Don Torino’s latest column for wildnewjersey.tv is on the arrival of $4,000’s worth of native plants for DeKorte Park, thanks to Bergen County Audubon Society and the National Audubon Society.
Here’s a sample:
Richard DeKorte Park, established more than 30 years ago, started as a grand experiment. It was one of the first landfill reclamation projects in the world and has been a nationwide model for what can be accomplished by converting old landfills to crucial wildlife habitat.
“The native plant industry barely existed when we began planting at DeKorte,” said Lisa Cameron, Senior Landscape Architect for the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. “Getting our hands on the thousands of plants required to cover the bare six-acre slope proved to be quite a challenge. Substitutions had to be made for several species. It’s a whole different story these days.
“In addition to the Serviceberry and Eastern Red Cedars, Winterberry Holly, Red-twig Dogwood and Gray Dogwood, American Beautyberry and Washington Hawthorne have now been introduced.”
Native plants are the foundation of a healthy and vital wildlife habitat and the Bergen County Audubon Society was proud to be able to add to such a wonderful place that both BCAS and I call home.
The link to full column is here.