Fall/Winter | 2013 - New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Fall/Winter
|
2013
New Jersey
Conservation
ON THE COVER
Richard Speedy, who had an exhibition of
Pine Barrens photographs at the Morven Museum
& Gardens in early 2013, shot this beautiful image
at the Franklin Parker Preserve.
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12
15
Saving Land –
A vineyard, an historic cemetery
and a family farm are preserved
Finding Bigfoot –
TV crew searches for Sasquatch
at the Franklin Parker Preserve
Volunteer Spotlight –
Blaine Rothauser shares his love
and knowledge of nature
Trustees
L. Keith Reed
PRESIDENT
HONORARY
TRUSTEES
Wendy Mager
Hon. Brendan T. Byrne
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Catherine Bacon Winslow
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
Catherine M. Cavanaugh
From Our
Hon. Thomas H. Kean
Executive Director
ADVISORY
COUNCIL
Michele S. Byers
Thomas B. Harvey
TREASURER
Robert W. Kent
SECRETARY
Edward F. Babbott
Kenneth H. KlipsteinII
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Penelope Ayers
Cecilia Birge
Nancy Becker
C. Austin Buck
John D. Hatch
Roger Byrom
Bradley M. Campbell
Must Love Land!
Christopher J. Daggett
Susan L. Hullin
Land trusts like the New Jersey Conservation Foundation are in the business of perpetuity. When we preserve land, it’s forever.
Blair MacInnes
Tim Carden
Theodore Chase, Jr.
Jack R. Cimprich
Rosina B. Dixon, M.D.
Peter J. Fontaine
Thomas J. Maher
Scott McVay
David F. Moore
Mary W. Moore
Ingrid W. Reed
Chad Goerner
Gordon A. Millspaugh, Jr.
Maureen Ogden
Virginia K. Pierson
So we don’t call it a day once the deed to a natural area is signed, or the development
rights on a farm are retired. Even permanently preserved lands must be continually
monitored and protected from a myriad of threats.
Jamie Kyte Sapoch
Leslie Sauer
Tama Matsuoka Wong
Encroachments from adjacent homes and government-sanctioned “diversions’’
can allow the preserved status on lands to be removed in exchange for preserving land
elsewhere. Swapping one preserved property for another might not sound bad – unless
you consider the losses associated with the property to be diverted!
Kathryn Porter
Samantha Rothman
Louise Currey Wilson
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
Robert J. Wolfe
Michele S. Byers
New Jersey Conservation Foundation is
a private, non-profit organization whose
mission is to preserve land and natural
resources throughout New Jersey for the
benefit of all.
We protect strategic lands through acquisition and
stewardship, promote strong land use policies, and forge
partnerships to achieve conservation goals. Since 1960,
we have worked to protect the state’s farmland, forests,
parks, wetlands, water resources and special places.
For membership information, please visit our website at
www.njconservation.org or call us at 1-888-LANDSAVE.
Our mailing address is 170 Longview Road, Far Hills,
NJ 07931.
Printer to place
FSC logo
here as per client
Parks can be severely damaged by adjacent activities. One park in serious jeopardy
is the magnificent Palisades along the west shore of the Hudson River.
The Palisades cliffs were preserved a century ago as part of the Palisades Interstate
Park. Towns north of the George Washington Bridge have historically ensured that
lands behind the cliffs weren’t built so high as to compromise the astonishing view.
Building has always been kept lower than the tree line.
But the town of Englewood Cliffs has approved a corporate building four times as high
as was previously allowed. Fortunately, citizens sprang into action to defend the cliffs.
“Protect the Palisades,” a coalition of citizens and nonprofits, including New Jersey
Conservation Foundation, is working to make a difference. You can read about the effort to
save this iconic view on Page 10.
The Palisades is one of many examples of the need to remain vigilant. When it
comes to the permanency of land preservation, it’s the lasting love of the land by citizens,
neighbors and communities that will make the difference.
Thank you for your love of the land and commitment to conservation!
Best wishes for a healthy and happy holiday season, and a great 2014!
New Jersey Conservation Foundation |
A piece of ‘paradise’ named for DeMarco family
Photo by Sandy Stuart Perry
When J. Garfield DeMarco’s grandparents emigrated from Italy to the Pine Barrens a century ago,
they couldn’t have foreseen that their son and grandson would build a cranberry dynasty and later help
create a world-class nature preserve … all on the same piece of land!
J. Garfield DeMarco, right, stands with Bob Shinn, former commissioner of the state
Department of Environmental Protection, at the dedication of the A.R. DeMarco Cranberry
Meadows Natural Area. Inset: Anthony R. DeMarco, left, presents cranberries grown on
his farm to Governor Robert Meyner (right) and state Agriculture Secretary Phillip Alampi.
But that’s how the Franklin Parker
Preserve in Chatsworth – at 9,400 acres,
New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s
largest preserve – came to be.
It all started when Rocco DeMarco
arrived from Italy at the turn of the last
century and became a padrone – the
man who gathered crews to work in the
cranberry bogs.
His son, Anthony R. DeMarco, became
a pharmacist but soon returned to his
roots. He began acquiring property in the
Pine Barrens in 1940 for a cranberry and
blueberry farm.
“My father had an almost mystical
attachment to this property. He just loved
the land, loved the nature,” recalled
Anthony’s son, J. Garfield DeMarco.
“It’s a paradise, really.”
Anthony’s mission was tragically cut
short when he died in an auto accident on
Dec. 31, 1964. Garfield, a Yale Law School
graduate, took up the reins of A.R.
DeMarco Enterprises at the age of 26,
and expanded it into one of the largest
cranberry operations in the world.
Garfield and his sister, Anna Lynne
DeMarco Papinchak, decided in their
twilight years to preserve the property.
They sold it to New Jersey Conservation
Foundation in 2003.
The DeMarco family’s legacy was
honored in October when New Jersey
Conservation Foundation dedicated the
A.R. DeMarco Cranberry Meadows Natural
Area within the Franklin Parker Preserve.
“I know my parents would have been
delighted with what’s happened here,
absolutely delighted,” said Garfield.
The A.R. DeMarco Cranberry
Meadows Natural Area includes hundreds
of acres of former cranberry bogs in the
northern end of the preserve that have
been restored to wetlands. New Jersey
Conservation Foundation won a 2011
Governor’s Environmental Excellence
Award for the restoration project.
At the dedication ceremony, a sign
was unveiled on an observation platform
overlooking the natural area. Chris Jage,
assistant director for South Jersey,
presented Garfield with a handmade walking stick made from an Atlantic white cedar
tree felled by beavers on the property.
Now home to abundant wildlife,
including bald eagles, the DeMarco
Cranberry Meadows Natural Area is
ringed by hiking trails.
To learn more about the preserve
and download trail maps, go to
www.njconservation.org/
franklinparkerpreserve.htm.
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In the last six months, New Jersey Conservation Foundation helped
preserve more than 1,200 acres of open space and farmland.
Three of our preservation projects – a vineyard, an historic
cemetery and a family farm – are featured on the next two pages. But
our work in 2013 is not over yet! Many more preservation projects are
scheduled for completion by year’s end. For updates, check our
Facebook page or sign up on our website for news by email.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation |
Historic family cemetery protected
The tiny Pine Hill Cemetery, with grave markers dating back to the 1700s, was lost beneath a tangle of brush
and vines when descendents of those buried there rediscovered it several years ago. With the permission
of property owner W. Bryce Thompson, they painstakingly cleared undergrowth and excavated fallen
gravestones covered by dirt.
Photo by Sandy Stuart Perry
But the historic cemetery was on private
property, and its future was uncertain.
The uncertainty is now over, and
the restored Pine Hill Cemetery and
surrounding fields and woods in Delaware
Township, Hunterdon County, are
protected forever. Descendants of the
Williamson, Sergeant, Larew, Heath, Lake
and Rounsavell family members buried
there will always have a place to visit.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
and its partners recently preserved the
94-acre property – which includes forests,
hay fields and more than a quarter-mile
of frontage along the Plum Brook –
by purchasing it from Thompson.
“If there is anything worthy of
preservation, this property would be it,”
said Jim Borders, the township’s open
space coordinator, noting that the
property was ideal because of its mix of
open space, farmland, watershed land and
historical significance. “Everybody loves
this piece, and it really adds to the
township’s portfolio of preserved land.”
The Thompson property adds to
a 1,000-acre “green belt” around the
hamlet of Sergeantsville. Trails linking the
property to adjacent preserved lands
are planned.
The bucolic property provides habitat
for wood turtles, a threatened species in
New Jersey, and has numerous “spring
seeps” and small streams feeding the Plum
Brook. The brook is a tributary of the
Wickecheoke Creek, which flows into the
D&R Canal, a major water supply
source for the region.
“New Jersey Conservation
Foundation has had its eye on this
property for a long time, and we’re
thrilled to finally preserve it,” said
Michele S. Byers, Executive Director.
“It provides a missing link in the trail
system, and it protects water resources
and wildlife habitat.”
New Jersey Conservation
Foundation acquired the property in
partnership with the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection’s
Green Acres Program, the New Jersey
Water Supply Authority, Hunterdon
County, Delaware Township and the
1772 Foundation.
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Descendants of families buried in the Pine Hill Cemetery attended a preservation celebration in June.
From left are Nancy Heath Dallaire, Dot Williamson, Pat Masterson, Jim Neidlinger and Beverly Lawrence.
Photo on facing page: Waterfall on the Plum Brook, running along the newly-preserved Thompson property.
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| New Jersey Conservation Foundation
What’s the buzz? Honey-producing farm preserved
A 106-acre farm where sheep, vegetables and honeybees are raised – and where
fresh produce and jars of honey are sold at a roadside stand – has been preserved.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
and its partners recently preserved the
Conley family farm near the historic
hamlet of Locktown in Delaware
Township, Hunterdon County.
The farm has a mix of fields and
woodlands, and was one of the few
remaining farms of its size in Delaware
Township not preserved. Preserving it
expands the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve,
a green belt of preserved open space and
farmland. New Jersey Conservation
Foundation has helped preserve about
4,000 acres in the Wickecheoke Creek
region since 1984.
Using funds from the State
Agriculture Development Committee and
the federal Farm and Ranch Lands
Protection Program, we purchased the
development rights on the land. Although
the farm will continue to be owned by
the Conley family, its future use is
permanently restricted to agriculture.
“The Conley Farm is a perfect
example of a high priority farm that we
like to work with our partners to protect,”
said Carrie Mosley, State Conservationist
for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
which administers the Farm and Ranch
Lands Protection Program.
“Ninety-six percent of the Conley
Farm is occupied by prime soils and the
farm also drains to a stream that has been
Photo by Amy Hansen
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Honey and vegetables are sold at the farm’s roadside stand.
designated as a Category 1 stream,
meaning that it has been identified by the
state as having exceptional water resource
significance,” Mosley added. “Therefore,
preserving this land for agriculture and
farming using the required conservation
plan is a great benefit to the Delaware
River Watershed.”
State Agriculture Secretary Douglas H.
Fisher praised the preservation of the farm.
“The State Agriculture Development
Committee was pleased to support
the preservation of the Conley farm,
which furthers all our ongoing efforts to
ensure that we keep agriculture growing
in Delaware Township now and forever,”
he said.
Photo by Lisa MacCollum
New Jersey Conservation Foundation |
Vineyard owner Sergio Neri inspects his vines.
Raise a glass to preservation of Hopewell vineyard
Anyone who has savored the scenic views of Hopewell Valley Vineyards while sampling
master vintner Sergio Neri’s award-winning wines probably couldn’t imagine the land as anything
but agricultural. They’ll never have to.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
and its partners preserved 67 acres of the
Hopewell Valley Vineyards property in
Hopewell Township, ensuring it will
remain farmland forever.
“We’ve been working on it for 10
years, so we’re glad we finally preserved
it,” said the Italian-born Neri, who runs the
vineyard with his wife, Violetta.
The newly-preserved property
includes 20 acres of grape vineyards,
20 acres of fields planted in wheat,
rye and soybean; and woodlands
surrounding the fields. The winery
buildings on 6.6 acres are not included
in the farmland easement.
“I believe in farmland preservation.
I think it’s good for the state, and for
the country in general,” commented
Neri. “Otherwise it’s easy for farmers,
especially in this economy, to give up to
development and speculation.”
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
used grants from the State Agriculture
Development Committee and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Farm and
Ranch Lands Protection Program to
purchase the development rights on the
property. The land will continue to be
owned by the Neris, but is permanently
limited to agricultural use.
The Neris grow seven varieties of
grapes in their vineyards, and use them
to make 15 types of wine, including pinot
grigio, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon
and merlot.
Neri bought the vineyard’s first
25 acres in the late 1990s and added
another 50 acres a few years later.
“People think it’s very romantic to run
a vineyard – and it is!” he added.
“But like any farming activity, it’s a lot
of hard work. For us, it’s demanding
but fun.”
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| New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Voters deserve chance to support continued preservation
By Maureen Ogden and Peter Fontaine
New Jersey residents have long enjoyed the benefits of one of the nation’s
most successful land preservation programs: parks, natural areas, farmland,
historic sites and water supply and flood plain protection.
Maureen Ogden and Peter Fontaine are members
of the Board of Trustees of New Jersey Conservation
Foundation. Maureen is a former member of the New
Jersey General Assembly and past chair of the Garden
State Preservation Trust. Peter is former chairman of
Camden County’s Open Space Advisory Committee.
But a half century of steady
preservation efforts now face a serious
threat – a lack of state funding.
These vital programs most recently
were funded by a 2009 voter-approved
bond referendum that is now depleted.
With no new funding source in place,
New Jersey will be unable to continue
preserving open spaces for present and
future generations.
The need to establish long-term
funding for preservation is greater than
ever. Approximately 20 percent of our
state, or 1 million acres, still remains
unprotected and will be subjected to
increasing development pressure as the
economy rebounds.
This past summer, the New Jersey
Senate voted on and approved landmark
legislation that would ask voters to
support a sustainable, long term source of
funding for preservation efforts across the
state. Establishing a stable funding source
is vital to land preservation efforts because
it gives certainty to local municipalities
and conservation organizations that
funding will be available year-to-year to
support their efforts. Unfortunately, the
Assembly didn’t act to put the question
on the ballot this fall.
But we do have the opportunity
to get the question on the November
2014 ballot, giving voters the chance to
say “Yes” once again to our state’s longstanding preservation program.
The legislation proposes a voter
referendum to dedicate $200 million
annually for 30 years in sales tax revenues
to renew and sustain funding for the
Green Acres, Blue Acres, Farmland and
Historic Preservation programs.
Land, water and historic preservation
efforts are a wise investment in our future.
We are fortunate to live in a state where
we have access to fresh, locally grown
food; white sand beaches; vibrant forests;
and numerous waterways, parks, trails
and historic sites. These resources
enhance our quality of life and provide
economic benefits by creating jobs and
stimulating tourism.
Preserving open space, inland waterways and natural buffers along the coast
can help prevent future flood and storm
damage. A recent study found that every
$1 invested in state land preservation
returns $10 in economic value to the state
through natural flood control and water
filtration which would otherwise have to
be paid for by taxpayers.
Although agriculture is New Jersey’s
third largest industry, with the state's
more than 10,000 farms generating
at least a billion dollars annually, an
additional 350,000 acres of farmland
must be preserved to maintain a viable
agricultural industry.
Funding for preservation projects has
long been a bipartisan issue in New Jersey,
something that voters and elected leaders
from both sides of the aisle steadfastly
have supported. Voters have passed all
13 ballot measures since 1961.
The proposed $200 million annual
dedication is less than one percent of the
state budget and is about the same
Photo by Eric Talezaar
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amount the state annually spent on
preservation programs in each of the past
15 years. The bill accomplishes the goal
of renewing preservation funding
without increasing taxes or adding to
state debt. The funds would come from
the projected growth of more than $400
million annually in sales tax revenues,
so preservation money could be provided
without taking away from other current
environmental programs or other
pressing needs.
If the Assembly votes in favor of the
bill this year - and both houses of the
Legislature vote in favor next year –
the question will be placed on the
November 2014 ballot.
Voters deserve the chance to
have their say on this critical issue!
We fervently hope that the Assembly
acts to make that possible and to give
New Jerseyans the opportunity to
protect land, water and history for our
children and grandchildren.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation |
“... Every dollar invested in state land
preservation returns $10 in economic value.”
The 4.3-acre Klepper property in Princeton was preserved recently with the help of state Green Acres funds.
Without a stable funding source, state open space and farmland preservation are slowing to a trickle.
For many years we’ve organized corporate
volunteer work days at our preserves, giving
employees a chance to spend a day outdoors
helping the environment and helping us with
land management. Recently, we hosted Johnson
& Johnson and Goldman Sachs at the 567-acre
Apshawa Preserve in West Milford, Passaic
County. Johnson & Johnson volunteers helped
blaze a new trail and relocate an existing trail to
create an easier hike to the preserve’s most
scenic spot along the rocky shore of the Butler
Reservoir. Goldman Sachs volunteers made
repairs to the 3.2-mile deer “exclosure” fence,
which gives plants and trees the protection
they need to regenerate.
To learn more about the Apshawa
Preserve and download a trail map, go to
www.njconservation.org/apshawapreserve.htm
Photo by Ingrid Vandegaer
Corporate volunteers lend a helping hand
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| New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Iconic Palisades vista threatened by LG office tower
For as long as people have gazed upon the Palisades, the majestic cliffs
towering above the Hudson River have awed and inspired.
Photo by Valerie Vaccaro
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View of the Palisades cliffs from New York City.
Native Americans referred to the cliffs
as “We-awken,” meaning “rocks that look
like trees.” Giovanni de Verrazano noted
the remarkable cliffs and had them
included in the first map of the New World
in 1554. Henry Hudson was awed by the
Palisades when he anchored his ship
beneath them in 1609. The cliffs inspired
the Hudson School of Painters in the 1800s
and became a symbol of the natural
beauty visible from New York City.
A century ago, when the Palisades
were threatened by rock quarrying,
citizens sprang into action. The Palisades
Interstate Park Commission was formed,
and prominent families of the day bought
lands along the cliffs and donated them
for conservation.
“These Palisades…must be put
beyond the reach of the devastating hand
and conserved for the general good…”
declared New York Governor Charles H.
Hughes at a dedication ceremony in 1909.
The unique beauty of the Palisades
was recognized in the 1980s when it was
designated a National Natural Landmark
by the National Park Service and a
National Historic Landmark by the U.S.
Department of the Interior.
The Palisades north of the George
Washington Bridge did indeed seem
“beyond the reach of the devastating
hand” for a long time. Municipalities
along the Palisades established height
restrictions in their zoning laws to protect
the scenic vista; no building could exceed
35 feet and rise above the tree line.
But today the Palisades are again
threatened. In early 2012, the municipality
of Englewood Cliffs granted a variance to
allow the Korean electronics giant LG to
construct a building 143 feet high – four
times the height of other buildings in the
area – behind the cliffs. The NJ Federation
of Women’s Clubs filed lawsuits to stop
the project, along with Scenic Hudson
and the NY-NJ Trail Conference.
New Jersey Conservation has
joined the efforts to save the iconic
vista by becoming part of a coalition
known as Protect the Palisades.
At our request, four former New
Jersey governors – Brendan Byrne,
Thomas Kean, James Florio and Christine
Todd Whitman – wrote a letter to the CEO
of LG, asking him to consider redesigning
the building to lower the profile.
“The Palisades have remained a
landscape of unbroken, natural beauty
in a heavily developed metropolitan area,
appreciated by generations of residents
and visitors,” wrote the Governors. “We
are concerned that this tower would not
only interrupt the historic, natural vista
enjoyed by millions, but would also set a
precedent for greater building heights
stretching northward along these iconic
cliffs, eroding the unique American
landmark of the Palisades.”
In October, the New York-based
World Monuments Fund named the
Palisades to its 2014 watch list of
landmarks it considers threatened by
neglect, overdevelopment, or social,
political and economic change. We hope
the listing will help convince LG to respect
the integrity of the Palisades.
The story is not over!
To keep up with news on the
coalition’s efforts to save the
Palisades vista, visit the
Protect the Palisades website at
www.protectthepalisades.org.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation |
Rendering by Saratoga Associates
“... a landscape of unbroken,
natural beauty in a heavily developed
metropolitan area.”
Consultant’s simulation of how the Palisades cliffs would be impacted if the LG Electronics headquarters is built as proposed.
Raising our voices to save a landmark!
Sometimes you need a good
old fashioned protest to be heard!
New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s
Michele Byers and Alison Mitchell were
among 60 protestors on the chilly
weekday morning of November 14
to rally against LG's groundbreaking
ceremony for its new headquarters in
Englewood Cliffs. The lively protest
grabbed the attention of ceremony
attendees, the media and many
commuters who honked in support.
Want to lend your voice to the effort?
Write to Wayne Park, CEO and
President of LG Electronics North
America at 1000 Sylvan Avenue,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.
Associated Press
Jonathan Fickies/AP Images for Protect the Palisades
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12 | New Jersey Conservation Foundation
A plan to help Pine Barrens’ rare plants and animals
Fire and tree-cutting may sound harmful to New Jersey’s forests, but such disturbances can be
important tools for maintaining our native flora and fauna – especially in the Pine Barrens, where
the ecosystem has evolved around frequent wildfires.
In this region, plants and animals
whose habitat depends on naturally
occurring fires have become increasingly
rare. With this in mind, New Jersey
Conservation Foundation has proposed a
Forest Stewardship Plan for the 9,400-acre
Franklin Parker Preserve in Chatsworth
that would mimic the effects of wildfire.
The primary goal of the plan is to
protect and enhance characteristic Pine
Barrens plant and animal communities,
with particular emphasis on rare species.
“The Pine Barrens are a firedominated ecosystem,” explained Tim
Morris, stewardship director. “The history
of the Pine Barrens is that they burn, and a
lot of plants are adapted for fire.”
It’s been 10 years since New Jersey
Conservation Foundation acquired the
Franklin Parker Preserve, and during
that time the forest canopy has grown
increasingly dense, and a thick blanket
of pine needles has covered the sandy
soil. Native plants like Pine Barrens
gentian and turkey beard are being
shaded out, and small, sunny openings
needed by snakes for basking and
foraging are shrinking.
The forest management plan calls
for projects mimicking disturbances that
would have been caused by wildfires in
earlier times. Dense stands of trees will be
thinned to create openings in the forest
canopy, and prescribed burns will be
conducted with the assistance of the
New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
By using forestry as a thinning tool
in advance of burning, prescribed fires
can be conducted at higher temperatures.
Typically, controlled burns are “cold”
and do not benefit the Pine Barrens.
But hotter prescribed burns can restore
declining habitats.
In addition to gentian and turkey
beard, rare plants in the Franklin Parker
Preserve include curly-grass fern, bog
asphodel, red milkweed, Pine Barrens
bellwort, fringed yellow-eyed grass,
American chaffseed, purple bladderwort,
broom crowberry. Rare animals include
barred owls, bald eagles, Pine Barrens tree
frogs, northern pine snakes, timber
rattlesnakes and corn snakes.
For more information on
the Forest Management Plan
for the Franklin Parker
Preserve, contact Morris at
[email protected].
Sasquatch in the Pine Barrens?
The Franklin Parker Preserve in the heart of the Pine
Barrens is a hotbed of scientific investigation of rare plants,
insects, snakes and other animals.
But this fall, research of a different type took place in the
form of a hunt for Bigfoot, a reclusive, ape-like creature
whose existence is a subject of debate.
A television crew from “Finding Bigfoot” visited the
preserve in early October to film the search. They explored
Franklin Parker Preserve’s pitch pine forests and cedar
swamps by foot and canoe to search for signs of the
elusive creature.
The “Finding Bigfoot” team came to New Jersey after
hearing local lore about possible Sasquatch sightings in
the Pine Barrens.
What did they find? We don’t know for sure, but a
Huffington Post reporter who traveled with the crew
revealed that shadowy movements in the water at night
created momentary excitement. However, it turned out to
be beaver – a common sight at the preserve.
Perhaps Bigfoot has been eaten by the Jersey Devil, never
to be seen again. Or perhaps they’re one and the same!
“Finding Bigfoot” will air on Animal Planet in 2014.
Check our Facebook page for updates on the airing date.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation |
Give a gift
that lasts forever!
Photo by Michael Neuhaus
Thank you, thank you, thank you to our loyal supporters
for being part of our team in 2013!
Your generous contributions helped us save open space
and farmland throughout New Jersey, safeguard our clean
drinking water, protect wildlife habitats and provide
outdoor recreation.
Please consider making a year-end gift, or a recurring
monthly contribution, to keep our programs going strong
in 2014!
A rare
Pine Barrens
beauty
One of the most beautiful
autumn wildflowers found in the
Franklin Parker Preserve is the
Pine Barrens gentian (Gentiana
autumnalis), which is rare and
classified as endangered in New
Jersey. Blooming in September
through mid-October, Pine
Barrens gentians most frequently
have deep purplish-blue petals,
although some plants produce
flowers with white petals.
These perennial flowers grow in
damp to intermittently damp
open areas, roadsides, pitch pine
lowlands and stream banks. No
forestry work is planned in areas
of the Preserve where known
Pine Barrens gentian populations
grow. Forestry work proposed in
the Preserve’s pitch pine lowlands
is designed to thin dense stands
of trees, which may enhance or
create habitat for gentians.
And if you’re searching for the perfect holiday gift for the
person who has everything, how about making a contribution
in their honor? We’ll send a them a card announcing the
gift, and all honorary gifts will be acknowledged in our
annual report.
Donate today – it’s easy!
I
Donate online ...
Go to our website at www.njconservation.org
and click on “Donate Now.”
I
Mail your gift ...
using the envelope provided in this newsletter.
I
Call us ...
We’re happy to accept your contribution over the phone!
Call us toll-free at 1-888-LAND-SAVE
(1-888-526-3728).
Preserved land is a gift that lasts forever!
Thank you again for making New Jersey a better place,
now and in the future.
And be sure to connect with us online!
“Like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter
to get all the latest news!
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14
| New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Emily Ridgway, early defender of Great Swamp
Emily Parsons Ridgway, a former New Jersey Conservation Foundation trustee
whose involvement dates back to the days when it was a grassroots group fighting
to save the Great Swamp from being developed for an international airport, passed
away on Oct. 1 just two months shy of her 103rd birthday.
A resident of Short Hills and
Fishers Island, N.Y., Emily was a dedicated
gardener, a lover of the outdoors and a
lifetime member of 22 philanthropic
organizations.
In the early 1960s, Emily became
active in the successful battle to preserve
the Great Swamp as national wildlife
refuge instead of allowing it to be paved
over as a major “jetport,” as the Port
Authority proposed.
“I remember the start of the
organization to save the Swamp from
becoming an airport,” she wrote in a 1995
letter. “Helen Fenske (NJCF’s co-founder
and first executive director), Mrs. Paul
Moore, Esty Stowell and Russell Myers are
the ones I recall with great respect for all
they did.”
In 1966, then-president Franklin
Parker invited Emily to join the Board of
Trustees – back when the organization
was still known as the North Jersey
Conservation Foundation. He cited
her interest in the Great Swamp preservation and conservation leadership in the
Short Hills area as qualities appreciated
by the Foundation.
“Although we are still a very young
organization and still finding our way, we
feel the Foundation has already made
a sizable contribution to open space
preservation in this part of New Jersey,
and it can play an increasingly effective
role in the future,” wrote Parker.
As a trustee for many years, Emily
helped shape the Foundation into New
Jersey’s largest land preservation group.
She became an Honorary Trustee in 1995,
serving in that capacity until her death.
Former Executive Director David
Moore recalls that she was active in
planning fundraising events and worked
on “Be Your Own Eco-Activist,” a 1970s-era
green living guidebook published by the
Foundation. “She also helped recruit new
board members from the Short Hills area –
she was very good at that,” he added.
Emily also served as President of the
Short Hills Garden Club, Vice-President of
the Garden Club of America, Trustee of
Miss Porter's School, a Regent of Kenmore
and a member of The Auxiliary of
Overlook Hospital. She was an Overlook
Foundation Trustee from 1988-1994.
Emily was an avid collector of art
and artifacts and travelled extensively,
including two trips around the world in
her later years. Horticulture, particularly
orchids, was her passion. She treasured
her flower and vegetable garden at Fishers
Island and tended it with loving care. “She
was proud of never buying a vegetable all
summer long,” recalled daughter Emily
“Missy” Crisp.
We extend our deepest condolences
to her children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren.
Welcome New Trustees
New Jersey Conservation Foundation recently welcomed
Chad Goerner of Princeton and Theodore “Ted” Chase of
Franklin Township to the Board of Trustees, and welcomed
back former trustee and president Gordon “Sandy”
Millspaugh of Bernardsville. In addition, former trustee
Edward F. Babbott joined the Advisory Council.
A financial and investment consultant for the UBS
Institutional Consulting Group, Chad is a former Princeton
Township mayor and Township Committee member who
led the town through its historic consolidation with
Princeton Borough. He grew up on a farm in Sussex County
and is a strong advocate of open space and farmland
preservation.
Chad Goerner
Theodore Chase
Gordon Millspaugh
Ted is a Township Council member in Franklin Township
(Somerset) and a retired Rutgers University professor.
He also serves on the township’s Planning Board,
Environmental Commission and Open Space Committee.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Ted joined Rutgers’
College of Agriculture in 1969 and rose to full professor
of biochemistry, retiring in 2007.
An attorney with Herold Law in Warren Township,
Sandy previously served as trustee for more than 25 years
and was president from 2003 to 2007.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation |
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Blaine Rothauser – Sharing a love of nature
When it comes to caring about the environment,
knowledge is the key that unlocks hearts and minds.
Photo by Laura Szwak
Left:
Blaine Rothauser,
pointing, leads a
nature hike through
the Bamboo Brook
Outdoor Education
Center in Chester
Township.
“You can’t love what you don’t know,”
points out Blaine Rothauser, a volunteer
who’s on a mission to help people know,
understand and value the natural world.
A biologist and outdoor photographer,
Rothauser frequently leads Step Into
Nature programs for New Jersey
Conservation Foundation, sharing his
extensive knowledge of birds, flowers,
insects, plants, reptiles and other creatures.
In today’s society, he noted, people
are often afraid of bugs and snakes
because they simply don’t spend much
time outdoors. By explaining each
creature’s habits and life cycle, Rothauser
tries to create a sense of wonder.
He can often be found with a camera
in his hands, capturing stunning images
of nature through a telephoto or macro
lens. His photo of a willet graced the cover
of New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s
2012 Annual Report, and he provided
a cover shot of a barred owl a few
years earlier.
A lifelong resident of Florham Park,
Rothauser grew up exploring the Great
Swamp of Morris County. “I learned my
love of natural history in the Great
Inset: Blaine’s photo
of an Io moth.
Swamp,” he said. “I’d say I know every
square inch of that place.”
His love of the natural world has
since extended to every corner of the
Garden State. Rothauser is an enthusiastic
proponent of New Jersey as a top
destination for anyone interested in
diverse flora and fauna.
“New Jersey is a biological hotspot,
not just in the United States but in the
world,” he said. “There’s a never-ending
plethora of biodiversity.”
New Jersey is a peninsula, he pointed
out, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east
and the Delaware River to the west.
The state has a major mountain range, as
well as coastal plains, piedmont and Pine
Barrens. This unique geography makes it
the northern terminus for southern plant
and animal species, and the southern
terminus for northern species. It’s also a
major stop for migrating birds along the
Atlantic Flyway.
“If you’re a nature lover, every month
there’s a place in New Jersey to go to see
something different,” he said. “I don’t have
to travel to a foreign country, that’s the
way I feel.”
Rothauser’s latest obsession is moths.
He’s conducting a statewide moth census
at 21 locations across the state, and
shared his expertise at a nighttime
“Moth Party” for New Jersey Conservation
Foundation in August.
Charting the locations of moths,
Rothauser believes, may provide
valuable clues about the ecological
health of a particular site. He explains
that some moths are “generalists” whose
caterpillars feed on a wide variety of
plants, while other moth caterpillars are
“specialists,” feeding on only one or two
specific plants.
Rothauser’s theory is that if a moth
count shows a balance of generalists and
specialists, the surrounding land likely
has diverse plant life. On the other hand,
if a count reveals nothing but generalists,
a native plant restoration project may
be in order.
To learn more about Rothauser’s
work, go to his website at
www.brenvironmentalservices.com.
15
N E W J E R S E Y C O N S E R VAT I O N F O U N D AT I O N
Bamboo Brook
|
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|
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Mark your
May 17
April 27
March 22
2014 Calendars!
New Jersey Land Conservation Rally
Saturday, March 22
Rutgers University - Busch Campus Student Center
Piscataway, NJ
The Rally is a full-day educational and networking conference
about saving open space and farmland in New Jersey. To learn
more about the Rally, go to www.njconservation.org/rally
Tour de Open Space
Sunday, April 27
Prallsville Mill, Stockton, NJ
Join us in beautiful western Hunterdon County for three bicycle
tours of varying length and difficulty, showcasing preserved
natural areas and farmland. In 2013, we had more than 250 cyclists!
Space is limited, so sign up early. For information, go to
http://njconservation.org/Tour-De-Open-Space.htm
Field & Fashion
Saturday, May 17
Cedar Lane Farm, Oldwick, NJ
In a salute to the horsepower that helps preserve New Jersey’s
open space and farmland, the theme of 2014’s fabulous
fashion fundraiser is “equestrian.” For information on tickets
and sponsorships, contact Meredith Kimball at
[email protected] or 908-234-1225

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