Author Archives: Brian Aberback

Kearny Marsh Conservation Project Gearing Up

The Bergen County Audubon Society this week provided the NJSEA with decoys and nesting shelters that were created by volunteers and will be placed on a floating island in the Kearny Freshwater Marsh as part of an innovative conservation project. The initiative, created by the NJSEA’s Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute (MRRI), seeks to encourage local endangered species such as Least Terns and Black Skimmers to nest on an artificial island.

The decoys provided by the volunteers will help to lure in Least Turns and other endangered colonial nesting waterbirds. The nesting shelters will provide protection from predators and fledgling Least Terns. MRRI will also be installing a sound box to assist in attracting Black Skimmers, and remote cameras that will stream live video to MRRI’s scientists and to the public through MRRI’s website, meadowlandsrri.com.  

The NJSEA extends a hearty thank you to the Maywood Boy Scouts and Fair Lawn High School wood shop students who constructed the nesting shelters and decoys.

Save the Date: Native Plant Day is Sunday, May 21, at DeKorte Park!

We’re looking forward to Native Plant Day on Sunday, May 21, at DeKorte Park. The family-friendly program runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is co-sponsored by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the Bergen County Audubon Society.

Visitors will explore the significant importance of native plants to parks and natural areas through guided walks led by BCAS and NJSEA experts throughout the day. Local organizations will have information booths to provide the public with educational materials. Local species serve as food sources for many Meadowlands pollinators such as bees and butterflies. In addition, Monarch Butterflies will only lay eggs on milkweed, a native plant that is abundant in DeKorte Park. As the Monarch Butterfly is in decline, the existence of native plants is critically important to their survival.

There will also be a presentation on creating a certified wildlife garden in your own backyard. Creating a native plant habitat at home allows individuals to do their part in supporting birds and wildlife while fostering a healthy landscape.

Reminder: BCAS Nature Walk Wednesday, April 12, at Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry

Enjoy a guided walk with the Bergen County Audubon Society through Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry, one of the Meadowlands last remaining low-lying forested areas. Wear boots – the park can be muddy and the terrain a bit tough. The walk runs from 10 a.m. to noon. We’ll meet in the parking lot adjacent to Mehrhof Pond on Mehrhof Road.

Contact:  Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com (201) 230-4983

A Cheerful Spring at DeKorte Park

Spring is in full force at DeKorte Park! The natural area’s impressive, gorgeous array of native plants and flowers are a great treat for visitors and a reminder that those occasional, winter-like temperatures will soon be well behind us.

DeKorte Park is truly natural in that pre-emergent herbicides often used for lawn care are not deployed here. This enables the blooming of a beautiful number of species of lawn weeds. The blue flowers in the photo above are Veronica chamaedrys, commonly known as Speedwell. The purple flowers are Lamium purpureum, referred to as Purple Dead Nettle, also a lawn weed. These attractive weeds are very useful. They provide food for pollinators and can serve as a useful groundcover.

Be sure to keep an eye out for such lovely flora and more at DeKorte Park. See you there!

BCAS Nature Walk Wednesday, April 12, at Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry

Enjoy a guided walk with the Bergen County Audubon Society through Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry, one of the Meadowlands last remaining low-lying forested areas. Wear boots – the park can be muddy and the terrain a bit tough. The walk runs from 10 a.m. to noon. We’ll meet in the parking lot adjacent to Mehrhof Pond on Mehrhof Road.

Contact:  Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com (201) 230-4983

Meadowlands Tree Swallows Are Back!

Over the last few weeks, you may have noticed small birds with white bellies and iridescent teal-blue backs zipping around DeKorte Park. These are Tree Swallows and they represent some of the earliest migrants of the season and are a telltale sign that spring has sprung in the Meadowlands! These charismatic, aerialist little birds feed primarily on insects that they catch mid-air. They naturally nest in tree holes, hence the name, but are very attracted to bird houses too.

Each spring, MRRI biologists make their annual run through DeKorte and other Meadowlands sites to replace old and install new homes for the swallows. Many of the boxes are occupied by the birds almost immediately upon installation. They will often dispute who gets the best real estate, but there’s plenty of houses to go around, thanks to the Bergen County Audubon Society and its volunteers. It’s shaping up to be another great breeding season for the Tree Swallows here in the Meadowlands!