Harold N. Peek Preserve

Harold N. Peek Preserve Harold N. Peek Preserve is a 256-acr nature preserve along the freshwater, tidal Maurice River, and is a great place for observing birds.

See our website for more information including our history, a trail map, and hours of operation. Peek Preserve is a 344-acre property along the freshwater, tidal Maurice River. It is home to some of the healthiest wild rice marshes in southern New Jersey (which can be observed up close thanks to the 145-foot boardwalk that extends over the wetlands). Trails lead you through various habitats while

lookout platforms offer opportunities to spot Bald Eagles and many other species. Peek Preserve is owned and managed by non-profit conservation organization Natural Lands. Learn more at www.natlands.org.

Grasses that tolerate tidal, brackish water dominate Peek Preserve. These grasses provide rich habitat for crustaceans, ...
08/25/2026

Grasses that tolerate tidal, brackish water dominate Peek Preserve. These grasses provide rich habitat for crustaceans, mollusks, and birds, and are an important food source for ducks and other waterfowl. In addition, the grasses filter pollutants from the water and buffer the shoreline from flooding and erosion.

📸: Dave Blinder

What the fox? Yep, it's true... research suggests foxes decrease the spread of Lyme Disease. Because of the presence of ...
08/18/2026

What the fox? Yep, it's true... research suggests foxes decrease the spread of Lyme Disease. Because of the presence of fox populations, small mammals like mice are more likely to hide away and less likely to carry around ticks. This reduces the rate at which ticks become infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

📸: James Moffett

Winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) is a native species that blooms in July and August. It is dioecious, with male and female...
08/11/2026

Winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) is a native species that blooms in July and August. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Both male and female plants are needed to produce fruit. Flowers provide nectar for native bees. Fertilized female flowers lead to large clusters of edible, sour, red berries which ripen in August. The berries provide a valuable food source for birds. Fall foliage is a rich red, crimson, and scarlet. Winged Sumac provides habitat for birds, bees, and wildlife.

📸: Tianna Godsey

Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are ...
08/04/2026

Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons.

📸: Mark Williams

When Monarchs mate, the male uses the claspers on the end of his abdomen to attach to the vaginal groove (ostium bursa) ...
07/28/2026

When Monarchs mate, the male uses the claspers on the end of his abdomen to attach to the vaginal groove (ostium bursa) of the female. Once attached, the female cannot get away, and the male transfers spermatophore components to the female in a process that can take up to 16 hours.

📸: Bill Moses

There is a myth that bumblebees "shouldn't be able to fly." The misconception arose in the 1930s when an aerodynamicist ...
07/24/2026

There is a myth that bumblebees "shouldn't be able to fly." The misconception arose in the 1930s when an aerodynamicist mistakenly applied fixed-wing airplane equations to the insects, failing to account for their rapid, twisting wing movements. Instead of simply flapping up and down, bumblebees beat their wings in a fast, figure-eight motion. This rapid movement (up to 240 times per second) creates tiny, low-pressure air vortexes (miniature hurricanes) above their wings that act as a suction, generating enough lift to keep their heavy bodies airborne.

📸: Preston Wilson

"A kestrel can and does hover in the dead calm of summer days, when there is not the faintest breath of wind. He will, a...
07/21/2026

"A kestrel can and does hover in the dead calm of summer days, when there is not the faintest breath of wind. He will, and does, hover in the still, soft atmosphere of early autumn, when the gossamer falls in showers, coming straight down as if it were raining silk."
~ Richard Jefferies

📸: Susan Quigley

Can you tell the difference between a Viceroy (left) and a Monarch (right) butterfly? Viceroy butterflies have a distinc...
07/17/2026

Can you tell the difference between a Viceroy (left) and a Monarch (right) butterfly? Viceroy butterflies have a distinct black line running horizontally across the lower hind wings, while Monarchs do not. Monarchs are generally larger, with a wingspan of about 3.5 to 4 inches, whereas Viceroys are smaller, typically 2.6 to 3 inches. Monarchs have thicker black veins on their wing patterns.

📸: Bill Moses

The loud, clattering outbursts of Clapper Rails are a signature sound of saltmarshes and mangroves in eastern North Amer...
07/14/2026

The loud, clattering outbursts of Clapper Rails are a signature sound of saltmarshes and mangroves in eastern North America... and the Caribbean. (Yep, they're year-round residents of south Jersey and down along the eastern coast of the U.S. all the way to the Caribbean.) It’s much rarer to catch sight of these large, chestnut-and-gray rails, as these shy birds emerge only briefly onto mudflats and quickly vanish again into the dense marsh grasses.

📸: Bill Moses

Ghost pipe is a mycotrophic wildflower — meaning it feeds off of fungi rather than the sun! A little ironic and a lot in...
07/10/2026

Ghost pipe is a mycotrophic wildflower — meaning it feeds off of fungi rather than the sun! A little ironic and a lot interesting.

📸: Brooke Szmodis

Address

Route 47 (across From Lilac Avenue ), Which Is Also S. 2nd St. )
Millville, NJ
08332

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