New Jersey Conservation Foundation

08/27/2026

What can fishing teach us about conservation? Quite a lot!

Read the latest State We're In column to get a closer look at New Jersey’s coastal ecosystems and why getting out on the water can help build a deeper connection to the natural world. By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation: https://www.njconservation.org/fishing-as-stewardship/

08/26/2026

We're back with another "Wick Wednesday" post!🌊🌳✨

Shrubland and meadows throughout our Wickecheoke Creek Preserve in Hunterdon County are home to a diversity of native plants that provide high-value fruits for migrating birds, and foster butterfly and grassland bird populations. Collectively, these habitats host a variety of New Jersey’s distinct flora and fauna, including rare speciesof statewide conservation importance. A short list of these species include the barred owl, red-shouldered hawk, longtailed salamander, bobolink, Eastern meadowlark, and Adam and Eve orchid.🦋🌱

For more information about the Preserve, visit njconservation.org/preserve/wickecheoke-creek-preserve

08/26/2026

🐝 The NJSOC is working closely with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on a project to remove invasive species and establish a pollinator meadow in the solar field. (Check out the aerial photo of the space below.) This will create a wonderful new wildlife habitat and educational space on campus. In preparation for a fall seeding, we need to remove some of the remaining invasive species and need your help.

The target for the day will be foxtail grass and eradicating it involves hand pulling and transport to our disposal site. If you’d like to join the fun, wear long pants and long sleeves and BYO gloves. We’ll provide the education, inspiration and snacks.

Register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998213867468?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/24/2026

Songbirds are on their way south for the winter, and September is a wonderful time to see the most colorful warblers as they pass through New Jersey! 🎶🐦

Join us on our free Wayward Warblers Autumn Bird Walk for a chance to see American Redstarts, Black-throated Green Warblers, and Magnolia Warblers among other species!

🗓️ Wednesday, September 9
🕗 8 to 10 a.m.
📍 Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center, 170 Longview Road
Far Hills, NJ 07931
🔗 Sign up at njconservation.org/events

📸: Yellow-rumped warbler photographed by our Director of Engagement & Communications Bill Lynch

08/21/2026

🌲 NOTICE 🌲
Franklin Parker Preserve will be closed to the general public on Tuesday, September 1 until noon for management activities.

📸: Richard Lewis Photography

08/20/2026

If you think fall isn’t just around the corner, take a look at the birds!

Read about the best places to witness NJ's monumental fall bird migration in the recent State We're In column by New Jersey Conservation Foundation Executive Director Alison Mitchell: https://www.njconservation.org/autumn-bird-migration-26/

Photo: Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

08/19/2026

One of the iconic species of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the ground-dwelling Northern pine snake is only found in sandy pine forest habitat within the eastern portion of the United States. These large, nonvenomous snakes with distinct dark blotches along the top and sides of their bodies are considered a threatened species throughout New Jersey.

In this video, our Manager of Science & Stewardship Emile DeVito (with help from volunteer Noah Glenn) shares more about these snakes and efforts to protect them. 🐍

08/17/2026

ICYMI: The science team at the Pinelands Commission wrapped its 2026 frog and toad call monitoring season. 🐸

Since 1996, scientists at the commission have monitored 20 ponds across the 1.1 million acres of the Pinelands and tracked the species' activity through annual surveys.

Staff recorded eight species this season: green frogs, carpenter frogs, southern leopard frogs, northern gray tree frogs, Pine Barrens tree frogs, a bullfrog, Fowler’s toads, and spadefoot toads.

Read more via The Pinelands Sun 👇

The science team at the Pinelands Commission wrapped its annual frog and toad call monitoring season in late June, according to its June monthly report. A final round of surveys was conducted by staff, who recorded frog and toad species throughout the Pinelands to track their activity, presence and....

08/13/2026

New Jersey has been a leader in protecting the species and ecosystems that make our state unique. But we can’t escape the toll that the Trump administration’s recent rollback of Endangered Species Act protections will take here in New Jersey.

Read more about bog turtles, North Atlantic right whales, and all of the NJ creatures at risk in the recent State We're In column by New Jersey Conservation Foundation Executive Director Alison Mitchell: https://www.njconservation.org/endangered-species-act-26/

08/12/2026

Happy "Wick Wednesday"! To date, New Jersey Conservation Foundation has helped preserve more than 3,000 acres of open space and farmland in the Wickecheoke Creek Greenway. 🌊🌳

These efforts have helped maintain large amounts of clean drinking water for residents of Central Jersey — over 70 million gallons of potable water is pumped from the Delaware-Raritan Canal at the base of the Wickecheoke Creek watershed every day.

At our Wickecheoke Creek Preserve in Hunterdon County, you'll find beautiful trails through dense forest and along scenic meadows, cascading waterfalls, and different kinds of wildlife (including mushrooms bigger than your head!🍄‍🟫). For more information about the Preserve, visit njconservation.org/preserve/wickecheoke-creek-preserve/

📸: Photos taken at Wickecheoke Creek Preserve earlier this week by Melanie Mason, one of our incredible land stewards!