Here are some more DeKorte photos that Mickey Raine took last week at DeKorte of a robin and a catbird hanging out in the founatain at Jill’s Butterfly garden in honor of the last week of Spring. Welcome summer!

Red-winged Blackbird

Mickey Raine sent in some great photos he took last week at DeKorte Park to commemorate the last week of Spring. We’ll have more later.

Jill’s Garden Plaque

Cedar Waxwing

Baltimore Oriole

Michael Limatola, marsh warden at the Celery Farm in Allendale, pointing out the invasive plant porcelain berry.

There’s a good article in today’s Record outlining the damage that invasive plant species do to the environment and the struggle that naturalists face in convincing the public to purchase native species and pushing nurseries to ban the sale of invasives. Read the article here.

We braved the heat Monday morning heat to plant some of the more than 50 plant species donated by the Bergen County Audubon Society (thanks BCAS!!) at the Kingsland Overlook in DeKorte Park. In these photos NJSEA Senior Natural Resources Specialist Gaby Bennett-Meany works with a landscaper to plant Milkweed, which attracts butterflies.

Ron Shields sent us these wonderful photos of adult Bald Eagles he recently took at the Kearny Marsh.

Ron writes:Here’s a few images of a recent visit to the Kearny Marsh by a pair of adult bald eagles. Their grace, beauty and majesty is always a welcomed sight!  I would like to presume that they are the nesting pair from Kearny Point as I have seen them here before.

Heron Gull – Alice Leurck

Join the Bergen County Audubon Society tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to noon for a guided nature walk at Mill Creek Point Park and the Secaucus High School Boardwalk. They’ll be looking for for Osprey, shorebirds, herons, egrets and other birds of interest. The boardwalk is above a wetlands mitigation area and a great opportunity to see improved marshland.

Information: greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983.

We received several reports of dead fish along the tidal impoundments at DeKorte Park and other shallow areas of the Hackensack River over the weekend.

Unfortunately what happened is not an uncommon, though not every day, occurrence during the summer due to environmental conditions.

When there is a sudden spike in temperatures dissolved oxygen is depleted from the shallow water, which warms up too fast. The fish you saw were mostly White Perch and Menhaden, which are sensitive to these fluctuations.
We appreciate everyone’s concern and reaching out to us. It is important that you, as our eyes and ears over the weekend, let us know of any seemingly unusual conditions.

We are pleased to announce that the William D. McDowell Observatory in DeKorte Park will reopen for public viewing nights this coming Wednesday, June 22, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Visitors can view planets, constellations and other celestial objects through the Observatory’s  research-grade telescope. The telescope has a 20-inch mirror and is housed beneath a six-meter retractable dome. The powerful, precision instrument can capture objects millions of light years away.

The Observatory is open to the public for free every Wednesday year-round, weather permitting and excluding holidays. All ages are welcome. Visitors must be able to climb 25 steps in a spiral formation.

To best plan your visit to the Observatory, click here for complete information.

NJSEA Senior Natural Resource Specialist Gaby Bennett-Meany and BCAS President Don Torino

The NJSEA extends a hearty thank you to the Bergen County Audubon Society for its $500 donation of more than 50 species of native plants that will be planted in the meadow at the Kingsland Overlook in DeKorte Park.

Species include N.Y. Ironweed, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Mountain Mint, Baptisia and Monarda.These plants provide nutrients for butterflies. Hummingbirds and pollinators, among other species, and are a fantastic addition to DeKorte Park.

More about the Kingsland Overlook here.

Just a reminder to drive slow and be aware of the birds, groundhogs and other Meadowlands critters that can be found at ground level in and around our parks and natural areas. Photos by Mickey Raine.