We know these have been tough times, but we thought we would resume posting recent photos from the Meadowlands in hopes of brightening some spirits.

Nice story by Stephanie Akins of The Record on the Meadowlands' Comeback.  Photographer Ron Shields and NJMC Naturalist Don Smith are featured.

The link is here.

On Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m., the Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society are presenting a free talk and slide show on the new coffee-table book, "The Nature of the Meadowlands," in the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park.

The event will feature author/photographer Jim Wright and photographers Marco Van Brabant and Ron Shields.

The lavishly illustrated, 128-page coffee-table book illuminates the region's natural and unnatural history —  from its darkest days of a half-century ago to its environmental revival.

Wright will give a slide-show/talk featuring highlights from the book, which combines striking nature photography with rare archival images.

Nature photographers Marco Van Brabant and Ron Shields will also talk about some of their amazing images from the book.  

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.  The talk, sponsored by the Bergen County Audubon Society, will begin at 8 p.m., following a BCAS meeting that starts at 7:30.

The event will take place in the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst. To RSVP, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or 201-230-4983.

Wednesday night's book-signing event for "The Nature of the Meadowlands" at Bookends in Ridgewood has been postponed because of the predicted Nor'easter.

The event, featuring author Jim Wright and Governor Thomas Kean (who wrote the foreword) will be rescheduled.

Stay tuned.

Just a heads up:  Due to damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, several waste water treatment facilities in the state are off-line, resulting in the temporary runoff of effluents into certain waterways, including parts of the Hackensack River.

As a public health and safety precaution, the Department of Environmental Protection is advising recreational boaters, anglers and crabbers to temporarily avoid these waterways and is advising residents not to eat any fish, crustaceans or shellfish from these waters due to contamination from pathogens – bacteria and viruses.

For more DEP hurricane-related information, click here.

For the Meadowlands Commission's annual report, we needed to mention some of the unusual or charismatic birds seen in the Meadowlands this year  — like the Least Bitterns, the Tricolored Heron, the Soras and so forth.

That got us to thinking — what will be next major sighting in the Meadowlands, and when?  Rough-legged Hawks?  Snowy Owl? Northern Shrike? Perhaps the ill wind of Hurricane Sandy will bring in a "good bird."

What do you think? E-mail your prediction to us.

The winner gets a pat on the back and an Osprey print (above) by illustrator Tom Yezerski (the print is also available at the awesome gift shop in DeKorte Park's Environment Center, along with some awesome new Meadowlands notecards).

What with Hurrcane Sandy and all, we lost track of our Big Year event. We are asking for Meadowlands Big Year participants to e-mail us their totals through October if they have not done so already.

Please send them to jim.wright (at) njmeadowlands.gov and include the words "Meadowlands Big Year" in the e-mail). 

Much appreciated, and good luck to all.  Thanks to those who have updated their numbers already!

Competition details are here.

Thought we'd post our November events and  give you a little something to look forward to after things get back to more-normal

Our next event is a free talk and slide show about our new book, "The Nature of the Meadowlands," on Nov. 14,  followed by a Mill Creek Guided Wak (and cleanup) scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 20.

Listings follow.

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