Beyond Endangered: Fossils in New Jersey

I have been finding the occasional fossil in NJ since I was a kid, kicking around my local creeks. When a species goes beyond endangered, it becomes extinct, and that's what you are usually dealing with in fossil hunting.

One of the top spots in New Jersey for fossil hunting is  Big Brook Preserve in Colts Neck, Monmouth County. (88 Hillsdale Rd., Colts Neck, NJ 07722).

Fossil hunting is great for adults and fun to do with kids if they have some guidance. Check out this family outing.

You need to be prepared with some equipment and need to follow the regulations in many places. For example, at Big Brook, there are several rules and restrictions:

1. Groups of 15+ require a permit
2. The collection of fossils within the preserve is limited to those fossils found within the actual stream waterline. Fossil extraction is prohibited from the walls of streambed above the stream waterline. AKA: stick to the water and the gravel bars; no digging the banks
3. The use of equipment for the collection of fossils is restricted to trowels with a maximum blade of six inches, and small screens with an eighteen-inch-square maximum at all times
4. No person may harvest more than five fossils per day.

Big Brook identification page

The Fossil Guy's Guide to Big Brook

rockchasing.com/fossils-in-new-jersey/

To explore and learn more about New Jersey's fossils, two places to visit are the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, and the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum in Mantua.

shark teeth

Shark's teeth are one of the most common fossil finds. 

Don't set your expectations too high. You are not going to find a dinosaur like the NJ State dinosaur, the Hadrosaurus foulkii. It is a type of hadrosaur, often called the “duck-billed” dinosaur because of its flat, wide mouth. They were plant-eaters that were about 25 feet long. Finding one in NJ was very special because it’s the first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton ever found. Prior to its discovery (in Haddonfield), scientists only had small bits and pieces of dinosaur fossils.

Free Fly Fishing for Bass Workshop

 

Are you interested in learning to fly fish for bass? Join NJDEP F&W’s Fishing R3 Program to learn about the equipment and basic skills you need to target largemouth and smallmouth bass with a fly rod.

This free workshop is for anglers 18 years and older who are interested in learning how to fly fish. The program will start with an in-depth classroom session before putting newly learned skills to practice on August 15, 2025, at Echo Lake in Howell Township, Monmouth County.

All equipment will be provided, or you can bring your own.

All participants must have a valid 2025 NJ Freshwater Fishing License.

Registration Deadline: July 27, 2025 see forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx

Workshop is limited to 12 participants. Only selected participants will be notified by email. 

You will need your Conservation ID (CID#) to apply. Your CID# can be found on your Freshwater Fishing License or by logging in to NJ Fish & Wildlife’s License Sales Site at: nj.aspirafocus.com/internetsales

Hike Governor Mountain

 

Governor Mountain in Ringwood State Park offers you a good hike on the Cooper Union Trail to a rock outcrop for a stunning view over the Wanaque Reservoir. 

A guide from njhiking.com gives you options: a 7.3 or 2.2 miles round trip. The shorter version delivers the same view for less effort but the full route is a worthwhile ramble through a pretty forest.

Post-hike: Explore the grounds of Ringwood Manor, the Victorian-era summer estate of Abram S. Hewitt. Ringwood, Passaic County, New Jersey.

Bats Helping Rid Us of Lanternflies

 

We have known in NJ for several years about the spotted lanternfly. The New Jersey State Department of Agriculture put out warning about how this insect invader could have devastating effects on farms and vineyards in the Garden State.

One piece of good news is that a researcher at Rutgers found that the invasive species has an enemy that we didn't know about before – bats. "Most recently, we've discovered that they are eating the spotted lanternfly," said Erin McHale, a PhD candidate. As a part of McHale's research study, she analyzes what bats are eating by studying their guano (bat poop).

Bats are incredibly helpful to humans. Many bats eat insects and some can consume thousands of mosquitoes in a single night, reducing the need for chemical pesticides.

Fruit bats pollinate plants. We are not growing bananas, mangoes, and agave in NJ but where it is grown they help maintain ecosystems and agriculture.

Bats spread seeds through their droppings, helping forests regenerate and grow. 

New Jersey residents can help by installing a bat house. If it attracts bats, they can consume thousands of insects every night in your neighborhood.