Northern NJ: Free native plants and labor were the words of the day last week as New Jersey Audubon (NJA), the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority/Wallkill River Watershed Management Group (SCMUA-WRWMG) and the NJ Youth Corps of Phillipsburg partnered up to work with private landowners in the region to restorehabitat and improve water quality.
With funding associated with the Delaware River Watershed Initiative from the William Penn Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation the groups worked together and planted over 10,000 native plants along streams at farms in the region at no cost to the landowners.
"The type of plant we are using is green bulrush," said John Parke, Stewardship Project Director of New Jersey Audubon. "Not only is the green bulrush a native plant thathelps prevent soil erosion when planted along the banks of a stream and provides important food and cover for wildlife, but green bulrush helps remove phosphorus on the order of 80% from water."
Excess phosphorus is a major part of nutrient pollution, which according to the US EPA, is "one of America's most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems." Although, phosphorous is a natural and essential part of ecosystems, too much can pollute the water by leading algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle. Excess algae can harm water quality by decreasing the oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive. Additionally significant increases of algae in ourwater can also impact human health, food resources, and thus impact a region's economy.
"The restoration work day conducted by NJ Audubon, SCMUA-WRWMG, and the New Jersey Youth Corps successfully created a new chapter for the awesome conservation and stewardship story that continues to grow at farms like the Jorittsma Farm and Summer Solstice Farm in the Delaware River Watershed," said, Nathaniel Sajdak, Watershed Director with the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority /Wallkill River Watershed Management Group. "With NJ Audubon bringing in the NJ YouthCorps as an on-call labor force for the initiative and knowing that the students are trained in the Waders in the Water program and have experience in on-the ground conservation work, it gives us another tool in the toolbox to get the work done efficiently, cost effectively and move the initiative forward," added Sajdak.
NJ Audubon has recently partnered with NJ Youth Corps of Phillipsburg and is providing the Corps with service learning projects in support of the Delaware Watershed Restoration Initiative. These are projects conducted in partnership with landowners and farmers in three sub-watersheds of the Highlands region: the Lower Musconetcong, Lopatcong and Upper Paulin's Kill. These projects will help the overall watershed initiative, increasing the pace of project implementation in the field,and the projects will also provide Corps members with valuable employment skills.
"Working on farms in the Delaware River region has been challenging, said NJ Youth Corpsmember, Stacy Leisner (Age 21). "But it means a lot to me, because I'm one of those people that love animals and the environment, and I want to do what I can to make those habitats and the water better. I don't want to see our environment go down the drain."
NJ Audubon and SCMUA-WRWMG are looking to engage more landowners for enrollment into the various federal conservation cost share programs for conducting conservation practices on their land, as well as distribute more free native plant materials. However to be eligible to receive free pant materials properties must belocated in the following sub-watersheds of the Highlands region (the Lower Musconetcong, Lopatcong and the Upper Paulin's kill sub- watersheds) and must exhibit a degree of ecological impairment. For more information please contact NJA Stewardship Project Director, John Parke at john.parke@njaudubon.org or SCMUA- WRWMG Watershed Director Nathaniel Sajdak nsajdak@scmua.org
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About New Jersey Audubon:
New Jersey Audubon is a privately supported, not-for profit, statewide membership organization. Founded in 1897, and one of the oldest independent Audubonsocieties, New Jersey Audubon has no connection with the National Audubon Society. New Jersey Audubon fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethicamong New Jersey's citizens; protects New Jersey's birds, mammals, other animals, and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and promotes preservation of New Jersey's valuable natural habitats. The objectives of New Jersey Audubon are implemented by its professional staff under the leadership of its Executive Director and supervision of an elected, voluntary Board of Directors. For more information about New Jersey Audubon please visit www.njaudubon.org
About New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg
The Department of Labor & Workforce Development administers the New Jersey Youth Corps, a program that offers young adults between 16 and 25 who have left high school without graduating the opportunity to both earn a high school equivalency and gain work skills through meaningful community service. More than 14,000young people have participated in the New Jersey Youth Corps since it was established in 1984. Corps members attend educational classes and receive personal andcareer counseling while also participating in community service projects. In addition to a GED, those who complete the program receive help with college referrals, assistance with job placement and a personal career portfolio. The following is a more detailed look at what The New Jersey Youth Corps offers young people.
For more information please visit https://www.njycphillipsburg.com/about-us.html
About Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority/Wallkill River Watershed Management Group
In 1994, the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders (New Jersey) designated the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA) as the lead agency to develop a Wallkill River Watershed Management Plan. As a result, in March 2000, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) awarded a contract to the SCMUA to facilitate the Wallkill River Watershed Management Project (WRWMP) as part of the New Jersey Watershed Management Program. The project's goal was to bring together major stakeholders including Federal, State, County, and municipal officials, farmers, lake communities, the educational community, and interested watershed residents to work in partnership to study water quality issues and develop strategies, plans and initiatives to ensure the restoration, maintenance andenhancement of the waterways within the Watershed. Through this process, unique stakeholder partnerships were established and a strong sense of watershed
stewardship was generated. Most importantly, an organizational entity referred to as the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group (WRWMG) evolved and has taken on the role of "Watershed Liaison" for all of Sussex County. For more information please visit http://www.wallkillriver.org/
