The South Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. (SJRC&D), located in Columbus, New Jersey; was formed in 1974 to address environmental issues in South Jersey.  The Council covers 4,710 sq. miles and includes the eleven southern counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem.  The Council is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization and is comprised of a County government and a Soil Conservation District representative from each of the eleven counties.  The Council bridges the gap between local resource needs and community development providing a unique partnership between county, local and federal partners. 

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from South Jersey Resource Conservation & Development Council

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In this Issue:
Rick Parenteau — Conservationist Extraordinaire
Council announces Farming for the Future grant winner
Lawn watering program - Stay Green  $ave Green

Welcome to the sjrcd-eZine, fourth edition. We’ll distribute this online news vehicle periodically, updating friends and stakeholders who share a passion for conserving our environment and properly utilizing its natural resources. We draw your attention to worthy projects and fascinating developments. And encourage dialog among you and our professional staff and dedicated team of volunteers.

The sjrcd-eZine is a work in progress and will evolve to meet the needs of you, our readers. If you have a great idea for a new eZine name then please send it to us. We welcome any and all constructive comments.

Rick Parenteau — Conservationist Extraordinaire

Some time in the near future, South Jersey RC&D may be bidding sad farewell to our colleague Rick Parenteau (right). In 2007 Rick retired from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and moved to Maryland, but has continued serving the Council in both volunteer and contractor roles. For over 20 years Rick has applied superior talent to conserving Southern New Jersey’s natural resources. Most recently he revitalized RC&D’s Team Habitat and spearheaded our Friendly Farms initiative. We appreciate Rick’s dedication to our cause and applaud his many contributions, samplings of which follow.

Re-energizing Team Habitat

As a 30-year NRCS Civil Engineering Technician, Rick brought unique skills to RC&D. He supervised construction on many early RC&D conservation projects, including City of Beverly Riverbank Restoration, Cedar Lake Partners for Wildlife Projects, Bear Creek Wildlife Projects, and more. Around the Council, however, Rick may be best remembered for his 5-year engagement with Team Habitat.

In 2003, Rick helped form Team Habitat – a group of dedicated conservationists who develop and maintain habitat for all wildlife species living in or migrating through New Jersey. But by 2006 Rick decided that it needed a spark. So he volunteered to help RC&D obtain federal grants for funding new projects, on which are pinned our future hopes and aspirations. Then, Rick pitched in with Team Habitat partners to plant warm season grasses in spring 2007, leading to the completion of three new plantings that year. (Tall, warm season grasses provide better habitat and food for wildlife than cool season grasses.)

In 2008 Rick upped the pace by helping to install four additional plantings of warm season grasses, totaling 48 acres of new wildlife habitat in Burlington, Mercer, and Somerset counties. The upshot is that Team Habitat is strong and successful once again, and actively seeking new projects.

Friendly Farms Outreach Specialist

In 2008 Rick also became a Council contractor, providing outreach to farmers in Northern Burlington County — part of a new grant to improve water quality in three Burlington small watersheds.

As Friendly Farms Outreach Specialist, Rick’s job is to discuss best management practices with farmers, one-on-one. The objective is lower phosphorus and fecal coliform pollution in streams, thus improving water quality in the Annaricken-Assiscunk-Barkers Brook watershed.

As of this article, Rick had contacted about half the farmers in the targeted watersheds and hoped to complete the outreach during 2009. Right: Rick and Garry Garrison discuss a drainage channel on Garrison's property.

Bidding Adieu?

After retiring from NRCS, Rick, wife Sue and daughter Brittany moved to Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay area to be near family. As an avid hunter and past President of the Bear Creek Conservancy (which he represented for Team Habitat), Rick appreciates his new surroundings. But he now travels regularly between Chesapeake and New Jersey to honor SJRC&D commitments. Rick has always enjoyed advancing conservation causes in New Jersey, but the new commute and time away from family are understandably difficult. Thus, Rick’s Team Habitat responsibilities are gradually being phased out as the Council searches for his replacement.

Conservation professionals and volunteers alike are fond of Rick and appreciate his readiness to lend a hand. His cheerful personality and easy humor are fixtures around the Council. We hope Rick can keep advising or working with us, in some capacity, moving forward. Thanks for all your help, Rick Parenteau– we salute you! Some day we will sorely miss you, too.

— By Lance Lindstrom

Council announces Farming for the Future grant winner

The Camden County 4-H Youth Development Program is this year’s winner of the “Farming for the Future” Mini grant. “Camden Celebrates Agriculture” will educate over 120 Camden elementary students on farming in New Jersey. They will learn about the 130 different crops raised in New Jersey and career opportunities in the agricultural industry. Students will gain a greater appreciation for farmers, who provide us with safe affordable food.

Funding for this grant is provided by South Jersey’s annual Tour des Farms bike ride. The purpose of Tour des Farms is to send riders through agricultural areas and to acquaint them first hand with farmers and locally grown produce. “We do this by designing bike routes that pass by local farm stands, where riders can buy produce using farm bucks. We then pick up the produce and bring it back to the museum” stated Ken Taaffe, the event coordinator. This year, close to 200 riders participated in this ride. The event was sponsored jointly by the South Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council and Burlington County.

The Council congratulates the Camden 4-H Development Program for the initiative to put on this program.