Hikes and Walks in Monmouth County: Manasquan Reservoir

Every New Jersey county offers some parklands with suitable walks and maybe some that can qualify as a hike.

The Monmouth County Park System is a good example.

Manasquan Reservoir      via Flickr

Manasquan Reservoir is a good example. It's a strange place - almost eerie in some ways, but it offers some easy scenic walks. There is the 5.1 mile gravel Perimeter Trail which has widescreen views of the reservoir. It loops all around the reservoir and has a fairly even, well-maintained surface. It is sometimes listed as a "moderate" level but only because of its length.

You can tag on other trail combinations to lengthen or shorten your day. Take the 1.1 mile Cove Trail which is a scenic nature trail at the lakeshore around the Environmental Center and it is open to pedestrians only. (The Reservoir Trail will have some bikers.)

Info at monmouthcountyparks.com and njhiking.com/manasquan-reservoir 

The Visitor Center is at 311 Windeler Road, Howell 07731 and the Environmental Center is at 331 Georgia Tavern Road, Howell 07731       

The park opens daily at 7 a.m. November 1-March 31 and 6 a.m. April 1-October 31. Closing time is 6:30 p.m. through March 12; 8 p.m. March 13-April 3; and 8:30 p.m. April 4-May 1.

Another nearby possibility is Turkey Swamp Park. 
See monmouthcountyparks.com/page.aspx?ID=2540 and njhiking.com/turkey-swamp-county-park

Hatfield Swamp

The Hatfield Swamp is a place I often pass in my local travels. "Swamp" is not a word that cries out for you to plan a visit, so let's more accurately and kindly say that this is a freshwater wetland area.

It forms what is sometimes referred to as the "second bank" of the Passaic River at the border area between Morris and Essex counties.

The area of Hatfield Swamp is approximately 2,500 acres (10 km2), located in northern New Jersey at Latitude 40.85 N and Longitude 74.32 W.

The Swamp is part of West Essex Park and there are trails for public hiking. The Essex County Chapter of the Sierra Club and the New Jersey Audubon Society lead trips throughout the swamp in all seasons. A good starting place to explore and get information is the Essex County Environmental Center.

At the western end of the swamp, the Whippany River connects to the Rockaway River. The Rockaway River then travels a short distance into the center of the swamp where it flows into the Passaic River.

After heavy rain and if there is spring snowmelt, Hatfield Swamp floods since three rivers join here.

For animal observation, the area isn't always conducive due to the flooding. Deer, raccoons, possums, skunks and fox all live in the area (West Essex Park) but generally in the less swampy edges the swamp itself where there is higher and drier ground. We might expect to find muskrats there but the flooding would fill their bank dens with water and the area is also not conducive to plant foods that muskrats favor.

In autumn, waterfowl passing through the area rest in the swamp before proceeding south.

This wetlands area is not a place for some tree species (mostly hardwoods), but you will find various oaks, maples, sweet gum, and elm trees. (Find out more about plants found here)

Unfortunately, the three rivers that meet here were all once highly polluted. Things are better today but pollutants that remain in the soil and water have affected flora and fauna. The fish that are most likely found in the Rockaway River and Whippany River are carp and catfish.

Some history: Cornelius Hetfield owned and operated a mill at some point here before the American Revolution. Hetfield was a Loyalist during the Revolution, so his property was eventually confiscated. It was later purchased by Cyrus Crane. It stayed in the Crane family into the 1960s. The mill was dismantled and moved to Allaire State Park in Monmouth County and the swamp area of the park reverted to a slightly modernized Hatfield Swamp.

But let's go way back in Hatfield geologic time. It was the late-Triassic/early-Jurassic and when the North American plate separated from the African plate and created a rift valley. Today we refer to that rift as the Newark Basin. This valley changed over the next few millions of years, the valley faulted, tilted, and eroded and eventually the basalt layers formed ridges.  Then the Wisconsin Glacier ice sheet during the last ice age advances and plugs the gap with its glacial rubble. The glacier melts and the water pools up behind the ridges. The ridges are our Watchung Mountains and the pooled water forms Glacial Lake Passaic. Go forward thousands of years and the lake drains leaving behind swamps. The big one is our Great Swamp which drains from that Passaic River and flows through a gap in ridges passing through Hatfield Swamp.

If you want to visit, an easy starting place is the Essex County Environmental Center, which is in West Essex Park.  This site (download small map) was once a tavern and stagecoach stop, and the nearby bridge over the Passaic River is where Morris County’s historic Patriots Path connects with the Lenape Trail in Essex County.

Holiday Activities at New Jersey State Parks

Historic Christmases in New Jersey ranging from the American Revolution to the Victorian era and modern day are among the highlights of annual holiday activities planned this month at state parks, according to a NJDEP press release.

“Christmas is a special time in New Jersey, with many activities for the public to recall our important place in history and to celebrate the beauty and magic of the season,” Parks and Forestry Director Olivia Glenn said. “There is something for everyone at many of our parks, from seeing the stately Ringwood Manor decorated as it would have been during its heyday, to watching busy elves in Santa’s workshop, to the always popular Delaware River crossing on Christmas. These activities are a great way to enjoy the holiday spirit.”

Ringwood Manor

Ringwood Manor at Ringwood State Park in Passaic County is hosting the 43rd Annual Victorian Christmas, showcasing holiday décor from the 19th century, while Washington Crossing State Park will host the annual Christmas Day re-enactment of Gen. George Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River. Other activities include a reading of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol at Waterloo Village in Sussex County and history-themed fun at The Historic Village at Allaire in Allaire State Park in Monmouth County.

The 19th century Ringwood Manor is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The stunning house that was home to well-known ironmasters in the 19th and 20th centuries sits on a low hill that overlooks a rustic landscape, making it a beautiful location to visit during the holidays and winter.

From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 16, Santa Claus and his elves will be busy in their workshop at Ringwood State Park’s Hermitage Museum Visitor Center to greet children and their families.

Children can spend time at holiday craft tables, surrounded by vintage toys, trains, Christmas trees, holiday decorations and music. Refreshments will be provided. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-12, and free for children age 5 and younger. Santa’s Workshop is sponsored by Friends of the Hermitage.

Remaining dates to visit Ringwood Manor for the Victorian Christmas are Dec. 9, 15 and 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for children ages 5-12. Group tours for 10 or more people are offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 12, with admission set at $7 per person.

The Women’s Club of West Milford, the North Jersey Highlands Historical Society, and the Ringwood Manor Association of the Arts sponsors the Victorian Christmas. For more information, call (973) 962-2240.

Santa at Ringwood State Park

To learn more about the 2018 Victorian Christmas at Ringwood Manor, visit www.ringwoodmanor.org/victorian-christmas.html 

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A reading of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol is scheduled at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Waterloo Village in Stanhope, Sussex County. Admission is $10 per person. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Call (973) 347-1835 to register.

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The Historic Village at Allaire within Allaire State Park in Farmingdale, Monmouth County, is offering guided lantern tours and interactive Christmas activities for all ages.

Visitors can tour the Historic Village at Allaire by lantern light and learn about Christmas in the 1800s. Tours leave every 15 minutes from 5 to 8 p.m. p.m. on Dec. 7, 8, 15 and 21. The 90-minute, outdoor guided tours are $20 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Strollers are not permitted in the historic buildings.

Christmas at The Historic Village at Allaire will offer interactive programs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16. Activities include music, storytelling, hearth cooking, dancing, wagon rides, crafts and a visit from Santa Claus. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children younger than 12 years of age.

Washington Crossing the Delaware River on Christmas Day

At 1 p.m. on Christmas, visitors to Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville, Mercer County, can commemorate the 242nd anniversary of the pivotal crossing of the Delaware River on Dec. 25, 1776, during the War for Independence.


The crossing led to strategic victories the next day in Trenton, followed by victories at Assunpink Creek on Jan. 2, 1777 and at Princeton the next day. These victories helped establish Washington’s Continental Army as a viable fighting force that could challenge the British Army and its Hessian mercenaries.


Prior to the crossing and the ensuing battles of Trenton and Princeton, the American Revolution was thought to be lost. But those victories turned the war around and led to the eventual defeat of the British in 1783.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive by noon to have time to park and find a good viewing location. A history narration of the event will begin at 12:30 p.m. along the riverbank. Cider and doughnuts will be provided at the Nelson House.


Approximately 100 re-enactors will start the crossing at 1 p.m. from the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River, in reproductions of the Durham boats used by Washington and his troops.

The re-enactment is free and will be held weather-permitting. For more information, call (609) 737-0623.

Those interested in learning more about the history and significance of the crossing, as well as the Battle of Trenton may attend a free lecture with Washington Crossing State Park Historian Clay Craighead at 2 p.m. Dec. 15, at the park’s Visitor Center Museum.

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• For more about Ringwood State Park, visit www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/ringwood.html#sky  
• For more information about Washington Crossing State Park, including directions and GPS coordinates, visit www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/washcros.html 
• For more information about The Historic Village at Allaire and Allaire State Park, visit https://allairevillage.org/ and www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/allaire.html 
• To learn more about New Jersey’s Parks, Forests and Historic Sites, visit www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/ 
• You can Like and follow the State Park Service on Facebook  www.facebook.com/newjerseystateparks  
• Follow the New Jersey State Park Service on Instagram @newjerseystateparks 
• and follow the DEP on Twitter @NewJerseyDEP   

Advisory on Clinging Jellyfish in Barnegat Bay

Clinging jellyfish, a nonnative species with a powerful sting, have been confirmed in the north-central region of Barnegat Bay, prompting the Department of Environmental Protection to expand a recreational-use advisory to the entire bay.

The advisory follows advisories the DEP previously issued for recreational users of northern Barnegat Bay, the Metedeconk River in Ocean County and the Shrewsbury and Manasquan rivers in Monmouth County.

About 40 clinging jellyfish were confirmed in north-central Barnegat Bay on Monday – at Jonny Allens Cove on the bayside of Island Beach State Park and in eelgrass beds on the north side of Tices Shoal, a popular boating and watercraft area on the bay side of the park.

The jellyfish collected in both areas were in varying stages of maturation.

The clinging jellyfish is not known to inhabit ocean beaches or other sandy areas but tends to attach itself to submerged sea grass and algae in back bays and estuaries, areas not heavily used for swimming.

Recreational users of the bay, including those using the popular Tices Shoal area, are advised to be vigilant to the possible presence of clinging jellyfish. Clinging jellyfish stings can produce severe pain, muscle cramping and other localized symptoms. In some individuals, stings can result in hospitalization.

In Barnegat Bay, beds of sea grass can provide ideal habitat for clinging jellyfish, which are very small and hard to see in the water. The clinging jellyfish ranges from the size of a dime to about the size of a quarter. It has a distinctive red, orange or violet cross across its middle.

The DEP encourages the public to use common sense and caution in areas where jellyfish are suspected. Anyone wading through these areas, especially near sea grass, should wear boots or waders to protect themselves.

The clinging jellyfish was first confirmed in New Jersey in 2016 in the Manasquan River at the Point Pleasant Canal. The DEP is working in partnership with Montclair State University to continue clinging jellyfish surveys in the bay.

If stung by a clinging jellyfish:

1. Apply white vinegar to the affected area to immobilize any remaining stinging cells.
2. Rinse the area with salt water and remove any remaining tentacle materials using gloves or a thick towel.
3. A hot compress or cold pack can then be applied to alleviate pain.
4. If symptoms persist or pain increases instead of subsiding, seek prompt medical attention.

People are advised against trying to capture clinging jellyfish. Take a photograph if possible and send it to Dr. Paul Bologna at bolognap@mail.montclair.edu or Joseph Bilinski at joseph.bilinski@dep.nj.gov along with location information.

For a fact sheet on clinging jellyfish, visit www.nj.gov/dep/docs/clinging-jellyfish-factsheet.pdf

For a PowerPoint presentation on DEP clinging jellyfish research, visit www.nj.gov/dep/docs/clinging-jellyfish-distribution.pdf

SOURCE https://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2018/18_0059.htm

Marine Academy of Science and Technology Recognized by New Jersey Audubon and National Wildlife Federation with Eco-Schools Award

Dune restoration by students at Sandy Hook  - Photo via ahherald.com

Marine Academy of Science and Technology (M.A.S.T.) is a co-ed four-year high school, grades 9-12. It is one of five career academies administered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District. The Marine Academy is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges. The school's curriculum focuses on marine sciences and marine technology/engineering.

The school was recognized by New Jersey Audubon and National Wildlife Federation with an Eco-Schools Award.  MAST students developed and implemented a plan to increase dune vegetation lost in Hurricane Sandy. The dunes are natural line of defense in protecting coastal communities during hurricanes and other storms.

On Sandy Hook, waves and storm surges from Hurricane Sandy badly damaged the dunes and the students identified one damaged area of particular ecological importance in an area within the park called the “critical zone.” This zone is the thinnest area and susceptible to overwash and flooding from storm events.

Working under the supervision of the National Park Service, the students planted over 1,000 dune grass plants over a span of 3,000 feet along the beaches of Sandy Hook.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program is run by New Jersey Audubon in our state with a goal to engage schools in efforts to improve student environmental literacy and skills. The MAST dune restoration project earned them the Bronze Award.

MAST students participate in the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) in lieu of Physical Education. The school is is located in the Fort Hancock Historic Area at the tip of Sandy Hook, sothe project was very "local." Their campus is adjacent to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest working lighthouse in the country.

Endangered New Jersey History

Yes, historic places are often on their own endangered lists around the world and New Jersey is no exception.

One list is at the www.thehistorygirl.com website (They are also on Twitter) and on Preservation New Jersey's site you'll find their annual list of the state's 10 most endangered historic places.

The places vary in age and usage. For example, there is the Colemantown Meeting House and Jacob's Chapel, in Mount Laurel (Burlington County). This circa-1865 chapel and meeting house along with an even older cemetery are all that remain of the 19th-century African-American community of Colemantown.

The meeting house was made even more endangered than it had been after Superstorm Sandy flooded it and made the building unusable. With an estimated $1.3 million needed for repair, restoration and site improvements, the price tag is well beyond the means of the congregation.

Jacob's Chapel  (NPS)

The Jacob's Chapel A.M.E Church property, which includes the Colemantown Meeting House, the Chapel and cemetery mark the emergence, growth, and decline of Colemantown. This antebellum African American settlement established in 1828 flourished into the 20th century and was an important event within Burlington County history.

The Colemantown Meeting House (moved to its current location in 1965) served as both the first worship sanctuary in Colemantown and as a schoolhouse for the hamlet's children and is one of the oldest all-black schoolhouses still extant in New Jersey.

The cemetery was inaugurated about 1849. In the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, the growing congregation, then led by Jacob Mitchell, an A.M.E minister known for his success in helping other black churches build their own sanctuaries, led the effort to build the present Jacob's Chapel in 1866-67.

Founder's Fountain in better days - Photo CC 2.5 

Not all endangered NJ history is a building or place. An example is Founders Fountain in Monmouth County's Founder's Park. The park was established on the site of the first Camp Meeting in Ocean Grove, off Pilgrim's Pathway.

This elaborate cast iron fountain was the centerpiece of the park when it was placed there in 1907 as a memorial. Vandals clogged it in 1977, but it remains partially intact, but in severe disrepair. Many of the original molds are available for the fountain’s restoration, but the expensive cost is beyond the means of the historical society that owns it.

You might not think of most school buildings as being historic, but Camden High School is a century-old Collegiate Gothic-style building that is also known as the "Castle on the Hill."

Camden High School's Class of 2017 is the last graduating class of "The Castle on the Hill" as the school is slated to be demolished this year to make room for a new $133 million state-of-the-art high school.

The chances are very slim that the building will be saved.

Tracking and Stopping Wastewater Pollution

Shark River enter the Atlantic Ocean

Working in collaboration, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, Monmouth County and Neptune City have tracked down and repaired a significant source of bacterial contamination that affected water quality and contributed to the closure of shellfish beds in the Shark River late last year.

Barely 12 miles in total length, the Shark River is comprised primarily of a large, U-shaped estuarine basin that is connected to the ocean by a relatively narrow inlet.

Using dye tests and cameras provided by NJDOT, the partners were able to locate sewage leaking into a stormwater discharge pipe at West Sylvania Avenue in Neptune City. The source of the infiltration into the stormwater pipe was then traced to two leaking municipal sewer lines, which the city recently repaired.

In early November, the DEP’s Bureau of Marine Water Quality Monitoring suspended any harvesting of clams from two stretches of the river totaling 266 acres – 122 acres in the northern portion of the river in Neptune City and 144 acres in the western portion of the river at Belmar – due to extremely elevated levels of bacteria, a strong indicator of sewage leaks.

“This has been a team effort in the truest sense of the term,” said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin. “Our scientists worked very closely with NJDOT engineers, who provided extensive technical and resource support.

“We also had the strong support of Monmouth County, local officials and Senator Jennifer Beck to track down the source of this pollution, no easy task considering the size of the area that had to be investigated and the complexity of piping networks in the area. Neptune City also stepped up and fixed the leaks promptly. I commend everyone who went the extra yard to protect the quality of water in the Shark River.”

“NJDOT personnel have the experience and skills needed to investigate the vast network of underground water and sewer pipes that run beneath the roadways in New Jersey – whether they are State, county, or municipal roads,” NJDOT Commissioner Richard T. Hammer said. “Neptune City approached the Department of Transportation last year regarding an issue with erosion on one of its roads. NJDOT led a coordinated inter-agency effort in which our engineers, through the use of Transportation Trust Funds, investigated the issue and in the process identified the source of long-term and persistent bacteria infiltration into the Shark River.”

“It has been a real pleasure to work with the DEP, NJDOT, and Monmouth County on this project to preserve our natural resource,” said Neptune Mayor Robert Brown. “This is proof how you can make great progress on such an important project when we all have the same goal.”

The DEP and its partners are currently launching a similar effort to track down the source of bacteria being discharged into the western portion of the basin. This situation may also be the result of an underground sewage pipe leak.

“We still have a lot more work ahead of us, but this is a great step toward identifying and tracking sources of bacteria that impact shellfish beds and can diminish the public’s recreational enjoyment of the river,” said Ray Bukowski, DEP’s Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Enforcement, who organized the track-down effort.

Prior to their closure, the shellfish beds were classified as restricted due to degrading water quality, and have not been harvested in years because they would need to be taken to a special plant for cleansing, a process known as depuration, before they could be shipped to market.

“The DEP’s goal is to improve overall water quality in the river so that in the longer term we can make the naturally productive shellfish beds found there commercially viable again,” said Dan Kennedy, DEP’s Assistant Commissioner for Water Resources.

Due to strong programs protecting and monitoring shellfish beds, the percentage of beds considered safe for harvesting across the state is now nearly 90 percent, compared to about 75 percent in 1977.

Founded in 1912, the Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring actually precedes the formation of the DEP by nearly six decades. The bureau collects thousands of samples from shellfish waters which, among other things, measures temperature, salinity, nutrients and bacteria.

SOURCE: http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2017/17_0019.htm

Celebrating Earth Day in New Jersey

Earth Day - Friday, April 22 - is a great way to show appreciation for the Earth. This one special day is more important than ever because learning about the environmental dangers that face our home is ever increasingly crucial to the planet's and our own well being.

Via freeholddodge.net we get these 6 suggestions for ways to celebrate Earth Day around Monmouth County, NJ.

What's happening in your area?  Add a comment to this post!

The Bayshore Waterfront Park at Port Monmouth is a great way to learn about marine life and beach restoration. You and your family can tour the park and witness the wildlife that dwells on the beach. You can even participate in an interactive show and tell program.

Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown offers a beautiful landscape of vast gardens that you can walk through and enjoy. It's here that you can learn the tricks of the trade so that you can improve your home garden, and make your thumb a little greener. For family fun, Deep Cut Gardens offers scavenger hunts on its 54 acres.

Huber Woods Environmental Center in Locust offers a variety of activities that would be perfect for Earth Day. Your little ones can learn more about the Lenape tribe, the natives who used to dwell in the area before it was settled by European colonists. They can play Native American instruments, try basket weaving and participate in the maize game.

The Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, located in Howell, is hosting an event called "Celebrate Earth Hour" on March 19th at 8 p.m. This no-flashlight event offers games, night hikes, crafts and treats for you and your whole family. At the end of this event, participants are encouraged to enjoy the vast sky that will be better observed because of the lack of light pollution.

Thompson Park in Lincroft encourages getting dirty. What they mean is that children should run around outside and enjoy the flora and fauna. This 667 acre park offers various activities that are perfect for you and your family including tennis courts and winding paths that are great for hikes.

Turkey Swamp Park, located in Freehold, is a great place to take the family for the weekend. This park features a 2,261 acre wooded park that is perfect for camping. Build a fire, go fishing and enjoy the beautiful sight of nature with your family. You can even go swimming in the 17-acre lake.

This Fossil Shark Is Safe

"Cretaceous Shark Teeth" by Wilson44691 Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

It is Discovery Channel's Shark Week once again and sharks will get a lot of good and bad attention. The Shark Research Institute in Princeton is offering a safe way to engage with sharks that will not be threatening at all. Hunt for fossilized shark teeth.

Kids and adults can join experts from the Shark Research Institute and the American Littoral Society this Saturday, July 11, and wade into the Big Brook in Middletown to sift for ancient shark teeth.

Sharks continually shed their teeth; some Carcharhiniformes shed approximately 35,000 teeth in a lifetime, as well as replace them by producing thousands of more. There are four basic types of shark teeth: dense flattened, needle-like, pointed lower with triangular upper, and non-functional. The type of tooth that a shark has depends on its diet and feeding habits.

In some geological formations, shark's teeth are a common fossil and  they are often the only part of the shark to be fossilized. The most ancient types of sharks date back to 450 million years ago, during the Late Ordovician period, and are mostly known by their fossilized teeth. However, the most commonly found fossil shark teeth are from the Cenozoic era (the last 66 million years).

The shallow water (about 18 inches deep) of the Big Brook sediments were deposited during the Late Cretaceous 100 to 66 million years ago when modern sharks began to appear on Earth.


INFO
9:30 a.m. to noon, July 11. $5 for adults, kids are free. Call 609-921-3522 to sign up.
Future shark teeth hunts at Big Brook are 5:30 p.m., July 30 and 9:30 a.m. to noon, August 15.

Run, Walk or Bike at the Jersey Shore

Jersey Shore in Motion has a nice list of running and walking trails in Monmouth and Ocean County.

Cattus Island County Park - 1170 Cattus Island Blvd, Toms River, has a trail system that is great for an easy hike. Designed to provide access to the most beautiful areas of the property, you can seek out the returning migratory songbirds or witness the osprey building her nest along the 1,500-foot boardwalk or on one of the other trails in this 500-acre Ocean County sanctuary.

Double Trouble State Park - 581 Pinewald Keswick Road, Bayville, is an active cranberry farm, and it also features a marked 1.5-mile loop and several miles of unmarked paths. Located on the eastern edge of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the Nature Trail identifies 20 points of interest from endangered plants to native animals.

18 more possibilities at jerseyshoreinmotion.com

Testing the Waters at the Jersey Shore

Testing the Waters is a guide to water quality at vacation beaches. The state summary for New Jersey ranked our state third in beach water quality (out of 30 states. Only 3% of samples exceeded the national Beach Action Value for designated beach areas in 2013.

New Jersey has public beaches lining 127 miles of the Atlantic coast. The Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program (CCMP), which is administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, conducts quality monitoring from mid-May to mid-September.

You can find daily activity reports, including beach closings and advisories, at www.njbeaches.org (the CCMP website). As I write this, the Jersey shore beaches are all green lights and open.

In 2013, New Jersey reported 492 coastal beaches and beach segments, 288 of which were monitored. New Jersey also has "bracket" beaches that are adjacent to regularly monitored beaches; if high bacteria concentrations are found at a regularly monitored station, sampling is conducted at bracket stations to determine the extent of the affected area.

That 3% number means that of all reported beach monitoring samples, 3% exceeded the Beach Action Value (BAV) of 60 enterococcus bacteria colony forming units (cfu) per 100 ml marine or estuarine water in a single sample.

The 4 beaches in NJ that did exceed the rate with the highest percentages in 2013 were Berkeley Township at Beachwood Beach West in Ocean County (52%), Neptune Township at Shark River Beach and Yacht in Monmouth County (20%), Berkeley Township at West Beach Avon Road in Ocean County (18%), and Brick Township at Windward Beach in Ocean County (17%).

New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail

Click image for enlarged view

The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail will show you roads less traveled where you can find historic villages, migrating eagles, and boardwalks on miles of sandy beaches.

This auto-trail stretches nearly 300 miles along New Jersey’s shore and bays. The trail route begins at the Raritan Bay in Perth Amboy, flows to Sandy Hook and then south down the entire Atlantic coast of New Jersey to Cape May.  It then hooks back up the Delaware Bay and River from Cape May to Deepwater near the Delaware Memorial Bridge.  The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail encompasses five regions; Sandy Hook, Barnegat Bay, Absecon, Cape May and the Delsea.

You can explore the Trail’s five regions and you’ll find the nation’s oldest operating lighthouse; the town where revolutionaries burned British tea; and the state’s official tall ship.

Sandy Hook Region is the northern most and is approximately 40 miles long. Barnegat Bay Region is near the center of New Jersey's Atlantic seaboard and is about 45 miles long. Absecon Region includes Atlantic City and Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and is 20 miles long. Cape May Region is approximately 40 miles long and includes lighthouses, bird refuges, and the historic town of Cape May. Delsea Region is the most remote with over 60 miles of wetlands, history, and migratory bird stop-over points.

The Coastal Heritage Trail is designed primarily as a vehicular tourism route in which interpretive themes link destinations throughout the Trail area.

One stop along the way is the Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook which at 266 feet in Atlantic Highlands sits on the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic seaboard (excluding islands) from Maine to the Yucatan providing beautiful views of Sandy Hook, Sandy Hook Bay, Raritan Bay and the New York skyline.
This 12-acre site is also home to Monmouth County's 9/11 Memorial.          see  MonmouthCountyParks.com

All of the Trail destinations and welcome centers are operated by other organizations that maintain a variety of public hours. Availability of public transportation varies to and/or from destination to destination. 

Specific information is available by contacting the trail headquarters, welcome centers, and individual destinations. Trail welcome centers are located at Fort Mott State Park (off State Route 49 between Salem and Pennsville in Salem County near the Delaware Memorial Bridge) and at the Ocean View Tourist Information Center (Milepost 18.3 on the Garden State Parkway in Cape May County north of   Cape May).

Additional Information   http://www.newjerseycoastalheritagetrail.com/  

Court Order Provides Public Access to Sea Bright Beach

A Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of the state, ordering a beach club in Sea Bright to provide public access to the beach in front of the club, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

Judge Thomas W. Cavanagh, presiding in the Chancery Division in Monmouth County, this week issued an order ruling that the public owns all the tidelands in front of the Sea Bright Beach Club and ordered the club to work with the DEP on developing a plan to accommodate public access, including plans for maintenance, lifeguard protection and signage.

“Access to our beaches is an important right for everyone,” Commissioner Martin said. “This ruling restores the right of all members of the public to enjoy significant areas of the beaches in Sea Bright, even if the beaches happen to be in front of a private beach club. The next step is to work out a public access plan with the Sea Bright Beach Club.”

The ruling resolves access to the last of nine beach clubs that were named in a lawsuit the state filed in 2006 over public access to Sea Bright’s beaches. The lawsuit argued that 1993 agreements limiting public access to a 15-foot-wide limited use corridor were contrary to law and public policy.

Earlier this year, the state reached a settlement agreement with six other private beach clubs. They were the Chapel Beach Club, the Surf Rider Beach Club, Driftwood Beach Club, Sands Beach Club, Water’s Edge Beach Club and Ship Ahoy Beach Club. Under that settlement, the borough of Sea Bright also agreed to provide additional public-access amenities.

Another club, the Trade Winds Beach Club, was sold for residential development and public access has been allowed to the beach there. Another club, Donovan’s Reef Beach Club, settled previously and now allows full public access.

The DEP continues to work on new, comprehensive rules that will implement a common-sense approach for providing public access to beaches and waterways. A key objective is allowing municipalities to develop plans that recognize local conditions and costs without compromising public access.


NJDEP Press release http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0066.htm

Allaire State Park and Allaire Village

One of NJ's living history museums is Allaire Village. Lving history was a concept that became popular in the late 1960s. The idea is to let visitors see a historic site populated with people who dress and interact like the people of the historical period. Typically, the workers dress in period costumes and demonstrate the crafts and activities of the past.

Colonial Williamsburg is the major living history site on the East Coast, but we have sites in NJ that make good day trips.

 The Historic Village at Allaire is a non-profit,living history museum set in the year 1836. It is located within Allaire State Park in Wall Township, New Jersey. The village was originally established as a bog iron furnace known as the Howell Works, which the company's owner, philanthropist James P. Allaire, endeavoured to turn into a self-contained community.

Allaire Village and its existing buildings are now operated by a non-profit organization Historic interpreters work using period tools and equipment in the blacksmith, tinsmith, and carpentry shops, while the old bakery sells cookies, and general store serves as a museum store.

The company town that developed in the early 1800s around the Howell Works, made brass fittings for ships. A New York City businessman bought a large piece of land in Monmouth County and turned it into a bog iron works.

    

Check their calendar of special events.
Directions via Mapquest

Museums in Monmouth County, New Jersey: including Allaire Village
The Deserted Village at Allaire

D&R Greenway

D&R Greenway Land Trust is central New Jersey's non-profit land preservation organization, founded in 1989 through the collaboration and vision of four organizations: the Stony Brook - Millstone Watershed Association, Friends of Princeton Open Space, Regional Planning Partnership, and the Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission.

They were originally named the Delaware & Raritan Greenway, but they changed their name in 2004 to better reflect their preservation work as a Land Trust, and because their work expanded beyond the focus on the Delaware & Raritan Canal.

I actually heard about them because of a poetry event they offered recently called "Living Among Giants, Seeing the Forest for the Trees." It's one of a number of public programs they offer at at the Johnson Education Center.

They cover a lot of ground. Their operating region consists of over 1,500 square miles, encompassing portions of the Delaware, Raritan and Millstone River watersheds and the Delaware & Raritan Canal. This includes Mercer, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Burlington and Monmouth counties.

Recently, they have also worked at preserving preservation of farmlands in Salem County in the area of Mannington Meadows.

Since 1989, D&R Greenway Land Trust has preserved 223 properties. The total acreage preserved as of February 1, 2010 is 14,320.69 acres valued at $316,177,653.

Surfrider NJ

The Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots, non-profit, environmental organization that works to protect our oceans, waves, and beaches.

They were founded in 1984 and have 60 chapters located along the East, West, Gulf, Puerto Rican, and Hawaiian coasts. The Jersey Shore Chapter offers a a number of activities and projects.

"Respect the Beach" is an educational program that introduces students to beach ecology and to the watershed process.

The Surfrider Foundation's Blue Water Task Force is a water quality monitoring, education and advocacy program, to educate New Jersey citizens about coastal water quality problems and to build support for national coastal water quality testing and monitoring standards.

The Jersey Shore Chapter often addresses political and environmental issues that threaten New Jersey beaches and waters, including beach replenishment, ocean dumping, and public beach access.

Chris Carhart at an overpublicized inlet in Northern Ocean County during a 2009 spring run of North swell. Photo by Jack Ryan

As you might guess from their name, they also strive to open and preserve surfing beaches in coastal communities all along the Jersey Shore. They host and participate in surf clinics and contests, including the Chapter's annual Manasquan Classic (this year it will be Sept. 19), to promote surfing to the young and young-at-heart.

Many of their activities are aimed at increasing the public awareness of issues impacting NJ beaches by being visible at community and music festivals, beach cleanups and beach mapping projects, and at local beach/sporting events.

You can read their State of the Beach report for NJ gives a good summary of state activities and concerns.

One recent campaign was the Manasquan to Barnegat Beachfill. The Army Corps plans to do a massive dredge and fill for the beaches from Manasquan Inlet to Barnegat Inlet, NJ. This would include the towns from Point Pleasant to Seaside Park.

If you are interested, their next monthly chapter meeting will be August 8 at 9 AM at the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center, Ocean Ave., Monmouth Beach, NJ.

Humpback Whale Washes Onto Monmouth Beach

As thrilling as it is to spot a whale breaching on one of those whale-watching cruises, it is even more exciting to see one off the NJ coast.

So, it is quite the reverse to see a dead a dead humpback washed up on one of our beaches.

That is what happened last week when a juvenile humpback washed up dead onto Monmouth Beach.

Photos via Atlantic Highland Herald

Because the whale hit the rock sea wall before ending up on the beach, it was difficult for scientists to clearly determine the cause of death.

This can also be a teachable moment. The shocking sight of the dead whale with its stomach literally inside out coming out its mouth, indicates that it was likely to have been hit by a ship in the stomach. The major threats to many whales are entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. In our NJ waters, tanker ships are quite common.

A child examining the detached baleen from this whale will hopefully be told something about baleen whales.

Perhaps, the incident will create a conversation about how a reduction of speed by large ships entering areas where whales are present reduces strikes because it allows whales to move away after hearing the ship's engines.

Whales that was up dead on NJ beaches are generally cut in pieces and the remains are buried somewhere on the beach, according to officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. It appears that this whale was dead for a week before it washed ashore.

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center has worked since 1978 to help not only stranded whales, but dolphins, seals and sea turtles that have washed ashore along the Jersey Shore.

For more coverage and photos: www.ahherald.com

Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area

The Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area. is a slender peninsula that goes 6.5 miles into NY Harbor and covers 1665 acres.

Popular as a swimming beach in summer and fishing area year round, it is also a major beach nesting area.

The visitors center (2 miles in from entrance) can guide you to trails & observation areas, and warn you of nesting areas for piping plovers (at right), black skimmers, least terns and many shorebird species.

On the bay side, the Horseshoe Cove Salt Marsh is a good place to look for great blue herons, green herons and egrets. Offshore viewing from the beaches in summer may allow you a view of passing whales (hence the naming of the Spermaciti Cove Visitor Center)

In 1999, New Jersey passed a law that prohibits all types of nudism on state or beaches, but Sandy Hook's Gunnison Beach remains as the only legal nude beach in the state, since it is on federal land and not subject to state or municipal regulations. Gunnison is the largest clothing-optional recreation area on the East Coast.

From the Garden State Parkway, take exit 117 from the North or 105 from the south and follow signs on Rt. 36 for 12 miles. Admission is charged during the summer season.

Tourist information http://www.sandy-hook.com/

See Brian Richards' 3D / Panoramic view of the current state of Bridge Construction