Galleries

Confluence

The Wild Rivers National Monument, New Mexico  was created this year and is already under ‘review’ by Secretary Zinke.  So remember, whether it be the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Red River in New Mexico or our Cranberry Brook and

Cranberry Brook and Whale Pond Brook confluence

Whale Pond Brook, we love and try to protect our rivers and watersheds. Last month at our local Sierra Club meeting we generated 19 letters to Secretary Zinke urging him to protect our national monuments and parks.  At the local level, please join us in our clean-ups, educational efforts,  trail building and gardening.  Get to know your watershed. Check out the events page on how you can get involved.

New plants for Ross Island Park from the Master Gardener Sale


We went to the Master Gardener sale with our native plant list  of ideas from various  people. We wanted to provide food and housing for bees, butterflies and beneficial insects.   Here’s what we purchased, using a generous donation:

Master Gardener sale purchase
Common Name Botanical Name
Mexican Hat Ratibida
Baby Joe Pye eupatorium dubium
Baptisia blue
Giant Hyssop agastache hybrid blue fortune
monarda bradburdiana
mountain mint pycnanthemum muticum
phlox ‘david’
english thyme
sage berggarten
greek oregano

We’ll be planting them this Tuesday, May 23 at 4 pm.  Please join us in celebrating our new additions.

 

Butterfly release at Ross Island Park

Today was a busy day at the Park.

We changed the shape of the western entrance to the trail and filled in the area with wood chips.  Looks like it’s been like that forever.

We are experimenting with using vinegar on some of the weeds. We poured it on and will see what they look like on Wednesday.

Suzan Cole released beautiful butterflies that she and her ESL class hatched. She released them in our butterfly garden. She also released some lady bugs that her class nurtured.

She also picked her 4X4 garden area.

We’ll be there again at 2 – 4:30 on Wednesday, May 17.

Ospreys at Ross Lake


Chuck and I were working at Ross Lake this afternoon and saw an osprey dive into the water and come up with a fish in it’s talons.  It flew away to the north and it’s mate flew along with it.  If you stand quietly in the garden you will see so many wondrous things.

Come join us this Wednesday May  beginning at 1 until ????? as we help to beautify the garden.  Tools and gloves will be available or you can just stop by to chat and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the lake and garden.

Elinore Ave, Long Branch 07740

Upcoming Events for Spring 2017 in the Watershed

UPCOMING EVENTS- PLEASE JOIN US!

CINDY LANE HIKE  – walk the new greenway trail

WHEN: FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017 AT 6:00PM

MEET AT THE WEST END OF CINDY LANE, OFF OF KINGS HIGHWAY, OCEAN TOWNSHIP.

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SHREWSBURY WATERSHED  –                           Arboretum Walk and Dinner/ Trivia!

WHEN: TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017 AT 5:30PM

MEET AT THE F. BLISS PRICE ARBORETUM AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, ON THE NORTH END OF WYCKOFF AVENUE, EATONTOWN.

After  the walk, we will head over to  The Marina in Oceanport for dinner/ drinks/ trivia night!

http://www.marinaatoceanport.com

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ROSS ISLAND BECOMES A PARK!             DEDICATION CEREMONY

WHEN: SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2017 AT 2:00PM                                  (NOTE: this is a tentative date)

MEET AT ELENOR AVENUE, LONG BRANCH. THE HISTORIC ROSS ISLAND HUT WILL BE DEDICATED AS A PARK.

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STUDENT TRAIL – GILLIAN’S TRAIL  HIKE AND CLEAN UP

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST  16, 2017 AT 6:00PM

MEET AT THE OCEAN TOWNSHIP MIDDLE SCHOOL ON WEST PARK AVENUE.

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Questions? Please email us at WhalePondWatershed@yahoo.com

Science/Environmental Club at Ocean Township High School creates a rain garden

 

On November 14, 2016  the Science/Environmental Club at Ocean Township High School created a beautiful and functional rain garden in the cafeteria courtyard. Christina Demuro, advisor to the Club, brainstormed the idea with Patrick Sullivan, science supervisor and members of the WPBWA, including Suzan and Faith.

We all agreed that the location would allow students to see how impervious surfaces (i.e., their school roof) translate into flooding and how their rain garden is a storm water management tool. We hope this will motivate them to become watershed stewards and advocates.

On Nov 12, Burke Construction, Inc. generously volunteered their equipment, workers and excavation expertise to dig the garden exactly as designed by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources  team.

img_1964 Chris Perez, Rutgers Water Resources Program came to collaborate with Jason Burke’s crew and the results were stupendous, including the mulch and river rock.img_1973img_1937Michelle Hartman, Rutgers Water Resources Program coordinated the design and implementation of the garden.
michelle-watering-rank-garden

Dr.  Stefankiewicz, Ocean Township superintendent, helped us a great deal to envision the process of presenting the seminars and planting the rain garden. Here you see smiling faces on Suzan Cole , WPBWA trustee and Dr.  Stefankiewicz at the rain garden planting.20161114_145255

and pizza was enjoyed by all……20161114_150027

The rain garden planting was the culmination of a series of adult and student seminars.  Kevin Connelly, from the Ocean Institute at Sandy Hook  presented ‘The Watershed Ecosystem’  to 5 sixth grade science classes at the Ocean Township Intermediate School. In a hands on workshop, he taught how a watershed works and then highlighted how non-point source pollution gets into our watershed. He went on to explain the great many benefits of rain gardens in mitigating the effects of pollution and pointed out also the garden’s aesthetic value.  As you can see from the photos below, Mr Connelly knew how to connect effectively with the students.

img_1289
img_1241These seminars and grants were made possible with a generous grant from the Stoney Brook – Millstone Watershed Association – Watershed Institute grant entitled:  Restoring a Watershed: A Community Takes Action.  We also received funding for the rain garden design and plants from Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program.

It has been a pleasure to work with the Ocean Township school system and the Ocean Township Mayor, Chris Siciliano and City Administrator Andrew Brannen.

Thank you all for your support in helping us achieve our goal of educating our neighbors to incorporate responsible environmental practices into everyday actions they take on their properties.