Visit our newly created FAQ page. It may answer some questions.
2004
Team Habitat completed seeding almost 70 acres on the Buckshutem WMA, 8 acres in Salem, 2 acres in Hammonton, 3+ acres in Atlantic County and a small plot in Monmouth County. Team Habitat acquired its own PlotMaster planting system and a TruAx seed slinger.
Monmouth County has ordered two new weather stations for their watershed modeling effort. These should be running by early September.
We worked with Southern New Jersey Quail Unlimited again this year on their Youth Day. However, this year it was opened to a wider group of youth. By the end of the day, we had over 100 youth and about 50 adults. Plans are underway to do this again next year.
2003
Team Habitat continues its development. Current members include Southern Jersey Quail Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Ruffed Grouse Society, Pheasants Forever, Bear Creek Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, NJ Fish and Wildlife, USDA NRCS, Land Dimensions Engineering, Cape-Atlantic Soil Conservation District, Lenape Farms, 1st State RC&D Council, and this RC&D Council. We will have access to a tractor, a Truax grass drill, several trailers, a Plot Master, one 4-wheel ATV, and a volunteer operator. We also have several sites that work can be done at using either WHIP or Partners for Wildlife funding. Efforts are underway to secure funding for other equipment and some salary.
The Council continues its irrigation water management effort with USDA NRCS. We have refined our scheduling components and expanded our network of weather stations to 18 in 8 counties. Data flow is still working at an accelerated rate with few problems. This recent snow fall and cold weather has pushed the equipment to a new level of stress.
The 2003 Envirothon is being run by the Cape-Atlantic SCD this year. A web site address will be released soon promoting the event.
2002
Team Habitat kicked off its first planning meeting during late November. Team Habitat is a group of like minded conservationists interested in developing habitat for various wildlife species that live in or migrate through New Jersey. This Team will work to coordinate the creation, enhancement and maintenance of habitat in New Jersey.
The Buckshutem WMA project is under way with a 500 acre pilot effort. It started in early March of this year and we celebrated the project with an event on Saturday, March 30. Over 125 people came out to join us. The Council prepared fresh perked coffee and served donuts, muffins and bagels, while the Southern Jersey Quail Unlimited provide turkey and ham sandwiches to all attendees. We had individuals from USDA NRCS, US Fish and Wildlife, NJ Fish and Wildlife, BIH Industries with their Plot Master planting system, Land Dimensions Engineering, South Jersey Timber and Chip, NJ Forest Fire Service, and Bombardier ATV's. South Jersey Timber and Chip demonstrated the tree cutting process.
Council completed an update to its Area Plan. Please contact us for a copy. It can be sent electronically if so desired.
2001
Work progressed on many projects. Most important was the planning efforts for Buckshutem WMA, Repaupo Creek, Area Plan, and Crosswicks Creek WMA20 project. Council was chosen as a sub-contractor for the agricultural portion of the Crosswicks watershed plan development.
2000
See a picture of a R.I.S.E. weather station.
See more pictures of South Jersey weather stations and projects.
Just added to the pictures above is a series of photo's from our long standing Repaupo Creek project.
The April 7 Rowand Pond Ribbon Cutting was a success. Over 50 people attended, including Assemblyman Louis Greenwald and Denise Velazquez (Director, Belmawr District Office of US Senator Robert Torricelli), members of NJ Fish and Wildlife, State Mosquito Commission, and Camden County Mosquito Commission. After numerous short speeches from the various project partners, the red-white-blue ribbon was cut. All those in attendance had the opportunity to help re-stock the pond with 250 trout.
The April 8 Warm Season Grass Workshop was a success. Over 30 people attended this Saturday morning workshop. There were excellent talks on how to plant warm season grasses, what there real purpose in habitat management was, and an actual demonstration of the warm season grass drill managed by the Cape-Atlantic Soil Conservation District. A second annual workshop is being developed for early 2001 and will be on control of unwanted vegetation to reduce fire hazard.
We have just moved our Internet service forward a little bit. Our provider has introduced 64kb service. You should see a remarkable speed increase in data delivery from our end.
Added to our growing staff of volunteers is a professional engineer. He is working with our web master to create specialized menu's just for our many engineering firms. These menu's will put our weather data directly into the format required for various engineering programs like TR-20.
Phase 3 of Rowand Pond is almost on us. Look for our big ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for April 7, 2000. If you want to attend this great event, please call Steve at 609-561-3223 ext 10. There is no charge to attend this great event, we just need to know how much food and parking we need to arrange. We already have Assemblyman Greenwauld and a representative from US Senator Robert Torricelli's office attending, as well as folks from NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, State and Camden County Mosquito Commission and a whole lot more.
Our first public warm-season grass workshop is scheduled for Saturday, April 8 at the "Game Preserve in Estell Manor" located in Atlantic County. This is our joint effort between ourselves and the Southern Jersey Chapter of Quail Unlimited. The cost of the workshop is $15.00 and includes a lunch and an afternoon of skeet shooting (bring your shotgun and shells). We hope this event will be the start of a yearly happening.
June 16-21, 2000 is the date of the National RC&D Convention in Ogden Utah. We will be exhibiting and presenting a story concerning our network of weather stations and their use in water conservation and other issues.
Due to a number of out-of-state functions this year, we will not be doing the area 4-H fairs this summer. Look for us next year.
1999
The R.I.S.E. network is receiving a major boost in production. We have just taken ownership of a brand new 300 megahertz computer for our web. In the coming weeks, we will be up and running with new speed and power. Stay tuned for more exciting events.
Look for the combined RC&D and NRCS booth at the League
of Municipalities Meeting in Atlantic City during November 1999.
CANCELLED
November 17, 1999 - we will be presenting a report on our network of weather stations and web site at the Delaware River Watershed Association meeting in Philadelphia.
Our next big show will be in Ogden, Utah during June 2000 at the National Association of RC&D Council's national meeting. We are looking for line-item sponsors for this meeting. If interested, please e-mail Steve at spquesen@erols.com
UPDATE - The Rowand Pond WMA project is almost done!!!!! Phase 1 was the reconstruction of the failed dam and water control structure. Phase 2 was the dredging of the pond. Phase 3 will be the stocking of the pond with fish this coming spring 2000. Stay tuned, we will announce the grand ribbon cutting ceremony right here.
Come visit us at the following events: Gloucester County Water Fest, June 27, Gloucester County 4-H, July 22-25, Camden County 4-H, July 30-Aug 1, and the Atlantic County 4-H, Aug5-7.
. As of 6/19/99, all three new sites have been chosen. They will be: Smithville Lake, the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex, and a farm in Chesterfield Township. We are waiting for final contracts to be signed. However, we have begun purchasing and installing the fencing. Individual contracts are being developed with each landowner. And the final price quote has been ordered for weather station purchase.
We held a two-day wildlife habitat workshop on April 8 and 9. The meeting was well attended by conservationist from Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey. The workshop centered on developing Bobwhite Quail habitat. We discussed the decline of Quail in the last 30 years, efforts underway to stop the decline, and how we can proactively work to reverse the decline. We heard about controlled burning, proper mowing and disking, and the wise use of a new family of chemicals. After that we heard about establishing warm season grasses and other outstanding wildlife plantings.
The South Jersey RC&D Council, Inc., has completed phase 1 of the Rowand Pond WMA repair project. This three phase project has been ongoing for several years. Phase 1 is the total reconstruction of a failed concrete spillway at this old mill pond. With the help of Congressman Andrews, Senator Torricelli, Assemblyman's Rocco and Greenwald, we have completed phase 1 -- new plastic lumber spillway. Phase 2 is the removal of several feet of silt from the bottom of the lake. Phase 3 will be the restocking of fish to this mill pond.
The South Jersey RC&D Council, Inc., has developed a working relationship with Phoenix Recycled Plastics to advertise several products that meet our goals. Phoenix has agreed to sell -- at a reduced price -- picnic tables and park benches to anyone that mentions the South Jersey RC&D Council. For additional information and a price sheet, please e-mail the Council or Steve Quesenberry. Phoenix is in the process of developing their own homepage. When this site is available, please contact them there.
The joint-venture between the South Jersey RC&D Council, Inc. and Weather Access Inc. has ended. The R.I.S.E. network of data can be found at http://www.sjrcd.org. SJRCD's computer system is capable of being accessed via the Internet. Fax and e-mail reports are available. A new feature on this Internet site is an irrigation water management page. You will be able to chose your weather station, input your crop data, input your beginning soil moisture, input your irrigation amounts, and the program will tell you how much water is available for your crop to use. Also, we are developing an insect and disease forecasting program. These enhanced services are available for a small monthly or yearly fee.
The "Lake Rehab Guide" is a 100+ page do-it-yourself guide to lake restoration. Written by the South Jersey RC&D Council, Inc., it gives residents, homeowners, and municipal leaders a simple procedure to follow to restore a lake. Copies are still available from the Council for $15.00 (includes postage). For more information on this publication, please e-mail Steve or the South Jersey RC&D Council. We are not set up for ordering by e-mail. A check for $15.00 made out to the South Jersey RC&D Council is the only way to go.
The New Jersey Envirothon is a unique and exciting competition targeted for students in grades 9-12. The Envirothon is an environmental and educational event that tests a student's knowledge in categories such as Aquatics, Soils, Forestry, Wildlife, and Environmental issues. The competition is a one-day event that emphasizes the use of hands-on learning, in coordination with a comprehensive resource packet that students study throughout the year. Any New Jersey high school interested in participating in the New Jersey Envirothon should contact Steve Quesenberry or call 609-561-3223 to receive information and registration material.
The South Jersey RC&D Council is looking to develop a new partnership called "Partners for R.I.S.E." This partnership will advance the network of weather stations and use of the R.I.S.E. web site in New Jersey. We are interested in three specific groups: lawyers, accountants, and fund raisers. If you are interested, please respond to Steve Quesenberry or South Jersey RC&D Council, Inc. or call 609-561-3223.
Great Egg Harbor River begins in suburban towns and meanders for 59 miles, draining 304 square miles of pristine wetlands in the heart of New Jersey's Pinelands Reserve on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. The National Park Service and local governments are working together to protect and enhance this area. If you live within the Great Egg Harbor River watershed you can participate by learning more about the river and its tributaries call Atlantic County Parks at 609-645-5960 or the National Park Service at 215-597-6482.
Home*A*Syst is a companion project of the Farm Assessment System (Farm*A*Syst). Farm*A*Syst pioneered the system of self-assessments on which Home*A*Syst is based. Home*A*Syst and Farm*A*Syst are national programs supported by the USDA Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, the USDA NRCS, and the USEPA. Home*A*Syst is a confidential, self-assessment program you can use to evaluate your home and property for pollution and health risks. For more information contact this office or e-mail straight to Home*A*Syst.