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

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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.

New Jersey's One Rattlesnake

With warmer weather, many of us are more likely to be out walking in rural and forested areas of our state. Like many people, I'm a bit wary of snakes, but I know about their importance in the ecosystem. That fear is almost always tied to a lack of knowledge about them and an inability to differentiate between the poisonous ones and the non-poisonous ones. So, it troubles me to see headlines like 4 Rattlesnake Hotspots In New Jersey "Hotspot" hints at a place where they are slithering all around, and that is not reality.  

There are 23 snakes that have made New Jersey their home. New Jersey has only two venomous snakes - the Northern Copperhead and the Timber Rattlesnake. 

The Timber Rattlesnake, also called the Canebrake Rattlesnake, can reach 60 inches (152 cm) in length and weigh up to 1,500 grams. They have keeled scales with dark brown to black crossbands on a yellow-brown to gray background and a characteristic rattle on the tail. A Timber rattlesnake's color varies and can be characterized by either a yellow or black phase of keeled scales.

Timber rattlesnake Photo by Kris Schantz via state.nj.us/dep/

The yellow phase coloring means the ground color is yellow to brown, featuring dark brown or black jagged “V-shape” blotches and bands towards the snake's head. The black phase coloring features a similar pattern to the yellow phase; however, the dark brown to black color obscures most of the snake's pattern. In both instances, the snake's head remains unmarked, and the last few inches of the tail are dark brown or solid black in adults. Additionally, sometimes Timber rattlesnakes may be completely black.

While potentially the most dangerous snake in New Jersey due to size and venom yield, they are generally mild-mannered and give warning signals before striking. There have been no reported instances of bites other than by those handling the snakes (which is not recommended unless you're a trained snake handler). However, that doesn’t mean these snakes aren’t dangerous. If threatened, they will defend themselves, so always keep a safe distance.

Timber Rattlesnakes are ambush predators, feeding on small mammals, frogs, birds, and other snakes. They are found in lowland thickets, river floodplains, agricultural areas, and deciduous or coniferous forests. 

This snake is a state-endangered species, with only three timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) populations remaining. These remaining populations include New Jersey's northern region along the Kittatinny Ridge, southern New Jersey within the Pine Barrens, and the Highlands region.

Download an illustrated Snakes of New Jersey brochure

sample page from brochure

Essential Pollinators

 

After last week's spring and summerish weather, you might be seeing more pollinators in your neighborhood. 

Pollinators — including bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and moths — are essential to New Jersey’s food, gardens, and natural areas: roughly one out of every three bites of food depends on animal pollination, and local programs from Rutgers and Jersey‑Friendly Yards offer practical, region‑specific ways to help. 

Pollinators transfer pollen that enables plants to produce fruits, seeds, and nuts. This service supports about one‑third of global food production and underpins many of the fruits, vegetables, nuts, and oilseeds that make diets nutritious. 

In the United States, insect pollination was valued at tens of billions of dollars, reflecting the economic importance of these species to agriculture and local farms. New Jersey crops that rely on pollinators include blueberries, cranberries, peaches, tomatoes, and peppers. Native bees and honey bees both contribute to these yields. 

Native plantings and small habitat patches in yards, parks, and roadsides make a measurable difference because many pollinators are short‑ranged and depend on continuous floral resources. 

Primary threats to pollinators are habitat loss, pesticide exposure, disease and parasites, and climate change. Populations of many pollinator species have declined in recent decades, which can reduce crop yields and the availability of nutrient‑rich foods. 

What are some practical actions for New Jersey residents?

1. Plant native species that bloom from early spring through fall to provide continuous nectar and pollen. Rutgers and Jersey‑Friendly Yards offer region‑specific plant lists and planting guides. 
2. Cluster plantings and include host plants for caterpillars (e.g., milkweed for monarchs) to support both adult pollinators and larvae. 
3. Reduce or eliminate pesticide use and adopt integrated pest management; when treatment is necessary, apply at night and avoid bloom periods. 
4. Provide nesting and water resources: leave some bare ground for ground‑nesting bees, retain dead wood for cavity nesters, and offer shallow water sources. 
5. Replacing lawns with native plantings reduces mowing and chemical use but may require initial investment and maintenance. Expect some leaf or caterpillar feeding on host plants; this is normal and supports butterfly life cycles.

Jersey‑Friendly Yards provides planting guides and local tips for New Jersey homeowners. 

Rutgers Cooperative Extension offers county‑level guidance, native plant lists, and Master Gardener programs. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New Jersey Field Office publishes recommended native plant lists for pollinators and habitat restoration guidance. 

See a list (pdf) of Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects for our Mid-Atlantic Region