Marco van Brabant ventured out to Secaucus and DeKorte on Wednesday and got these great photos of the winter, err, spring, wonderland. Thanks Marco!

Pictured left to right: Vincent Prieto, President and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; Don Torino, President of the Bergen County Audubon Society; Gabrielle Bennett-Meany, NJSEA Senior Natural Resource Program Specialist

Don Torino, President of the Bergen County Audubon Society, presented the NJSEA with a donation of $2,000 from the BCAS for use toward the Kingsland Overlook Restoration project in DeKorte Park. The program began last year with a BCAS donation of $5,000.

“The NJSEA commends the Bergen County Audubon Society for their great generosity and unwavering dedication to the betterment of DeKorte Park and all of the natural areas in the Meadowlands District,” said Vincent Prieto, President and CEO of the NJSEA. “I appreciate and value our partnership and look forward to continuing to work together to introduce people to the natural wonders of the Meadowlands.”

Once part of the now-closed Kingsland Landfill, the six-acre Kingsland Overlook site was among the first landfill-to-parks projects in New Jersey and the entire country. The NJSEA is using the BCAS funding to enhance areas along the trail with native vegetation beneficial to wildlife.

Don Torino with a Buttonbush

It seems every week that I sit down to write my column about native plants there are snowstorms in the forecast. Having said that, March is usually the time of year when gardeners are just itching to get outside and get their hands dirty.

Despite the predictions of foot deep snow I have seen trees and shrubs budding out and of course the Red-winged Blackbirds have been back for a few weeks now, filling up the Meadowlands with their O-ka-leeeee call. So I know for sure that spring is out there somewhere just waiting.

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