Bees and Honey Wine

New Jersey’s first license to make mead (honey wine), to Sergio Moutela for his Melovino honey meadery.

Mead is probably the world’s oldest fermented beverage.

Makers of mead - commercial and home-brewers - talk about honey and treat it the way winemakers talk about grapes.

If your purchase of honey is off the supermarkey shelf, you may be getting a blend and it may even contain some corn syrup. Like maple syrup, the quality and sources can vary widely.

The honey, like the grape, changes the wine. Orange-blossom honey has citrusy notes. Clover honey is more floral. Wildflower honey varies with the seasons and the area where it is gathered. Buckwheat honey is dark and earthy.

Of course, all of this depends on bees. While mead may be rare in New Jersey, it isn't endangered. Bees aren't on any endangered lists either, but their populations are certainlt threatened in many areas of the country including NJ.

New Jersey's 20,000 bee colonies are part of a $7 million honey bee industry for the state. They are alos a key element in the successful production of nearly $200 million worth of fruits and vegetables annually.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is what has threatened bees for two decades. CCD is still largely a mystery and causes the dying off of bee colonies for no clear reason.


The Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium is the lead research agency on CCD. Samplings of pollen from hives around the state last year found 20 different pesticides that may be factors in CCD.

Beekeepers began reporting devastating mortality rates of 30 percent to 90 percent starting in 2006. 


Domesticated bees are around two thirds of the total bee population in the world, the rest are wild. Butterflies pollinate too, and other insects, and hummingbirds, even bats in some places.

Drought will reduce the amount of wild food bees need to survive and storms can wipe out colonies. Bee colonies are pretty resilient and can recover from these single disasters. But CCD is long-term and unrecoverable.


Back to honey and mead...

Honey is way sweeter than wine (about 85% sugar by volume versus about 16% for grapes) but don't assume that mead is all sweet like a dessert wine. The amount of water used and fermentation can produce sweet, semi-sweet or dry mead.

The calories are comparable to wines. Dry meads are the same calorie count as dry white wines and sweeter meads have about as many calories as port wines.

So what is killing off the bees?  Pesticides are high on the list. Neonicotinoids—“neonics” for short— are sprayed on lots of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals and that makes the plants poisonous to insects eating the leaves, pollen and nectar.

The other possibility is disease. Although sub-lethal doses of pesticide won't kill the bees, it wil interfere with the bees’ immune systems and make them vulnerable to pests and disease. They can also damage the bees’ ability to navigate back to the hive.

Youth Fishing Derby May 31 in Trenton

The City of Trenton is partnering with DEP to host a Youth Fishing Derby on Saturday, May 31 (rain or shine) at Stacy Park in Trenton. The program will take place from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and is open to Trenton youth between ages 6 – 12. Each child must be accompanied by a parent or other adult guardian.

DEP entities that are assisting with the Youth Fishing Derby include the Black Environmental Solidarity Team (BEST), Fish and Wildlife’s Hackettstown Hatchery and Hooked on Fishing not on Drugs Program, Water Resource Management’s Urban Fishing Program, and the Office of Communications.

Details about the Youth Fishing Derby, including a flyer, program and registration information, can be found at www.nj.gov/dep/seeds/fishingderby.htm

Drones Watching Endangered Species (and Poachers)

This story may be far from New Jersey now, but it's likely that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or "drones") will be playing a part in monitoring species even in NJ in the future.

Drones are being used in Kenya to observe endangered species and the poachers who try to steal them. Each $20,000 drone can fly at up to an hour at a time and utilizes infrared technology to scan the 90,000-acre game reserve. The drones simultaneously record video that is sent directly to researchers on the ground.




Drones Watch Over Endangered Species in Kenya | News from the Field | OutsideOnline.com

Today is Endangered Species Day

Today is the 9th annual Endangered Species Day with events around the country.

The Endangered Species Coalition partnered with the Spring of Sustainability to assemble a week-long series of panels titled Vanishing Species Week. Every day this past week there was a new 45-minute online or phone-accessible panel, culminating in an event on today with Ed Begley, Jr.

A tweetchat today with a bear scientist and a look at threats facing sloth bears with Bear Trust International.

There are more events scheduled this weekend including awareness events like the bike ride Pedal for Polar Bears and hikes, tree-planting and habitat restoration, and gatherings of all sorts at parks, zoos, schools, and nature centers.

This day was started in 2005 in order to recognize the conservation efforts to protect our nation's endangered species and their habitats.

Here are 3 events this weekend in NJ:

Endangered Species Day program on Petty's Island (Pennsauken, NJ). Learn about endangered species and why they become listed, and then take a nature walk on the island. Sponsored by New Jersey Audubon (Kelly Wenzel) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Lew Gorman). Registration required--through NJ Audubon.

Endangered Species Day at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge means the turtles are back. Come learn about endangered species and welcome home the head-start turtles.

At Jenkinson's Aquarium on the boardwalk in Pt. Pleasanr Beach, you can learn the importance of protecting these plants and animals and what actions you can take to help preserve the future of these species. Activities, games, and chats will explore what animals reside in New Jersey. All ages. Included with admission.

Norman lupine on a fence - USFWS

California tiger salamander - USFWS

Atlantic Sturgeon Migration Research

For a third year the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has deployed 19 acoustic receivers in Delaware Bay to track migration patterns of Atlantic sturgeon.

With the endangered species listing of Atlantic sturgeon, effective April 6, 2012, research on this species has gained significance. The Division's portion of the project is to purchase, assemble, deploy and maintain 19 receivers in the Delaware Bay. Data is downloaded monthly from each receiver to detect movement of Atlantic sturgeon tagged with acoustic telemetry tags.

The shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum, and its cousin, the Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhynchus, are ancient fish species that originated more than 70 million years ago. Of the seven species of sturgeon in North America, two are found in New Jersey.

Common names in the mid-Atlantic region:
Shortnose sturgeon - shortnosed, little sturgeon, roundnoser and mammose
Atlantic sturgeon - sea sturgeon, common sturgeon, sharp-nosed and big sturgeon

Sturgeon have a skeleton made of cartilage, not bone. These fish have flattened, elongated bodies covered with five rows of bony plates called scutes. Sturgeon tails are heterocercal, meaning the upper lobe of the tail is much longer than the lower lobe.

Shortnose sturgeon have short, blunt snouts. Their upper body is olive-yellow to gray-blue; the underside is milky white to dark yellow.

Atlantic sturgeon snouts are tapered in the young but broad as adults and noticeably upturned. Their upper body is gray to blue-black with white spines on the scutes.

Both sturgeon species have two pairs of barbels (feelers) projecting from their lower jaw and used to detect food. Sturgeon are toothless and extend their tube-like mouths to ingest prey, which then is ground in the stomach.

Shortnose sturgeon is the smallest sturgeon along the East Coast. They grow to about 56 inches and can weigh up to 15 pounds, but average closer to 10 pounds.

In contrast, Atlantic sturgeon reach an average mature length of 10 feet, but can grow to 15 feet and 800 pounds.

New Jersey's recreational state record Atlantic sturgeon, caught off Sandy Hook in 1994, weighed 82 pounds.

Those fishing inshore waters may encounter white buoys marking the receivers which are set at depths generally less than 20 feet. Buoys are labeled "NJDEP Research" and should be avoided.

 As part of a multi-state collaborative effort, the Division has partnered with several states to develop a multi-year effort directed at providing state, federal, and regional management authorities with information necessary to successfully conserve and ultimately restore the population of sturgeon in the mid-Atlantic region.

The receivers complement the existing receiver array within Delaware Bay, specifically on the NJ side, to ensure complete coverage of the sampling area. The additional coverage allows for greater detection of Atlantic sturgeon and provides the ability to monitor immigration and emigration from the Delaware Bay.

In 2013, the receivers recorded 31,401 detections from 233 different fish. Over 61 percent of the fish detected were Atlantic sturgeon, while 22 percent were sand tiger sharks. Other species detected included an American shad, a sandbar shark, a spiny dogfish, and a black drum tagged in March, 2011, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The majority of Atlantic sturgeon were detected in May and had been tagged by Delaware State University.

Reports of sturgeon sightings and interactions are also important to this research; please see www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2013/sturgeon_reporting.htm for information on submitting a report.

Large Atlantic sturgeon captured in the Atlantic Ocean for research.

More Information

• http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2014/sturgeon_research14.htm 
• information about sturgeon in the Delaware River
• Atlantic sturgeon report
• http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2012/01/31_atlantic_sturgeon.html
• http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/2005/digmar_sturgeon.pdf

Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament Sunday May 18 at Island Beach State Park

Island Beach State Park will host the 23rd annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament this Sunday, May 18, marking the first time in the competition’s storied history that it will be held in the spring, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin announced.

“We look forward to having anglers from New Jersey and neighboring states come to our beautiful beaches at Island Beach State Park, which has fully recovered from the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy,” Commissioner Martin said. “We welcome anglers of all ages and experience to enjoy a great day of fishing with family and friends, and help kick off the start of the summer season at the Jersey Shore.”

The annual Governor's Surf Fishing Tournament, which has long been an October staple, was moved to May this year to get a jumpstart on the summer tourism season and to allow for increased participation in the event.

“We’re anticipating some improved surf fishing opportunities and a bigger pool of anglers, including many families and youths, which should make for a lot of fun on Sunday,’’ said the DEP’s Director of Fish and Wildlife Dave Chanda. “Anglers will have an opportunity to land some striped bass and bluefish and be recognized for their fishing prowess.”

The individual who catches the overall largest fish wins the "Governor's Award" and will have his or her name engraved on the Governor's Cup, which is permanently displayed at Island Beach State Park. Fishing equipment is also awarded to winners in a variety of species and age group categories.

The registration fee on the day of the tournament is $20 for ages 18 and older and $5 for ages 13-17. There is no fee for children 12 and under.

All funds raised by the tournament go toward a variety of good causes, including the purchase of specialized wheelchairs that provide the disabled and elderly beach access, construction of access ramps for disabled saltwater anglers, surf fishing instruction programs and equipment, and marine education and restoration projects.

“Everything is coming together at the right time for a really enjoyable tournament on Sunday,’’ said Paul Smith, a member of the Tournament Committee representing the Jersey Coast Anglers Association. “ The weather is getting warmer and Island Beach surf anglers are now catching some good size striped bass, large bluefish, and even some weakfish. It should be a great opportunity on Sunday for some early season fishing action.

“Moving the Tournament to May is already paying off, with pre-tournament registration up over last year by almost twenty-five percent,’’ said Tim Burden, president of the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association. “Since this Sunday's weather forecast looks promising and the recent fishing reports are really good, I anticipate we'll have even more fishermen and families lined up at the registration area on Sunday morning than we've seen in a number of years.

“They are in for a treat,’’ added Burden. “Fishing in the spring at Island Beach State Park can be really exciting because the fishing can blow wide open on any given day and at any moment. During this time of year, opportunities abound throughout IBSP to catch more fish.’’

The New Jersey Beach Buggy Association is one of the tournament sponsors. Their members volunteer to be judges and drive their vehicles along designated areas of the beach to measure and score fish as outlined in the tournament rules.

The Governor's Surf Fishing Tournament is sponsored by the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry, the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Jersey Coast Anglers Association, and the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association.

For more information about the Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/gsft.htm

Tournament anglers may be asked to verify their compliance with the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program. If not already registered for 2014 please do so before hitting the beach the day of the tournament. Registration is quick, easy and free. Anglers simply need to log on to www.nj.gov/dep/saltwaterregistry/ and follow the instructions on the page.

SOURCE: http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2014/14_0042.htm

Great Egret

                            Great Egret in the NJ Meadowlands

Formerly known as the "American Egret," "Common Egret," "Large Egret," "White Egret," "Great White Egret," and "Great White Heron," this bird's official name in North America is now Great Egret.

This species has recovered from historic persecution by hunting to obtain the feathers. The danger for the Great Egret now is the destruction of wetlands. This is even more true in the West where colonies are few and widely scattered.

Like the Great Blue Heron, it usually feeds alone, stalking fish, frogs, snakes, and crayfish in shallow water.

The Great Egret is one of the tallest birds. They will sit waterside fishing for hours spearing fish with their sharp bills.

Watch an egret catch a fish and you will see it toss it slightly up in the air to put it into position to swallow - and you may actually see it wiggle on the way down. They also eat insects and even small shore birds that are preoccupied with their own fishing.

SOURCES:
http://birds.audubon.org
http://wildnewjersey.tv

Landscape Project Training and Information Webinar May 28

A webinar on the NJ Landscape Project is being offered to train users on this interactive ecosystem-based mapping tool that assists government agencies, planners, conservation groups, the public and others in making decisions that will protect imperiled and special concern wildlife.
The NJ Landscape Project Training and Information Webinar Session will take place on May 28, 2014, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) offers training and information sessions on the Landscape Project at locations throughout the state. This Webinar will provide a convenient and environmentally friendly way for attendees to participate remotely.

The Landscape Project is a pro-active, ecosystem-level approach for the long-term protection of imperiled species and their important habitats in New Jersey. The N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) began the project in 1994. Its goal: to protect New Jersey's biological diversity by maintaining and enhancing imperiled wildlife populations within healthy, functioning ecosystems

This session will include an overview of the Landscape Project mapping method and applications and cover the updates and enhancements to the project and will provide participants an opportunity to use GIS "hands-on" to access habitat maps for threatened and endangered wildlife species.

Please Note:
Access to ArcGIS software is required in order to complete the ArcGIS exercise included in this Webinar. Participants with access to ArcGIS software will have to download the Landscape Project GIS files prior to the start of the Webinar in order to complete the ArcGIS exercise included in the Webinar. It is highly recommended that users download the File Geodatabase files.

Files can be downloaded from DEP's Bureau of GIS at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/gis/landscape.html#geodatabase

To register, visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/892245144

Golden-Winged Warblers and American Woodcocks

In cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service, the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife conducts several surveys each year to measure waterfowl population parameters. As a Wildlife Conservation Corps volunteer, I was involved in an American woodcock survey this month.

Known as the timberdoodle, bogsucker, night partridge, brush snipe, and hokumpoke, this unusual bird is known to appear in NJ. They have been spotted in NJ in places like the Tower Hill Reserve in Bethlehem Township (Hunterdon County) and Quakertown Preserve in Franklin Township (owned by Hunterdon Land Trust).



The American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) is a chubby bird about 11 inches long with an interesting pattern that allows it to blend very effectively into vegetation. It is a ground-dwelling bird has a very long beak that might remind you of some shorebirds. It probes the ground to feed on worms and insects. Technically, it is the shorebird family, but it inhabits damp, brushy woods, and when displaying, moves into nearby grassy or brushy fields.

Its range includes the eastern half of the mainland United States including NJ, and areas farther north through southern Canada during the spring and summer breeding season. For the winter, it migrates to southern New Jersey and as far south as the Gulf Coast.

Woodcock are nocturnal, secretive, and generally solitary creatures and can typically only be observed during the few weeks of their mating ritual. Those of us involved this month were assigned to areas across the state. My group was in Norvin Green State Forest (Passaic County).

A warm evening at sunset is the best time to listen for woodcock. Unfortunately, temperatures below 40 degrees and rain usually eliminates the chances of hearing or seeing the mating display. I only heard the mating calls one evening on the nights I was out.

I tried to place myself at the edge of a damp area that faced out into the open. A male on the ground will start making a short vocal call: peent. He will call several times from the ground, and then fly up into the air about 50 to 100 yards.

Woodcocks are not good flyers and in this ritual it will fly down in a fast, spiraling flight with sounds like whistles, chirps, and trills being made not by the bird vocalizing, but by his wings.

Woodcocks are not endangered in NJ. The surveys are part of a larger monitoring of the species throughout North America, and also a way to map where populations do occur in the state. Some of those areas allow hunting and in NJ to hunt woodcock, rail, snipe, coots or moorhens you need an New Jersey hunting license and Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification.

Golden-winged Warbler caught for banding
Photo by Kristin Munafro via nj.com

In the nongame category of birds migrating through our state, we have the Golden-winged Warbler who is a rarity in our state. This month is also a time for warblers to visit our state,

The Golden-winged Warbler was once locally common in northern New Jersey. Now it is a species that is one of the rarest to encounter in the state.

They winter from southern Mexico south through Central America to Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. This New Jersey-listed endangered species has been reduced from approximately 100 pairs in the mid-1990s down to about 25 pairs today.

The few remaining birds do their nesting in the northwest corner of the state.

This ground-nesting warbler is found in brushy overgrowth along forested edges, shrubby fens, and shrub swamps and can be found along power-line cuts and areas where young forests are regenerating. They avoid a closed canopy setting and can be found in the NJ Highlands and Sussex County.



They have a unique "bee buzz buzz buzz" song.

Clearing of eastern forests is not something we want happening, but this species benefits from the regrowth and young forest that many abandoned or conserved farmlands or fields offer.

New Jersey Audubon has been working to create habitat at its Sparta Mountain Sanctuary and is partnering with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection on habitat creation at the Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area.

“Spirit of the Jerseys” State History Fair Celebrates NJ's 350th Anniversary

The 10th “Spirit of the Jerseys” State History Fair will take place on Saturday, May 10 at Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell Township, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

The fair is a signature event in the commemoration of New Jersey’s 350th anniversary, which is being celebrated this year. The fair will showcase many contributions the Garden State has made to the country and world since New Jersey’s founding in 1664.

“As residents of New Jersey, we share a tremendous sense of pride in knowing our state has shaped so much of the progress that has defined the American experience,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. “From the American Revolution to the Industrial Revolution to generating innovation that continues to improve lives and change the world around us, New Jersey’s unique historical legacy is truly unparalleled. As we continue to commemorate the 350th anniversary of New Jersey’s founding, this year’s State History Fair will surely prove the most educational and exciting yet.”

The Spirit of the Jerseys Fair was first held in 2004 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of New Jersey’s State-owned Historic Sites – a system that began in 1903 with the state’s purchase of the Indian King Tavern in Haddonfield. The goal of the fair is to engage the public in discovering the state’s history in a fun and enjoyable manner.

New this year, the day starts with a 5k Trail Run and Walk, and ends with a free concert at 5:30 p.m. by the New Jersey 63rd Army Band.

“The State History Fair will give visitors an opportunity to experience five centuries of New Jersey history, and – fittingly – will be held at Washington Crossing State Park, which is the site of one of the pivotal events of the American Revolution,” said Commissioner Martin. “It is an example of the Christie Administration’s support of our state’s history – from the annual History Fair to the continued support for all of our state historic sites, which allow residents to better understand who we are, where we came from, and the role that our ancestors played in making New Jersey such a great state.”

More than 200 historical, government and nonprofit entities and organizations are partnering with the DEP at the annual event. All of the state’s 21 counties will be represented at the fair as well as exhibitors from Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New York.

At the History Fair, you can take a step back in time and invent with Thomas Edison, tour the New Jersey Hall of Fame mobile museum, learn how to pound corn into flour, play historical games, see a historical fashion show, and experience New Jersey’s past by interacting with exhibitors who will provide insights into the state’s long history.

Activities at the State History Fair can help fulfill badge requirements for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts. The Office of Historic Sites is offering three professional development hours to elementary and secondary school social studies teachers who attend the fair and engage in its historical activities.

A wide variety of gourmet food trucks will be stationed in the park. Vendors will offer a variety of refreshments, snacks and meals – everything from pastries to empanadas.

While admission is free, there will be an $8 fee per-vehicle parking donation to help defray the cost of the fair.

For more information on the State History Fair, including a listing of events and directions, visit  www.njhistoryfair.org and for more information on New Jersey’s 350th anniversary, visit  http://officialnj350.com

Frog Awakenings

Photo by William Locascio

Now that spring has truly arrived in New Jersey, all kinds of miraculous rebirths are before us in nature.

My friend Bill's backyard pond in northern NJ has always had a few frog visitors and this week a new one has found the pond.

In early April, that frog would have been still frozen awaiting the spring thaw. If its heart turns on before its brain, the brain would be too cold to get oxygen and the circulatory system would dam up and fail. If the brain turns on before the heart, that brain would be starved for oxygen and die. But somehow, all those organs awaken at the right time and they emerge.

Amazing.

Waterfalls of New Jersey

Buttermilk Falls

New Jersey probably is not the first place one thinks of to find waterfalls. The Garden State has about 30 waterfalls of them that are found in the Kittatinny Ridge (northwest), the north-central Highlands, and the Piedmont of the central part of the state.

Almost all of them are on public lands and so are accessible to visitors and many of them offer surrounding lands suitable for a walk or hike.

NJhiking.com has a number of hikes that feature waterfalls.

Buttermilk Falls in Sussex County tops out at 80-90 feet and cascades spectacularly down the red shale face of the Kittatinny Ridge. It is the only waterfall in New Jersey, apart from Paterson's Great Falls, with a developed viewing area created by the National Park Service. There is an interpretive display and wooden walkway to the top.

Buttermilk Falls is in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, alongside a gravel road south of Walpack Center. The Park Service does not advertise Buttermilk Falls, keeping the location a pleasant surprise.

Coppermines Trail has several pretty cascades. Norvin Green State Park has Chikahoki Falls and the Apshawa Preserve has some nice cascades on Apshawa Brook.

Hacklebarney State Park has multiple cascades along the Black River in an easily accessible park.

The Pocono Enviromental Center has a nice shady hike through a hemlock forest with several waterfalls.

Hemlock Falls

 As a young boy, South Mountain Reservation in Essex County was my local forest and I made many a hike, bike ride and lunch stop in the woods.

The landscape and trails are moderate and somewhat rocky and you're never that far from roads and development. It is a bit harder to escape the traffic noise as some of those northwestern NJ trails. It's suburban.

At the eastern edge is the view from Washington Rock where a signal beacon warned the General and his Army at Morristown that the British Army were approaching.

My favorite destination was probably Hemlock Falls and walking along the Rahway River (white trail markers). You could also walk part of the 40-mile Lenape Trail (Yellow trail markers) that uses some of South Mountain.  There is a nice hike of about 6 miles that will include Hemlock Falls.

If waterfalls are something you'd like to explore, your best bet in books for our area is Waterfalls of the Mid-Atlantic States: 200 Falls in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennysylvania