Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center 2006

Appalachian Mountain Club

2006-10-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

The heavy winds of a strong Northeaster did not stop several four members of the AMC from paddling their own boats out to Sedge on Friday afternoon. Always a diverse group, AMC members on this trip included several people from the Philadelphia Rowing Program for the Disabled. Tony shuttled the heavy gear on the pontoon boat. I accompanied the group as we worked our way north along the shore of Island Beach State Park, took cover in the lee of the Buster Islands, and then blew across the last half mile of open water to the landing. It was an adventurous experience for all. The strong northeast flow continued all the next day so rather than fight wind whipped waves, we chose to stay in natural channels and mosquito ditches. As we paddled around the marsh we noticed that all of the osprey are gone. But, just as we began to think we wouldn’t see much wildlife, the peregrine falcon made a dramatic appearance on the tower.
Having less than ideal weather provided a good excuse for club members to spend even more time in the kitchen preparing gourmet food. Soups and stews, chili and chicken, we ate and ate. Potential Sedge staff member Bernie Isaacson added to the incredible variety by cooking up some halibut and lingcod that he caught in Alaska less than a week before.
On Sunday the winds moderated and we paddled north along Island Beach to Tices Shoals, back to the dock, south to the Army Corps of Engineers dike, and through the Sea Dog Trail back to the house – a trip of about sixteen miles. Monday’s weather was the complete opposite of Friday. Barnegat Bay was a calm as a millpond. In the brilliant sunshine of a fine October day we paddled to several dredge spoil islands checking for signs of bird life. What a way to spend Columbus Day weekend!

Montclair Cooperative School Oct 3-5

2006-10-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

2006 Blog Montclair Cooperative School

Fifteen sixth graders and five adults spent three days in near perfect October weather with both air and water temperatures in the seventies. Although the wind was too strong to paddle on their first afternoon on the island, the students made good use of their time learning about the animals in and around the water. Some waded in to collect samples of sea stars and hermit crabs by hand. Others used the seine net to capture an even wider variety of bay life. By the end of the day everyone could identify at least ten animals which were previously unknown.

Early the next morning some of the students and adults circumnavigated the island in the big canoe arriving on the eastern side just in time to see the sliver of red appear on the horizon and grow into an orange ball as the sun rose. Everyone boarded kayaks several hours later and we paddled past Pete McLain’s house and then into the Horsefoot Slough where we dug clams. Many of the students frolicked in the water and several completely encased themselves in mud. Our return paddle was an exciting adventure for some and a frightening experience for others. Just as we rounded the point and began heading north along the side of the Oyster Creek Channel several large boats went by throwing up “huge” waves. No one capsized and we regrouped in a quiet cove before paddling back to the house.

I had to leave early that evening so I don’t know what took place after 6:30PM I hope some of the students and adults will contribute to the rest of the story. I do know that I felt super when as I was motoring away, the students stood on the porch cheering, GOOD JOB! GOOD, GOOD JOB!! Thanks for a great send off. Jim

RUOC Sept 29-Oct 1

2006-10-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

2006 Blog Rutgers University Outdoors Club

It’s Fall (almost October). It’s dark (7:30PM). It’s cold (Not very). It’s the students from Rutgers making their annual appearance at Sedge. Although the officers and club members change from year to year, there are some “traditions” that persist. Always enthusiastic, always full of fun, the RUOC is a great group to have in residence- even if they do arrive late.

Club advisor, Dr. Rick Lathrop greeted us at the dock after we slowly motored through the Marine Conservation Zone under a half moon and a sky ablaze with stars. The students quickly unpacked and then began preparing supper. This first meal was an interesting combination of toasted bagels and yams that were partially baked in the Sedge oven. The remainder of the evening was spent watching stars in the sky above and bioluminescence in the water below.

A smaller group than usual (8 people), allowed everyone to get to know one another and to join in activities more quickly than usual. Saturday evening after clams and spaghetti (and baked yams) we all sat on the pontoon boat bundled up against a cold wind telling stories and laughing. Both mornings saw the entire group up before dawn. On Sunday we paddled the 22’ North canoe into the sunrise and through the narrow waterways cutting through the interior of some of the nearby salt marsh islands. We ate breakfast after we returned – oatmeal, bagels and of course, baked yams (I think it’s the start of a new tradition!)

Haddonfield HS Sept 24 + 25

2006-10-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Blog 2006 Haddonfield High School

One of our largest groups to spend time at Sedge this year was the AP Environmental Class from Haddonfield High School. The group of twenty-two students and two teachers spent the first part of their trip at the Island Beach Interpretive Center utilizing the exhibits to learning about barrier islands as well as the salt marsh. Then, when we took a hike to the beach, they could see first hand examples of dune structure, and how importance beach grass is in its ability to slow wind erosion.

After arriving at Sedge we launched every kayak we had and still needed the big canoe to enable everyone to explore the salt marsh by boat. Although the ospreys have gone south, we watched three peregrine falcons hanging around their high platform. We finished our journey by digging some soft and hard clams to go with out pasta dinner. We were pleased to be back in the house just as a thunderstorm rolled across the bay bringing strong winds and driving rain.

We had planned to get up at 4:00AM the next morning in order to have time to paddle to the dike, but the front which blew in brought a cold, strong NW wind forced us to delay the start of our trip. We waited until it began to get light before half the group rose and paddled several miles. As a result we were treated to a spectacular sunrise on the water. After breakfast the students split into three groups. One examined plankton and measured water quality, one surveyed macrobiotic species collected in a seine net, and one helped the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Project by cleaning and measuring the volume of oysters in four protective bags. (approximately 11,000.) Thank you for your help.

JSSKA Sept 15-17

2006-10-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

Blog 2006 JSSKA

Some of the JSSKA members braved torrential rains in an attempt to arrive at Island Beach early enough for a pre-trip paddle. In the early afternoon the rain was so intense that many roads were underwater and closed to traffic. By late afternoon the sky cleared and everyone paddled out to the island for the start of what was to be a true environmental learning experience.

As in the past the group was composed of good paddlers with good equipment. This enabled the group to travel farther and faster than most other Sedge users. In addition, the group covered more territory because almost everyone was very EARLY risers. When I got up at 6:00 AM on Saturday, almost everyone was up and many were dressed to paddle. As a result we completed a mile long paddle before breakfast. Eager to explore more of the salt marsh in the Marine Conservation Zone, we set off again well before 8:00 AM. In less than an hour we were beaching our boats on the dike near Barnegat Inlet. On our hike to and from the beach we saw more pelicans than I have seen all summer. On our return trip we decided to explore an area northeast of Sedge along the shore of Island Beach State Park. We paddled into Spizzle Creek, a natural waterway that became more and more narrow until it ended in a series of mosquito ditches. Trying to find our way out without retracing our route we split into three groups, each in a different ditch. Two of these became so narrow and shallow that almost everyone had to haul his or her boat over the salt marsh cord grass to the open water on the bay. Our return to the house by mid-afternoon afforded time to fish (no luck), crab (several blue and several green crabs), and clam (about two dozen which we for got to eat.) Our night paddle began at sunset. We circled Sedge Island, paddled around Marsh Elder island near Pete McLain’s house, and the went around Sedge again in the opposite direction. During the entire night paddle it was so calm that our boats created the only ripples on the water.

On Sunday morning everyone rose early and again we saw the sunrise from the water. Some of the group elected to paddle in the big canoe. With me sitting in the stern calling out commands the group soon had the boat moving and maneuvering well. Others paddled their own boats and everyone enjoyed their pre-breakfast experience. As some of the group cleaned the house others volunteered to help take out the Conservation Zone buoys. This proved to be a great deal of work as many of the buoys were covered with a thick layer of sharp barnacles making them very heavy. This effort was much appreciated and members of the JSSKA have again shown how they are truly “Friends of Sedge.” Thank you Jim Merritt

Georgia Dept of Natural Resources Sept 12-14

2006-10-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

2006 Blog Georgia Department of Natural Resources

The Georgia family of five spent three days at Sedge as a result of two family members who are Georgia DNR employees winning the trip as a prize in an auction at the Association of Conservation Interpreters National Convention.

After a quick introduction by Jim and Karen, the five were left to fend for themselves. Being capable outdoors people they adapted quickly to their new environment. They were comfortable in our salt marsh as it had many of the same species of plants and animals that are also common in Georgia. Phil, a wildlife biologist who studied Diamond Backed Terrapins with New Jersey’s Roger Wood, had his first opportunity to see three terrapins emerge from a nest. Tony Raniero took the group on a fishing trip that became a boat tour of Barnegat Inlet when the fish refused to cooperate. They did manage to catch a few fish from the dock including a short striper.

This extended family of two couples and a mom are perfect examples of southern manners and hospitality. They must have told me fifty times, “Y’al come down and visit us, and stay a while! I plan to do just that this winter.

Save Barnegat Bay Sept 9

2006-10-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Blog 2006 Save Barnegat Bay

Save Barnegat Bay is one of the best organizations in New Jersey as far as working to preserve open space along the Bay shore. President Willie Decamp and three other staff members work tirelessly to urge more the than 1500 volunteer members to write letters and come out to meetings to help save precious land along the bay and other open Space in Ocean County. A major fundraising event for Save Barnegat Bay is their silent auction.
Last year one of the biggest income producers at the auction was the offer of, “A day at Sedge Island for the winner and ten guests.” Several weeks ago Save Barnegat Bay Board member Joe Yewarsis brought his family and friends to Sedge to be the first to take advantage of his winning bid. From all accounts everyone enjoyed the experience. One of the highlights was kayaking in the marsh. This trip provided agreat opportunity to see some of the last ospreys before they started their southward journey. The group was also fortunate to see several of the potato chip size diamond backed terrapins emerging from their nests.
The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife is happy to support Save Barnegat Bay in it’s effort to preserve open space and as a result, provide increased habitat for wild animals in our state. We hope this year’s winner and friends will enjoy their experience as much as the Yewarsis Family did.

Cub Scouts Aug 25-27

2006-10-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

Blog 2006 Cub Scouts

Four Cub Scouts and five parents were the last group to visit the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center in August. Although some of the scouts are only ten years old, this group fit the Fish and Wildlife model perfectly as most of them hunt and fish on a regular basis. Using their own fishing rods and bait, they could have fished twenty-four hours a day if they were not involved in other activities.
As it was they caught the following:
1. A dozen small (8- 14”) blue fish that they filleted, cooked on the grill, and ate
2. Numerous small sea bass that they returned safely to the water
3. One short striped bass that they returned to the water
4. Three blowfish that, although legal, they returned to the water
5. One short fluke that they returned to the water
6. Two hard clams that they cooked on the grill and ate
7. Five blue crabs that they steamed, dissected, and ate
8. Ten green crabs that they steamed and ate
9. Did I miss anything?

In addition, the group managed to find time to kayak deep into the Marine Conservation Zone for close up views of the osprey just before they begin their southward migration. We had a glimpse of the peregrine falcon. As with so many of our observations, we did not see it attack any other birds. We took a hike across the flooded marsh jumping narrow mosquito ditches and building a make shift bridge over a wider one. After a picnic lunch we circumnavigated Sedge Island before returning to our dock.

Despite the prediction of bad weather we had only a strong easterly wind to contend with for most of the time. The predicted bad weather held off until the last day when a storm blew in as we were preparing to leave. The rain was so hard it was difficult to see the shore as we made our way to the dock at Island Beach.

NJMSC August 18-20

2006-08-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend it was great to have the New Jersey marine Science Consortium and friends on Sedge Island. The diverse group participated in many activities on the island and the surrounding marsh.

The group came in Friday evening with a stellar sunset and was able to absorb some of the early evening meteor shower from the top deck.

The next morning we rose early to a beautiful sunrise over Island Beach State Park and prepared for an all day paddle. John Wnek who is doing his doctoral research on diamondback terrapins arrived on the island and gave a talk about his research. He brought over a dozen terrapins, which we later released in the beginning of our paddling adventure. The tide was super low and paddling was slow going alternating with carrying the boats over sand flats and shallow sections. The group stopped to clam and do some bird watching with the shorebird migration in full swing.

At the USACE Dike the group discussed the ecological and financial reverberations of the project. With a great diversity of work backgrounds in the group many aspects were discussed.

Back at the Sedge House the group did many different things including water quality monitoring, cleaning and looking at the clams and oysters, fishing and examining many specimens under the microscopes and in field books.

The weather was supposed to turn, but we awoke on Sunday to clearing skies after a very windy, but rain free night. The group again did many different activities, this time including seining and snorkeling around the Sedge Island dock. It was great having the group on the island and we look forward to reading your comments!

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Teacher Training Workshop #2

2006-08-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

This week we welcomed our second Teacher Training Workshop on Sedge Island. The adventure began in the middle of the Barnegat Bay when the extreme low tide made it difficult to get to the island and we had to literally get out of the boat and pull it across shallow sections.

The group started out with a short paddle around the marsh and stopped several times to note certain species and learn more about the history of the area Along the way we noticed a large number of naked sea butterflies, not normally abundant in the bay, but beautiful none the less.

Back at the Sedge House we looked at different lesson plans in the packet and created our own watershed ,complete with polluting chemical plant and pumpkin patch, and examined the extensions and cross curricular possibilities of the activity.

The next morning John Wnek, with Project Terrapin, arrived and the group was treated to a lesson on diamondback terrapins before we headed out in the kayaks. Once again we were battling the low tide and snaked through the marsh trying to stay in deeper channels. We stopped on a sandbar on the outside of the marsh and watched the boats in the Oyster Creek Channel. While paddling we saw a group of over 40 American Oyster Catchers on one sandbar! On some further off sand bars we were treated to the start of the bird migration season. We saw: brown pelicans, double crested cormorants, various species of gulls, semipalmated plovers, greater yellowlegs, willets, sanderlings, semipalmated sandpipers, black bellied plovers, ruddy turnstones and many many more!!

Back at the house we conducted water quality tests and went over extensions and different equipment that can be used in the classroom. We watched a beautiful sunset and prepared our dinner with many additions from the bay including, a white clam sauce made with hard clams, steamed soft shelled clams, blue claw crabs as well as some green crab claws, and one sautéed soft shell crab.

The morning the group was leaving one of the small terrapin hatchlings emerged and the group got to see the first sedge terrapin hatch out!

This group was full of firsts and everyone was happy to experience new things and leave with information to bring back to their classroom and to their life. We look forward to reading your comments about your trip and hope to see you back on sedge!

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Sedge Island Teacher Training Workshop #1

2006-08-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

This past week we had a wonderful mix of teachers out on Sedge Island for our annual teacher training workshop. This group was my best yet on sedge. We had retired and working teachers, history and science, high school and grade school and a whole lot more. We got to have a lot of fun, but learn about the marsh and surrounding areas in a way that the teachers can bring what they learned back into their classrooms and their lives.

The high point for me was probably when we had finished building our “Wetland in a Pan” with our clay and paint tray. When the lemonaid mix (oops I mean toxic sludge) came out of the CIBA chemical plant, and the crowd gasped and cheered, I knew that my work was done. As teachers we strive for the “wow” moment, the moment when you know a student actually gets it, and to get that reaction from teachers was priceless.

We had many more teachable moments than just playing with clay. We fished, conducted water quality sampling, clammed, snorkeled, and ate our catches. Christine, an expert birder, was able to point out many species not known to most, and Georgiana erupted with a plan when she saw and learned about the USACE Dike. Chris was our expert griller, and Hillary started the outdoor shower trend, running around in the pouring rain with a huge smile on her face.
Judy Peet, a reporter form the Star Ledger stuck out all 3 days with us on the island and was such an asset to the group. She knew so many things about the area and contributed to our discussions and teachings. Nine teachers came out to Sedge Island, and left as a unified group. The teamwork was amazing, and everyone pitched in to help wherever and whenever it was needed. The house was left more than spotless, thanks to Jill and Pat’s sneaky cleaning maneuvers. I would turn around for 5 minutes and the dishes would be cleaned, dry and put away!
This group was truly amazing and New Jersey (and Philly too) is blessed to have them. We look forward to hearing your comments about your time on Sedge! Have a great rest of your summer!!!

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Friends of Sedge Gathering

2006-08-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

As usual, the Friends of Sedge gathering was a completely informal affair. People began arriving Friday night, some choosing to paddle out into a beautiful sunset. After dinner a small group of Friends sat on the porch enjoying the fireflys over the marsh and the stars overhead. At dawn on Saturday morning Jose Fernandez joined Tony Raniero on his dock to catch more than a dozen perfect eating size bluefish.

Just before lunch on Saturday with the bulk of the group present, Jim Merritt recognized the contributions made by Friends thus far in 2006. As always Tony and Jackie Raniero had by far the greatest the number of hours spent working at the island. With the summer nearly half over our four interns have already contributed over 1,000 hours of unpaid work. Their efforts were recognized by a contribution of $100.00 each from the Conserve Wildlife Foundation. In addition, researchers who use Sedge Island as a base of operations and always take time to educate and involve residential groups in their work were recognized for their contribution.

On Saturday afternoon twenty-five Friends were involved in a variety of work projects. Several people helped Tony Raniero erect the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone sign along the Oyster Creek Channel. Many others dug sand from the bay and filled in the washed out areas behind the bulkhead. But everyone worked with artist Lisa Williams as together we created a mosaic “Welcome to Sedge” sign.

Many thanks to all of you for coming and helping out. A special big thank you to intern and culinary artist Alyssa Tripler for coordinating the event and most importantly, the food. For those of you who didn’t make it – sorry you missed this opportunity to be on the island. Don’t wait too long to come back. Our next event will be on Saturday October 7th when a group the Appalachian Mountain Club will be in residence for the Columbus Day weekend.

Paulsboro’s Learn and Earn Program

2006-08-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

The long bus ride from Paulsboro always causes groups of students from Exelon’s Learn and Earn program to compress a full day schedule into several hours of activity. But, as in previous years, the participants always rise to the challenge. Groups kayaked into the salt marsh to get close views of the peregrine falcons and the osprey. In addition they used their water testing equipment to sample and later compare water quality in the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone with other watersheds where they have previously taken samples. Because of their background, these students are able to build on previously acquired knowledge of wetlands to better understand the role the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife plays in managing and protecting this habitat. It is my hope that some day, the students will be able to come for at least one overnight. Jim

Upper Main Line YMCA -- July 25-28, 2006

2006-07-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

When the group arrived on Sedge Island they started off by gathering data for PhD candidate John Wnek from Drexel University. We took terrapin nest temperature readings, with students gathering and recording data. We had a couple expert birders and headed out in the kayaks to get a closer look at the many fledging osprey around the marsh as well as the peregrine falcon. While in the mosquito ditches we discussed the rich history of the area and the ditches that were dug out in the 1930’s. While paddling along we disturbed a school of small fish and a few even jumped right into our kayaks!! We stopped in the Bahamas, beached our kayaks and went on the great clam dig.

The next day (Wed) we woke up at 5:30 anticipating a beautiful sunrise but all we saw were clouds. The weather report called for a beautiful day but with fog and gloomy skies we were a bit weary. After breakfast the weather cleared and we paddled out into a beautiful day. We headed down to the USACE Dike and along the way stopped to see succession in action and hunt for blue claw crabs and more clams. At the USACE Dike we examined the geotubes and the breakage and had a great discussion about marsh ecology and water quality. We headed to the beach and then returned through the dune pass noting the dune ecology, and many animal tracks.

Back at the sedge house we did some fishing and one student caught an 18-inch fluke, which he expertly filleted. We cleaned off our clam bags and spoke about clams and the goal of re seeding the Barnegat Bay.

On Thursday the wind was fierce and we stayed on the island the whole day. We went seining and caught many different species of fish, crabs and different sea life. The group identified all the species caught and wrote about their experiences in their journals. The group conducted scientific water quality testing and even circumnavigated the island picking up trash. For dinner that night the group feasted on flounder, crabs and clams they had caught throughout their trip.

Throughout the trip our expert birders kept us informed of their finds. On the last day, we saw a common loon, juvenile loon, great egret, blue heron and black skimmer. It was great having the group out on the marsh and we would like to thank Andrew, the group’s counselor, for being such a great addition to the Sedge Staff for the week.

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Monmouth County Parks

2006-07-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

Monmouth County Parks Campers and counselors arrived on a windy afternoon. The wind kept us off the kayaks for that day and the rain and wind kept us island bound the next day as well. Even without leaving the island we were able to do a variety of outdoor and indoor activities.

In the immediate area in front of the Sedge House the group gathered 168 clams!!! We sorted and measured the clams and the students decided how many we would keep and how many we would throw out based on what they had learned about sustainability in the marsh.

The group measured the water quality in front of the Sedge House and also monitored the weather checking the wind speed several times that day. We were able to identify many different species of birds with the spotting scope, and were able to see a bit of territorial behavior between our resident great egret “Henrietta” and her new adversary a juvenile great blue heron that keeps chasing her off her normal feeding spots.

As a service project the group circumnavigated the island with trash bags and picked up debris from the rack line. They also learned about salt marsh zonation, the different plants on the island, and were able to see first hand mosquito ditches dug out in the 1930’s by the CCC.

Along the way we also happened upon a juvenile common loon resting on land out of the wind. Loons typically do not leave the water unless they are sick or injured, and we made sure to keep our distance from the bird. Later on we observed it was back in the water but preening itself constantly.

We stopped to rest on a soft bed of salt hay, which we made a story about and determined the coarse salt hay was just the hair of a giant green buffalo that we were careful not to disturb. Back at the campers made fish prints and used seaweed as paintbrushes to make elaborate designs. We laid on the dock that night and while waving our hands in the water watched the bioluminescent dinoflagellates and comb jellies glow between our fingers.

The next morning the campers did an awesome job cleaning the sedge house, and sorted some baby clams. They were going to stay for a few hours but the weather report called for bad thunderstorms, so we packed up the boat and headed off the island.

Thanks to the counselors of Monmouth County Parks Service for being such great facilitators and helping to keep spirits up in the dreary weather. We look forward to working with you in the future.

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Governor’s School Group III-- Coastal Ecology

2006-07-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Gov School teacher Mike Miglori’s theme of Coastal Ecology was in perfect sync with Sedge Island. The first day out on the island the group got to do a few short paddles through the mosquito ditches to view zonation and later on in the day to the Bahamas to dig clams, and to escape the scorching heat and humidity, not to mention the green head flies! The group was great and had their pad and pen ready at a moments notice to take notes on zonation, ecology and other interesting things around Sedge.

On the second day we rose early and packed a lunch and paddled off into the sedges. Along the way we stopped to dig soft clams, and search out creatures of the marsh and mud flats. Although the soft clams were few and far between we did stumble upon a great clam bed with clams ranging in size from 10mm to 3 inches.

We found 2 juvenile horseshoe crabs probably within the age range of 1-3 years old, and also happened upon a lugworm, watch out they bite! Once at the US Army Corps of Engineers Dike, we had a great conversation about the effects of the Dike on Water quality, habitat loss/gain for specific species and the general environmental impact on the area. The group then walked down to the beach doing a transect of the primary and secondary dunes and got to see the transition from ocean to bay. On the way back to the sedge house, many osprey chicks were visible stretching their wings on the verge of fledging from their nests.

Back at the house we discussed our clam catch and opened a few and some got to eat the clams right off the half shell. Although Mike was apprehensive and had to be goaded into eating a raw clam, he said it was good. We learned that Mike’s birthday was Thursday and with a little help from Jacky (caretaker on the island) we were able to throw together some brownies for Mike.

This group was great and although sometimes teamwork was lacking, the group had a wonderful team moment. While writing in journals on the front porch the wind shifted and sent gusts of over 25-30 mph over Sedge. Immediately jobs were delegated to people, windows needed to be shut, shoes and garments needed to be gathered from outside, and most importantly kayaks had to be put away and secured. The group instantly flew into action working together like a well-oiled machine and got everything done in about 5 minutes.

Every year it is a pleasure to have students from Gov School out on the marsh. Their wonderful educators always bring a unique level of thinking to their students.
On Behalf of Sedge Island NREC, we wish all Gov School students luck with all of your endeavors and for Mike, have a great time out in Micronesia, we look forward to hearing about your teaching adventures next year!

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Governor’s School Group II-- Water Issues

2006-07-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

The interns at Sedge are incredible! The blog that follows is written by two of them.

Governor’s School groups are always a treat to have at Sedge. Every year they are cooperative, motivated and willing to learn. Kevin Wolback’s group was no different. The first day they arrived, they hopped in the kayaks (a new experience for most) and learned to paddle. They paddled to a nearby cove to meet Tom Virzi and intern Carly Coughlin to band an osprey chick. Very few groups got this opportunity this season. They all seemed amazed at the fierce look and enormous talons. Pete McLain joined us to photograph the experience and then taught the group about eelgrass, Peregrine Falcons and osprey. They all seemed to appreciate the impact Pete has had on the marsh. Carly Coughlin, author

Early Thursday morning the group woke up to good fishing and a poor weather forecast that cut short any hope of paddling to the dike. Instead, they loaded up the seven person canoe (the first Gov. School group to paddle this boat) and went off for some clamming in the Horsefoot Slough. In the afternoon they seined, cleaned baby oysters, and finished off the night with some team-building activities. As the sun set and the cool breeze blew across the calm waters of the bay, the fireflies, biolumiscent dinoflagalates, stars and Barnegat Light were the only lights on the marsh. By starlight intern Paolo netted a terrapin and group leader Kevin hooked a sea urchin. Brett Chicotelli, author

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Governor’s School on the Environment-- Back to Nature

2006-07-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Although this was group leader Todd Klawinski’s first visit to Sedge Island, his “Back to Nature” theme certainly was in sync with our Sedge philosophy. Our first short paddle in the marsh was cut short by an extreme low tide created by the full moon condition. We quickly found ourselves aground in the deep mud of the narrow winding marsh channels. One of the girls remarked that getting stuck in the mud was a “liberating experience.”

In keeping with the Back to Nature theme, the group chose to go without lights for their entire stay at Sedge. As it got dark we sat on the porch looking out over the marsh. The brightness of the rising full moon partially obscured our view of the bio-luminescent fire-flies over the Spartina grass and the comb jellies in the water under the dock. What a spectacular night!

We rose before sunrise the next day to get an early start on our seven and a half mile paddle to the Barnegat Inlet. (We took a little time before breakfast to catch some of the foot long “cocktail” bluefish that were chasing the spearing just as the sun rose.) Every time we visit the area it seems like the ocean has taken away a little more of the dike. We observed that a fifty-foot section of the geo-tube at the end of the rock wall has been washed out and the sand on the top of dike which was 100 yards wide has now been reduced to ten yards.

We left the dike earlier than we had planned so we could paddle to the Horsefoot Slough to meet Tom Virzi. Tom has banded more than forty osprey chicks this year. He was able to give the students an up close look at the banding procedure with a juvenile that at four weeks old has a beak and talons almost as large as an adult. As the tide ran out we dug clams on one of the sandbars before returning to the house. That evening we feasted on crabs (very few), clams (many) and grilled bluefish (tasty). Life doesn’t get much better than this.

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Sherman Hoffman Audubon

2006-07-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Once again Sedge Island NREC welcomed the Sherman Hoffman Audubon Island Explorers Campers.

On our first full day we got up at 5:30 to see the beautiful rising sun, and welcome a beautiful day. We were out of the Sedge house by 7am and out in the bay by 8am. Daryn caught a blue fish that morning and Brett assisted her in filleting it after the paddle. We clammed over the US Army Corps of Engineers Dike at the Barnegat Inlet and discussed the ferocity of Mother Nature. On our way back we poked through chordgrass stalking and catching fiddler crabs, and later on that day Brett found out that Terrapins do hurt when they bite!

The group helped in Sedge Island’s clam research project by cleaning our clam bags to allow for good water flow though the bags and counted the dead clams in each bags as well as sea stars. We recorded our data, and later helped separate 2000 clams for researchers to “plant” in Sedge Island’s clam lease.

The groupp witnessed the Mosquito Commission come test the water twice and come back later to spray for the larvae on the back of the island. The group discussed, interpreted and then demonstrated "The Balance of Nature" where everyone participated to work together to not tilt the giant teeter totter.

We clammed in the back of the house and seined for different specimens. Wednesday night the students started working on their field guides choosing from one species they had seen on their island experience.

Thursday was a HUGE day for the students as well as Sedge Island Staff and Camp leaders. There were 3 major research projects conducting research on Sedge Island. John Wnek, who is working on his doctorate at Drexel, had researchers tagging terrapins, doing nest surveys and taking blood samples for DNA. Dr. Gustavo from the shellfish commission was out with a few researchers and planted the clams that we had helped sort and count for him earlier in the day. For many the most exciting visitor to the island was Tom Virzi who is working on his Doctorate at Rutgers University on American oystercatchers. Tom was out on the marsh banding Osprey al week and as a group we were able to paddle out to a nest and see firsthand the banding of a 3-week-old osprey!

Later on that day we paddled through the mosquito ditches and got a close up view of the peregrine falcon and the 2 chicks flying off the hacking tower and chasing birds. We headed to the Bahamas and were clamming on a sandbar when thick fog rolled in. Still in view of the Sedge House we decided to head back and abandon our hopes of Bahamas Bliss.

On Friday we welcomed the parents for our own special show and tell. Parents rotated around 6 different stations including kayaking skills, crabbing and clamming, seining and species identification, water quality and weather monitoring, bird watching with the spotting scopes and terrapin tagging.

The group did a phenomenal job with their presentations and everyone was very impressed and proud of the students.

It was a pleasure to have the Audubon Campers and we look forward to many more years of working together.

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NJ Kayak

2006-06-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

For the second year, kayakers paddled from NJ Kayak’s headquarters in Barnegat to Sedge. This year the group had the wind behind them and was able to make the seven-mile trip in less than two hours. Owners Bill and Carmen Stage were assisted by several of their staff members making this a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.

NJ kayak brought their own sea kayaks with spray decks and rudders. Using these boats and having expert instruction enabled the group to develop a higher skill level than the average group staying at Sedge. We were able to swap boats to get a feel for different sizes and shapes of kayaks. Bill and his staff helped Sedge staff increase their kayaking skills including work on rolls and rescue techniques. This proved especially useful when fighting the opposing forces of tide and wind on our return from the Dike on Saturday.

In return for their kayak instruction, NJ Kayak staff and clients learned a great deal about the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone flora and fauna. We caught and ate clams and several dozen green crabs. We caught and released several short stripers and lost several blue fish. Although the weather was threatening we were able to explore the marsh on several paddle trips between thunderstorms. Everyone (but especially the Sedge staff) were overjoyed to see that the pair of osprey on the new nest closest to our island hatched a single chick on Saturday morning. We all felt like proud parents.

Cranford High School June 16,17,18

2006-06-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was an especially special one for me on Sedge Island. This weekend Sedge Island welcomed a group of teachers from Cranford High School, where I teach. With us were Interns Alyssa and Bret and Damian Holynskyj who works for NJ Fish and Wildlife in Trenton.

When we got to Sedge on Friday evening we promptly got in the kayaks and took a tour through the mosquito ditches and got to see the peregrine falcons chasing a great blue heron away from their nest. We dug for some clams and pulled back into the sedge landing with the setting sun.

The next day we got out early and headed through the marsh to the USACE Dike at the Barnegat Inlet. There has been no formal research on the impact of the USACE dyke on the water quality in the sedges right behind the dike, so we brought out our water quality equipment and tested the temperature, nitrates, phosphates, pH and most importantly dissolved oxygen. Last summer during warmer weather the water quality of that area seemed to degrade quickly and this year we will be testing the water at the sedge island dock and the back bay at the dike for comparison.

Last week (see Somorset County Parks) we headed to the dike to look for horseshoe crab eggs that should have been laid on the previous full moon and only found dead females picked out by the gulls. This weekend Bret said he had seen the horseshoe crabs in the rocks that make up part of the dyke. We poked in the rock wall and there must have been a hundred horseshoe crabs stuck in the rocks. We all climbed down and helped to free the ancient creatures and rescued many. There was one crab that I focused on for about 10 minutes, but despite all my effort, I could not free the large female. It was then that I realized so many of these crabs were going to die despite our best efforts. In years past thousands of horseshoe crabs could be seen gathering on the beaches to lay their eggs, and now the beaches have been replaced by the rocks and the horseshoe crabs have not adapted well to the changes. Something tells me that because of this weekend Sedge Island will get more involved with the horseshoe crab effort.

With humans encroaching on so much wildlife in NJ it did not come as a surprise to see an American Oystercatcher nesting about 10 feet from many beach buggies. Someone had built a rock wall around the nest, and while that may seem like a nice gesture for the birds it actually draws more attention to the nest. When we left the beach a gentleman was pointing out the nest to a woman and the birds were off the nest. Tom Virzi who is doing critical research on these birds told us the eggs would not hatch out because the birds have been scared off the nest too many times for the eggs to develop properly.

Back at the Sedge House, many took a well deserved snooze after our 7 mile paddle, and Rich and Carmine joined Brett and Tony in putting out the Marine Conservation Buoys. Linda and Kerith later showed us how the pro’s clam, and Alyssa grilled up a delicious dinner. The night concluded with discussions of an early morning paddle and reflections on the day.

Sunday Morning the group pitched in yet again on the island and helped pick sea stars out from our aquaculture bags. We collected over one hundred of the pesky tube footed creatures and Daphne even collected a few to take home with her! We went seining and caught a whole school of baby blue fish barely an inch long. We all worked together and were able to corral them in to the net. We collected a few specimens for our look tank and released the rest.

It was great getting to know my colleagues in a different light, and I hope this will become an annual trip for Cranford!

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Urban Trekkers June 12-14,2006

2006-06-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

The American Littoral Society made it possible for a group of students from Camden’s Urban Promise Academy to spend three days at Sedge. Prior to their arrival, the students conducted research on animals commonly found in our salt marsh. On their first day the students met their goals of seeing both an osprey (they saw many osprey- sitting on nests and bringing in fish for their mates) and the peregrine falcon (they saw adults and two juveniles that are almost ready to fledge). The goal of seeing a live blue fish almost went un-met until on the last morning Brett, our newest intern, landed his first blue fish ever. Students helped fillet the fish and even tasted small portions of raw fish as they were cleaning it. Brett got to eat his first bluefish for dinner that night.

Urban Trekkers are an active group of students who leave the city to bicycle, camp, sail and canoe all around the northeast. We hope they will schedule a trip to Sedge as one of their annual activities.

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Somerset County Parks: June 9, 10, 11

2006-06-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday a group from Somerset County Parks paddled the 1.5 miles out to the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center in the sedge Islands of the Barnegat Bay. With the guidance of Jim Merritt Program Director, the group paddled through the mosquito ditches and got a closer look at the Peregrine Falcon pair and their 2 new chicks. Jim picked up Sedge Staff member Katina and intern Alyssa from the dock and was lured back to sedge by the wonderful smells of dinner being prepared.

On Saturday with a steady wind blowing out of the west at 20 mph, the group decided to stay on land and circumnavigate the island picking up trash, collecting seaweed for presses and counting dead burrfish. We found about 7 dead striped burrfish, and came up with many hypothesizes of why they may have washed up but could not find any information to support our educated guesses.

Despite being landlocked we managed to catch many green crabs (an invasive species from Japan), conduct water quality testing, make several seaweed presses and identify 7 different species of seaweed, look at many different invertebrates and seaweed under binocular scopes and magiscope microscopes and finally go clamming for chowder clams for dinner.

Sunday the group got up early and although still windy (only 10-15mph) devised a plan to paddle and with the help of Tony the caretaker be able to go directly back to the dock instead of into the wind back to the Sedge House. We paddled down to the Army Corps of Engineers Dyke and beached the boats to search for horse shoe crab eggs hopefully laid the night before on the high tide. Wile walking across the massive geotubes we got to see firsthand the destruction that Mother Nature can inflict upon man made structures. The geotube had been punctured in 2 places causing major breaches in the engineered system. The water still has to break through another layer and massive sand buildup though before breaking clear through to the other side.

On the beach we found many dead female horse shoe crabs picked clean by the seagulls, however to our disappointment we were unable to see any horse shoe crab eggs or even evidence that many birds had been feeding there. On our paddle back we stopped several times to look at the many different osprey in the area and to look at the sedge grasses and organisms within.

As in previous years the group from Somerset County Parks was fabulous and we had a great time with you on Sedge! We look forward to hearing your comments and seeing you in the future!

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Friends of Sedge News

2006-06-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

Kathy Johnston Art Work Fundraiser

June 4, 2006 During the time that the AMC was at Sedge, DEP’s Lynette Lurig brought artist Kathy Johnston to the island. Kathy had not been at Sedge for almost a decade. She was so glad to be back that she will consider doing a painting of the area in and around the Marine Conservation Zone with the McLain House as the focal point. We will be discussing this possibility and considering how we might use the painting and associate art work as a potential fundraiser by the Friends of Sedge.

Intern Up-date
Jim and Katina will have lots of volunteer help at Sedge this summer. Four interns will be sharing the work while groups are in residence. Each will have a major responsibility in addition to helping out with the day-to-day chores on the island. We look forward to getting lots more accomplished with this additional help.

We welcome back Carly Coughlin who volunteered for the entire month of August in 2005. Since last summer Carley has completed her senior year at the Ocean County Technical School’s Marine Academy of Technical and Environmental Science. During the winter she presented a paper at a national conference. Having been offered scholarships at a variety of colleges and universities, she has chosen to attend the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. Carley will be helping Katina to update our marine science curriculum when she is not teaching or keeping up our science equipment.

Alyssa Tripler lives just across the bay from Sedge in Waretown. She is a senior at Richard Stockton College of NJ, majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Marine Biology. Alyssa helped out with several programs this spring and immediately made herself a strong part of Sedge by doing so much work but also using her culinary skills to produce, among other things, delicious brownies. Alyssa will be helping to develop and organize our files and curriculum library.

Brett Ciccotelli has just completed his freshman year at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. When he is not in class, Brett kayaks and camps in Maine all winter long. Growing up in southwestern, NJ, Brett has worked with a variety of non-profit environmental groups including the Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust. Brett will coordinate the aquaculture project and in his spare time will help keep our fleet of boats and kayaks clean and in good repair.

Paolo Stanchi, a summer resident in Mantoloking where he is an avid surfer, will be starting his senior year at Archmere Academy in Delaware. Paolo is using his summer work at Sedge to help decide on a field of study in college. Paolo has already helped out with several programs this spring and has shown himself to be a good teacher and a hard worker. He has risen before sunrise and caught striped bass on several occasions. Paolo will be responsible for care and maintenance of fishing tackle and other equipment in the boat house.

AMC June 2-4

2006-06-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

The hearty souls from the sea kayaking chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club paddled out to Sedge Island on Friday evening after a long drive from as far away as Long Island. Rain and windy conditions did not prevent us from starting out on our planned trip to Barnegat Light House State Park. After fighting the current and wind for several hours, we took a lunch break in the rain at High Bar Harbor - less than a mile from our intended destination. We decided to return to Sedge and with the wind at our backs and the tide racing in we returned in far less time.

The AMC has now become famous for spectacular meals and our Saturday night dinner was no exception. Horsdoovors, soup, salad, bread, main course, and desert were spectacular. We were joined for dinner by Pola Galie, Judy Merritt, and Lisa and Jose Fernandez. During our meal we had a brief discussion about how the Friends of Sedge is going and what we might do in the future.

Sunday morning the group paddled to the dike, walked to the beach and returned to the house before lunch. Everyone enjoyed this paddle and even though it was more than seven miles. It was not surprising that the kayakers had enough energy to paddle back to their cars after lunch.

Liz Jackson’s Home Schoolers June 5 & 6

2006-06-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Four elementary school age students and six parent/teachers spent two days at Sedge as a part of their ongoing science curriculum. Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Liz Jackson, who works with the parents and kids on a monthly basis at the Hackettstown Fish Hatchery, coordinated the program. Liz had taught the students some scientific techniques before they arrived at Sedge. While at Sedge Island, they did field work which reinforced prior learning about osprey and peregrine falcon.

Paddling kayaks into the twisting channels carved into the sod banks, they were able to feel like they were almost part of this ecosystem. They got into the environment even more when they snorkeled for almost a full hour in the clear but still chilly bay water. These kids were tough!

On the last day parents, students, and sedge staff all took the stage for individual performances. Each person had to act out the part of one of the animals that they had learned about. The students also had to demonstrate (without talking), some habitat features for their animal. The audience then had to guess which animal they were. In addition to being quite entertaining, this was a very effective method for teaching about our wildlife.

MATES May 30- June 2

2006-06-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Freshmen from Ocean County Technical School’s MATES program started coming to Sedge the day after Memorial Day. For next three days a new group of seventeen students would arrive at the dock at 8:30 AM. The pontoon boat ride to the island was made especially interesting as we viewed Sea Tow working to re-float a 29 foot twin prop Sea Ray Express Cruiser which had been driven seventy yards up on the marsh during the holiday weekend.

After quickly settling in, the students participated in the “Balance of Nature” team building activity. They then paddled in the marsh creeks past the Peregrine Falcon platform which is now inhabited by at least one small chick which would occasionally emerge from its nest box. They dug huge hard clams on the sand bar west of the house on their return trip to the house. After a quick snack they worked in small groups on a population dynamics study using one square meter quadrats to count mud snails. Before and after dinner there was a little time to fish but only Jim and the lead teacher caught fish and these were stripers of sixteen and twenty inches which were quickly returned to the water. In the evening we had several rousing games of Electric Moon Snail.

This was a very busy week. Trying to crowd so much into a twenty-four hour period is exhausting. But, it was a good introduction to Sedge and hopefully the students will return again as upper classmen.

Rutgers Field Camp

2006-06-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Two groups of students from Rutgers University spent three days at Sedge in late May. Because both Professor Julie Lockwood and graduate assistant Tom Verzi are expert birders and many of the sessions revolved around ornithology. Rising before daybreak, the students kayaked to Island Beach State Park to walk a transect from the ocean beach to the bay. Timed to coincide with the peak of spring migration, both groups saw a wide variety of bird species.

Many students fished and were disappointed not to catch much on hook and line. The big crab trap proved to be much more productive as many green crabs were caught. Students were very helpful in checking bags of 10mm clams to find survivors of a winter spent in a bag covered with mud at the bottom of Barnegat Bay.

This was the second year that Rutgers has brought down a group of students for their field camp course. It is this type of active experential learning that many large universities are cutting back on. When students are fully submersed in the ecology of an area that is when true learning and love of science can really be seen.

Once again it was a pleasure to have wonderful, bright students from Rutgers out on Sedge Island. We look foward to great things to come from all of you.

MATES

2006-05-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Many of the Juniors from the Marine Academy had been to Sedge as Freshman. Still, they were anxious to return to the island for some new experiences. As usual fishing was a popular activity. Students caught and released two short (14 and 22 inch) Striped Bass. Many other smaller fish were collected using both seine and cast nets.

Teacher Tina Held setup a microscope that projected images of tiny micro organisms on a computer screen. These organisms were collected in plankton nets at various times throughout the night. This intensive study is by far the most scientific investigation of any group visiting Sedge.

The work of the MATES with part of our conservation project at Sedge is much appreciated. The students sorted through thousands of tiny clams (8mm) which had been wintered over in heavy nylon bags at the bottom of the bay. Unfortunately, many of these clams appear to have smothered in the thick mud and silt. As a result of this mundane work the live clams they picked out of the bags will now have a new lease on life as they have been transferred to upwellers where they will get more food in a protected environment.

It is always a pleasure to have MATES students out on Sedge Island, and this trip was great too!

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Long Branch High School

2006-05-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Long Branch High School students visited Sedge for the first time this year. With guidance by Project Use staff the students had an opportunity to kayak, clam and seine. This was difficult since the group was on the island for less than five hours. We hope they will be able to come for an overnight stay next year.

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Montclair Cooperative School

2006-05-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

The sixth graders arrived at Sedge with predictions for horrible weather. Because one of their priorities was to kayak, we set out in less than ideal conditions. Paddling with a strong wind and tide we tried to find shelter in a cove just to the southwest. Despite the fact that we were somewhat sheltered from the strongest wind many students found it almost impossible to make it around a point were the conditions were most difficult. But they all made it safely back to the island.

Our next kayak trip on the following day was a completely different experience. We paddled south through several of the larger marsh channels. We hiked across one section and had to build a bridge to cross one of the mosquito ditches. When we stopped for lunch the sun came out. Our paddle back to the house was quite enjoyable.

This group spent the entire time without using lights to simulate conditions as they were some years ago at Sedge and indeed are today in many parts of the world. Students made their way around in the dark found that by the second night they were able to function quite well without even turning on their flashlights. This is a challenge for anyone but is especially difficult for young people who play electronic video games 24-7.

A good time was had by all, and we can't wait to read your comments!

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Cora Hartshorn Arboretum

2006-05-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

A mix of students some as young as 3rd grade and parents arrived at Sedge Island on Friday night. Even though some of the students were small and had no prior kayak experience, they all managed to paddle into the marsh and pass close to the peregrine falcon hacking tower before stopping for lunch on a sandy beach on the western side of the Marine Conservation Zone. On the way back to the house we stopped to dig some soft clams in one of the sandbars. While we didn’t get many, we did manage to rake some hard clams and as a result we had a wonderful clams and spaghetti dinner on Saturday night.

The biggest disappointment for some of the participants was not catching any fish. Many of the students and some of the adults fished every spare moment. Although some had the tails bitten off the pink Fin-s, or had their grass shrimp taken off their hook no one landed a fish.

This group picked up where the previous group left off with the clam aquaculture conservation project. Students sorted through thousands of 8mm size clams to find any that had survived the winter in mesh bags staked down in the waters off the west side of the island. Unfortunately, their findings confirmed that many of the tiny clams did not make it over the winter. Thanks for helping with this tedious but important task.

Jim Merritt

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Watershed Ambassadors

2006-05-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

The first group to be in residence at Sedge Island this year was the twenty member group of Watershed Ambassadors. While many of these students have been teaching water related concepts in various districts throughout the state, they found that they could further enhance their knowledge of aquatic systems by living on a salt marsh island for two days.

In addition to fishing and clamming the group experienced a lengthy kayak trip through the Marine Conservation Zone led by DEP staff members Lynette Lurig and Kerry Kirk Pflugh along with Sedge Island staff Katina Tsakiris. After learning about the Army Corps of Engineers dike everyone hiked along the rock wall along the north side of Barnegat Inlet. Several Ambassadors took a quick dip in the frigid ocean water before returning to their boats to paddle back to Sedge.

While on the island the Ambassadors took part in an important conservation project. They helped clean, sort, and count tiny clams which were placed in heavy mesh bags by volunteers from the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Program. Thank you so much for helping with this dirty, time consuming job.

Jim Merritt and Katina Tsakiris

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Friends of Sedge is Underway!!

2006-04-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

While we may not have an official Friends of Sedge (FOS) yet, we are certainly on our way!

On April Fools Day, a group of people who unofficially call themselves the friends of Sedge met on the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s dock to paddle or motor over to Sedge Island NREC.

Once on the Island our discussions involved crafting a mission statement, planning for future work projects, affiliating with CWF, developing an advisory board, enhancing communication, integrating a healthy eating lifestyle into the curriculum and many other things. I feel that the most important thing that happened is that a group of people who love Sedge got together and talked about how they could help make the facility and program better - at no cost to the NJ Division of F&W.

Not only did the group talk, they acted! Two of us started on Friday when we brought some water and other supplies to the island in a borrowed 12' aluminum boat. Although Saturday was windy and stormy seventeen people showed up to help. Most paddled their own kayaks to Sedge including two strong kayakers who towed out a canoe full of lanterns, Coleman stoves, food, tools, and lots of other gear.

By the end of the weekend we had: reassembled the bunk beds, moved furniture back into the house, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned and tested the propane grill, swept a year's worth of clam shells of the porches and decks, scrubbed the front porch, installed the screens, put up purple martin houses, cut phragmites behind the boat house, swept the boat house, inventoried fishing equipment, tested and replaced batteries in smoke detectors, replace an osprey perch pole, placed sticks in two other osprey nest platforms and many other things. By my calculations this effort represents 289 hours of work! (It should be noted that with the exception of our student interns all members of this work crew are professionals who include: a DEP manager, a DEP scientist, a NJ Dept. of Community Affairs manager, a district court judge, two private corporate managers, one school administrator, three teachers, two accountants, a retired police officer and a state health program administrator.) Many of these individuals were already members of WWC and those who were not filled out the forms.

This was not strictly a work weekend. Tom (who is working on his PhD in Ecology) trapped an American Oyster Catcher and our intern Carley got to help band it. We ate like kings thanks to the delicious soup, stew for dinner followed by birthday cake for desert. Lyssa, our new college intern, could not stay overnight. But, she proved herself by baking chocolate covered birthday brownies, and TWO huge pans of cinnamon buns. Delicious food is definitely a must on Sedge.

I spoke with Katina last night just before I crashed. We were both on a super high. We are so thankful to have a group of wonderful people to help us at Sedge. Sure, we got lots of work done. But most importantly, we started what we hope will be the beginning of a wonderful relationship with a group of incredible volunteers who will help us move forward in the future.

Thank you so very, very, much. Jim

Winter Help for the Osprey

2006-03-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

In late February five retired guys, who are members of both the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association and the Friends of Sedge, braved the ice and cold northwest wind to help the osprey, a bird listed by the Federal Government as an endangered species. Since osprey are still on their wintering ground in Central and South America, this was an ideal time to rebuild aging nest platforms that have been further damaged by winter storms.

Our task was to build an osprey nest platform in the center of the 1,900 acre Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone. We met at 10:00 am outside the entrance to Island Beach State Park and drove to the launch site at A-21. After loading lumber and tools in a canoe (our equipment barge), we attached tow lines to three of our five kayaks and headed south across the open water to the Snake Ditch where an old nest platform was lying on its side. Our last 100 yds were in a quiet backwater off the main channel where we had to break through ice to get to the nest site. With five people working, it took less than an hour to sink 4x4’s into the marsh, attach an old oak shipping pallet and then build a frame to hold nest material. We even replaced the cross bar on the perch pole near the nest. Just after we returned to the launch site, a huge pan of ice blew into the cove where moments before we had paddled on open water.

It will not be long until the osprey begin showing up in the Marine Conservation Zone. Males arrive in late March to stake out their territory. The females show up a few weeks later and almost immediately begin setting up their nests. Toward the end of April a biologist from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife will check for eggs in each of the more than two dozen nests. For four weeks parents will take turns protecting the eggs and catching fish to feed their mate. (Boaters take note: This is a critical period for survival. Stay well away from nests so that the birds are not disturbed.) Most eggs will hatch by the beginning of June. At the beginning of July the biologists will return to band the juveniles just prior to their first flight. If things go well more than two dozen juvenile osprey from the MCZ will join the adults in late August when they begin their southerly migration.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and the osprey living in the MCZ greatly appreciate help from individuals such as these who braved the sub-freezing temperatures to accomplish this task. Please remember that the individuals who completed this project are all expert paddlers, wearing the best winter gear, working as a team. Kayaking in the winter is not for beginners.

Jim Merritt, Program Director of the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center

Winter Osprey Platform Rebuilding

2006-02-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

In late January and early February the unusually mild temperatures allowed a group of Friends of Sedge (FOS) members from the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association to work on the platforms which hold osprey nests. We paddled out into the Marine Conservation Zone and visited more than a dozen platforms. Some of these are on utility poles more than twenty feet above the ground. Others are on 4’X4’ platforms less than six feet above the ground. We found that most of the nests are in relatively good repair. On our first visit we replaced some of the perch poles used by the birds when they return to their nests with a fish. We did spot four upright nest support poles far out on the western edge of the Marine Conservation Zone, but the site was in such a bad state that we thought it had been abandoned for years.

After our initial visit I discussed the situation with Pete McLain, who chiefly responsible for rebuilding the osprey population in the Sedge Islands beginning in 1970. Pete told me that it was important to rebuild this nest platform if we possibly could because of its history. The “Jenkins Nest” was built in the early 70’s and has been occupied every summer since its construction. In 2005 the platform rotted out and collapsed. Undaunted, the faithful pair of osprey rebuilt their nest on the ground and produced several chicks last summer.

Now we had a goal. On a blustery day in early February a team of four members of FOS kayaked to the site towing a canoe filled with lumber and other repair materials. The tide was so high we were able to paddle right up to the nest site. Standing in knee-deep water, we began working to secure the upright cedar posts that were in relatively good condition. We screwed 2”X 6” cross beams on to the four uprights. We then constructed a platform on the beams and built a low wall around the top to hold branches in place. Our final task was to replace the perch pole. (See pictures) We worked so efficiently that we had time to paddle several more miles in the MCZ. We looked for seals as we ate lunch at the dike in Barnegat Inlet but did not spot any.

We look forward to the date in March when the ospreys traditionally return to the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone. We will keep a close eye on this particular nest site to see if it is reinhabited. Since these birds are banded it is theoretically possible to determine if it is the same birds return to the nest. The problem is that we do not want to capture the birds (using nets or traps) and thus disturb their nesting behavior. As with the other nests in the Marine Conservation Zone, we will band any juveniles raised in the newly rebuild Jenkins Nest.

This was the first Friends of Sedge project for 2006. With four people working (and playing) we logged fifty-eight hours of volunteer work on this project alone. We are off to a good start. We will continue to paddle in the MCZ this winter

Friends of Sedge is Underway!!

2006-01-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

Last year volunteers worked over 1,000 hours helping with various projects at Sedge. Some did heavy physical labor- rebuilding the dock, putting in pilings, and hauling Marine Conservation Zone buoys. Others contributed to the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center program by helping teach, assisting with kayak tours, developing the Sedge Journal, tagging diamond backed terrapins, and caring for shellfish in the aquaculture program. People who did not contribute labor donated art work and equipment including a boat. All this and much, much more was done by people who’s efforts were barely recognized. Most people have no idea that Tony and Jackie Raniero have been working as Sedge caretakers for years –with no pay. They are the ultimate volunteers!

For several years we have been talking about more formally recognizing this group of people who have helped out at Sedge Island. In 2006 we will begin this process. Our first effort is to develop a list of people who have helped out at Sedge in the past. All these people will automatically be considered Friends of Sedge. Throughout the year volunteers will be able to become involved in a variety of projects on an as needed basis. In addition we will schedule work days in the spring, summer, and fall for some of the bigger projects.

When the friends help out with any kind of project they will be asked to join the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s volunteer organization, the Wildlife Conservation Corps. By filling out the WCC information sheet volunteers will covered by insurance while performing any task. While Sedge volunteers may choose to only work at Sedge, but as WCC members they will get information on various other activities within the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Friends of Sedge has already begun work in 2006. In mid-January a dozen members met to discuss organizational goals and to develop a structure.. Several days later five members of the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association paddled out in the Marine Conservation Zone to check on and make any necessary repairs to osprey platforms. By January 23 we had already completed sixty-six hours of volunteer work. Our next planned work project will be on April 1, 2006 when we will replace all the furniture and beds in the McLain house (These were taken out by volunteers last fall so that other volunteers could paint the floor.)

I fyou would like to Join Friends of Sedge, you can just click on the link to your right!