2008 Upcoming Events

May 16, 2008 - Teach at the Beach
Richard Stockton College Marine Science and Environmental Field Station                                                                                                     Educators can earn up to six Professional Development Credits while learning about the environment at this exciting program that will cut across disciplines and bring the marine environment into any classroom.  There will be both indoor and outdoor activities.  Lessons and other handout materials will be distributed during each activity and NJ Core Content Standards will be listed in these materials.  Registrants can attend up to four sessions each day.   Examples of sessions and activities include:  Tide Marsh Ecology, Exploring the World with Shorebirds, and Shellfish Restoration and Education.  This is a popular program and is limited to 125 participants.  To register visit, http://hometown.aol.com/newjerseymea/register.html.  Deadline for discounted registration is March 15, 2008 and final registration is April 15, 2008.

May 17 - 18, 2008, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm  - 5th Annual OCEAN FUN DAYS                                                          Island Beach State Park (May 17th) and New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium on Sandy Hook (May 18th)                    Learn these seaside facts and more at the fifth annual OCEAN FUN DAYS on Saturday May 17 at Island Beach State Park and on Sunday May 18 at the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium on Sandy Hook.  Both days feature hands-on programs and exhibits, demonstrations, eco-tours, and fun activities for children all about the beaches and bays of the Jersey Shore.  Drag a seine net, go on a guided beach hike, discover plankton and much more, all at Ocean Fun Days! This year, there will be fishing workshops for children and tours of most of Sandy Hook’s historic sites. Best of all, you and your family can enjoy all this for free including admission into each park.  Ocean Fun Days was founded by New Jersey Natural Gas and is brought to you by New Jersey Natural Gas, New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, NJDOT Office of Maritime Resources and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry.  For more information, go to the NJ Marine Sciences Consortium website at www.njmsc.org and look under “News and Events.”

June 1, 2008 - 11th Annual Barnegat Bay Festival                                                                                                 Wanamaker Complex, Island Heights, New Jersey                                                                                                         This year's festival is all about celebrating our bay and finding out how each and every one of us can "go green" to help restore and protect it.  In addition to great music, food, and beautiful bay views, there will be a variety of hands-on and water-related activities for children and adults of all ages.  Exhibitors will offer both familiar and innovative new ideas and products to help you and your family "go green" and help the bay.  For more information, click here or contact the BBNEP Office at (732) 255-0472. 

June 2, 2006, 6:30 pm - Rain Gardens:  Improving Water Quality through Stormwater Management    Ag Building - Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County                                                                                             4000 Kozlowski Road, Freehold, NJ                                                                                                                                 The Monmouth County Environmental Council and Rutgers Cooperative Extension invite you to attend this informative evening.  Find out:  What is a Rain Garden?  How can it be used for stormwater management?  How do we take part in protecting our water supply? What can we do to reduce  runoff and pollution of  our waterways?  Learn how you and your municipality can improve stormwater  management and water  quality at the same time. Have your questions answered and observe an actual  rain garden firsthand!  Space is limited.  Please RSVP by 5/30 to Ann Waters  Email: awaters@monmouthplanning.com  Phone: (732) 431-7460 or Fax: (732) 409-7540.        

June 7, 2008, 10 am to 2pm, Rain or Shine - Trail Exploration Day                                                             Forest Resource Education Center, Jackson, New Jersey                                                                                                                                              No registration or fee is required for hiking any of the nine 1 -2 hour educational trails at the Forest Resource Education Center's Trail Exploration Day.    Scouts may attend Trail Exploration Day to help fulfill badge requirements.  To be added to the scout mailing list, email the FREC at forestrycenter@gmail.com. Please wear sturdy hiking shoes and bring insect repellant. Refreshments will be available to purchase after the hikes.  For more information, please visit www.njforestrycenter.org. 

June 19, 2008, The Future of Coastal Lakes of Monmouth and Ocean Counties                                    Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey                                                                                                              This workshop is sponsored by Monmouth University's Urban Coast Institute.  The purpose of the Future of Coastal Lakes of Monmouth and Ocean Counties workshop is to bring together natural resource managers, municipal officials, representatives of civic groups, community organizations, and local coastal and watershed management groups to develop a vision and strategy for implementing cost-effective strategies to restore, protect, and maintain coastal lake ecosystems in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.   To register, please RSVP to jlisa@monmouth.edu by May 15. Click here to download more information including a list of the workshop's co-sponsors.

September 29, 2008 - National Estuaries Day!
Stay tuned for a listing of LOTS of great activities in the Barnegat Bay watershed!! 

October 4, 2008, 10 am to 3pm, Rain or Shine - Fall Forestry Festival                                                        Forest Resource Education Center, Jackson, New Jersey                                                                                                                                           Come to Fall Forestry Festival to meet Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl, and Treeture the squirrel. Other activities offered include pumpkin painting, hikes through the pinelands forest, birdhouse building, crafts, forest products, sawmill, autumn hayrides, and many other activities.  With over 40 nature-themed exhibits, demonstrations and tours, this fabulous free family event is a fun and educational way to celebrate the onset of fall in the Barnegat Bay watershed.    For more information please visit, www.njforestrycenter.org. 

October 5, 2008, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm - Cattus Island Nature Festival                                                                Cattus Island County Park, Toms River                                                                                                                                                                                For more information on this FREE outdoor natural festival,  call (732) 270-6960 or visit www.oceancountyparks.org.

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

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.

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.

Back to Home Page