Field Station: Dinosaurs

Hadrosaurus

This past weekend was the opening day of Field Station: Dinosaurs, a 20-acre outdoor educational park filled with 31 animatronic dinosaurs, located next to Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus, NJ.

It is set up so that visitors walk an outdoor trail that looks like an expedition site and along the way come across moving, breathing and roaring dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are to scale.

Of course, New Jersey is not a new home for dinosaurs or paleontology. The park has some NJ natives including the Hadrosaurus (our state dinosaur) and the Dryptosaurus.

Our state once had many dig sites. There are still active digs including one in Gloucester County that still yields plant and animal fossils.

The park is a mix of science and theater. Guy Gsell, the park's president and chief executive producer, was previously the founding director of Discovery Times Square in Manhattan. The park has interactive workshops and games, such as game shows, dinosaur meet and greets, a fossil dig site, and interactive shows featuring a 15-foot animatronic T-Rex puppet.

Field Station: Dinosaurs is located at One Dinosaur Way, which connects to New Country Road in Secaucus. It is accessible via exit 15X on the NJ Turnpike, and within walking distance of the Secaucus NJ Transit station. Admission is $25 for adults and $20 for children ages 12 and younger, and senior citizens. Children younger than the age of two are admitted free.

From May 26-June 17, hours are: Sat & Sun from 10am - 5pm; Weekdays - school groups only. From June 20 to September 3, the Field Station is OPEN EVERY DAY, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

For more information on the park, visit www.fieldstationdinosaurs.com

New Jersey's State Dinosaur

The duckbilled dinosaur, Hadrosaurus foulkii roamed the forests and swamps along the bays of New Jersey's ancient seacoast.

Today its bones are found in ancient marine deposits with fossil seashells.

It was about twenty-five feet long, probably weighed 7 to 8 tons and stood about 10 feet tall. Hadrosaurus probably stood on its hind feet when running, but used it front feet to support its head while grazing. Its abundant blunt teeth confirm that Hadrosaurus was a vegetarian, a peaceful plant eater that could chew tough-stemmed twigs and leaves. Hadrosaurus lived about 80 million years ago late in the Cretaceous Period.

Hadrosaurus is a famous dinosaur because it was the most complete dinosaur skeleton unearthed anywhere in the world when it was discovered and scientifically documented in 1858.


                       A video tour of the Academy exhibit

In 2008, 140 years after it became the world's first museum to display a mounted dinosaur skeleton, Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences mounted a new exhibit. called "Hadrosaurus foulkii, The Dinosaur That Changed The World,"  It features a completely new skeleton mount of the famed fossil discovered in 1858 in a Haddonfield marl pit in Camden County, New Jersey.

Hadrosaurus foulkii became the official State dinosaur of New Jersey in 1991.

Want To Be A Spill Spotter?

I can't believe that it has been two years since the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. When that happened, there was even talk that if it wasn't capped some of the oil would be making it up the Atlantic coast to NJ waters.

NJ doesn't allow offshore drilling currently. But the Delaware and Raritan bays are very active ports and our oil refineries bring tankers in loading and unloading petroleum and other chemicals. So, NJ is vulnerable and should be prepared.

The American Littoral Society has a "Spill Spotters" program in which they train volunteer citizens and community groups to recognize and respond to signs of an oil spill.

I only just became aware of the program via the NJ Conservation blog and the first of the three-hour workshops just took place on Delaware Bay, Barnegat Bay and on Raritan Bay.

But more are planned over the summer and The Littoral Society is looking for individuals, as well as teachers, scout leaders and other community activists who can, in turn, pass the knowledge on to those interested in coastal protection. The workshops are active learning with seine nets, clam rakes and binoculars. Participants learn to how to collect baseline data on birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, worms and other creatures living in and around coastal waters, since knowing the normal background conditions will help them detect problems in the future.

Individuals and groups can then "adopt" spots along bays or estuaries, collect biological data with the help of American Littoral Society staff members. It's a good volunteer opportunity and a great way to learn more about your local waterways.

The Spill Spotters use an oil spill response toolkit and have information for reporting problems, but their job is not remediation (such as caring for oil-soaked birds) although they can get that training too if they're interested.

For more information about the Spill Spotters program and to find a workshop near you, visit www.spillspotters.net or contact Stevie Thorsen at Stevie@littoralsociety.org or 732-291-0055.

Free Seminars for Teachers

High Schools and Middle School Teachers: Gateway announces Jamaica Bay (NY) Seminars in Science

FREE Events: June 7, July 18, July 19

Contact: Ranger Dan Meharg at http://www.nps.gov/gate/forteachers/

Join us for a series of free presentations and conversations with researchers and master teachers to explore the science behind migrating osprey wearing satellite trackers, tagging horseshoe crabs, drawing conclusions from data collected in the field, and growing oysters in New York Harbor. Learn hands data collection and analysis from scientists and gather inspiration from classroom teachers who have involved their students in these topics.

National Trails Day June 2

National Trails Day® is a celebration of trails that evolved from the report of President Ronald Reagan's President's Commission on Americans Outdoors. In 1987, the report recommended that all Americans be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes, be on trails that wind through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing steps.

America's 200,000 miles of trails allow us access to the natural world for recreation, education, exploration, solitude, inspiration, and much more. Trails take us to good physical and mental health by providing us with a chance to breathe fresh air, get our hearts pumping, and escape from our stresses.

National Trails Day® events involve a broad array of activities, including hiking, dog walking, bike riding, trail maintenance, birding, wildlife photography, geocaching, paddle trips, trail running, trail dedications, health-focused programs, and children’s activities. Whatever you like to do outdoors, there is bound to be an event to fit your interests. If you don't find the type of event you want, then plan it yourself -- and be sure to register it.

Trails give you the opportunity to get your heart pumping, lungs expanding, and muscles working at various levels of difficulty, thereby improving your physical as well as mental well-being. With obesity rates skyrocketing, exercise is increasingly important, and trails provide a wide variety of opportunities for being physically active.

Source: http://www.americanhiking.org/National-Trails-Day/Info/

National Preservation Month in New Jersey

Bayshore circa 1880

Restored today

May is National Preservation Month and in in New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council announced the recipients of 22nd Annual Historic Preservation Awards to honor projects and groups or persons dedicated to preserving the state’s history.

The DEP’s Historic Preservation Office and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council honor persons, projects or programs judged to demonstrate exceptional merit in the field of historic preservation, following the guidelines of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

2012 Historic Preservation Award Winners


Preservation of the 1759 Vought House, Clinton Township:
A 2004 land purchase by the Clinton Township School District for a new middle school jeopardized a historic house on a Grayrock Road farm site. School officials were not aware of its historic significance, but the Clinton Township Historic Preservation Commission found it once belonged to noted British loyalist Christoffel Vought during the American Revolution. So began an eight-year effort to save Vought House as the most significant Revolutionary War artifact in Hunterdon County, and to make it a learning resource for the new middle school. The non-profit group that preserved the house --1759 Vought House Inc. -- got the house listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. It also transferred the title of the building to one of Vought’s descendant for the symbolic price of $17.76.

Demarest Railroad Depot

Restoration of Demarest Railroad Depot, Demarest:
The circa 1872 Demarest Railroad Depot was designed by noted architect J. Cleveland Cady. In 2002, Demarest sought to restore the building to its original Romanesque Revival design, with heavy rough-cut stone walls, round arches and medieval style. The restoration, completed last year, also includes a new roof for the main building and tower, restored metal cresting and finials, new windows and doors, drainage system, and heating and air conditioning systems.

Restoration of Bivalve Shipping Sheds and Wharfs, Bayshore Discovery Project, Commerical Township:
As part of its commitment to restore and interpret significant pieces of New Jersey’s maritime history, the Delaware Bay Museum completed the restoration of seven shipping sheds, four wharfs and one railroad artifact over and along the Maurice River that dated to 1918-1920. The structures, which offer a unique look at the historic center of South Jersey’s oyster trade, were stabilized and restored. Some 80 percent of the original architectural elements were preserved. Some original fabric elements were recreated by using local mill-cut lumber and employing original construction methods. The restored structures serve as a homeport to the A.J. Meerwald, a historic schooner that serves as centerpiece for the Bayshore Discovery Project.

Nickles Contracting, Haddon Heights:
Since its founding 41 years ago, Nickles Contracting has worked on more than 350 officially recognized historic structures and sites in New Jersey and neighboring states, with a focus on service for publicly owned or non-profit historic properties. Their projects include Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City; Craftsman Farms, The Gustav Stickley House (1911) in Parsippany, Drumthwacket, the New Jersey Governor’s Mansion in Princeton; the Sweeton House (1950) in Cherry Hill; and the James Whitall House (1748) at Red Bank Battlefield in National Park. Founder Ted Nickles and company vice president Jack Abgott both have chaired their respective historic district commissions and have taught historic restoration.


For more information on the Historic Preservation Awards, including winners in previous years, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/4sustain/awdsceremony.htm

VIEW PHOTOS OF EACH PROJECT
Bayshore Current
Bayshore Historic circa 1880
Demarest Renovation
Demarest Historic
Vought House

New Jersey Birds and Beyond

New Jersey Birds and Beyond is a beautiful new book by nature photographer Susan Puder on the New Jersey bird species that inhabit our shores, fields, and forests.

NJ being along the Atlantic flyway provides the opportunity to see a great variety of species at different times of the year. 434 color images and observations on over 180 bird species, and native flora and fauna, makes this a great view of our state's surprising diversity in habitats and species.

Susan Puder is a dedicated environmentalist who supports the preservation of open lands and wildlife. As an avid birder, she started the Southern Ocean Birding Group and is a member of the New Jersey Audubon Society. She has been a serious nature and wildlife photographer for over 20 years.

Hatching Soon for Peregrine Falcon Nest in Jersey City

Viewers of the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife's Peregrine Webcam can expect to see increased activity now that hatching is imminent.  The birds have been incubating five eggs the past month.

The webcam broadcasts from atop 101 Hudson St. in Jersey City.  Since 2001, Nestbox News has chronicled the nesting activity, providing detailed information about each year's activity. (See Nestbox News at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/peregrinecam/jcp-2012nestnews.htm for this year's and previous years' accounts). There are links to the live video as well as current still images from that page.

The Peregrine Project relies on public support.  Much of that support is from The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, a non-profit organization which works closely with the division's Endangered and Nongame Species Program. To make a donation, go directly to their Donate Now Web site at partners.guidestar.org .