The World Series of Birding

by The Conservancy's World Series of Birding Team Captain, Dennis Briede

The World Series of Birding was established by the New Jersey Audubon Society in 1984 to help raise money for conservation. Since its inception the participants have raised a combined total of nearly $10,000,000. The Land Conservancy of New Jersey raises $16,000 - $20,000 each year through the support of our members for our World Series of Birding team. Every species found, every dollar raised preserves & protects critical bird habitat in New Jersey.

In 1984 there were only 13 teams. Now there are over 50 teams in every category. The objective of the day is to tally as many bird species as you can in a 24 hour period. This can be done by bicycle, boat, car, foot, in one county, in one spot (a deck) or a group can cover the entire state of New Jersey. You need to be skilled not only in the identification of about 200 species of birds; you must also know their songs and calls. A good majority of the bird species during that 24 hour period are heard and not seen (yes even in the dark!) You have to remain sharp for 24 straight hours if you want to tally 150 plus species for the day.

This is the 15th year in a row that a team from The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has participated in the World Series of Birding. Our Highlands Hawks team consists of Captain Dennis Briede (Conservancy Stewardship Manager), Alan Boyd and Stephen Kloiber. Dennis and Alan have been birding since 1980. Stephen is an exceptional birder and is only 18 years old. He joined the team last year and has been birding with Alan and Dennis for nearly a year.

It’s best to have a team that is familiar with each other because the team will be together from 10:00pm Friday night until 1:00am Sunday morning (27 hours or so). We will even eat in the vehicle between stops (cooler provided). Toyota/Lexus has been kind enough to lend the Conservancy a vehicle for the event. Last year the team drove over 600 miles by the end of the day. It is a fun event but at the same time it is very grueling.

The most important key is the route. Most of the really high scoring groups start in north Jersey and end up at Cape May by midnight. Usually the groups start out visiting swamps and wetlands from midnight until about 5:00am to hear the wetland birds such as bitterns, rails and ducks. Scouting is needed to find nesting hawks and owls. At dawn you need to find a place with diverse habitat to tally all of the various birds singing and calling in the early hours. From there you visit special spots that are host to some of the uncommon and more difficult species to find. Our team’s goal this year is to be on our way to south Jersey by 9:30am or there won’t be enough time to visit all of the special spots in that area. All teams must either email the results or report to the final meeting place by midnight or be disqualified.

Please help our Highlands Hawks team raise money for The Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s land preservation work. Please donate any amount you can. You can make a per-bird pledge online here (for example, $1 per bird). Our goal is to tally 200 species or more!

SIGNS OF SPRING: A Series by Dennis Briede, Staff Naturalist

We want you to know what is going on in the world of nature at this time of year as well as some news about The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. Most of the time we are so busy traveling from work to home, or school to business, that we don’t see what is going on in the world of around us, the world of nature, that we are all working so hard to protect.

At this time of year we are still in the wrath of this snowy winter but there are already many signs that spring is just around the corner. If you have a view of a forested or a wet, swampy area take a closer look at it and you will notice that the trees have taken on a reddish hue. That means that the buds are swelling, in anticipation of spring. This is especially true of the maple trees. In about three weeks they will be blooming! Another sign that spring is just around the corner is the song of the cardinal. In the early morning they are starting to whistle their clear melodious song. Some of the other local birds that are easily seen this time of year are the morning dove and the tufted titmouse, who are also starting to sing.

You can also hear the drumming of the woodpeckers in the forest outside your window. Just like bird songs, drumming is most common in spring when birds are trying to attract mates and establish territories. Sometimes they will pick a rain gutter to hammer away on and it sounds like a machine gun going off right outside your window. Great horned owls are already sitting on their eggs and the bald eagles are ready to nest. Small flocks of redwing blackbirds and common grackles are gathering and will soon disperse to find their nesting sites. You can hear them chattering away in the trees. Turkey vultures as well as black vultures are moving north in the skies above us. Crocuses & snowdrops have pushed up from the ground and soon will be flowering. Maple sap is starting to flow. You can sometimes see it hanging on a branch like an icicle. Small brown moths are already flying around in the warmer evenings.

Keep your eyes and ears tuned in the next couple of weeks for more sights and sounds of spring. The skunk cabbage will be blooming and woodcocks will be arriving and displaying their mating rituals in the wet fields. The two common overwintering butterflies, the comma and the mourning cloak, will be seen fluttering outside. Spring peepers will start to call from the swamps and wood ducks will be arriving in the local lakes and small open areas. So even if we get more snow and cold spring is coming. Stay tuned.

Scholarship applications available now

1/31/2011

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is accepting applications for their 2011 Scholarship Program.
The Conservancy administers two major Scholarships, the Russell W. Myers Scholarship and the Rogers Family Scholarship. The Conservancy’s Scholarship Program will be awarding a total of $14,000 in 2011. Each Scholarship will provide $7,000 to a New Jersey resident pursuing a degree in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, horticulture, park administration, or a related field. Potential candidates must currently be a student in good standing with at least 15 credits completed and have an academic average equivalent of a 3.0 or higher.

The deadline for application is April 1, 20110. One application covers both Scholarships. Interested students can obtain application forms by calling The Land Conservancy at (973) 541-1010 or by visiting our website at http://www.tlc-nj.org/.

The Russell W. Myers Scholarship Fund was established in 1983 to honor Mr. Myers, founder of Morris Land Conservancy, and an outstanding leader in the field of conservation. Mr. Myers served as the first Director of the Morris County Park Commission for more than a quarter century. His dynamic leadership established the Morris County Park System as the largest county park system in the State of New Jersey and one of the finest in the nation.

The Rogers Family Scholarship Fund was established in 2005 by Gray and Mollie Rogers, dedicated conservationists who wanted to expand The Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s educational support for outstanding environmentally-oriented students. Gray Rogers is a Trustee Emeritus of the Conservancy.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s Scholarship Program has awarded $148,000 in grants to 40 outstanding college students since its inception.

55 Acres Preserved in Hardwick Township

Warren County: 55 acres preserved in Hardwick Township
Check out this great project that was completed late in December:

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is pleased to announce the preservation of a 55 acre property near the intersection of County Road 521 and Spring Valley Road in Hardwick Township on December 7, 2010. Previously owned by John Eric Wehrle of Hardwick Township, the site is a mixture of farm fields and forest located near the Township municipal complex. The property provides an important opportunity for recreation and its preservation is consistent with Hardwick Township’s Open Space Plan which sets a priority for protecting environmentally sensitive sites that can host rare and endangered species.

The site - which is made up of four parcels of land - was ripe for sale and development. When one of the parcels went up for sale two years ago, local officials worked with The Land Conservancy of New Jersey to purchase the property for open space. Located within an area known as “Spring Valley,” this corner of the municipality contains several large springs fed by underground streams. Its preservation protects Ridge and Valley Conservancy’s (RVC) adjoining Spring Valley Preserve. Ferlas Pond, a vernal sinkhole pond that hosts several rare species, is located on the Preserve. Vernal ponds are intermittently filled with water, going through cycles of drying out and filling up with water, particularly after rains or when snow melts. Since they almost never contain fish, they are an ideal breeding ground for frogs and other amphibians. A similar sinkhole pond is located on the Wehrle property.

The property will be owned by the Township of Hardwick. It was purchased using Warren County Open Space Funds, municipal Open Space Funds, and a grant from the New Jersey Green Acres program. The site is the first open space project Hardwick Township has preserved with The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. Combined with three farms preserved by The Land Conservancy and Township a year ago, the Conservancy has helped Hardwick preserve 402 acres of land within the municipality.

A hiking trail that begins at town hall runs through the RVC Spring Valley Preserve. This trail will be extended into the Wehrle property, following tractor lanes within the property. The expansion of the trail will give residents access to the property’s serene and beautiful plateau and allows viewing of the wildlife that is found within Spring Valley.

Plantings critical in restoring the natural state of the South Branch Preserve

While the physical restoration of the South Branch Preserve may be complete, ongoing monitoring of the property is now critical. When the site was altered for residential development, many plants and trees were destroyed. These have now been replanted on the site, helping to bring it even closer to its pre-development state. Several steps are being taken to ensure they take root and survive onsite.

Some new plant growth on the South Branch Preserve Restoration Site

Among the trees and shrubs planted are Sugar Maples, Red Maples, Black Cherry, Silver Dogwood, Beardstongue, and Swamp Milkweed. In total, over 300 trees and over 700 shrubs were planted throughout the South Branch Preserve Restoration Site. Given some time to grow, the forest will be on the rebound within five to ten years!

Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve has completed a Plant Stewardship Index (PSI) for the site. The PSI measures the ecological integrity of native plant communities and establishes a standardized measure of the effectiveness of our land management practices over time. The PSI was conducted by a team of botanists inventorying each of the plant communities on the site. The final report shows that the South Branch Preserve Restoration Site has one of the highest diversities of plant species inventoried in New Jersey.

While the new plantings begin to grow, it is also important to keep an eye on the spread of non-native species on the site. These “invasive” plants thrive on disturbed sites, making it more difficult for native plants to survive. The Land Conservancy’s Stewardship team is working with our restoration experts to provide every opportunity for native saplings, seeds, and shrubs to thrive.

An Invasive Species Report by Ecological Solutions found that two of the most pervasive non-native species at the South Branch Preserve are Japanese Stiltgrass and Japanese Barberry. Deer and other animals tend to avoid these plants in favor of native species, further encouraging their spread. Each of these species can be found on nearly half the acres in the 135-acre site. In total, twenty non-native species are present on the site.

This map shows the extent of non-native species present in different areas of the South Branch Preserve site.

It’s time to celebrate completion of the first phase of the South Branch Preserve Restoration Project!

After nearly four months of hard work, the time to celebrate the restoration of the former Rezamir Estates property in Mount Olive finally arrived on Friday, October 15. The event, “A Highlands Restoration Celebration,” commemorated the completion of the first phase of restoration work at the 135-acre site, which had been subdivided for residential development six years ago.

Guests and media tour the South Branch Preserve site on Friday, October 15.

The event, sponsored by The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, the National Forest Foundation, and the El Paso Corporation, featured a walking tour of the restored site, a breakfast and lunch, and appearances by representatives of several local, state, and Federal agencies, including U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.

Left to Right: Paul Steinbeiser (Restoration Team), David Epstein (The Land Conservancy of New Jersey), Bill Possiel (National Forest Foundation), Leslie Sauer (Restoration Team)

Jim Yardley (El Paso Corporation)

The Land Conservancy could not be more excited about the completion of this work and the positive reception the project has received as it ushers in a new era of land preservation in New Jersey. An article about the project appeared on the front page of Saturday’s Daily Record, and Sunday’s Star-Ledger! [click here, and here to view the articles]

David Epstein (The Land Conservancy of New Jersey President)

Dennis Briede (The Land Conservancy of New Jersey Stewardship Manager and Videographer)

Since June, when the property was acquired by The Land Conservancy in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, a tremendous amount of work has been done to remove the infrastructure installed for the residential subdivision, including the home foundation, gravel roads, concrete culverts, and detention basins. The site - located in the headwaters of the South Branch of the Raritan River, which provides drinking water to over a million New Jersey residents - is of critical importance in the Highlands Preservation Area.

Stream crossing before restoration

Reconstructed stream crossing

Old detention basin

Restored vernal pond

Although we’ve made tremendous progress in restoring the site to its natural state, the work isn’t over yet. As we wait for the forests to regrow, invasive plant species have threatened the biological diversity of the site. Keep posted for updates on our efforts to limit their spread.

Construction and Planting Almost Complete on South Branch Preserve

Construction, planting and seeding on the South Branch Preserve Restoration Project is almost complete! The completion of this work of the restoration project will mark the end of the first phase of the extensive makeover since the property’s purchase in June 2010.

The extensive makeover has left the site unrecognizable compared to early June. Two detention basins were removed from the property and replaced with fourteen vernal pools. Additionally, 450 native shrubs and trees have been planted near the former upper detention basin and over 200 native shrubs and trees have been planted near where the former lower detention basin was located. Roads have been removed from the property and a deer fence installed to lessen the detrimental effects of deer grazing on the property.

Workers planting shrubs and trees along newly created vernal ponds

Wildflower and native grass seed have been planted over much of the property, which have recently started to sprout. The planting and seeding, done in phases, will give way to a cover crop that will protect the soil from erosion, as well as protect the land throughout the winter months. The roads, which were removed, have recently been seeded and trees will soon be planted in their former path.

Seeding taking place on the property by a tractor pulling a seeder

The stream crossings have been restored to their natural state after they were culverted and diverted for development prior to the preservation of the land. The restoration crew has lined each of the crossings with boulders and rocks. Additionally, planting of wetland grasses and shrubs is nearly complete around the boulders to ward off erosion.

The planted and seeded stream beds- restored to their natural state

With construction and planting nearing completion, the focus of the project has shifted to future management of the property. To help with the management, Linda Kelly, from Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, is completing the Plant Stewardship Index (PSI) of the property. The PSI will help The Land Conservancy to assess the range of plants and trees on the property from the valuable to the detrimental.

The most valuable are rare or endangered species that will need special care and maintenance right now and in the long-term. The detrimental plants include invasive species or non-native plants, which can easily adapt to varying temperatures, and varying amounts of sunlight and water. They can easily take over a particular area when conditions are not suitable for more native plants to grow. Our goal is to create optimal conditions on the site for the native plants to outcompete non-native plants.

Dr. Mike Van Clef, with Ecological Solutions, is almost finished creating maps which will show the extent and severity of invasive species encroaching on the property. On the South Branch property, the two worst invasive species are Japanese Stiltgrass and Japanese Barberry. Other species that pose a moderate threat on the property include Common Mugwort, Bush Honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, Tree of Heaven, and Multiflora Rose.

One of the two most invasive species on the property, Japanese Barberry

In addition to the mapping, Mike will outline steps to remove and to control these species immediately, and in the future. As a result, his findings will aid the management of the property right away, as well as in the long-term. Controlling the infestation of invasive species on the South Branch Preserve will be an ongoing issue that will last many years. Our goal is to prevent soil erosion, and to promote healthy forest growth to ensure clean water to the South Branch.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is looking forward to completing the restoration project and developing a plan to manage the property. Please check back soon for more updates!