In a race against the clock, the Wetlands Institute, American Littoral Society and Middle Township, along with a committed group of conservation partners, will restore prime horseshoe crab and shorebird habitat destroyed by Superstorm Sandy on the Delaware Bayshore in time for this spring’s horseshoe crab spawning and shorebird migration season.

In a rapid assessment of the impacts of Hurricane Sandy immediately following the storm, researchers Larry Niles, Amanda Dey (NJDEP), David Mizrahi (NJ Audubon) and Lenore Tedesco (Wetlands Institute) identified the Delaware Bay beaches, critical habitat for the world’s largest concentration of horseshoe crabs and a key stopover point for migratory shorebirds, as significantly impacted by Superstorm Sandy, and a priority for habitat restoration.  The storm stripped the beaches of their sand.

Without sand at the high tide line on the beach, horseshoe crabs will be unable to bury their eggs, further endangering this Bayshore icon whose numbers are already low.   This would also be harmful to migrating shorebirds, especially the red knot, an endangered species in New Jersey. When the birds arrive on the Delaware Bayshore, they depend on the fat-rich horseshoe crab eggs to replenish their strength for the last leg of their 10,000-mile journey from the tip of South America to their nesting grounds in the Arctic. Based on monitoring led by NJDEP and Dr. Larry Niles, these beaches were used by more than 50% of shorebirds on the Bayshore during the 2012 stopover.

“This project is critical to the continuing efforts to protect and restore the horseshoe crabs and shorebirds of Delaware Bay especially in light of the added blow that Superstorm Sandy dealt the area.  The prospect of losing a spawning season for the horseshoe crabs and the potential for a huge impact on already endangered shorebirds made action imperative.  It’s been amazing to see the multitude of people and organizations that have come together to get sand on the beaches ahead of the crab’s arrival. In the weeks following the storm, most assessments were that it would be impossible to make this project a reality in time” said Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director of The Wetlands Institute.

The project will be carried out by a partnership which includes the American Littoral Society, the Wetlands Institute, LJ Niles Associates, Dianne Daly CEP, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, The Richard Stockton College of NJ Coastal Research Center, and Middle Township. More than a dozen partners, both public and private, are working to accomplish this project.  Critical support has been provided by the USFWS Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, The Nature Conservancy and several Bayshore landowners.

The project partners will restore nearly one mile of beach in segments that include southern Reeds Beach, Cooks Beach, Kimble Beach, and possibly northern Pierces Point. Restoration will involve trucking in nearly 24,000 cubic yards of sand and removing rubble from several beach areas. “This is a unique project because the project design and specifications are based on creating suitable habitat for horseshoe crabs.  It’s not a beach renourishment project or dune construction project” said Tedesco, who has been evaluating sand characteristics and beach profiles that have been designed by scientists at The Richard Stockton College’s Coastal Research Center.

“This project is unique because it’s a great example of how a project targeted to benefiting the environment can also benefit local residents and the regional economy” said Mayor Dan Lockwood of Middle Township. In addition to the revenue for local businesses receiving contracts for the project, nature tourism to view the wildlife of Delaware Bay is a multimillion dollar annual contributor to the region’s economy.  Concurrent to this project, the Township’s Deputy Mayor Tim Donohue and Open Space and Recreation Project Team have been part of a cooperative effort with environmental groups to improve the Township’s Delaware Bay recreation areas to attract more of the nature tourism market.  Committee member Susan Delanzo added, “It is wonderful to see this project come through so quickly. It is for the common good and as a result of a lot of hard work and coordinated efforts of so many organizations and agencies. I think that our bay community is one of our most beautiful natural resources and we should do everything within our power to preserve it.”

The project has had strong support from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers who have been reviewing the permits required for the work. Middle Township has been providing direct assistance in carrying out the field work, and local landowners have granted permission for the conservation work to be done on their properties.

The project is funded by grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NJ Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, and in-kind contributions from the project partners.

The Wetlands Institute is proud to announce its lineup of special events and community programs for 2013. The events and programs of the Wetlands Institute focus on education and outreach and aim to teach people of all ages the value of wetlands and coastal ecosystems using the surrounding marsh, beach, and Delaware Bay as the backdrop.

• May 18-19, 2013 – Shorebird Festival
• July 13, 2013 – Sunset Soiree and Open House
• August 3, 2013 – Wings ‘N Water Benefit Auction
• September 21-22, 2013 – Fall Migration Festival
• November 29-30, 2013 – Wetlands Wonderland

Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director with the Wetlands Institute said “There is a lot of enthusiasm over the 2013 schedule of programs and we are excited to share them with our South Jersey community. Our special events programs include some major changes going forward. We are focusing our events on educational experiences for the community and working to provide opportunities for adults, as well as children, to learn in the natural world.”

One of the most significant changes to this year’s schedule of events is the addition of two festivals – and the absence of the Wings ‘N Water Festival. The Wings ‘N Water Benefit Auction on Saturday, August 3rd will be the only remaining component of the festival. Many of our traditional Wings N’ Water festival components will be held in mid-September as part of the new Fall Migration Festival.

Staff will now be able to focus on new and innovative education and conservation programs that will feed program content and events into the Shorebird and Fall Migration Festivals. We will no longer hold the Wings ‘N Water Art and Carving show, but will retain the Quilters show as part of the Fall Migration Festival.

Other special themed days (e.g., TurtleFest {3/30}, Crabulous Crab Day {7/19}, Monarch Madness {10/5}), as well as fundraising events (e.g., World Series of Birding {5/11}, Mac McAnally Concert {TBD}) are also planned.

The Wetlands Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Brooke Knapick as the new Director of Educational Program Development. Brooke joins the Wetlands Institute staff in mid-January and brings a wealth of experience in both environmental and science education. The Wetlands Institute is re-launching its education program with strong emphasis on experiential and inquiry-based programming that engages children and adults in exploration and learning about the natural environment. Educational programs will be adding strong science-based programs, experimentation and data collection, and will introduce technology to environmental education programs.

“Brooke is a wonderful addition to the Wetlands Institute team and has a very strong background in science and environmental science program development, implementation and delivery. Her programs are strongly focused on exploration and discovery and are really exciting” said Institute Executive Director Lenore Tedesco.

Under Tedesco’s leadership, the Wetlands Institute has launched a series of new initiatives designed to diversify the Wetland Institute’s conservation and research portfolio and make the education programs nationally competitive.

Brooke Knapick was most recently the Education Specialist at a Big Ten University Research and Outreach Center, where she designed and implemented an award-winning environmental science education outreach program for middle and high school students. The program utilized a mobile technology trailer containing interactive learning kiosks, research grade technology and wireless data collection and recording devices. Prior to her work at Indiana-Purdue University, Brooke was an environmental educator at Northern Illinois University and a naturalist intern at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Wetlands Institute Named Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Grants Recipient

The Wetlands Institute has been awarded a grant from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) for its Jersey Shore Terrapin Conservation Project. The Institute is among 80 projects selected this year for their efforts to inspire people and collaborations to protect the world’s wildlife, and to connect children and communities to nature.  The grant is part of the DWCF’s $20 million milestone in conservation giving since its inception in 1995.

The Jersey Shore Terrapin Conservation Project is a community-based program designed to assess the impact of human activities on diamondback terrapins and implement practices to reduce those impacts.  During 2012-2013, the Institute plans to (1) develop a new community-based conservation initiative in response to large numbers of emerging diamondback terrapin hatchlings being trapped in storm drains on barrier beach islands in southern New Jersey; (2) continue their long-term diamondback terrapin research and conservation activities; and (3) enhance the pilot program funded by DWCF in 2011-2012 to develop and distribute terrapin conservation-based learning activities designed by grade school teachers for grade school students. 

“We are delighted to be working with DWCF to expand our work to reduce terrapin mortality due to human impacts in our community,” said Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Wetlands Institute Executive Director. “These programs provide the community with opportunities to participate in meaningful and impactful conservation efforts.”

About DWCF

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund works to save species and habitats and to connect kids to nature to help develop lifelong conservation values.  To date, DWCF has granted more than $20 million to support conservation programs in 112 countries.  Projects chosen for funding must address a critical conservation need, contribute solid field science, and incorporate community conservation education and engagement.  To see the complete list of 2012 DWCF grant recipients, visit disney.com/conservation.

Learn more about Disney’s citizenship efforts at www.disney.com/citizenship

About the Wetlands Institute

The Wetlands Institute is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) educational and research facility focused on salt marsh and coastal ecosystem preservation.  Annually, the Institute educates over 20,000 visitors, of which 6,000 are school aged children.  The Wetlands Institute’s mission is to promote appreciation, understanding and stewardship of wetlands and coastal ecosystems through programs in research, education and conservation.  The Institute was founded in 1969 by the late Herbert H. Mills, (former Chairman of the Board of the World Wildlife Fund, and Executive Director of the National Audubon Society), to further coastal environmental knowledge.  From its inception, the Wetlands Institute has pioneered a number of research, education and conservation programs about wetlands and coastal ecosystems, and worked with numerous regional, national and international organizations to foster stewardship of these resources worldwide.   For more information on the Institute, please visit www.wetlandsinstitute.org.

STONE HARBOR – The 65-foot fin whale that washed ashore on an Ocean City beach in January died from a boat strike so severe, its intestines were forced into its chest cavity. That was the conclusion of the technicians of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, who performed an on-site necropsy before dismembering and burying the animal.

On Saturday, March 17, about 40 people gathered at the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor to become official volunteers for the center, based in Brigantine. In the future, they may find themselves standing watch over stranded animals until a professional can come to its aid, and explaining to an ever-curious public why they cannot approach a marine mammal – whether it is injured, sick or well – on beaches, in the water, or anywhere else in the state. If they have a strong constitution, they may also assist in necropsies or burials.

The stranding center, founded in 1978 by Sheila Dean and Bob Schoelkopf, relies on volunteers to support its professional staff. Just three staff technicians respond to strandings, which can number in the hundreds each year. Jay Pagel, Bill Deerr and Brandi Biehl cover all of New Jersey, and sometimes help stranded mammals and sea turtles in neighboring states.

The volunteers learned about the types of animals they may see in their work. The most common are harp seals, grey seals and harbor seals. When the center learns of a stranding, it dispatches a local volunteer to report on the animal’s size and condition, take pictures and measurements, and then keep the public at a safe remove until the pros arrive.

Crowd control is an important part of the job. Some onlookers get “very emotional” when they see an animal in distress, said education coordinator Halley Martinez. Some insist on getting close enough to take pictures, even at the risk of frightening an injured animal back into the water.

But not all animals on the beach are sick. If a seal is plump and bright-eyed, and reclining in the “banana” position, with its rear flippers slightly aloft, it’s usually just taking some sun, Martinez said.

“Even though seals are docile – they won’t bother you if you don’t bother them – they will try to defend themselves,” said Martinez, adding that it’s against the law to physically interact with a marine mammal or sea turtle. In 2011, a woman tried to handle a grey seal pup and was bitten. She could have been subject to a fine or even prison, said Martinez, but authorities “thought the bite was punishment enough.”

The pup was quarantined until it was determined it did not carry any disease or parasites, and “cried the whole time” it was held at the center, said Martinez. “He was like, ‘I’m innocent, I’m innocent.’ He was so upset.”

When dolphins and whales beach themselves, they’re usually too sick to be rehabilitated. Deerr noted that beached dolphins can be dangerous because they may thrash, and untrained onlookers can be hurt if they stand near them at either the head or tail.

The chief risks for marine mammals are environmental pollution and trash – an animal that swallows a plastic bag is almost certain to die – along with entanglement in fishing nets; boat strikes; and lack of food that can lead to dehydration and disorientation. Military testing is also a problem because it can interfere with dolphins’ sonar.

Bonnie Ault of Ocean City signed up for the workshop after attending a meeting of the Ocean City Environmental Commission following the whale’s death.

The stranding center “was asking for volunteers, and they have very few paid personnel,” she said. “I’m always on the beach and I thought I could possibly lend a hand.”

Sheila McCallum, a high school science teacher from Stone Harbor, said she is “always on the water and on the bay and on the beach. I thought I would help out since I’m here so much.”

Schoelkopf said volunteers are “invaluable” to the wildlife rescue organization, which is facing massive cuts in federal grant money. President Barack Obama wants to end $100,000 in grants from the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance program, almost one-sixth of the center’s annual budget.

“It’s rough,” said Schoelkopf. “We’re working at capacity now, and the only cutting we could do is staffing-wise. We can’t cut insurance, we can’t cut fuel, we can’t cut parkway expenses” for technicians who travel up and down the coast to rescue sites. “We’re relying more on fundraisers to generate more money.”

That makes volunteers even more essential, he said. “We can never have enough.”

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is located at 3625 Brigantine Blvd. For more information, call (609) 266-0538 or see www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org.

STONE HARBOR – Young artists with an interest in waterfowl can enter their artwork in the 2012 Federal Junior Duck Stamp competition with the chance that their design could be selected for this year’s Junior Duck Stamp. The contest is open to any private or public school student, home schooled or privately taught art student.

Participants select a species of North American waterfowl, do research on the species and the habitat and then depict the waterfowl in an artistic medium. All New Jersey entries must be mailed to the Wetlands Institute, 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd., Stone Harbor, NJ 08247 and postmarked by midnight of the March 15 deadline. Detailed information on rules, format and entry procedures is available at www.fws.gov/juniorduck or through the Wetlands Institute, 609-368-1211. Judging will be at the Wetlands Institute March 26.

Entries are divided into four age group categories, with 12 winners in each category (3 firsts, 3 seconds and 3 third place winners) plus an additional 64 honorable mentions. The Best of Show, selected from all entries for the New Jersey competition, will represent the state at the national level of competition, and the national winner will have his/her art used on the 2012 Junior Duck Stamp.

The Junior Duck Stamp Program was developed to teach students more about environmental science and habitat conservation and help students explore the esthetic qualities of wildlife and nature.

Posted: Sunday, February 26, 2012 12:45 am | Updated: 9:58 am, Sun Feb 26, 2012.

By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer |

By Sandy Bauers – Inquirer Staff Writer – philly.com

The red knot, a small shorebird whose 10,000-mile migration brings it to Delaware Bay each spring, has been designated an endangered species in New Jersey, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced Thursday.

Wildlife officials said that the new status, a change from threatened, did not add protections. However, it is formal recognition that despite years of efforts to help the bird, its numbers continue to decline.

The red knot population on the bay is about 15,000, down from nearly 100,000 two decades ago.

The change was one of several revisions and additions adopted by the DEP. Put on the endangered list were two other birds – the black rail and golden-winged warbler – as well as the gray petaltail, which is a species of dragonfly, and Indiana bat.

Six dragonfly species and three birds – the American kestrel, cattle egret, and horned lark – were added to the state’s threatened list.

Species upgraded because their status has improved include the bald eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon, red-shouldered hawk, northern goshawk, short-eared owl, vesper sparrow, and Cooper’s hawk.

“We have many positive takeaways from this most recent update to the lists, but we are also reminded that much work still lies ahead of us,” said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.

Until the Wetlands Institute’s live Osprey Cam goes live in mid-March, enjoy this live camera set on an eagle’s nest at the Docorah, Iowa fish hatchery.  The eagle is pregnant and predicted to lay eggs very soon.  In 2011, the eggs appeared on February 23rd.

Click here to view Eagle Camera

Stay tuned for the Institute’s camera to go live soon!