Sustainable Jersey Extends Deadlines & Offers Technical Guidance
The deadline for Sustainable Jersey certification has been changed from May 17 to June 14. Municipalities with certifications set to expire on December 31, 2020 will be extended to December 31, 2021. View the presentation from Sustainable Jersey's webinar which outlined the revised certification deadlines.
Sustainable Jersey is also providing technical assistance to local governments using online communication tools. Sustainable Jersey will match tech-savvy volunteers and staff with local governments to help them select the best tools for engaging with the public online, holding virtual meetings and more. Requests can be submitted by completing the form here. If you are tech-savvy and would like to volunteer to assist with these requests, sign up here.
Nature Activities to Keep You Going
Are you homeschooling children or perhaps looking to experience nature right from your desktop or home? We can find comfort in nature right from our homes by looking out a window, or spending time in our own yards. Check out resources below.
Activities for Children and Families
NJ Sea Grant Sea Creatures in Your Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt. Check NJ Sea Grant's website for the animal of week, draw a picture and include a fun fact. Hang the artwork in your window to share with neighbors passing by safely.
Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE) is offering a Remote Environmental Education Hub. Access lessons and activities geared for all age levels, even adults. ANJEE is seeking additional resources to include on this page. Fill out this submission form to contribute resources and lesson ideas. Check back to the Remote EE Hub as it grows.
Visit the Duke Farms Distance Learning Portal for educational activities you can do right from your backyard. Observe sights and sounds of nature while playing Backyard Scavenger Hunt or take time to enjoy all of the colors of spring with Color Matching in Nature. Duke Farms plans to hold online classes and programs through Zoom and will periodically update the Distance Learning Portal.
Explore Yellow Stone National Park on a virtual tour. Browse for photos, facts, or a watch a live webcam of Old Faithful. Additional National Park Services webcams can be found here.
Activities for Bird Lovers
Below: Two eagle chicks in early March, just days after hatching. Watch the Eagle Cam to see them grow. Source: Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.
Whether you are a birding enthusiast or new to the world of birds, you can create a free eBird account with Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Use eBird to document the birds you see in your own backyard. eBird is a citizen science database. Data is archived by Cornell University and used in peer reviewed journals.
If you can't see any birds out of your window, watch them online. Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey manages several cameras on raptor nests throughout the State. The Duke Farms Eagle Cam shows a live video of an active bald eagle nest at Duke Farms in Hillsborough. Throughout the day you can watch two eagle chicks grow in this large nest and spot the adults tending to their young. To learn more about local eagles, visit the Eagle Trax page. This map shows the locations of bald eagles from around the state equipped with GPS tracking devices. View Conserve Wildlife Foundation's live Osprey Cam on a nesting platform near Barnegat Light. Ospreys are migratory species and typically return to the same nest each spring to mate with the same partner. By using the footage to observe markings and identification bands, Conserve Wildlife Foundation scientists are able to confirm that the female at the nest is the same as last year, but she now has a new mate! Stay tuned to find out when she will lay an egg!
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Get Outside and Garden
Being home and avoiding the stores except for trips for essentials may serve as a reminder that many of us have the ability to grow our own fruits and vegetables. This time of year we can begin growing cool season vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, peas, carrots and radishes. In the summer it's easy to grow successful tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, herbs and more. Fruits like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries are also easy to grow from home. If you don't have the room for a large garden, you can plant some species in pots on porches, patios, and balconies.
For help getting started, access Rutgers Agriculture Experiment Station publications on vegetable and herb gardening, lawns, trees shrubs and flowers, and all gardening and landscaping. While the Monmouth County Agricultural building is closed to the public, the Master Gardener helpline remains open for all gardening questions at 732-303-7614, or you may email questions with photos to mgarden@co.monmouth.nj.us. The Annual Master Gardener's Spring Garden Plant Sale scheduled for May 15-16 has been cancelled but is planned to resume next May.
Plan Your Jersey Friendly Yard
Native plants like liatris and echinacea bloom in this Jersey Friendly Yard. Source: Ocean County Soil Conservation District
Learn how you can transform your property into a Jersey Friendly Yard. Use the Interactive Yard Tool to view an example of how a yard can be transformed into an area that is beneficial for the environment. The tool shows how you can remove invasive plants, replace areas of lawn with a diversity of native plants to provide provide habitat for insects and birds and reduce the use of fertilizer and water. Jersey Friendly Yards offers other guides on how to sketch and plan your yard, improve your soil or learn about native plants.
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