Cold Weekend But A Warming World

It's a cold Jersey weekend, but the last decade could be the warmest ever recorded.

2009 was the fifth warmest year, and 2010 (boosted by El Nino) could be the warmest of them all. That's what comes from recent reports by the World Meterological Organization, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S., and the Met Office (the UK’s National Weather Service).

1. State of the Climate Global Analysis Annual 2009
2. 2000–2009, THE WARMEST DECADE (WMO)
3. Climate could warm to record levels in 2010 (Met)

On the Banks of the Old Raritan

Albany Street Bridge over the Raritan in New Brunswick

Having spent four years at Rutgers College, I heard and sang the alma mater plenty of times at events. "On the Banks of Old Raritan"  (listen to it too)was more than a song in those years, because I spent a lot of time on the actual banks of the river and staring at it from my river dorm window (and flying some masterfully made paper planes over it to Johnson Park).

And so I settled down,
In that noisy college town,
On the banks of the old Raritan.

The River Dorms

The Raritan River is New Jersey's largest river that is entirely contained in the state.

Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. There are 1,100 square-miles of rivulets and streams that spill into the Raritan. The river's source is Budd Lake in the more rural northwestern part of the state. Its path through the state takes it through 100 municipalities and seven counties to an industrial end in Middlesex County.

The Raritan River forms at the confluence of the North and South Branches just west of Somerville. It flows 16 miles before slowing in tidewater at New Brunswick. Its estuary extends 14 miles more until the Raritan Bay at South Amboy.

So, naturally, there would be some further Raritan and Rutgers connections. The Sustainable Raritan River Initiative is one where Rutgers and the over thirty partner organizations and businesses are collaborating to restore and revitalize the Raritan River.


The threats facing the Raritan include over 150 significantly contaminated sites, the legacy of its industrial heritage, and stormwater runoff that erodes riverbanks and brings trash and pollutants into the waterway, the legacy of antiquated infrastructure in a highly urbanized region.

The lower watershed, cited as 14th among US rivers polluted by direct and sewer discharges of toxic chemicals (from 1990-1994), has been heavily impacted by intense industrial and storm runoff pollution and heavy flooding due to extensive urban impervious surfaces and climate change.

But the Raritan River basin also has spectacular natural areas, wildlife habitat, trails and recreational boating areas. It also has scenic waterfront redevelopment opportunities that create the potential for long-term balance and sustainability for the River and the towns that border it.


Some History
The Raritan River was an important water transportation route for the Native Americans. The “Raritan” was an Algonquin word meaning “stream overflows.” The Raritan people were also an Algonquin tribe.

In colonial days, early industry around developed along the Raritan around New Brunswick. During the Revolutionary War, the river provided a means for troop conveyance.

However, before the American Revolution, early Dutch settlers built grist mills on the Raritan, called the “Forked River” by Native Americans.

In the 1830s the Raritan-Delaware Canal provided a waterway connecting Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s coal fields to New York.




The Lower Raritan Watershed’s environmental health has rebounded over the past decade, but there is a long way to go. Bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and osprey again soar the Raritan skies, and a thriving fish population has helped seals, otters, and marine life recover here.

The Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) Raritan River Project has fought since 1989 for the cleanup and restoration of the hazardous waste sites posing the greatest threats to human health and environment.

The Lower Raritan Watershed has a disproportionate amount of the NJ 25,000 toxic waste sites draining into its watershed. Most of these are not remediated to levels that are protective of human health or the environment. Federal and State regulatory agencies responsible for cleaning up these sites have abdicated their responsibilities and the pollution remains unchecked. Over-development threatens the remaining natural areas along the Raritan and her tributaries.

To end on a positive note, the relatively pristine Upper Raritan is a habitat for endangered ancient wild brook trout. It is challenged by an excessive deer population that is seriously reducing vegetative and forest renewal and by the need to preserve its farms and open space.

“Ode to the Raritan, Queen of Rivers”
by John Davis, 1806

All thy wat’ry face
Reflected with a purer grace
Thy many turnings through the trees,
Thy bitter journey to the seas,
Thou Queen of Rivers, Raritan!

More...

• wikipedia.org/wiki/Raritan_river
• www.nowater-nolife.org/watersheds/raritan/
  
• Twin Rivers : The Raritan and the Passaic (The Rivers of America Series)
• Along the Delaware River and Raritan Canal
• River Rats: Growing up on the Raritan River
• Music from Raritan River: World Premiere Recordings of New American Music
• River Rats: Growing up on the Raritan River

Endangered Species Teaching Units

There are 5 lessons on Endangered Species available from Ithaca College. All materials are classroom-ready, including: teacher guides, student handouts, overviews, and assessments

Lesson 1: History of Endangered Species
Lesson 2: Case Study -- Human/Animal Relations (Video)
Lesson 3: Case Study -- Northern Rockies Grey Wolf (Print)
Lesson 4: Case Study -- Rainforest Biodiversity (Video)
Lesson 5: Case Study -- Frogs and Atrazine (Print)

http://www.ithaca.edu/looksharp

Teaching Endangered Species - Including Plants

Last week, I received an email from a New Jersey teacher asking for information about endangered plant species. I get a few emails each month from teachers. Usually, I can direct them to sites or resources. Sometimes they ask tough questions about specific species that really require a response from one of the sate biologists.

Although I post occasionally on the site about plants, endangered plants in NJ, the focus is more about animal species.

I am a volunteer in the state's endangered species program and the speaker's bureau but the focus there is also fish and wildlife.

Searching online and in this blog's archive turned up some resources which I passed on to the teacher.

These sites are the official NJ ones for plants, but I'm not sure how appropriate the info will be for younger students (the teacher was in grades 1-3), but knowing teachers, she will probably be able to adapt for those grades.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/natural/endplants.html

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/spplant.html

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/plant/ (For information regarding this site, they list as a contact Terri.Tucker@dep.state.nj.u)

You might be able to use the plants list http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/feb2009plantlist.pdf and then research specific species.

You also might find some useful posts in the education category of this blog or the education category.

It's great to see how many teachers are using endangered and threatened species in their classrooms.

Here's a slide presentation I found online from one teacher "wea33".

The home page for education from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection is a good starting place at all levels - from a NJ wildlife coloring book to fishing education classes at the Pequest Hatchery.

Teachers should also consider the Division of Fish and Wildlife's e-mail "mailing lists" that will update you about important news, events, rule changes or other matters related to wildlife in the categories of:
Freshwater Fishing
Marine Fisheries
Shellfish
Hunting
Endangered Species
General Wildlife
Fish and Wildlife Education
NJ Outdoors 


And there are plenty of books that teachers can purchase of get from libraries to use.

• The Atlas of Endangered Species
• Witness: Endangered Species of North America
• Endangered: Wildlife on the Brink of Extinction
• The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology and Public Policy
• Endangered Species (Helping Children Learn)
• Endangered Species (Saving Our World)
• Save the Endangered Species Series

National Geographic Rare: Portraits of America's Endangered Species

When a few of these photographs first appeared in the National Geographic magazine January 2009 issue, they were hailed as an arresting reminder of the hundreds of species teetering on the brink of final extinction—more than 1,200 animals and plants in all. Now, in Rare, Joel Sartore and National Geographic present 80 iconic images, representing a lifelong commitment to the natural world and a three-year investigation into the Endangered Species Act and the creatures it exists to protect.

This book will give readers not only a broader understanding of the history and purpose of the Endangered Species Act, but also an intimate look at the very species it seeks to preserve. With stunning up-close portraits on every page, this important volume evokes sympathetic wonder at the vast and amazing array of plants and animals still in need of protection.

Itself a creation of particular beauty, Rare offers eloquent proof that a picture really is worth a thousand words as it shows us, one after another, scores of uniquely remarkable and seriously threatened life-forms. It is a compelling story and a many-faceted, brilliant jewel of a book.

Joel Sartore has been a photographer for more than 20 years (17 with National Geographic), and his many assignments have taken him everywhere all over the world. He is the author of several books, a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, and his work has appeared in Time, Life, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated.







Also by Joel Sartore

Face to Face with Grizzlies (Face to Face with Animals)
Nebraska: Under a Big Red Sky (Great Plains Photography)

Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee

The Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee was established in 1974 under the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act (N.J.S.A. 23:2A-7e).
It is a committee is appointed by the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection that serves as an advisory body to that office in matters of New Jersey endangered and nongame wildlife resource.

The original group consisted of five citizens with professional interest in nongame wildlife. Now, the committee consists of 11 members from four broad public affiliations.  Four members come from the research and academic community, one is a veterinarian or public health professional, three represent nonprofit organizations with strong interest in nongame wildlife, and three are appointed from the public-at-large

The Endangered and Nongame Species Program staff present Program research agenda, policies, and controversial topics to the Committee for advice on appropriate handling. The Committee formally recommends status listing changes to the State nongame wildlife list biennially. In addition, Committee members often open and pursue issues of importance and recommend action to the Program and Division.

The viewpoint of the committee members based on their personal experience and interest is of great value to the Program, Division and Department. The Committee's formal recommendations become an integral part of the State's development of policy and making of decisions, however, the role is advisory only.

There is no legal obligation for the Department to adopt the Committee's recommendations. An excellent working relationship between the Program, Division, Department and the Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee has developed over the years, and policies often reflect the ideas generated at committee meetings.

Taking a look at their meeting agenda, you'll find many of the topics that I write about here such as the "Northern Pine Snake Delisting Petition" and "Bog Turtle Research" as well as topics that are baffling - "Central Jersey Railroad Expansion" and "Trap-Neuter-Return."

Their posted minutes from meetings are far more detailed and interesting to the average citizen. Here are 2 items from their last meeting.

A banded and emaciated bald eagle found in Maine has been identified as having fledged from NJ. The bird is currently undergoing rehabilitation. This is the first time a NJ eagle has been found this far north.

Updating about White Nose Syndrome in bats, Mick Valent, Principal Zoologist, provided additional information on WNS. The sampling of bats is showing little evidence of scaring and de-pigmentation of the wing membrane. There are two possible explanations for this. First, bats that were sampled were from unaffected hibernacula and therefore didn't have any signs of scarring or de-pigmentation. The second is that bats from affected sites that had significant fungal infection (those that would have exhibited significant scarring and tissue de-pigmentation) were not surviving into the summer months.

Some bats that emerge from affected sites can survive and they appear to heal and experience normal weight-gain during the active months. The captured bats all appeared healthy based on weights and visible condition. In addition, the capture ratio of adults to juveniles suggested that the colonies sampled experienced successful reproduction this year.

The Mount Hope mine normally hosts about 10,000 bats and is known to have suffered a major impact. The NWHC has requested samples from impacted hibernacula. Two nights of collecting samples at the mine resulted in the capture of just 35 bats, including 31 Indiana bats, 3 northern long eared bats and 1 little brown bat.

The population at Picatinny Arsenal has also suffered an extremely hard impact and NYDEC staff are reporting the apparent elimination of entire bat populations in caves that previously hosted thousands of bats. Researchers have identified a compound that has proven to be effective in controlling fungal growth in the lab and is preparing to conduct a field test.

Update on Lily the Bear

Lily, the 3-year-old black bear denning in Minnesota, had her cub yesterday.

The live webcam in her den has drawn a lot of attention to bears as Net viewers have followed her denning behaviors. and we can watch her give birth and care for her cubs.


http://www.bear.org/website/visit-us/lily-den-cam.html

Last night's post included:

Now at 8:23 PM, we think Lily is done.  She had a single cub.  She is now breathing a relaxed three breaths per minute instead of the four per minute prior to birth.  We don't see her muscles contracting like in the past couple days.  Her restlessness is gone.  However, just after 5 PM, Lily made a few motions reminiscent of last night.  If another cub is coming, which we doubt, we’ll need the help of your eyes and ears to determine when it arrives.

The webcam's success is a good example of using the Internet to draw attention to a species, and help collect donations for the North American Bear Center

Counting Bats

NJ bats hibernating


Since 2003, the Summer Bat Count project has enlisted volunteers across NJ to monitor bat populations at known summer roost sites, including attics, barns, bat houses, churches, and other structures.

This volunteer project was created by the Conserve Wildlife Foundation and the state's Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) to gain a better understanding of how NJ's bats are distributed across the state, what conditions they select for roosting, and how populations may be changing over time.

Since White-nose Syndrome (WNS) hit NJ in January 2009, information from the Summer Bat Count is more critical than ever, helping biologists to measure the impact of this devastating killer.


Read the full 2009 bat summary.

Threatened Northern Pine Snakes

Northern pine snake on sand

The northern pine snake is a relatively large (5-7 feet or 122-172 cm) black and dull white to yellowish or light gray snake. These snakes have blotches that are dark towards the front of the body but may fade to brown near and on the tail.

Known for their noisy hiss, pine snakes are typically ground dwellers and rarely climb vegetation. Since this species is both secretive and fossorial (it burrows underground), it can easily go undetected even in locations where it is known to be common

Let's start out by saying that the pine snake is a nonvenomous constrictor. It kills its prey by coiling itself around it in order to suffocate the animal. Pine snakes are known to eat mammals as large as rabbits, as well as small rodents and birds. They are usually most active in early morning or late afternoon when they leave their burrows to hunt.

The Northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) is a threatened species in New Jersey and was the September Species of the Month. The designation was part of a yearlong program to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the New Jersey Endangered Species Conservation Act and the formation of DEP's Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP).

Pine snakes are egg-layers and typically lay their eggs in underground nests that they excavate in open sandy areas. Eggs are usually laid in mid-summer, and adult females have the tendency to re-use their nest sites year after year.

Pine snakes in New Jersey require dry pine-oak forest types growing on very infertile sandy soils such as Lakehurst or Lakewood sands (Burger and Zappalorti 1988, 1989). Both human-caused and natural disturbances (e.g. agriculture, forestry, and fire) are probably involved in creating the types of openings important for nesting and basking. Sandy infertile soil not only provides for persistent openings in disturbed sites, but may also be important because pine snakes are the only snakes known to dig hibernacula and summer dens.

The secretive nature of this snake has lead to some degree of uncertainty about its overall status in the northeastern United States. All indications seem to suggest that pine snake abundance has decreased throughout its northeastern range, however. It is also believed that pine snakes have been extirpated from West Virginia and Maryland. The
New Jersey Pinelands may hold some of the largest populations of pine snakes in the Northeast, but even in the Pinelands this species is at risk.

If unexpectedly encountered on the trail or in the woods, this large, white-and-black patterned snake would most likely vibrate its tail, hiss loudly, and then try to escape. Though its bold appearance and actions may fool or scare some people, this particular species of snake is not venomous. In fact, it is harmless to people and is a beneficial predator in nature.

There are four types of pine snakes that can be found in the United States. The northern pine snake is found in the Northern and Eastern-Central regions of the country, in areas with sandy soils and dry upland forests. The population distribution of this pine snake is spotty and all indications suggest that pine snake abundance is decreasing throughout the Northeastern region.

Coiled Northern pine snake

The northern pine snake populations in New Jersey have been affected by a loss of habitat due to development, illegal collecting (due to its popularity as a pet), and other more individualized behavior such as the thoughtless killing of snakes by hikers, automobile drivers and users of off-road vehicles. Never kill a snake if encountering one in a natural area, either when you are traveling on foot or in a vehicle. Back away slowly and do not disturb it.

Anyone who is interested in reptiles and amphibians and enjoys being outdoors can become a volunteer with the Herp Atlas Project. Department staff and volunteers are collecting data on the locations and abundance of all reptile and amphibian species throughout the state. This data will be used to map the critical habitat and distribution of these species, which will allow the agency to better plan for the state's wildlife conservation efforts. Department staff would like to learn about your sightings of an endangered, threatened or rare species in New Jersey. To file a report of a sighting, download and complete the Threatened and Endangered Species Report Form. This data helps biologists and wildlife managers to look at habitat and population trends and then develop appropriate conservation strategies.

• Northern Pine Snake Fact Sheet - DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife (pdf)
• Northern Pine Snake - NJ Species of the Month
  
• Northern Pine Snake - Habitat Assessment and Mapping
• New Jersey Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species of Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish and Butterflies
• A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of Eastern & Central North America
  

NOAA Considering Listing Atlantic Sturgeon as Endangered or Threatened

In a press release from NOAA's Fisheries Service last week, we learned that NOAA will consider listing Atlantic sturgeon as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. The agency received a petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council in October 2009 requesting that the species be listed throughout its range.

NOAA has been evaluating the need to list the species since 2007, when a formal status review was completed for the species by a team of biologists from NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That review, which identified five Atlantic sturgeon populations off the U.S. East Coast, found that the most significant threats to the species' continued survival were unintended catch, vessel strikes, poor water quality, lack of regulatory mechanisms for protecting the fish, and dredging.

It also recommended that specific sturgeon populations centered in the New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay and off the Carolinas should be listed, but made no particular recommendation on listing those in the Gulf of Maine and in the Atlantic south of the Carolinas. NOAA is soliciting any new information about the status of these populations that may have been developed since the review was concluded in 2007.

Atlantic sturgeon are large, slow-growing, late-maturing, long-lived, estuary-dependent fish that are born and spawn in fresh water, and spend the majority of their lives in salt water. Historically, their range included most major estuary and river systems from Labrador to Florida. Atlantic sturgeon populations have been found in 35 U.S. rivers, and spawning is believed to occur in at least 20 of these. Historic catch records indicate that these fish were once abundant. The first major U.S. commercial fishery for them developed in the late 19th century, when demand grew for sturgeon caviar. The commercial fishery collapsed in 1901 when landings declined to about 10 percent of the peak.

Catching the fish was prohibited in 1998 by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and it is currently illegal to fish for, catch or keep Atlantic sturgeon from U.S. waters. An endangered species listing would increase protection for the sturgeon by making it illegal to "take" (harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect, or attempt to do those things) the species, in addition to the current prohibition on catching it. Similar prohibitions usually extend to threatened species.

Today Is National Penguin Awareness Day

Today is National Penguin Awareness Day.

At the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, they have 4 new penguins.Since summer 2008, the zoo’s penguins have been in their new home in a renovated exhibit which replicates the South African coastline where these birds are found in the wild.

You can be up close with these comical flightless birds and learn all about these amazing creatures.

If you watch the the TODAY SHOW with Kathie Lee and Hoda today, two of their penguins are slated to make a brief appearance.

** archived at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/34955884#34955884


The zoo's winter hours are 10am to 3:30pm daily.


http://turtlebackzoo.com
on Twitter @turtlebackzoo
on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TurtleBackZoo

Rescued sea turtles returned to the Atlantic Ocean

Big chill: Warmed-up sea turtles freed off Florida
By BRIAN SKOLOFF, The Associated Press
Friday, January 15, 2010; 10:55 AM
via http://www.washingtonpost.com

JUNO BEACH, Fla. -- They came in crowded trucks and left by flipper: Hundreds of endangered sea turtles are being released back into the Atlantic Ocean now that Florida's weather has warmed enough.

Officials in the Sunshine State helped rescue nearly 3,000 turtles from frigid waters in the past week, plucking them from the ocean, lagoons and rivers as air temperatures dipped into the 30s along the coast.

The turtles - which weigh up to 400 pounds - were found across Florida as the unseasonably chilly temperatures sent them into a cold stress, leaving them stunned and largely motionless, the perfect prey for predators. Now after about a week of treatment, including soakings in heated pools and oxygen therapy, turtles by the truckload are headed back into the wild...

Dismal Swamp Conservation Area

They are not the two most enticing words to draw people to an area - Dismal Swamp.

But, the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area (DSCA) in highly developed Middlesex County was recognized last fall as New Jersey’s newest State Preservation Commission.

This designation places regional protection on this area that is known as “the Everglades of Central Jersey.”

In October 2009, Governor Corzine signed the bill at the Triple C Ranch which established the Dismal Swamp Preservation Commission. Assemblymen Peter Barnes and Patrick Diegnan, and the nonprofit Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) joined Corzine to form this state commission to preserve the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area in Edison, South Plainfield, and Metuchen.

The 1,240-acre Dismal Swamp Conservation Area is home to nearly 200 species of birds, such as the yellow-crowned night-heron, American bittern, and northern harrier, and two dozen species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles. A dozen threatened and endangered species also use the area, such as the American bittern, bald eagle, and spotted turtle.

The DSCA also provides natural flood control and wildlife habitat, while its forests produce oxygen, and its wetlands clean and purify water.

It is the largest wildlife refuge in the densely-populated northern Middlesex County, The DSCA holds United States Environmental Protection Agency Federal Priority Wetlands status.

The EWA is a grassroots nonprofit environmental organization that has worked since 1989 to preserve and restore the few remaining natural areas in Central New Jersey. They own and operate the 40-acre Triple C Ranch, the last remaining farm in northern Middlesex County, which is located within the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area. They have helped to preserve more than half of the remaining DSCA to date.

EWA recently worked with NY-NJ Baykeeper, New York-New Jersey Port Authority, and the Middlesex County Freeholders to purchase the Adams Farm and South Plainfield Holdings properties for preserved greenspace and prevent them from being developed.

They are currently fighting the proposed construction of a building on an environmentally sensitive area of land in Edison known as the Visco property, one of the last privately owned sections of “The Diz.”

• Map of birding areas in the Dismal Swamp
• Triple C Ranch and Nature Center
  

Flying with the fastest birds on the planet

Flying with the fastest birds on the planet: Peregrine Falcon & Gos Hawk - Animal Camera - BBC



Tiny spy cameras allow you to see some of the world's most magnificent birds in flight. Watch this video to learn how the fastest bird on the planet, the peregrine falcon, keeps control at mind-numbing speeds, and take a flight with the master of manoeuvrability, the Gos Hawk, as it flies through dense woodland.

Great animal video from BBC wildlife show Animal Camera.

The Peregrine's Journey: A Story of Migration
The Peregrine (New York Review Books Classics)
On the Wing: To the Edge of the Earth with the Peregrine Falcon
Field Guide to Hawks of North America

Searching for the Jersey Devil

The Jersey Devil. No, we're not talking hockey (though that's where the team gets its name), but that legendary creature said to inhabit the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey.

The Pine Barrens has a rich folklore in its oddly-named towns (Double Trouble, Ong's Hat, Mount Misery - even a few "ghost towns" like Martha and Colliers), and it also has rich
ecosystems.

There are many studied and protected birds, animals and rare flora in the 1.1 million acres. And lovers of nature walk the the white-sand trails and paddle tea-colored cedar rivers.

And most natives of New Jersey have heard of the Jersey Devil, a creature whose legend dates back more than two centuries.

If you had to pick a place in NJ to be the home of a strange and elusive creature, the isolated Pinelands would be it.

Once, the area was known for its ironworks, but if you find the 18th-century ironmaking town of Martha, you'll find that it has been deserted and swallowed up by the Pinelands.
The remaining stone foundations and cellars where houses once stood would be a good habitat for the Jersey Devil.

"Pineys" (the not-so-complimentary but common term for residents of the Barrens) go back three to five generations. They are an independent group. Their musical tastes often go to fiddle, mandolin, harmonica, banjo, guitar, and dulcimer tunes. It's a part of NJ that most outsiders would have trouble identifying with Jersey. Here is where the legend of the Jersey Devil took root.

It probably started with Lenni Lenape Indians who called the region Popuessing, or "place of the dragon."

Following the Native Americans of the area, Swedish explorers named the area "Drake Kill" - "drake" being a Swedish word for dragon, and "kill" meaning channel or arm of the sea, river, or stream.

The Jersey Devil (AKA the Leeds Devil) is a legendary creature (cryptid) and it's hard to even find agreement on a description of it. Commonly, it has been described as a flying biped with hooves.

As far as the Leeds Devil story:  Mother Leeds had 12 children and, after giving birth to her 12th child, stated that if she had another, it would be the Devil. In 1735, Mother Leeds (supposedly a witch) gave birth (on a stormy night) to #13. Though it looked normal at birth, she claimed the father was the Devil himself.

Soon after the birth, the baby changed form to a creature with hooves, a horse's head, bat wings and a forked tail. It growled, killed the midwife, flew up the chimney and headed for the pines.

History-checkers say Deborah Leeds was the mother. Her husband, Japhet Leeds, named twelve children in the will he wrote in 1736. They lived in the Leeds Point section of what is now Atlantic County.

There are records of searches for the creature. Joseph Bonaparte (brother of Emperor Napoleon) is said to have witnessed the Jersey Devil while hunting on his Bordentown, New Jersey estate around 1820.

Reports of sightings peaked 101 years ago in January 1909. Thousands of people claimed to witness the Jersey Devil during the week of January 16–23. Newspapers nationwide followed the story and published eyewitness reports about the creature flying over Woodbury, leaving tracks in Bristol, Pennsylvania and Burlington.

A Gloucester couple saw the creature outside their window and said: "It was about three feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we were watching. My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the window and say, 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at me, and flew away."

In Haddonfield and Collingswood, posses were formed to find the devil. They supposedly watched the creature fly toward Moorestown, where it was later seen by at least two more people. It got bolder and attacked a trolley car in Haddon Heights.

Despite several reports of a few rifle shots hitting the creature, it always seemed to get away.

And, even though the Jersey Devil terrified people, a report of it biting a dog that month was one of the few reported attacks on a living creature - and there are no reports of an attack on a human.

The Philadelphia Zoo supposedly posted a $10,000 reward for the creature's capture that year. In 1960, the merchants around Camden also offered a $10,000 reward for the capture of the Jersey Devil. (A pretty safe offer to make for a legendary creature.)


Sightings after the 1909 frenzy have been infrequent. In Freehold in 2007, a woman supposedly saw a huge creature with bat-like wings near her home. In August of the same year, a young man driving home near the border of Mount Laurel and Moorestown, reported a similar sighting. He claimed that he spotted a "a creature resembling a gargoyle with enormous bat-like wings" perched in some trees near the road.

In 2008, the Jersey Devil was supposedly spotted in Litchfield, Pennsylvania by a resident that claims to have seen the creature come barreling out of the roof of his barn.

Last September, a young man driving home on Interstate 80 near Parsippany, NJ (far from the Pine Barrens in North Jersey, but not the only North Jersey sighting) claimed he saw "a black long-necked creature with a with a long tail" run across the road, and disappear into the darkness on the other side of the road.

Some have credited the sightings to misinterpreted encounters in the dark with bears, wild dogs, sandhill cranes and even antlered deer. Most people think it's a fun legend to scare kids with on a visit to the Barrens. (I am guilty of doing that with my own sons on camping trips to Wharton State Forest - and it was fun.)

Outdoorsman and author Tom Brown, Jr. says he has scared hikers who mistook him for the Jersey Devil, when he emerged from the woods covered in mud (to repel mosquitoes).

Not surprisingly, the Jersey Devil legend is fueled by the various testimonials from alleged eyewitnesses who have reported to have encountered the creature, from precolonial times to the present day, as there are still reported sightings within the New Jersey area.

Those who study the creature with cryptozoological interest point out that for it to exist over a span of several hundred years, we are talking a species rather than a single creature.
Could it be a pterosaur or a dimorphodon? Oh, that would be great!


People have been adding to the Wikipedia entry on the creature since the wiki began. 

Sightings have been collected at http://www.njdevilhunters.com/sightings.html


More Reading


The Jersey Devil
Tales Of The Jersey Devil
Mystery of the Jersey Devil 

Yes, there is a Jersey Devil action figure.

A call for stricter rules on gas drilling around Delaware River

Three environmental groups have released a report to urge the Delaware River Basin Commission to be tougher on natural gas drilling in and around the river, according to a report by LehighValleyLive.com.

Environment New Jersey, Delaware Riverkeeper Network and the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter said at a late December news conference that the chemicals used to extract natural gas can lead to chemical leaks into drinking water and underground aquifers.

There are about 20,000 acres of leased land for drilling, with seven pending applications for the river's watershed, according to their report.

via http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/

New Jersey Bald Eagle Project Report

The New Jersey Bald Eagle Project Report for 2009 is now available.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) biologists and volunteer observers located and monitored bald eagle nests and territories.

A new record high of 84 eagle pairs was monitored during the nesting season; 69 of those were active (with eggs). Nine pairs were territorial and six other pairs were seen in and around previous nest territories, but it was unknown if and where they nested.

New Jersey’s Delaware Bay region remained the state’s eagle stronghold, with 40 percent of all nests located in Cumberland and Salem counties.

Twelve new eagle pairs were found this season, six in the south, two in central and four in northern NJ. Fifty-six nests were successful in producing 99 young, for a productivity rate of 1.43 young per active nest. ENSP staff banded and took blood samples from 30 eaglets at 16 nests.

Ten nests failed to fledge young; the outcome of one nest was unknown. For three nests, the failures can be attributed to weather (2) and a nest collapse (1).

In January’s Midwinter Eagle Survey, ENSP staff, regional coordinators and volunteers reported a total of 282 bald eagles, a new record high count.

42 eagles were recorded in northern NJ and 240 in the south. The state’s eagle population would not be thriving without the efforts of the dedicated eagle volunteers who observe nests, report sightings, and help protect critical habitat.


View report PDF  http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/eglrpt09.pdf

Watch Lily the Black Bear Denning

Lily is a 3-year-old black bear denning near Ely, Minnesota. She is expected to have cubs in mid-January 2010. There is a live webcam in her den and we can watch her give birth and care for her cubs.

Personal Information:
- daughter of June (born Jan 2001)
- granddaughter of Shadow (born Jan 1990)
- Lily has 2 brothers: Cal - currently denned north of Birch Lake in Quetico Provincial Park and Bud - left study area after family breakup in June 2008

Visit the webcam

Become a fan of Lily on Facebook

http://www.wildearth.tv

http://www.bear.org

http://www.bearstudy.org


http://www.whitewolfentertainment.com

Backyard Corridors

Freedom to Roam is an environmental program at Patagonia.com to preserve and protect big wildways for large animals.

What is a backyard corridor? What does it mean to animals that live near you?

Some wildlife is probably roaming through your backyard, neighborhood, or town. Different animals require different roaming areas and migration corridors. One animal may require one square mile while another may need 1,000 square miles.

Patagonia selected eight corridor hotspots – each one connected with an iconic animal species - to represent a diverse array of species and habitats, across our entire country.  Hotspots Map

The 3 pressing problems for wildlife corridors are:

1. Global Warming and its effects on habitat (drought, flooding, glacier melt, warming temperatures).

2. Human development, including housing sprawl, energy and resource extraction, population growth, expanding urban areas, and highways and freeways.

3. Diverse and competitive land-use across large corridor areas, including the rights of private landowners, parks and their uses, national forests, the needs of recreationists.

What can we do to help? Create, restore and protect wildways or corridors linking animal habitats, parks and other protected areas and migration routes.


Corridor Ecology: The Science and Practice of Linking Landscapes for Biodiversity Conservation
Linkages In The Landscape: The Role Of Corridors And Connectivity In Wildlife Conservation

Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education

The Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE) was formed in 1985, by a group of 25 NJ environmental educators committed to using environmental education as an instrument for change.

A privately supported, non-profit organization, ANJEE's members range from teachers of New Jersey's school districts, professors and administrators in universities and colleges, environmentalists in museums, zoos, and nature centers, to professionals of governmental agencies and corporate settings.

Although their professions in the environmental and other fields are varied their chief reason for membership in the Alliance is to network with others who care about developing and conserving New Jersey's natural habitat and resources.

The ANJEE's 25th Annual Conference: A Celebration of Environmental Education will be held January 28-30, 2010 at the Wyndham Princeton Forrestal Hotel and Conference Center in Plainsboro, NJ.

Native Fish of New Jersey

A New Jersey native - brook trout

If you are an avid New Jersey angler, you can probably can distinguish a largemouth from a smallmouth bass and a brown trout from a brook trout. But even anglers might not know that most of our popular gamefish were introduced to our state for recreational purposes.

Northern pike, channel catfish, rainbow and brown trout, hybrid stripers, common carp, crappie and even bluegill are NOT native to New Jersey. Of the nearly 100 freshwater fish species that swim in our waters, only 65 of them are native.

Native does NOT mean a fish that was born in the wild - such as when someone says they caught "a native brown trout," (Brown trout are native to the British Isles and the European mainland, so New Jerseyeans catch wild brown trout.) So, just because that brown trout or largemouth bass reproduces in New Jersey waters, that does not make them native.

Then what IS a native species? It is one that is naturally occurring within the geographical region in which it evolved, and not one that was dispersed by humans (intentionally or unintentionally) beyond their original geographical region.

NJ's better known native sportfish are the chain pickerel, brook trout, pumpkinseed, redbreast sunfish, yellow perch, American shad, American eels, white catfish and bullheads. That leaves the majority of our native fishes as relatively unknown and very likely are species that will never be caught by anglers.

There are 85 species of freshwater fish found in NJ. Our bays, estuaries and marine waters can be home to 28 marine mammals and 336 marine finfish at some point during the year. This is an exceptional number of species for a state as small as New Jersey.

On that list of freshwater fish, you will find species identified as "exotic" (such as the Grass and Common Carp), "extirpated" (Longnose Gar), "native" (American Shad) and "introduced" (Rainbow Trout).

The shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) is endangered Federally and in NJ. This Garden State native's habitat includes river mouths, tidal rivers, estuaries, and bays. In addition, individuals occasionally enter the open ocean. A significant portion of New Jersey's shortnose sturgeon occurs in the upper tidal Delaware River.

More About New Jersey's Native Fish

• Freshwater species of NJ
• Saltwater (marine) species
• True New Jersey Natives (article from the 2009 Freshwater Fishing Digest)
• N.J. Fish Fact Sheets