Endangered Species Days

Endangered Species Day is an annual, globally recognized day—held on the third Friday of May (this year it was on the 15th) dedicated to celebrating, learning about, and taking action to protect threatened and endangered species. But a day is not enough.

It was established by the U.S. Congress with leadership from the National Wildlife Federation and has since grown into an international observance involving schools, conservation groups, communities, and individuals.

So why does the day matter? More than one‑third of U.S. wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. Endangered Species Day is a reminder that conservation efforts—legal protections, habitat restoration, and community engagement—work and are urgently needed. 

Here are some suggestions for things you can do any day of the year that make a difference.

• Attend or host events such as talks, film screenings, habitat cleanups, or nature walks. 
• Learn about endangered species, from mountain gorillas to red wolves to local pollinators. 
• Participate in creative activities, like chalk art contests or wildlife crafts for kids. 
• Support conservation organizations through volunteering or donations. 
• Raising awareness of species at risk of extinction and the ecosystems they depend on.
• Highlighting conservation successes, such as species whose populations have rebounded thanks to the Endangered Species Act.
• Encouraging public action—from habitat restoration to citizen science.
• Celebrating biodiversity, especially local wildlife and habitats.

Review the complete list for New Jersey

dep.nj.gov/njfw/wildlife/endangered-threatened-and-special-concern-species

Horseshoe Crabs Return to Cape May County

 

In this annual rite of spring, the beaches of Cape May and the broader Delaware Bay region play host to one of the oldest, most spectacular wildlife phenomena on Earth: the mass spawning of Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus).

This ritual has been repeated for nearly 450 million years—meaning these "living fossils" arrived on these exact shores long before the first dinosaurs walked the earth.

While horseshoe crabs begin trickling onto the beaches in late April, the main event happens in May and June. The absolute peak centers around the Full and New Moons, specifically during evening high tides. May 2026 has two Full Moons to start and end the month.

Driven by the high spring tides, tens of thousands of crabs emerge from the deep bay waters simultaneously. Large, smooth-shelled females crawl up to the high-tide line, often trailing one or more smaller males holding onto her carapace (shell) with specialized, boxing-glove-like claws. The female digs a shallow nest in the sand to deposit up to 20,000 tiny, greenish-tan eggs. The males then fertilize them as the waves wash over the cluster.

At its height, the shoreline looks less like a beach and more like a cobblestone street paved in dark, gleaming, olive-green helmets jostling in the surf.

The arrival of the crabs triggers a second, equally spectacular natural event. The Delaware Bay is the largest horseshoe crab spawning site in the world, and the millions of eggs left in the sand are a vital fuel source for migrating shorebirds.

Among these birds is the Rufa Red Knot, a threatened species undertaking an incredible 9,000-mile journey from the tip of South America up to the Canadian Arctic. Cape May is their ultimate refueling station. The birds arrive emaciated, having lost up to half their body weight. They gorge themselves almost exclusively on the lipid-rich, easily digestible horseshoe crab eggs that are churned up to the surface by the waves.

In just about two weeks, a Red Knot must double its body mass to survive the final leg of its journey north to breed. Without a dense concentration of crab eggs, the birds cannot successfully reach the Arctic or reproduce.

If you head down to the Cape May area to see it, the Delaware Bay side beaches (like Reeds Beach, Cook's Beach, or Higbee Beach) offer far more intense spawning activity than the oceanfront Atlantic beaches, as the crabs prefer the calmer, wave-protected waters of the bay.

Because both the horseshoe crabs and the shorebirds are highly vulnerable, many of Cape May's key bay beaches are seasonally closed to the public during the peak weeks to prevent disturbing the birds. However, public viewing platforms and guided walks hosted by organizations like the Cape May Bird Observatory offer spectacular front-row seats to this ancient dance.

Progress on New Jersey's Newest State Park

New Jersey's newest State Park spans nine miles from Montclair to Jersey City on a former rail line that has been transformed into a vibrant linear park that will provide recreation, transit access, and community connections for over 1.5 million residents.

The nearly one-mile Newark segment of the park was the first to be constructed following the groundbreaking in July of 2025. Once complete, walkers, joggers and cyclists will be able to travel from Branch Brook Park Drive to Broadway on a meandering ADA-accessible trail lined with native plantings. 

Once complete, the nine-mile greenway will connect eight municipalities across Essex and Hudson counties – Jersey City, Secaucus, Kearny, Newark, Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge and Montclair.

The Greenway’s design includes several features that enhance safety and user experience while preserving the surrounding environment. Downward-facing lighting will ensure pathways are well-lit without disturbing nearby residents or natural habitats. The project also features separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists, designed to promote safe speeds and provide places to sit and enjoy the trail’s natural setting.

The property that will become New Jersey’s newest state park is closed to public access while under development. Due to the legacy of industrial pollution in the vicinity, its prior railroad usage, and the dilapidation of existing infrastructure, the future park is not currently suitable for public use. The construction of the park is ongoing, and it is expected to be fully developed and open to the public by the end of 2026.

New Jersey's Newest State Park - State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by New Jersey State Parks (@newjerseystateparks)

Send Rutgers Your Ticks

 

The weather is feeling more like late spring and on some days already summer. That means you're likely to be outside more. And that means you're more likely to encounter ticks on you or your pets.

Ticks for Science! is a citizen science project organized by the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology. Their goal is to create a tick map showing the changing distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in NJ and bring more awareness to tick-borne disease. 

If you encounter a tick in New Jersey, you can send it to us, and we will test it for disease-causing pathogens for free! With your help, we will learn where and when people are exposed to ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Yes, they want you to send them your ticks!  

Multiple life stages of common ticks of NJ - photo by Andrea Egizi, PhD

The site provides information on how to prevent tick bites, removal and about tick-borne diseases.