Category: Volunteer Programs

A Future Forest for Hillsborough

Posted on by CWF
Restoring valuable wildlife habitat in northern new jersey

By MacKenzie Hall, Private Lands Biologist

A row of trees wait to be planted. © MacKenzie Hall

Last week, a park in Hillsborough Township got a makeover.  Following “a shave and a haircut,” more than seven acres of fallow farmland were planted with 1,500 native trees and shrubs.

This afforestation is the latest partnership between Hillsborough and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation to improve wildlife habitat on township-owned lands.  The park (on Wertsville Road between Montgomery & Long Hill Rds) sits on the northern edge of the Sourland Mountains, which hold significant values to forest wildlife, migratory songbirds, human residents and recreationists.  Our project will extend this forest cover and all of its benefits.

Elliot Hodge helps out on planting day. © MacKenzie Hall

We selected 25 different native tree & shrub species with a variety of things in mind…for example:

  • Red, white, black, and chestnut oaks will produce acorns, a great food source for many animals;
  • White pines grow densely to shelter wildlife in winter;
  • Hackberry and sassafras are larval food sources for certain types of butterflies;
  • Tulip poplars grow quickly and are loved by bees;
  • Shagbark hickories are important bat roosts in summer;
  • Elderberry, bayberry, and dogwoods produce fruit to fuel migrating songbirds as well as animals who winter here.
Volunteer John Muth settles a young white pine into its new home. © MacKenzie Hall

While the trees are in the ground, this project is still “in progress.”  The next step is to install temporary fencing to protect the saplings from deer browse.  We’ll also have to fight the invasive plants – like autumn olive and multiflora rose – that grew so heartily at the site before. And lastly, we still have 150 trees and shrubs to plant at the neighboring Otto’s Farm Park.  Please contact me (908-782-4614 x 104) if you want to help!

A huge “THANKS!” goes out to Conservation Resources, Inc. for funding a large part of this restoration, to the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s NJ Partners for Fish and Wildlife program for donating 1,000 of the trees and shrubs, to the D&R Greenway Land Trust nursery and Pinelands Nursery for their beautiful plant products, to Hillsborough Township for investing in their local wildlife, and to the 20 volunteers who helped with the tree planting.

Going nuts for Woodrats!

Posted on by CWF
Help collect acorns for the endangered Allengany Woodrat

by Maria Grace, Education and Outreach Manager

Allegheny woodrats are sometimes referred to as “packrats” because of their hoarding behavior. © Mick Valent

The Allegheny woodrat is a state endangered species. It was added to the endangered species list in 1991. There is one remaining population of these small mammals left in the state and they need our help this winter.

This season we are going to help the woodrat by providing it with food. We will distribute acorns, beech nuts, hickory nuts or any other nuts from native New Jersey trees in the area the woodrats live. By providing them with food we will help them survive the winter.

Collecting nuts while learning about the habits and habitat needs of the Allegheny woodrat is a great service learning project! Have your students collect native tree nuts throughout the community and help to protect one of NJ’s rarest wildlife residents.

We are collecting nuts now through November 24th to distribute to the woodrat’s location throughout the winter. If you would like to contribute to the woodrat’s winter food pantry, please drop off nuts from native New Jersey trees to  the Endangered and Nongame Species Program’s office in Clinton, New Jersey.

  • Please contact Maria Grace at Conserve Wildlife Foundation at (609) 984-0621 for specific instructions.
  • Nuts will be collected until November 24th.

Photo from the Field

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Installing Osprey Platforms

By Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

This past week I installed two osprey nesting platforms with the help of some dedicated volunteers. The platforms were installed on two islands known as Little Sedge Islands off Lavallette in Barnegat Bay. I originally planned on only installing one platform there for a woman who donated to help support our osprey project. However, this past spring on the day we were planning to install the platform my wife went into labor with our first child. So I made up for not having the platform installed before this year’s nesting season by installing two this past week.

The islands are preserved as open space and are great habitat for ospreys. They prefer to nest over or near water (their source of food). Islands provide additional protection from ground predators, like raccoons. There are several nesting platforms nearby that are always occupied, so it’s likely that these platforms will be occupied within the next couple years.

Thank you to everyone who helped out!!

Volunteers finish installing an osprey nesting platform on an island on Barnegat Bay. © Ben Wurst

More photos from the installation:

Brigantine Shorebird Study

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Volunteers are needed to help study migratory shorebird distribution and human use

A large flock of migratory shorebirds at North Brigantine Natural Area. © Ben Wurst

A partnership between Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Endangered and Nongame Species Program, and Rutgers University.

Survey Period: 10/13/2010 – 10/24/2010

Volunteers are needed to help conduct a study that will measure all influences of shorebird distribution (food, predation and human use/disturbance) while altering human recreational use (close sections of beach, restricted access to key areas or to the waterline) to determine impact both to recreational use and shorebirds at a coastal stopover site (North Brigantine Natural Area). Volunteers are needed to survey shorebird behavior and distribution and/or human use of the natural area.

The ultimate goal is to recommend management programs that create the best protection with minimal impact to recreational use to all Federal and State agencies responsible for sites important to migratory shorebirds.

Shorebird Study:

Volunteers/interns must have the ability to:

  1. Identify shorebird species including Red Knot, Semi-palmated Plover, Sanderling, Sandpiper spp., Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone is required.
  2. Accurately observe and record estimates of flock size and behaviors.
  3. Work anywhere 11-hour days with breaks throughout the day on site as needed.
  4. Walk several miles on the beach throughout the shift.
  5. Communicate effectively, intelligently and positively with the public despite potential opposition.
  6. Provide own transportation to Brigantine Natural Area.
  7. Lodging will be provided for those traveling and/or working consecutive days.
Human Use Study:

Volunteers/interns must have the ability to:

  1. Communicate effectively, intelligently and positively about the study with the public despite potential opposition. Volunteers will be supplied with a 1-page hand out about the project with contact information to share with the public.
  2. Advise public of beach closure.
  3. Interview visitors where possible to establish recreational activities, recreational rates, and perceptions.
  4. Accurately record responses.
  5. Work 11 hour days (includes two weekends) with breaks as needed on site throughout the day.
  6. Provide own transportation to Brigantine Natural Area.
  7. Lodging is available for those traveling and working consecutive days.

The schedule will be composed of 11-hour daily survey periods over the course of 12 consecutive days. This includes three pre-treatment days (10/13-10/15) followed by six treatment (beach closure) days (10/16-10/21) and three post-treatment days (10/22-10/24). Obviously, greater availability is preferred but flexible scheduling will be considered. We would like to keep this project a volunteer/intern support survey, so pay is not likely although may be considered if we are able to identify additional funding.

Please contact Cristina Frank at cristina_frank@hotmail.com if you’d like to volunteer.

Nesting Pairs up, productivity down

Posted on by larissasmith
Mixed results for Bald Eagles this year

by Larissa Smith, Biologist & Volunteer Coordinator

Pilesgrove Eagle Pair. © Jeffrey White

The 2010 New Jersey bald eagle nesting season has ended and the young eagles have left their nest areas and are heading out on their own.  This season there was a high of 94 eagle pairs being monitored.  Eighty-two of these pairs were active (laid eggs), 8 were territorial and it was unknown if and where 4 other pairs were nesting.  Thirteen new pairs of eagles were located this season. Good news, the bald eagle population is increasing.

Forty-three nests were successful in producing 69 young, for a productivity rate of .84 young per active nest.  This is slightly below the required range of 0.9-1.1 young per nest for population maintenance.  Unfortunately there were 32 nests which failed to produce young this season.  Many of the failures can be attributed to the severe winter and spring weather which coincided with the eagle nesting season. But every population has fluctuations so this one off season won’t effect the NJ eagle population in the long term.

More details will be available in the Annual Bald Eagle Project report which will be out by the end of the year.

A healthy population

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Osprey numbers continue to rise

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

Three osprey nestlings at a nest near Osbourne Island. © Eric Sambol

Ospreys are currently listed as a threatened species in New Jersey. They were first listed as endangered in 1974 after the state population declined to only 50 pairs, from over 500 prior to 1950. Ospreys have made a remarkable recovery in New Jersey thanks to biologists with the Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) and many volunteers. Surveys that help monitor the population were conducted in late June and early July.

Volunteers and biologists surveyed all major nesting colonies from Sandy Hook south along the Atlantic Coast to Cape May and west to Salem County. Ospreys almost exclusively nest on man-made structures including platforms designed specifically for them, cell towers, duck blinds, channel markers, and boat lifts. Surveyors visited these nest structures to observe whether or not they were occupied. If they’re occupied, then the number of young were recorded and the young were banded for future tracking with a USGS bird band. Preliminary results show that productivity rates are up for all nesting colonies except one (Sedge Island WMA). Since ospreys are predators, they are at the top of the food chain. They are considered to be an indicator species, or a species that is sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and can serve as an indicator of an unhealthy marine ecosystem. Basically, a healthy osprey population means a healthy marine ecosystem.

The climate during this summer has been the complete opposite as last year. It was hot, dry, and calm, with only a few severe storms with high winds that caused some nests to fail. Otherwise, fish stocks are plentiful, especially menhaden. This year many out-of-state commercial fishing boats have started fishing for bunker off New Jersey waters. This is mostly due to declines in herring stocks in New England and the high demand for bait for use in lobster pots. State legislators have introduced a bill that would limit boats from catching bunker for use as bait. Read more here and this press release from the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

Full results from this years survey will be published soon in our annual newsletter. Here is last year’s newsletter.

Thank You to the NJ Bald Eagle Project Volunteers

Posted on by larissasmith
2010 Eagle project volunteer get-together. © Larissa Smith

by Larissa Smith Volunteer Coordinator & Biologist

Every year starting in the late fall/early winter the bald eagle project volunteers start to monitor their eagle pairs. This dedicated group of 60 volunteers monitors each nest at least once a week during the nesting season which goes into July.  Observers record all data including number of birds, courtship or nesting behaviors, incubation, feeding, hatching and fledging. Volunteers notify CWF/ENSP staff immediately if any unusual or threatening activities are seen around the nest site.  The eagle project volunteers are the eyes and ears of the program.  They form relationships with landowners, neighbors and educate the public about eagles in NJ.

Eagle project volunteer Roger Smith shows off the new eagle project t-shirt © Larissa Smith

So far in 2010, 23 eagle project volunteers have reported volunteering at total of 1,312 hours!  This is a significant amount of time and will increase as more volunteers report their hours for the year.

On Saturday August 21st a get-together was held for the eagle project volunteers. Not only was this a way to thank volunteers it also  gave them the opportunity to discuss the nesting season with fellow volunteers and staff.  A power point presentation was shown featuring photos from the nesting season taken by volunteers.

THANK YOU to all the dedicated eagle project volunteers!

Photo from the Field

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Counting bats or the lack thereof

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

It is clear to me that White-nose syndrome (WNS) has decimated a large portion of the bat population in New Jersey, or at least at a site where I count bats for the Summer Bat Count. In 2008 (before WNS), I counted 261 bats at the Chatsworth General Store in August. Counting bats may seem like a daunting feat, but at dusk (when there is still a little light) the bats fly out of their daytime roosts. Sometimes, 1-2 at a time or in bursts of 3-4 or more. In August 2009, I counted 169 bats at the store. This past Sunday, I only counted 23 bats. To say the least these results are alarming. I hope that at other locations in New Jersey people are still seeing bats and I hope that WNS does not continue to decimate the population.

A photo of the bat houses installed on the Chatsworth General Store where many of the bats roost during the day. Many more used to roost in the attic. This image was captured using a technique referred to as HDR. © Ben Wurst.

Shorebird Stewards

Posted on by larissasmith
Helping to protect shorebirds on the Delaware Bay

By Larissa Smith, Assistant Biologist

Visitors to Reeds Beach discuss the shorebird season with Shorebird Steward Jim May.

One part of my job that is quite enjoyable is getting to spend time on the Delaware Bay beaches in the spring and working with the Shorebird Stewards.  As the CWF volunteer manager I organize the Shorebird Steward program which is part of the International Shorebird Project. During the two week period that stewards are on the beaches I try to get out and check on the beaches and meet with the stewards as much as possible.  This season there were 26 stewards and 23 of those had worked as stewards during a previous season.

The main part of the steward’s job is to educate people about the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs, but they do a lot more than that in a day.  Stewards also keep people from going into the closed areas of the beaches so that the shorebirds can feed undisturbed.  They give directions and send people to the beaches where the most birds have been sighted that day.

Shorebird Steward Rochelle Gimmillaro points out shorebirds to visitors to Cook’s beach.

If they have time they also count the number of shorebirds on the beaches and if possible record any banded birds that they see. Stewards deal with all types of people and situations. Some beaches are much busier than others, such as Reed’s beach where there is a viewing platform.  On many days there is a constant stream of people coming to the view the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs.

This season there were very few problems on the beaches and it is directly due to the shorebird stewards hard work and dedication to the project.

I look forward to getting back on the beaches next shorebird season and working with such a great group of volunteers.

This Project is For the birds!

Posted on by Ben Wurst

Planting Native Shrubs

By Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

Viburnums and other shrubs inside the deer fence. © Ben Wurst

During Earth Week, I planted dozens of shrubs. Viburnum, bayberry, spirea, clethra, sumac, etc… They were planted inside Bass River State Forest in Bass River Township, Burlington County, NJ at a habitat enhancement site called Ballanger (pronounced Baaa-lan-ger) Creek. The project is being funded by a grant from the U.S. Forest Service through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The project is being managed by CWF and Duffield Associates, a environmental consulting firm that we hired to help us carry out the project.

The shrub planting was the first phase of this enhancement project. Approximately 1,500 shrubs were planted inside a deer exclusion fencing to help protect the shrubs from being browsed. Volunteers from the public, Bass River State Forest, and CWF came out and helped us plant all the shrubs. We had a great turn out for the event and I am thankful for all the help from all the volunteers!

A volunteer plants a native shrub at Ballanger Creek. © Ben Wurst

The second phase is the seeding of native wildflowers in an old field. The wildflowers will provide food to bees and butterflies in the form of nectar.

The final phase will be the enhancement of the freshwater wetland edge, where a lot of old fill and debris was dumped before the state acquired the property. The fill will be removed along with some exotic invasive species (Common reed) that have colonized the site. The project will be finalized after we install a series of educational interpretive signs that showcase our work and the site.