You see this purple plant in DeKorte Park's Lyndhurst Nature Reserve and elsewhere in the Meadowlands. What is it?

Continue reading →

     The Tuesday noon free guided walk on the Marsh Discovery Trail turned up a nice surprise — a Least Bittern (above) along the shoreline about 50 yards off the Transco Trail.
   If the bird is in the open, you may be able to see it from the boardwalk next to the Meadowlands Environment Center, or possibly the Transco Trail.
   On our walk today, we also got good looks at half a dozen Black-crowned Night Herons, a few Gadwall, and plenty of bright-blue-billed Ruddy Ducks.
   The Marsh Discovery Trail will be open for a free guided walk on Thursday at noon, and we will be sure to look for the bittern. These Tuesday and Thursday walks are co-sponsored by Bergen County Audubon.

   E-mail Jim Wright here to rsvp or for more information.

    Chris Takacs reports seeing this mystery bird at DeKorte Park at 2 p.m. today. It has a red band on its right leg, and we are thinking it is a released/escaped pet. 
    It was seen in the visitors' parking spaces by the admin building. Can anybody help ID it? Or claim it? It is still "on the loose."

   Our next guided walk is DeKorte's Marsh Discovery Trail at Tuesday (June 8) at noon, with the help of the Bergen County Audubon Society. We meet at the trail entrance near the entrance to the park.
   Last Thursday we had great looks at more than a half-dozen Black-crowned Night herons, an Eastern Kingbird, Ruddies and some other good birds.
   These walks — every Tuesday and Thursday — take roughly an hour, on a trail that has been closed to the public because of long-term storm damage. Contact Jim Wright here for more information. 

  
By land and by sea, some 40 volunteers tackled the Kearny Freshwater Marsh on Sunday morning, removing untold bags of trash, a lawnchair,  
multiple car and truck tires, and assorted junk.
  To all who participated, the Meadowlands Commission offers its warmest thanks. 
   Leading the charge were the Bergen County Audubon Society and the Northern New Jersey Cachers.
   Each group came with about a dozen volunteers, and all worked tirelessly to reinvigorate the marsh and trail.
   Chris Takacs won the prize for most unusual collectible — a heavy old fire extinguisher.
  The 3/4-mile trail from Gunnel Oval to Bergen Avenue along an abandoned railroad had become an overgrown mess in recent years — now it is accessible to all once again. The marsh itself is noticeably cleaner as well.
   A great job by all!
   A special thanks to Waste Management for providing the huge Dumpster.
   The NJMC's JIm Wright has some tools that belong to volunteers. Please e-mail him here if you are missing anything.
   More pix follow on the "jump."
 

Continue reading →

    The N.J. Meadowlands Commission is  sponsoring a two-hour clean-up at the Kearny Marsh this Sunday (June 6) at 10 a.m. 
   We could really use your help!
   We will clean the trails by foot, and the marsh by canoe. We'll also trim the trials.
   We’ll meet at the northeast corner of the Gunnel Oval off Schuyler Avenue  at 10 a.m. (directions are on meadowblog.net in the left-hand column), or you can also meet us at the visitors’ parking lot at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst at 9:40 a.m. and we can carpool.
   We’ll supply trash bags and water, but bring your own weed clippers and work gloves. We’ll also supply canoes, paddles and life vests.
    The cleanup is co-sponsored by the Bergen County Audubon Society and Northern New Jersey Cachers. Waste Management was nice enough to provide a Dumpster. (A big thank you to all!)
   Check meadowblog.net for last-minute updates and weather advisories. To rsvp, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or 201-636-4022.

    The Record's environmental writer, Jim O'Neill, had a nifty story today about Red Admirals (above) and other butterflies.
   The story is headlined "A Butterfly Bonanza for New Jersey," and it is a must-read for those who love butterflies.
   The link is here.
   Speaking of butterflies, mark your calendar for Sunday, July 25: It's Butterfly Day at DeKorte Park. We'll have more announcements about this event in the coming days and weeks.

   A participant on a recent bird walk found a suspicious bug on his shirt, and asked us to find out what it was. We photographed it and have now ID'd it as a dog tick. 
   These ticks are mostly harmless (as opposed to deer ticks), but they serve as a reminder that ticks are certainly out there — all over Northern New Jersey –  and that you should stay on trails, avoid brushing against shrubs and trees, and basically be on the look out should one get on your clothes.
    (Thanks, Jack!)

    The N.J. Meadowlands Commission is  sponsoring a two-hour clean-up at the Kearny Marsh this Sunday at 10 a.m. 
   We could really use your help!
   We will clean the trails by foot, and the marsh by canoe. We'll also trim the trials.
   We’ll meet at the northeast corner of the Gunnel Oval off Schuyler Avenue  at 10 a.m. (directions are on meadowblog.net in the left-hand column), or you can also meet us at the visitors’ parking lot at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst at 9:40 a.m. and we can carpool.
   We’ll supply trash bags and water, but bring your own weed clippers and work gloves. We’ll also supply canoes, paddles and life vests.
    The cleanup is co-sponsored by the Bergen County Audubon Society and Northern New Jersey Cachers. Waste Management was nice enough to provide a Dumpster. (A big thank you to all!)
   Check meadowblog.net for last-minute updates and weather advisories. To rsvp, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or 201-636-4022.