The Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program

Jackson Branch/Ocean County Library, 2 Jackson Drive, Jackson, New Jersey. The Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program will be attending the “Day of Service Volunteer Fair” in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King to promote public awareness of volunteerism in the community.

Preparing Your Community in the Face of a Changing Climate: Starting the Dialogue

Thursday, February 11, 2010, Sea Oaks Golf Course, Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey.

Field trips on Sunday, March 6, 2010, The Chelsea Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Information will be forthcoming on the AERS website: http://www.aers.info/.

The Soil Health Conference for New Jersey is hosted by the Soil Health Conference Committee of the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts. It will be an opportunity to better understand the relationship of soil health to climate change, stormwater management, habitat restoration and improvement, water quality and quantity, and sustainability. Presentations by a prestigious group of experts that will address soil health from diverse perspectives and offer practical solution will be on the agenda. For additional information, and to register, please visit www.sjrcd.org/soilhealth/

Enroll in the twenty-first annual Pinelands Short course, hosted by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission. Additional details are forthcoming -- if you're interested, email info@njpines.state.nj.us and ask to be added to the Pinelands Short Course notification. For more information about the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, visit www.state.nj.us/pinelands.

All About Water Fowling and Family Fun Day at the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education

The Natural Resource Education Foundation of New Jersey will host an opportunity for families to experience Barnegat Bay with the "All About Water Fowling" demonstrations and exhibits. Activities include Barnegat Bay sneakbox display, duck and goose calling, dog retrieving demonstrations, the art of camouflage, music, hayrides, 100% handmade craft vendors and more. Free admission and free parking. Refreshments will be available for purchase. For more information or to register to be a vendor, please visit www.experiencebarnegatbay.org/events/allabout/waterfowling.html.

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, in partnership with the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, is offering the Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) professional certification course for individuals who will be delivering interpretive programs or having public contact at interpretive sites. It is a 32-hour course given in both Atlantic (March 26-29) and Cape May counties (March 12 - 15). The CIG program is designed for anyone who delivers interpretive programs to the public. It combines both the theoretical foundations of the profession with practical skills in delivering quality interpretive programming to visitors. The certificate is applicable to a wide variety of interpretive venues, including culture, heritage and history, arts, and environmental and wildlife. It can be taken in conjunction with the Certified Master Naturalist Program or as a stand alone course. For all the details and to register, visit Stockton College's Continuing Studies website (click here).

Sunday, May 16, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Batsto Village (Wharton State Forest), 31 Batsto Road and Route 542, Hammonton, New Jersey.

Free admission and free parking. Visit historic Batsto Village for this event which will feature decoy vendors, lectures, waterfowl outfitters, water dog exhibits, and more. For more information call 856-783-2941. Sponsored by the Batsto Citizens Committee, Inc.

Saturday, May 19, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Berkeley and Bay Avenues, Beach Haven, New Jersey

The Mordecai Land Trust is hosting this event to spread awareness about and raise money for preserving and restoring Mordecai Island in Barnegat Bay. The event is aimed primarily at elementary school-aged children and their families and includes a walk down West Avenue with visits to the street end signs that feature information about the species that populate Mordecai Island and its surrounding waters. The event ends (by noon) with ice cream and prizes. Rain date is Sunday, May 30th. More information is available from jeanne.runne@gmail.com or milpatsy@hotmail.com. To learn more about Mordecai Island and the Mordecai Island Land Trust, visit their website, www.mordecaimatters.org.

Saturday, June 12, 2010, multiple locations along coastal Ocean and Monmouth Counties.

Tournament participants must register with the free saltwater fishing registry at www.countmyfish.noaa.gov or by calling 888-674-7411 between the hours of 4 a.m. and midnight EST. For more information, visit the Jersey Coast Anglers Association website, www.jcaa.org.

Saturday, June 5, 2010, Wanamaker Complex, Island Heights, New Jersey. Rain or shine.

Sunday, June 6, 2010, Wanamaker Complex, Island Heights, New Jersey. Rain or shine.

Free family-fun event to celebrate Barnegat Bay and learn simply ways to protect it: boat rides, hands-on kids activities, great food, environmentally-friendly vendors, and exhibits. Additional details forthcoming.

Ongoing Events

American Littoral Society

The American Littoral Society (ALS) is a valued partner of the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program, and we work together to protect the valuable natural resources of our area. Part of protecting these resources is to empower people to care for the coast through advocating, learning, and conserving. Join the ALS on one of their field trips and learn how to become a better steward of the Barnegat Bay and the littoral zone. http://www.littoralsociety.org/local_field_trips.aspx

Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve Public Programs

A suite of family, recreation, and children's programs are offered by the Reserve throughout the year. These programs focus on the research, habitats, and the flora and fauna of the coastal and marine environments of New Jersey. Categories of Reserve Public Programs are: Family Fun, Out-and-About in the Reserve, Lunch N' Learn, Ecological Evenings, and Creature Features. Visit their public program's website for more information, www.jcnerr.org/education/publicprograms/.

Science Saturdays at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences (February - April)

Saturdays, February 6 – April 10 at 11:00am. For the fourth consecutive winter, the LBIF’s Science Committee hosts interactive lectures tackling today’s most pressing environmental and scientific issues in an easy-to-understand format. Coffee and refreshments are available at the LBIF Café. For program details visit us online at www.LBIFscience.org.

Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center Workshops for Teachers

The New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife offers an extraordinary learning experience at its Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center, located within New Jersey's first Marine Conservation Zone. Several uninhabited islands situated just off Island Beach State Park in Barnegat Bay comprise the 300-acre Sedge Islands Wildlife Management Area (WMA), a remarkable estuarine environment teeming with wildlife. For more information, please visit their website.

Workshops Announced for "Discovering Barnegat Bay," a Guide Designed for Teachers

Discovering Barnegat Bay is a publication created for educators. It is a 340-page interdisciplinary guide that addresses the historical, cultural, and natural resources of the Barnegat Bay watershed. The guidebook was a cooperative effort between Ocean County Soil Conservation District and members of the Barnegat Bay Watershed Environmental Educators Roundtable and funded by the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program. Discovering Barnegat Bay will be introduced to educators and will be available for purchase at a series of workshops scheduled for various host locations in Ocean County. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity for you and your students. You will find additional information about the guidebook and a workshop registration form contained in a “Special Barnegat Bay Edition” of The Tutor by clicking here.

Workshops for Children, Teachers, and So Much More

In addition to the educational exhibits, Jenkinson's Aquarium offers workshops for children of all ages, as well as professional development workshops for teachers and group tours for schools and scout groups. Groups are provided a general tour of the building and can choose between a number of Focus Programs that will highlight a chosen topic. If your group is unable to make it to the aquarium, we can come to you through our Outreach Program.

If your organization is having an event or hosting a program about the Barnegat Bay watershed and you'd like us to help get the word out about it, please contact jcava@ocean.edu with all the details and we'll post it to this web-page. Thank you!

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