Bird migration is here, and the World Series of Birding is just around the corner. We are pleased to announce that the Meadowlands Marsh Hawks will defend our title for the second year in a row.

We couldn’t have won last year without your support.  This season, our team is asking for your help again as the title defense is going to be a real challenge.

Every time a team wins the Limited Geographic category, its par total goes up by five — which means the par for Bergen County has now increased by 10 species in the past two years.

The overwhelming support from all of you last year helped us raise enough money to do an overhaul of the Kingsland Overlook Trail. We are in the designing phase right now, and we’ll be planting native plants this spring. Please come out in May to see the trail’s new look.

This year, we have several exciting projects you can contribute to:

* Add another Purple Martin Colony at DeKorte.

* Add more native plants to Harrier Meadow.

* Plant a new native-grass habitat on a nearby closed landfill.

You can get the details and download the pledge form here:

Pledge sheet 2014

Fred Nisenholz took this recent shot of an American Kestrel with prey near Disposal Road.

We had a wonderful First Sunday walk at DeKorte Park yesterday, with more than 50 participants and more than 40 species of birds. (A big thanks to Marie Longo for the pix, and to everyone who helped with the list.

Dare we say it?  Spring might be here… Continue reading →

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 going to reprint the best of them here, every Tuesday, for 11 weeks. This week: Vince Petto.

Lifelong Meadowlands resident Vince Petto spent his childhood hunting, fishing and swimming in the Hackensack River and nearby marshes.

In this audio interview, Petto recounts several colorful tales of boyhood explorations and misadventures.

Petto, who grew up in North Bergen and now lives along the Hackensack River in Secaucus, also discusses the allure of the river and how it has changed for the better over the years.

Excerpts of the interview follow. Continue reading →