was able to safely transport her eggs and put them in a nesting cavity over at the Tuckerton Seaport. It was in hopes that I could save the female, so I drove her down to the Wetlands Institute in a bucket strapped in the front passenger seat of my car. I have to say that was the most interesting 40 minute car ride I ever had. I’m sure I got many looks talking to a yellow bucket, while speeding down the parkway.

You never knew what you are going to see on the road, but what you hoped for was terrapins safely crossing the road. I saw many doing just that this summer and I am glad. I wasn’t very familiar with this species, but now I can tell you a whole lot.  I enjoyed every moment of this internship, even the green heads.

I have loved New Jersey’s wildlife my entire life. This is probably because I grew up spending my summers at the Delaware Bay. As a child, I never guessed that helping terrapins across the road, flipping over every horseshoe crab, and watching the many species of birds land on the beach, would lead me to want a career in Wildlife Biology. This was the opportunity I was looking for to help me get experience for my future career goal. Next year I hope to be furthering my education or being in the field.

 

PLOVERPALOOZA!

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Piping plover chicks exercise their wings. © Bill Dalton
Piping plover chicks exercise their wings. © Bill Dalton

The entire staff at CWFNJ works tirelessly to protect our state’s at-risk wildlife, educate the public, and raise funds to continue our work.  It is especially gratifying when those efforts are recognized –  We are thankful to the blog,  Readings from the Northside, who recently wrote about CWF’s Todd Pover and his work to protect the piping plovers of Long Beach Island. 

Read the Blog Post here, and make a donation today to help continue our work to protect beach-nesters and all of NJ’s rare wildlife.

CWF Spotlight on Courtney Zinna, CWF Trenton Office Intern

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CWF Trenton Office Intern, Courtney Zinna and her friend the Rockhopper Penguin.
CWF Trenton Office Intern, Courtney Zinna and her friend the Rockhopper Penguin.

How many people have known exactly what they wanted to do for the rest of their life at just three years old?  Ever since I was a little girl, my dream has always been to be a veterinarian. My dad played a huge role in my life growing up, by allowing me to save any animal that needed help, wild or domestic. We even had a pet baby squirrel in our house growing up until he was ready to be released back into the wild, as a now healthy adult!

As soon as I turned eighteen and was old enough to volunteer at the animal shelter, I quickly got involved in fundraising and pet adoptions. I then got hired at a kennel part-time and started my undergraduate degree at Rutgers University, majoring in Animal Science.   Through Rutgers and my numerous other jobs, including being a vet technician and pet-care associate at PetSmart, I was able to gain hands on experience working with domestic animals.   I was part of the Companion Animal Science Club at Rutgers and through this club I was able to help the many shelters recovering from losses during Hurricane Sandy by raising money and collecting donations, as well as educating younger classmen.
My favorite experience during school was working on a research project called “Animals Assisting Those with Autism”. I worked with a few other students and an advisor (Dr. Julie Fagan) to help set up different families all across New Jersey (who had a child with autism) with their own therapy handler-dog team. The study aimed to prove that therapy dogs can indeed help children with autism by enhancing their communication and social skills. The study allowed me to become a leader and as Research Coordinator, I was able to deal directly with each family and handler-dog team.   It was such a rewarding experience that I will remember for the rest of my life and hope that with this study we can help change lives.   Just seeing how, in six weeks, a child who was completely afraid of dogs, can now go up and hug a stranger’s dog, is quite astounding!  Many of the families involved in the study have noticed permanent changes in their child’s behavior, such as being able to communicate more efficiently and becoming much more socially active with peers.   Some study families have adopted their own therapy dog or have continued visits with a permanent handler-dog team.

Now that I am finally a Rutgers Alumni, I want to participate in more research involving Animal-Assisted Therapy.  I am in the process of applying to both veterinarian and graduate school and I have learned so much working as an intern at CWF this summer so far.   I was so excited when I received the internship position here, and look forward to getting out into the field. I have not had the opportunity to work with a wildlife organization before interning at CWF, and hope to continue interning throughout the year.   I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for me!

Update From the Arctic #6: Mission Accomplished

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CWF’s Larry Niles is in Northern Canada searching for Red Knots and other shorebirds in their Arctic breeding territory. We are following him and posting summaries of his blog entries as he reports from the field.

 

Our small camp. The cold weather and frigid rain confined us to our tents on our second-to-last day.
Our small camp. The cold weather and frigid rain confined us to our tents on the second-to-last day of our trip.

Our second-to-last day in the Arctic was rained out. A constant cold drizzle punctuated by brief downpours confined us to our tents, as the limited visibility would have made it impossible to spot Red Knots or their nests – or approaching polar bears.

 

We saw our first ( and last ) polar bear on the final day of the trip. When it saw us coming his way, he slowly lumbered off in the opposite direction, posing no threat.
We saw our first (and last) polar bear on the final day of the trip. When it saw us coming his way, he slowly lumbered off in the opposite direction, posing no threat.

But on our last day on Knot Plateau, we woke to a brilliant sunny day. While Rick, Steve, and Mandy broke camp, Josh, Mark, and I drove our ATVs out to the two knot nests we had found two days prior. As we had only banded one parent at each nest, we were hoping to find the unbanded birds this time. But the newly hatched knots and their parents had already left for the nearest wetland, and the incubating bird on the second nest was the bird already tagged with a geolocator. With nothing more to be done, we made our way back to camp to help finish packing.

 

A knot incubates her eggs on a small patch of vegetation.
A knot incubates her eggs on a small patch of vegetation.

It took two days to return to Coral Harbour and civilization. After staying the night with Josh and his family, we will begin our two-day journey by commercial flight back to Newark, anticipating the shift from 45 degrees to 95 degrees, but glad to be coming home.

 

The expedition was a success simply because we are all coming home safe and sound. But it was also a complete success because we achieved all of our primary goals. First, we established the presence of a new Red Knot breeding area from the ground. Second, we found a significant number of knots compared to our previous study sites on both Southampton and King William Islands, where most of the knot population had disappeared after the rapid decline in stopovers like Delaware Bay. Third, we finished the fieldwork needed to complete our range-wide mapping of rufa knot breeding habitat, which will help future investigations into Red Knot ecology. And finally, we attached the first geolocators to knots in the Canadian Arctic and set a firm foundation for a more successful effort in the future.

 

Our Team. Back row, L to R: Larry Niles and Mandy Dey. Front row, L to R: Mark Peck, Joshua Keenainak, Steve Gates, and Rick Lathrop.
Our team. Back row, L to R: Larry Niles and Mandy Dey. Front row, L to R: Mark Peck, Joshua Keenainak, Steve Gates, and Rick Lathrop.

We are grateful to many people. The expedition would have been impossible without the support of Paul Smith of the Canadian Wildlife Service. The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, the Canadian Wildlife Service, Rutgers University, the Royal Ontario Museum, and The Steve Gates and Julie Fox Foundation all supported the expedition. The Coral Harbour Hunters and Trappers Organization provided essential support. Bruce McKitrick helped us with supplies. Finally we thank Joshua, Suzy, and their family for their hospitality. This expedition was only successful because of all of you.

 

For the full blog entries, see Larry’s posts: Arctic Rain, Our Last Day, and Summing Up Our 2013 Arctic Expedition.