Will It Be a Mast Year in New Jersey This Year?

A mast year, also called a mast boom, is when a tree or group of trees produces an exceptionally large crop of their seeds, such as acorns. These years are natural cycles for many tree species, including oaks, which are common in New Jersey.

Some people consider a mast year to be a predictor of the coming winter. I'm sorry to report that it is not a predictor of winter. Lots of acorns or seeds do not mean a severe winter. Unfortunately, plants and animals are no better at predicting the future than humans.

The 2023 mast year was a significant event in New Jersey. The next mast event for many species, particularly oaks, is expected to be between 2026 and 2028. However, the timing can vary between different species, so other species might have their next mast year at slightly different times.

When trees produce a massive number of seeds, it creates a glut of food for wildlife. A surplus of food can lead to a booming population of animals like squirrels and chipmunks in the year following a mast event. That definitely happened in my North Jersey backyard.

Producing such a large seed crop is very energy-intensive for the tree, and it will typically have a very low yield of seeds the following year as it restores its energy.

The term "mast" in this context comes from Old English "mæst," which referred to the nuts of forest trees, especially those used as food for pigs. This Old English word is derived from Proto-Germanic "mastiz" and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots related to gathering or collecting food. Over time, the term evolved to encompass a broader meaning, including the seeds and nuts of various trees that serve as a food source for wildlife.

A mast year scene

Greenbrook Sanctuary

Greenbrook Sanctuary is a 165-acre nature preserve located in Tenafly, New Jersey, within the Palisades region of Bergen County. It's about 4.7 miles north of the George Washington Bridge, off Route 9 West. This sanctuary is a unique blend of natural beauty and tranquility, offering a serene escape from the urban sprawl of nearby New York City

In the wildest, most secluded acres, trees rise 100 to 130 feet and are often over 200 years old. Hikers and walkers here feel hundreds of miles and years away from the cities in such primeval forests.

The sanctuary boasts a range of ecosystems, including mixed oak forests, cliff edges, ponds, ravines, meadows, and wetland forests. These support a wide variety of plant and animal life, such as over 250 species of birds and numerous small mammals.

It has a network of  6.5 miles of trails suitable for all levels of hikers, offering stunning views of the Hudson River and the surrounding landscape.

The sanctuary is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including deer, foxes, and birds of prey like bald eagles and peregrine falcons.

If you pay attention to geological features, the area features rocky cliffs, wooded areas, and a shoreline along the Hudson River, providing scenic views and unique habitats.

A five-acre pond with a small adjoining bog increases the great diversity of this sanctuary. The 250-foot Greenbrook Falls is one of three major streams that drain the area and tumble down the ancient diabase cliffs into the Hudson River. Views of these waterfalls, the Palisades and Highlands to the north, and the densely populated cities across the Hudson, are possible from several promontories which look down 350 feet into the river.

During the migratory seasons, it is not unusual to observe eighty species in one day, including twenty varieties of colorful warblers and, in the fall, thousands of hawks (and an occasional eagle) soaring along the cliffs. Nesting birds are the great horned owl, broad-winged hawk, pileated woodpecker, ruffed grouse, wood duck, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, worm-eating warbler, and indigo bunting.

Common mammals include the nocturnal raccoon, red fox, striped skunk, gray squirrels, chipmunk, muskrat, cotton-tail rabbit, and the secretive white-footed mouse, short-tailed shrew, and common mole. Deer, opossums, weasels, flying squirrels, and red bats are also occasionally seen.

One caveat is that access to hiking Greenbrook Sanctuary requires a membership. Palisades Nature Association, (PNA) is a non-profit organization of conservation-minded people, founded in 1946 to preserve the natural character of the Palisades cliffs and to develop a wild sanctuary. PNA administers Greenbrook Sanctuary and members are required to follow the rules and regulations to support their conservation efforts, ensure the safety of fellow members, and preserve the wildlife and natural environment of Greenbrook Sanctuary.

More Information at njpalisades.org and greenbrooksanctuary.org/

Maple Sugaring in NJ

I received an email update from filmmaker Jared Flesher on our first snowy day in NJ. He has made a number of environmental films with a particular focus on New Jersey. (see earlier posts about them) His email was a little update on his documentary, Sugar House Yantra. It is an interesting film about tapping maple trees for syrup, but it is about a lot more than that. I saw it at the Montclair Film Festival last October.

The subject is Charlize who started tapping maple trees 35 years ago. She was working as a construction worker, then a shop teacher, then a home builder. But in her seventh decade, she found it possible to express her true identity as a transgender woman. Now retired, Charlize works her farm, Sweet Sourland, in New Jersey. Here, in addition to producing syrup and raising sheep, she pursues a lifelong passion for creating art. Her specialty is colorful geometric designs painted on unusual canvases such as glass and wood. 

The film will have a free screening and Jared and Charlize will be there at Stockton University's Campus Center Theater on January 20 at 4 pm. Before the movie, learn how Stockton University is working to produce syrup in an even warmer climate by relying on red maple trees instead of sugar maples. Charlize has been one of the project's advisors. Stockton University. Another screening will be at Rutgers University on January 27, 2024, in partnership with the Northeast Organic Farming Association of NJ. (see his website for info)

Jared writes:

On my first day of filming Sugar House Yantra - December 20, 2021 - maple syrup farmer Charlize Katzenbach remarked that never in 35 years had she started tapping maple trees before the Winter Solstice. But on this day the sun had not yet set on autumn, and here she was out drilling tap holes. In our modern era, the sap starts running before winter has even properly arrived.

It’s not completely clear what impact climate change will have on maple syrup farmers in North America, but many signs point to bad. According to the United States Geological Survey, “Changes could lead to lower rates of syrup production in the U.S., with some areas in the southern half of sugar maple's range becoming unsuitable for production.”

According to another study, 89% of producers have experienced the negative impacts of climate on maple syrup production.

One of the scenes I wanted in my documentary was of the sugar house on a snowy winter day. That iconic shot of small-scale maple syrup production. But never in two years of filming was there enough snow.

It’s too late for the film, but during last Saturday’s minor snowstorm I returned to Sweet Sourland Farm and snapped some snow photos. For me this felt like finishing the job.

Though most people - even those living in NJ - don't associate our state with maple syrup, it does exist here. Below you can see the natural distribution of the sugar maple, Acer saccharum. and notice that Central Jersey's location is on the southern edge.

Here are some places to try maple sugaring in NJ - perhaps as a family event.

Native Tree Giveaway

 

UPDATE

The plant giveaway scheduled for April 22 and April 23 at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center had an overwhelming turnout on its first day and all plants were given away, and so the event for April 23 is canceled.

You can still find sapling giveaways throughout the state listed by counties at
njparksandforests.org/forest/...

Thanks to everyone who supported this event to improve our environment.

Happy Earth Day!

In celebration of Arbor Day and Earth Week, the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife is giving away native tree saplings to residents interested in supporting local flora and fauna in their yards. 

Pick up your saplings at the Route 46 parking lot at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center on Thursday and Friday, April 22 & April 23 from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 

They are offering up to 20 saplings per household. Saplings are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each variety will be pre-packed in clusters of five. You may choose one pack of up to three varieties. Plants are for pick-up only. 

The Pequest Trout Hatchery is located at 605 Pequest Road, Oxford NJ 07863. Please come to the Route 46 entrance. 

Bring your own bags and please wear a mask. No alternate pick-up times will be available. For more information contact Liz at hofnod@dep.nj.gov 

60,000 Free Tree Seedlings for New Jersey

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Parks and Forestry is providing 60,000 free tree seedlings to residents through the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign, an ongoing effort of the New Jersey Forest Service, the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation and other partners.

Residents are eligible to receive bundles of five free seedlings at any of 118 distribution sites across 19 counties beginning Saturday, March 30 and continuing through Sunday, May 5. Proof of residency in the community where seedlings are distributed is not required.

“Trees provide many benefits beyond beautifying our communities,” said DEP Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe. “Trees clean our air, fight climate change, provide habitat for wildlife, offer shade and improve the health of our environment.”

Planting trees can also help reduce global warming, by removing carbon dioxide from the air. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is a major contributor to global warming.

The free tree seedlings program launched after Superstorm Sandy destroyed and damaged trees across the state in 2012. Since then, the program has made more than 500,000 trees available to residents. Although some of the seedlings are non-native species, they may actually be hardier than native species and are able to thrive in harsh conditions.

“While the tree seedlings stand just one to two feet tall now, with proper care they will soon grow to be powerhouses at cleaning the water we drink and air we breathe,” said New Jersey Forest Service Chief Todd Wyckoff. “In urban areas where there are many pollutants, these environmental benefits are especially important.”

The New Jersey Forest Service Nursery in Jackson Township, Ocean County, will distribute 37 different species of trees. Communities will receive species that grow well in their region.

Urban locations will receive hardy species that are able to tolerate urban landscapes. These species have a better chance of thriving despite limited growing space, temperature extremes and varying amounts of rainfall from drought to flooding.

Municipalities in the northern part of the state may receive persimmon or black oak trees, while towns in the southern region may receive Atlantic white cedar or other species that have adapted to this area. Seedlings distributed to shore towns may include bayberry or beach plum, shrubs commonly found on dunes and in other coastal environments.

To ensure successful growth of tree seedlings:

• Plant seedlings promptly to ensure they take root and thrive.
• Consider the location of where seedlings are planted and the size of trees when fully grown. Avoid planting seedlings near overhead utility lines and structures.
• Moisten roots before planting.
• Dig a hole two to three times larger than the roots when spread apart. Do not plant roots too deep or too shallow.
• Add loose soil gently, then add more soil and pack down firmly. Add water to firm the soil if necessary.
• Place wood-chip mulch around the base of the seedling.
• Water the seedling regularly but do not over-water, which can cause roots to rot.

The New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign is a public-private effort among the New Jersey Forest Service, the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery, Arbor Day Foundation, New Jersey Soil Conservation Districts, Sustainable Jersey, Verizon, BJ’s Wholesale Club and FedEx.

The Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery aims to replace trees in communities affected by natural disasters throughout the nation.

The New Jersey Forest Service Nursery grows 500,000 trees annually, helping to protect, preserve and promote native species. All New Jersey residents may buy additional tree seedlings in packets of 50, starting at $18.

For more information on these programs,
call (732) 928-0029 or visit www.forestnursery.nj.gov

For an interactive map of all distribution locations,
visit nj.gov/dep/tree recovery

To find seedling distribution locations and dates, as well as additional information about trees, visit the State Forest Service Facebook page at www.facebook.com/newjerseyforests or go to www.forestry.nj.gov

For more about the Arbor Day Foundation, visit www.arborday.org/newjersey

SOURCE:  nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2019/19_0019.htm

Free Tree Seedlings This Week at Pequest

Seedlings Available In celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day, the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife will be giving away up to 20 free tree and/or shrub seedlings per person to promote native landscaping and wildlife habitat in your backyard. Trees will be dispensed on a first-come, first-served basis April 16-20 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Pequest Trout Hatchery in Warren County. Plant selection includes: White pine, flowering dogwood, arrowwood viburnum, and mixed oaks. Trees are provided by New Jersey State Forestry Services.  Directions to Pequest

The Attack of the Emerald Ash Borer,

 EAB - Photo: David Cappaert, www.forestryimages.org

It is possible that in another decade most of New Jersey's ash trees will be dead. The 24 million ash trees in our forests, neighborhoods, parks and backyards are very endangered because they are under attack from an invasive insect known as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).

This  tiny beetle came from Asia with wood products, first to the Great Lakes region, especially Michigan in the early 2000s. It has destroyed hundreds of millions of ash trees in the Midwest.

Emerald Ash Borer was discovered in New Jersey in May 2014 in Somerset County. Through July 2017, emerald ash borer has been found in New Jersey in Bergen, Burlington, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties.

Adult females deposit eggs in bark crevices and emerging larvae burrow under the bark and feed on the cambium, which transports water and nutrients and kill the tree.

An affected tree, will start looking bad  -  thinning out at its crown, leaves turning yellow, shredding bark, woodpecker holes and D-shaped holes where the insects exit. If a tree is at this point, it cannot be saved.

So, what can we do?  Very little.

Cutting ash trees down or treating untouched trees with insecticide are the only alternatives. Treatment costs about $200 per tree, and they have to be treated every two years, so, though individual trees can be protected, widespread treatment is cost-prohibitive and impractical.

One of the frightening statistics from the NJ Department of Agriculture is that 99 percent of untreated ash trees in our landscape will eventually become infested and die from EAB.

130,000 Seedlings Being Distributed to Replace Trees Lost in Superstorm Sandy

TRENTON    http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2015/15_0029.htm

The New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign, a partnership between the Department of Environmental Protection’s State Forestry Services and the non-profit Arbor Day Foundation, is distributing some 130,000 free tree seedlings to residents through 178 locations across the state, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. 

This is the second year of the effort, launched to help communities that were hit by tree losses resulting from Superstorm Sandy. Municipalities that registered last month for the seedlings will receive up to 1,500 trees each for distribution to residents. Any resident of the state is eligible to receive up to five free tree seedlings at any of the distribution locations. Proof of residency is not required.
State Forestry Services will deliver the trees to 13 regional distribution centers for pick-up by those municipalities, which will then distribute them to residents through May 9. 

“While we have made tremendous progress as a state in recovering from Superstorm Sandy, the storm destroyed a staggering number of trees across New Jersey – and not just in those communities hardest hit by the storm,” said Commissioner Bob Martin. “This campaign will allow residents to replace trees where they are needed most, right in their neighborhoods and backyards.” 

State Forestry Service’s New Jersey Forest Nursery is providing seedlings from more than 38 different tree species for the campaign after a hugely successful seedlings distribution effort last year. The species include a wide range of trees, from oaks to dogwoods and maples.
The seedlings, which are about knee-high when distributed, should be planted promptly to ensure survival. In choosing where to plant the seedlings, residents should consider the size of the tree when fully grown and be mindful of overhead utility lines and proximity to structures.
From now until May 9, each participating community will distribute seedlings on a designated date.  

Seedling distribution locations will be listed on the State Forestry Services Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/newjerseyforests and at www.forestry.nj.gov. 

The New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign is a joint effort between the New Jersey State Forestry Services' Community Forestry Program and State Forest Nursery, New Jersey Soil Conservation 

Districts, Sustainable Jersey, Arbor Day Foundation, Brothers International, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, and FedEx. 

The State Forestry Services’ Forest Tree Nursery opened in 1982 in Jackson, where foresters grow 500,000 trees annually. The nursery sells the majority of trees in packets of 100 to private landowners, including non-profits and New Jersey landowners who use the trees to reforest their land. Packet prices start at $30. 

The nursery also offers the Third Grade Tree Team program where each third grader in the state is eligible to receive a free tree seedling when requested by the student’s school. For Arbor Day celebrations, the nursery offers 98 tube seedlings for $25. For more information on these programs, visit: www.forestnursery.org  or call (732) 928-0029. 

The National Arbor Day Foundation has been helping communities cope with the aftermath of natural disasters through its Tree Recovery Campaigns since 2011. For more on the Arbor Day Foundation, visit:www.arborday.org/newjersey.

A Victory For Trees

Photo:at the sign of the N,
originally uploaded by ronk53

Last week, the New Jersey Supreme Court decided in favor of the Jackson Tree Ordinance, overturning an Appellate Court decision made earlier this year.

One critical point of argument was that development must consider effects on the larger ecosystem, not only the individual lot. Builders had argued that planting trees offsite would not be a valuable replacement.

The ordinance requires developers to replace trees disturbed by construction, or pay into a fund to do so. The decision increases the ability of towns to protect the environment and do proper planning in their communities.

More than 200 municipalities in the state already have similar ordinances that are now protected by this ruling.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Trees_of_New_Jersey
• article about the decision
• NJ Shade TreeFederation