In conjunction with Cellular Tracking Technologies (CTT) and the Cape May Part Science Center, the American Littoral Society installed on May 8 a radio tracking station and a series of nodes along the shore of Reeds in Middle Township, NJ. This station will aid in the Littoral Society’s goal of tracking the movements of horseshoe crabs as they come back to spawn year after year. These new PowerTags are in addition to the tags the Society has been using for years that provide some basic insight on crab movement when tagged crabs are recaptured. The Delaware Bay is home to the largest population of spawning Atlantic horseshoe crabs, (Limulus polyphemus). The horseshoe crabs come ashore to spawn and lay eggs during the months of May and June, with peak spawning occurring during new and full moon events at high tide. Horseshoe crabs are keystone species, playing a very important ecological role. Migratory shorebirds, like the threatened Red Knot, (Calidris canutus), use the Delaware Bay as a stopover during their migrations from the tip of South America to the Canadian Arctic. They rely heavily on the easily digested fats and nutrients found in horseshoe crab eggs to regain weight and fuel their continuing migration.
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May was a busy month for the Littoral Society's New York office. In addition to working on local community outreach, education and improving habitats across three Boroughs (the Bronx, Coney Island and Jamaica Bay/Rockaway), staff also completed a highly successful Spring excursion to the DelMarVa coast.
Led by the Littoral Society's Jamaica Bay Guardian Don Riepe and Northeast Chapter Director Alexandra Kanonik, the Chincoteague was a hit. About 20 people gathered with us on the islands off the Delmarva Peninsula to enjoy the sights, food, ponies and their foals. We also had an up-close sighting of the Blue Grosbeak, early horseshoe crabs, and many other great bird and wildlife observations on our 4-day weekend from May 2-5. On Tuesday, May 7, Alex explored the shorelines of Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx at Orchard Beach with 50 students from local NYC DoE schools to learn about the habitats and geology of this special span of the Long Island Sound in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation. Students from Vineland High School and community volunteers celebrated Earth Day with the Littoral Society by participating in a Delaware Bay dune grass planting at Fortescue Beach in Cumberland County. The Littoral Society recently completed a large-scale restoration project at this site to improve and protect this Delaware Bay beach for horseshoe crab spawning and migratory shorebirds. Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers, we planted 1200 culms of American Beachgrass to restore approximately 1000 feet of natural dune. The planted grasses will strengthen the dune system so it can provide flood protection to the neighboring community and vital habitat for wildlife. The student participants were a part of the Littoral Society’s Beach Grasses in Classes program. Prior to their beach visit, students received classroom lessons on the importance of coastal dune systems and their role in protecting communities from storms, erosion, flooding, and sea level rise. They also learned about American beach grass and its unique adaptations for survival in the harsh seaside environment. As part of the classroom segment, students also planted stems of beachgrass to care for ahead of their dune grass planting field trip. The class then visited Fortescue Beach to plant the grass they raised in their classroom in the natural dune system. Special thanks to the Vineland High School students who also hosted a t-shirt sale to fundraise a donation to the Littoral Society to support our work in the Delaware Bay region. An early season pair of horseshoe crabs leaving a nest - Slaughter Beach, DE By Trevor Metz, Littoral Society Delaware Seasonal Technician
What an exciting month! Extending the American Littoral Society’s advocacy and outreach to the great state of Delaware has been a fun-filled adventure over the past handful of weeks. As awesome as the experiences of bearing witness to moonlight horseshoe crab spawning and paddling alongside Red Knots have been, the overwhelming feeling is that we are at a pivotal time for protecting these vulnerable coastal species. I live in Milford, DE and only a short drive away from Slaughter Beach, one of the well-known shorebird stops along the Delaware Bayshore. The Mayor and Town Manager kindly set aside some time for me to introduce myself, explain the American Littoral Society, and talk about some of what we were planning in and around their town. I let them know about our interactive presentations, cooperative tagging efforts, and gave some insight into the Red Knot Fest that would be taking place Memorial Day weekend. The Littoral Society would like to welcome our new Coastal Education Interns, Stella and Samantha. Our Education Interns will be helping deliver educational programs to people of all ages on Sandy Hook. They’ll be getting their feet wet in the field of environmental education during our Close Encounters field trips, public nature walks, and special events all summer.
Please say “Hello” when you see them at Sandy Hook! Stella Mueller Bio I am so excited to be a summer intern with the American Littoral Society! I just graduated from the University of Rhode Island (URI) with a double major in Conservation Biology and Journalism. Recently, four students from an 8th grade science class at Howell Middle School South (Gavin, Sal, Brayden, and Ryan) completed a class project about the importance of dunes, protecting our shorelines, and how to communicate with adults and work together.
The project idea was all theirs, according to their teacher Danielle Gianelos, and drew on technical expertise provided by the Littoral Society's Habitat Restoration Director Capt. Al Modjeski. Their video for the project was submitted to the New Jersey Sustainable Schools Climate Contest. The Littoral Society’s Beachgrasses in Classes program was in full swing this winter and spring!
Beachgrasses in Classes is an incredible program that promotes community-based stewardship and helps students understand the important role that dunes play in protecting our coastline from storms and flooding. The Beachgrasses in Classes program begins with an interactive classroom lesson where students are introduced to dune ecology, American beachgrass, and the importance of both within the coastal ecosystem. The students then plant culms of American beachgrass in small cups and take care of them in their classroom for the next few weeks. In the early spring, students will bring their culms and plant them at a local beach, actively contributing to dune restoration. Recently, staff from the Littoral Society's Northeast Chapter and National Wildlife Federation took a field trip to Pelham Bay Park with students from the Comprehensive Model School Project 327 in the Bronx, NY.
The park is home to Orchard Beach, the Bronx's only public beach, which has 13 miles of shoreline featuring both fresh and saltwater marshes, along with woodlands, grass meadows and fascinating geology. The field trip was part of the school's continuing studies of Long Island Sound and designed to give students an opportunity to examine how the park’s diverse habitats are vital to both humans and wildlife. While there, the students explored the park’s rocky shoreline and tidal pools with Littoral Society staff, observing metamorphic rock and learning how the park’s geology was shaped by the Wisconsin Glacier during the last ice age. With guidance from the Long Island Sound Study - a bi-state (CT/NY) partnership consisting of federal and state agencies, and organizations dedicated to protecting the Sound - students tested the water quality of the Sound and observed Atlantic silversides, mussels, seaweed, and more that they caught with a seining net. Northeast Chapter staff will be participating in other related field trips during the month. Thanks to the curious students and amazing partners and teachers who made this a special day for everyone! In January 2020, New Jersey's Governor announced a groundbreaking policy designed to help protect the state's residents, infrastructure, coastline, and environment in the face of looming climate threats.
Four years later, those promises still haven't been turned into meaningful action. This is why a number of advocates and organizations - including the American Littoral Society - are once again urging Gov. Phil Murphy to finish what he started. “Governor Murphy has said he recognizes the dangers of climate change to New Jersey, but he needs to show that by fulfilling his 2020 promise to integrate climate science into planning and regulations that protect resident, communities and the environment,” said Lucia Osborne, Delaware Bayshore Program Director for the American Littoral Society. “We need to take unified action across the state to protect people and property from the threats of climate change; releasing the NJPACT rules is a crucial step.” In January 2020, in response to mounting scientific research, Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 100, which directed the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to adopt Protecting Against Climate Threats (NJ PACT) regulations. Read more on the Rules in the NJ Spotlight article here. The American Littoral Society would like to introduce you to Trevor Metz, our new Delaware Seasonal Technician. Trevor will be responsible for bringing our horseshoe crab outreach to Delaware from now until the end of June. He will play an integral role in creating fruitful connections with the Littoral Society and our friends across the (Delaware) Bay, through community events and activities. We are so very pleased for this opportunity and are looking forward to meeting new people and talking with them about our work with horseshoe crabs and migratory shorebirds! In his own words: Greetings from across the bay! My name is Trevor Metz, hailing from Milford, DE, and a proud Blue Hen alumnus. |
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