Highland Park Environment

Arnold’s Farewell

arnold — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:13:16 +0000

I suppose it is about time I said goodbye as your (supposedly anonymous) news writer all these years since the Highland Park Environmental web site started.
I’m now in Hayward California (another Tree City USA town), but I’ve left a good part of me behind in Highland Park. I feel still committed to the open space of HP and sometimes check in on the hpenv site or the borough site to see how you’re doing. I see that many of my suggestions in the Environmental Commission’s draft Open Space Plan have been lifted right up and put into the HP Master Plan’s latest update. The main one is for conservation zoning of at least parts of the areas in southeast HP sometimes known as Buck Woods Ravine and Upper Meadows. Go for it. The new zoning is Highland Park’s most crucial open-space work yet to be done, joining onto the on-going trail-and-restoration projects in the lower Meadows.
I’m watching, too, for how my other pet project, the Eugene Young Environmental Education Center, will be used. Among the things I’ve “left behind” are most of my nature/science books and collections (a big herbarium of dried plants in 3-ring binders and smaller samples of fossils and natural objects). My hope in housing them in the Center was that there could be certain informal open times there where citizens and kids after school could just drop in and browse.
Highland Park in the last few years has become one of the most environmentally conscious towns I know (with the rare townwide “Backyard habitat” certification the next goal). I’ll keep a lookout on the web site for your/our further progress. I may even be able to drop by briefly in October and see for myself. Posted by Arnold Henderson 7/2010

Volunteers Pick Invasives at Native Plant Reserve

leora — Mon, 17 May 2010 01:11:54 +0000

Today volunteers learned to identify mustard weed and picked much of it at the Native Plant Reserve in Highland Park, New Jersey. More photos and description coming soon.

Photo credits: Leora Wenger

Additions to the Home Page

allan — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:43:35 +0000

On the Home Page under More on This Website are two new resource documents:

Native Plants in HP Gardens – the document is a listing of the Latin and common names of the native plants found in Highland Park gardens. The Highland Park authors are listed on bottom of the document, which was compiled in April 2010.

HP Natural Resources Inventory 1992 – A Natural Resources Inventory compiles information on natural, historical and cultural resources of a community. It includes text, maps, photos, and diagrams. Once assembled, an NRI become the basis for land use planning that allows better decisions on protecting the environment. NRI’s allow Environmental Commissions and Open Space Committees to play a significant role in municipal master planning, ordinance development, and site plan review. NRI’s are utilized by Planning and Zoning Boards, departments of municipal government, and the public.

Although the 1992 NRI is somewhat dated, it continues to provide significant information on the geology, soils, streams, and other natural features of Highland Park. It also contains information of wildlife and native plant species, and historical, cultural, and recreational information.

In March 2010, the Environmental Commission/Borough of HP applied for a grant to develop an updated state of the art NRI, which fully utilizes GIS technology.

Meadows Mystery ??

allan — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:14:20 +0000

Pear Tree with Cones - Click on picture to enlarge

Cone on Pair Tree - Click Picture to Enlarge

There is a small mystery in the Highland Park Meadows (by the Southside Bikeway and adjacent to DPW on Valentine Street). On the Meadow trail going east (start at the trailhead and take the first left) is a Pear Tree with cones. Actually, these are pine cones that have been attached with string. Is this just decoration of the pear tree? Is this for birds to feed on seeds in the cone? If you know about this, send us a message. Hit “Contact Us” on the home page and send us a message.

Cleanup on May 16th at the Native Plant Reserve

hptabster — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:26:17 +0000

Come enjoy the spring weather and pitch in to help out our community at the Native Plant Reserve, a site owned by the Borough of Highland Park.

This event is co-sponsored with AAEC (Ahavas Achim Environmental Committee).

When Sunday May 16th 10:00AM – Noon
Where Native Plant Reserve, River Rd. across from Harrison Ave.
Who All ages. All must sign a waiver to participate.
What Bring drinks and a snack.
Wear long pants, closed shoes, long sleeves and work gloves

EARTH DAY EXTRAVAGANZA AND HEALTH FAIR – April 22, 2010

allan — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:10:37 +0000

The Earth Day Extravaganza and Health Fair takes place at the Highland Park High School and Gym on April 22, 6:00-9:00 PM.

Please bring a food donation for the Food Pantry.

Congregation Ahavas Achim Environmental Committee at the Meadows

allan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:50:52 +0000

Volunteers in Front of Meadow Message Board Before Starting Work

On a sunny Sunday morning (September 13), the Environmental Committee of Congregation Ahavas Achim (216 1^st Avenue) and members of the Environmental Commission had a work session at the Meadows. We had a total of 24 volunteers including members of Boy Scouts from Troop 55 and Girls Scouts from Troop 81455. The volunteer worked on the restoration of the Meadows by removing significant amounts of invasive Mugwort from both sides of the bicycle path and from the Meadows trail, and the removal of invasive grape vines overgrowing several trees.

Girl Scout in Gloves About to Start Work

Bicycle Path Next To Meadows

Couple Cutting Mugwort

Cutting More Mugwort

Girl Scout Carrying Away Cut Mugwort

Adult Volunteer Carrying Away Cut Mugwort

Volunteers Cutting Wild Grape Vines Over Running Tree

Mike Rosenberg, HP Environmental Commission, Cutting Mugwort

Girl Scouts Pulling Up 1st Year Mugwort on Meadows Trail

The photographs of the happy and productive volunteers were taken by Mason Resnick.

The Environmental Commission thanks the EC Committee of Congregation Ahavas Achim and the scouts for their assistance in the effort to restore the Meadows to a more native state, for their interest in the environment, and for their public service activities.

Waste in the Environment

allan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:49:57 +0000

Earlier this summer, we were in Arcadia National Park and read the information below in the Acadia National Park “Beaver Log”.

=========================================================

If you leave litter behind, how long does it take to break down? You mights be surprised.

Glass Bottle ……………. 1 million years

Fishing Line ……………… 600 years

Plastic Bottle ……………. 450 years

Disposable Diaper ……… 450 years

Aluminum Can ………….. 80-200 years

Foam Coffee Cup ………… 50 years

Plastic Bag …………………. 10-20 years

Cigarette Butt ……………. 1-5 years

Source: US National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota, FL

=========================================================

Thus, leaving our garbage in the outdoors has a significant effects for a very long time!

RIVERPALOOZA – Meadows Cleanup

allan — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:53:39 +0000

HP Meadows - the site of a RIVERPALOOZA Cleanup

The Highland Park Environmental Commission is co-sponsoring with NJ Community WaterWatch a cleanup of the Meadows (see map below) as part of the RIVERPALOOZA Event (see Home News Tribune article) on August 8, 2009. There will be a kick off and breakfast at 10:00 AM.

Purpose:

To clean up the HP Meadows by removing trash from the banks of the Raritan River, pull weeds from various areas, and remove invasive vines from trees.

When:

Saturday, August 8, 2009, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM

Where:

Highland Park Meadows, Corner of Valentine Street and South 5th Avenue

Equipment:

Work gloves if you have them. Gloves and tools will be supplied.

Requirement:

Volunteers will need to sign an HP Volunteer Release Form or a Waterwatch Release From. HP form can be obtained here.

Questions:

Send us a message.

Teenage Osprey with Jewelry

allan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:12:06 +0000

Juvenile Osprey in the process of being banded. Photos by George Pitcher (6/25/09)

Better view of juvenile osprey

Local Highland Park resident George Pitcher participated in the banding of two juvenile ospreys at a tidal marsh in Cheesequake, NJ and took the above pictures. The birds were approximately 3-4 months old and were expected to fledge (begin flying) in two weeks. Volunteers and wildlife officials banded the birds, which were sitting on the nesting platform. They used a ladder to remove the birds from the platform, banded them, and then replaced them on the nest. The juveniles ospreys did not appear stressed by the process and the circling osprey parents did not attack the volunteers. The banding is part of a federal/state program to track these previously endangered birds.

During the summer, ospreys can frequently be seen soaring above the Raritan River. They hover and then dive into the river for fish. They are frequently seen above the river. Donaldson Park and Johnson Park are good places to observe them.

Link to Wikipedia Article on Osprey