Volunteers beautify Ross Island Park over Memorial Day

This is the first garden on the Whale Pond Brook watershed greenway. It was designed by Estelle Lumer, our Monmouth County Master Gardener extraordinaire and paid for with a generous allowance from the Long Branch Environmental Commission.  This fall will be the third year.IMG_1170Volunteers watered and spread wood chips. People stopped by and chatted. It was fun and the garden is coming along.  Come visit it and walk on the trail to help keep the weeds down….corner of Norwood and Elinore, by Monmouth University entrance.

By the way, there are still PLENTY of wood chips to spread so let us know if you can go and we’ll meet you there.

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Ross Island Park gets wood chips delivered

IMG_1149 Mark Brummer from Brummer’s Tree Service donated a truck full of wood chips to help us keep the weeds down in Ross Island Lake park.    We also walked around and looked at the trees on the island and towards Norwood Ave.baby geese

Thank you for helping us Mark.

 

Ross Island Park gets it’s first spring clean-up

Redbud, river birch and stone hut weeded path elinoreThe stone hut on Ross Island has been cleaned of debris and restoration of the structure itself is underway. A lovely garden with native plants has been established on Elinore Ave. Cranes, swans and other birds of the desirable kind are there to be observed. More people are walking around, enjoying the garden and the view. Some are even pulling up beach chairs and relaxing in this new ambience.

We’ll be there Thursday morning if you want to join us for more gardening. Bring your own tools.
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Help us manage stormwater in your neighborhood

Chris Obropta, P.E. Rutgers Water Resources Division presented Impervious Cover Assessments and Impervious Reduction Action Plans to members of the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association and the Ocean Township Environmental Commission.  12 sites were chosen by Rutgers and the public is invited to suggest other sites where we might better manage stormwater in your neighborhood by using green infrastructure such as rain gardens and pervious surfaces in parking lots. This is a continuance of our regional efforts to stop flooding on the Whale Pond Brook watershed which began in 2014 with a regional watershed meeting including all 5 towns on the watershed.  Send your suggestions to us on our website: https://restorethewatershed.net/ or contact Ray Pogwist, Chair, Ocean Township Environmental Commission.

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Left to right:  Jeff King, Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association, Ray Pogwist, Ocean Township Environmental Commission Chair, Laura Bagwell, Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association, Fred Brody, Planning Board Liaison to OT Environmental Commission, Chris Obropta, Rutgers Water Resources Division and Laurel Van Gerichten, OT Environmental Commission.

 

Stone Hut Phase II is complete

Stone Hut April 25 2016Ken Manzi, our mason, has completed Phase II of repairing the stone hut roof.  He used the platform to pull his men and equipment back and forth.  See the aluminum canoe? That’s how he got the platform off the island to use.  We have to be creative to get this job done. Thanks Ken.

 

North Side Roof New Stone North Side Roof Mortatar Joints Complete North Side Roof Mortar Joints Removed North Side Roof Before Repairs