The NJMC bird-banding crew had a rare find today — and we’re not talking about the two Nelson’s Sparrows that they banded. We’re referring to the fossil above, found on a rock on the Erie Landfill.
How did it get on the landfill? Who knows.
What kind of fossil? Any help is appreciated. (Thanks, bird-banding crew!)
Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, also writes a nature column twice a month for the South Bergenite. His latest is all about Harrier Meadow.
The Meadowlands Commission’s next free guided walk, on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m., will take place at Harrier Meadow in North Arlington. If you’ve never seen this incredibly beautiful 78-acre natural area — located between closed landfills and a former trash-transfer facility — your first reaction will likely be disbelief.
How could a place so chock full of birds and native plants be tucked away in such an unlikely spot?
After all, how many other places in the metropolitan area offer great views of the Manhattan skyline, a flat and wide walking path, and plenty of raptors, herons, ducks, and wildflowers? Did I mention three tidal impoundments, a vast mudflat and three brand-new native-plant gardens (created with a grant from the National Audubon Society and Bergen County Audubon Society)?
In short, Harrier Meadow — just off Disposal Road near Schuyler Avenue — is a little slice of paradise. See for yourself during the two-hour guided walk, co-sponsored by the Bergen County Audubon Society.
It was not always thus. The property was once part of a vast mudflat. It became a privately run dump site for trap rock from 1967 to 1971, when Interstate 280 was built through the Oranges. Continue reading