Highland Park Environment

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The Highland Park Meadows Clean Up – Earth Day Celebration

By allan | April 22, 2009

Volunteers from Sigma Phi Delta (Rutgers)

On Saturday, April 18, there was a very successful clean up of The Highland Park Meadows, the 18 acre natural area located between Donaldson Park and the Edison border. Restoration work was also carried out on Saturday at the site, which is returning to a more natural environment that includes the Raritan River flood plain, wetlands, forest and meadow areas on the plateau areas of the site.

The Meadows Cleanup was organized by NJ Community Water Watch and the Highland Park Environmental Commission and co-sponsored by Sigma Phi Delta, Delta Sigma Iota (Rutgers University) and the Nature Club of the Reformed Church of Highland Park.

Water Watch recruited over 100 volunteers from Rutgers with many from Sigma Phi Delta and Delta Sigma Iota. There were also numerous volunteers from the Reformed Church Nature club and the community.

The event began at 10:00 AM with brief remarks by Council President Elsie Foster-Dublin and Freeholder Jim Polos on the importance of preserving places like The Meadows and ensuring the sustainability of our communities.

Saturday’s event at The Meadows had several particular goals:

Removal of trash that been dumped in The Meadows.
Removal of debris and plastic bottles along the Raritan
Improving the Meadows Trail
Removal of invasive vines, bushes, and plants from the site.
Introducing nature to some of the volunteers
Promoting a spirit of community and volunteerism

The volunteers removed more than fifty bags of recyclables, more than fifty bags of trash, and large piles of debris including about a half ton of metal (from shopping carts to washing machines). The volunteers smoothed approximately 1500 feet of trail in preparation for its new woodchip surface and cut and removed over an acre of invasive vines and bushes.

Saturday was a glorious warm sunny day and the volunteers, despite working very hard, had a great time, learned a lot, and significantly improved The Meadows. We had volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. See images below.

The Highland Park Environmental Commission would like to thank all the volunteers for committing their time and energy to this project. We would particularly like to commend the students from Rutgers for their dedication to service and to NJ Water Watch for mobilizing the volunteers and for their part in organizing the cleanup. We would like to thank the Highland Park Department of Public Works for the appropriate disposal of all of the trash and recyclables.

The Meadows Cleanup was one of the activities in the 5^th Annual Raritan-Wide Earth Day River Cleanup, which was organized by the Raritan River Earth Day Coalition. They mobilized over 1300 volunteers for cleanup efforts in communities along the Raritan River to show community support for the protection and restoration of the river. NJ Community Water Watch organized three of the sites along the Raritan River, mobilizing over 400 volunteers. NJ Community Water Watch’s website is www.njwaterwatch.org

Elsie Foster-Dublin Borough Council President

Freeholder James Polos and Daughter

NJ Community Water Watch Volunteers

Bring Out the Trash from the Raritan River

Volunteers Carrying Out the Trash from the Raritan River

The Brothers of Delta Sigma Iota (Rutgers)

Volunteers from Delta Sigma Iota Carrying out Trash

Lots of Trash Removed from Meadows

Carrying Out the Trash

Smiling Volunteers

More Smiling Volunteers

Look What They Found

Even More Smiling Volunteers

The Whole Family Joining in Down by the Raritan

A Senior Volunteer

New Message Board at the Trailhead

Beginning of Meadows Trail

The Meadows with Trail Outlined

Topics: Highland Park events | 2 Comments »

Salamanders are on the Move!

By arnold | March 31, 2009

The annual March-April spotted salamander migration across Beekman Road in East Brunswick is on again. Thursday’s rain made for a heavy migration at this local mini-Serengeti event. Find out how and when you, your raincoat, your flashlight, and your kids can come out on certain nights (depending on predicted rains) to see them (plus assorted tree frogs, etc.) by going to www.njnaturenotes.com .

Topics: nature | No Comments »

Earth Day Extravaganza on Weds April 22

By leora | March 18, 2009

Celebrate Highland Park’s Green Action at…
Sustainable Highland Park’s Earth Day Extravaganza

An evening of exhibits, information sharing and networking, children’s activities, films, and workshops

Renewable Energy and Efficiency
Local and Sustainable Economic Development
Local Food and Organic Food (Food Tasting!)
Waste and Recycling
Toxics in the Home and in the Environment
Fair Trade
Community Building and Action
Social and Environmental Justice
Walking, Bicycling, and Healthy Lifestyles
Highland Park’s Green Action Plan
THE GREEN CHALLENGE!

And much more…

Disposal of used batteries and ink cartridges and mercury thermometer exchange will be available at the event.

Cosponsored by Highland Park Schools, Highland Park Mayor and Borough, Main Street Highland Park, Who Is My Neighbor, Inc, Highland Park Environmental Commission, People’s Organization for Progress (POP) Central Jersey, and the Irving and Bartle PTOs

Learn more about Sustainable Highland Park’s Green Plan and Green Challenges:
www.greenhp.org
sus·tain·able: Function: adjective. Date: circa 1727. 1: capable of being sustained; 2a: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged <sustainable techniques> <sustainable agriculture> b: of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods <sustainable society>

See Earth Day Poster

Topics: Highland Park events | No Comments »

Middlesex County to Pay $2.4M for Wetlands

By leora | March 6, 2009

From NJ.com:

Middlesex County will pay $2.4M to preserve wetlands
by Tom Haydon/The Star-Ledger
Friday March 06, 2009, 11:48 AM

Middlesex County freeholders will pay $2.4 million in open space funds for a 9.7 acre tract of environmentally sensitive land in South Plainfield that was slated to be the site of 16 homes.

Freeholders Thursday approved the agreement with the A. Ferraro Construction, which received preliminary approval to build houses on the property, located on Delancey Street and known as the Adams Farm, county spokeswoman Stacey Bersani said.

Read the whole article.

Topics: newsflash | No Comments »

Global Warming Bypasses Environmental Ed Center?

By arnold | February 27, 2009

Not really, but in a winter with (as usual now) few snows to match the snows of yesteryear, one snow finally dumped on us and gave the center its insulating white “snow roof.” This lies atop the summer’s insulating “green roof” of soil and sedum plants. Inside, we keep finding, the building remains at a mid-level of temperature. In fact, it’s typically several degrees ABOVE our rather low thermostat setting. Passive solar works! (Photo: Arnold Clayton Henderson)

Topics: Environmental Center | No Comments »

Do you want to grow native plants? Get your start March 21

By arnold | February 9, 2009

The open public meeting of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. will be March 21, 2009, 10:00-1:00. It’s at the Trailside Nature Center, Mountainside New Jersey. There’ll be talks on “Native Plants in Urban Places.” Also free native-tree giveaways, and native plants for sale. Load up and you’ll be all set to turn your backyard into the best little wilderness in town.

Topics: native plants | No Comments »

How many birds does it take to fly through Highland Park? Let’s count. Feb. 13-16

By arnold | February 9, 2009

Citizen Science is becoming a big thing, with thousands participating. Next chance is February 13-16 for the Great Backyard Bird Count. Basically you have four days. You can go to your backyard or any number of parks (or anywhere) any number of times. Submit to the web site Birdsource.

Topics: birds | 1 Comment »

Pine Siskin – An Unusual Bird

By leora | February 6, 2009

pine_siskin Karen Swaine captured this closeup of one of the boreal Pine Siskins that have graced us with their presence here in Central New Jersey for the past month. As far as she knows, this is an unusual visitor for our area.

More on the pine siskins from Cornell U.

Topics: bird sightings, birds | No Comments »

Eugene Young Environmental Ed Center Gains a Grant and Moves Ahead

By arnold | February 1, 2009

Good news. We have been promised a $5,000 grant to install the solar panels in the green-frame shade structure, the last building item we’ve been waiting for. The Edison Wetlands Association arranged that grant for us, along with a new $10,000 for the Meadows trail we are already developing downstream of Donaldson Park. These grants are a relief especially since the center’s budget money originally intended for solar panels, display cases, and some other features had unexpectedly needed to be diverted to soil capping around the center to meet residential standards (stricter than most roadside land). Now that that’s fixed, other money already in hand can pay for paths, plantings, and the start of a sculpture garden near the center, starting (we hope) summer 2009. Keep checking the news here for further progress. Use the Contact Us box to share your thoughts on future programs and activities.

Topics: Environmental Center | No Comments »

HP Forestry Management Plan is Approved

By arnold | February 1, 2009

The NJ DEP has now certified Highland Park’s five-year update to our Community Forestry Management Plan. This update was, like the original plan, prepared by the Shade Tree Advisory Committee and its consultant Kevin Scibilia, CTE (Certified Tree Expert). We hope it takes into consideration some of the things we’ve been hearing from you, the dwellers under those public trees. The updated certification means we continue eligibility for special planting and pruning grants that we have often used. It also clarifies thinking about future directions of tree management and workable tree laws. Not every town gets certified for this enviable position, so lots of thanks to the people who worked it all out.

Topics: trees | No Comments »

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