Daily Archives: April 22, 2014

Don Torino’s Earth Day Column

Don Torino of the Bergen County Audubon Society writes a weekly column for wildnewjersey.tv. His latest is on Earth Day, and it begins something like this…

We have come a long way since the first Earth Day 44 years ago today. The Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act has helped bring back the Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon and Osprey back from the brink of extinction to where they have become almost a common sight even here in densely populated New Jersey.

But even as climate change threatens the future of our planet our biggest challenge ahead may be getting people to reconnect with the nature that exists right around them, every day in their local communities and even in their own backyards. …

Children have lost their connection to the trees, bugs and birds that past generations grew up with. We will not be able to expect that there will be new conservationists or nature lovers that will care enough to protect the Bald Eagle, save the Monarch Butterfly, or preserve wildlife habitat if they grow up afraid of a Bumblebee or never touch a wildflower.

The link is here.

Today: Earth Day Walk & Concert @ DeKorte

Tree swallowThe Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society have two exciting events today (Tuesday):

*A free Earth Day nature walk is at 5 p.m. outside the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park.

*A free Earth Day Concert with Spook Handy begins at 7:30 p.m. in the MEC. Doors open at 6:45 p.m.

More on Spook Handy here. Details follow. Continue reading

Carlstadt Memories: The Lahuliers

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l to r: Craig, Jeff and Bobby Lahullier

Five years ago, as part of the N.J. Meadowlands Commission’s Oral History Project, we interviewed lots of folks about the region in the old days. We are reprinting the best of them here, every Tuesday, for 11 weeks. This week: the Lahullier Brothers of Carlstadt.

For Bobby, Craig and Jeff Lahullier, the Meadowlands of their youth was a giant playground. The brothers were raised in Carlstadt and spent countless hours exploring quarries, landfills and clay pits in Carlstadt and Wood-Ridge.

Today, all three men retain close ties to the area. Craig is a Carlstadt Councilman, Jeff is a councilman in East Rutherford, and all three work at the family business in East Rutherford.

In this audio interview, the brothers recall their adventures swimming, hunting, trapping and getting into all sorts of mischief in the Meadows.

Click “Continue reading…” to hear the Lahullier Brothers’ stories. Continue reading