Summer 2016 - Middlesex County Improvement Authority
Transcription
Summer 2016 - Middlesex County Improvement Authority
Middlesex County Improvement Authority SUMMER 2016 Under the Open Space Preservation Program, with the assistance of the Middlesex County Open Space Advisory Committee and the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders acquires land to be preserved forever. OPEN S.P.A.C.E.S is a quarterly report of the program’s progress. Recreational Gems on Preserved Land Rock Climbing Playground Equipment at Crabiel Park in Milltown Butterfly House at Davidson Mill Pond Park in South Brunswick Pollinator Hotels W ho knew that Davidson Mill Pond Park is a hotbed for hotels? It’s all the buzz this summer, as an Eagle Scout candidate recently constructed eight native pollinator nesting areas on the open space parcel in South Brunswick. “It’s a hotel, but we’re not charging rent,” said Eric Gehring, a naturalist with the Middlesex County Office of Parks and Recreation. “They pay us back in their ecological services.” So far, two varieties of these “hotels” speckle the property. “They’re out in the middle of a field of tall grass, but they are visible by the public,” Gehring explained. In the first scenario, a 1-foot-tall log, with a series of drilled holes, is mounted on a post. Covered by a shingle, it provides solitude to an insect, like the bee, which lays its egg within the shelter in the spring or fall, Gehring said. “Typically, a solitary bee will create a chamber in the nest block, lay her egg along with a ball of pollen and nectar that she creates called bee ‘bread,’” he said. “When the egg hatches, the larvae eats the food its mother left behind.” The other type of hotel is a square structure with a domed roof standing 4 feet tall and also taking advantage of the shingle’s protective features. “A variety of nesting grounds will bring in more species,” Gehring said, adding that there are currently 4,000 species of native bees in North America. As of late, the federal government has mobilized the public to preserve pollinator habitats. “Most bees are solitary nesters,” Gehring said. “In modern yards, the desire for neatness has reduced the number of nesting sites for native bees – bare ground, dead trees, tall grass. About 30 percent of our native bees nest in cavities: old logs, trees with empty beetle tunnels, plants with hollow stems, like bamboo.” From an Idea to Open Space Law Thompson Park Dog Park in Monroe There are a number of laws regarding preservation on the books. Many of these bills start off with a simple conversation. They evolve into something greater when legislators get involved in the discussion. Here is a soup-to-nuts breakdown on how an idea becomes open space law. STEP 1: A legislator submits the details of a preservation-related idea for a new law to the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, where the bill is drafted, assigned a number, titled and then returned to the sponsor for review and possible modification. STEP 2: The Senate President or Assembly Speaker assigns the bill to the appropriate standing committee for review, potential public hearings and possible amendments. It is then scheduled for a vote by the sponsoring legislative house. STEP 3: If approved by a majority of the members, present and voting, it is then forwarded to the other legislative house for a similar procedure. If it fails to receive a simple majority, it may return to the committee for further consideration or to the sponsoring legislator. STEP 4: If the bill passes both legislative houses, with amendments, if any, it is then forwarded to the Governor’s desk. STEP 5: The Governor may veto the bill, conditionally veto the bill for further legislative action, pocket veto the bill (to “kill it”) or sign it into law. S Pest Peak Time ummertime cues people in, presenting a warmweathered window in which to wander into the open spaces. The journeys, the pictures and the stories make the trek far worthwhile; however, the pests are not always a welcomed caveat. Here is a brief description and some tips on how to avoid some of Mother Nature’s local nuisances, while out in the wild: Chiggers: The juvenile mite of this tiny arachnid is found in forests, grassy fields, gardens, parks and in moist and humid areas around lakes or rivers. Barely seen with the naked eye and often attached to lowlying plants, the chigger larvae pack a little bite with a powerful and itchy punch, often striking in spring, summer and fall. Ticks: These blood-feeding, miniature arachnids are made up of more than 800 species and have scoured the earth for some 90 million years. In recent times, their bites have been linked to maladies like Lyme disease, Texas fever and food allergies, which are typically transmitted during warmer months, in as little as an hour’s time and may be exacted on humans and animals alike. Mosquitoes: This small midge-like fly feeds on the blood of animals and humans. Not only are their bites irritating, but they have also been associated with a number of illnesses, such as the West Nile Virus. Usually found in the vicinity of standing water during the warmer months, the mosquito is also an integral and important part of the food chain, acting as a reliable source of nourishment for bats, birds, dragonflies and frogs. Deterrents and Preventive Tips: -Wear long sleeves -Pair long pants with overlapping long socks -Stay on marked trails and avoid overgrowth of vegetation or close proximity with stagnant water -Keep a hat on your head -Wear lighter colored clothing for better visibility -Use a repellant spray or device -Avoid walking and hiking at dusk or dawn -Limit perfumes, fabric softeners or hairspray FACTOID New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the nation, has a land mass that totals 4.49 million acres. With more than 1.4 million of those acres labeled as preserved farmland and open space, 31 percent of the state falls into this category. D Beach Sweep ozens huddled around a playground at the Old Bridge Waterfront Park in the late morning hours of April 30 – some toting galoshes, others strapped with gloves and most armed with trash bags. Local officials, like Middlesex County Freeholder Charles Tomaro, commended the crowd’s efforts, ramping up enthusiasm, before signaling the group to kick-off the 2016 “Beach Sweep” at Pirate’s Cove. This biannual litter clean-up is tethered to the Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweep initiative, which marked its 30th year in 2016. The organization is on a mission to protect waterways via science, law, research, education and citizen action. Like dandelion seeds unhinged from their stem, participants dispersed deep into the park, out into the ebbing inlet, among the sandy, wooded and sometimes hilly terrain. With a glove acting as a barrier, one woman plunged her hands into the muddy soil, fishing out a red cup. Her adolescent partner looked at her with a curious stare and pondered aloud, “Plastic cup?” “Yes,” the laborer confirmed. With that, the young girl began a tally under “cup” on the paper she gripped. Still, there were plenty of options to choose from, everything from food wrappers to cigar tips to building material to foam plates, along with a litany of other trash. As the day wore on, each team in Old Bridge catalogued the type of trash it was disposing of for a much broader purpose – so that this data might be catalogued, compiled and later studied. “It turns a one-day event into a legacy of information to combat litter and other sources of pollution by identifying and monitoring trends,” Clean Ocean Action’s website states. “Indeed, the data has been used to help create federal, state and local programs and laws to reduce litter in the environment.” While the Beach Sweep forms have an extensive roster of items, most volunteers run into what COA activists refer to as the “dirty dozen.” “The No. 1 type of debris continued to be plastics, making up 70 percent of the total debris,” COA’s website reported of the 2015 figures. “Of that, nearly 70 percent of the plastics were single-use plastics, such as plastic water bottles, plastic cutlery and straws.” Once collected, the statistics are then distributed to the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C., to be used in an international database on marine debris and within a worldwide campaign against ocean pollution. “The Beach Sweeps are more than people picking up trash from beaches,” the website goes on to say. “The program builds community support for solutions, as well as raises awareness about the negative impacts of the litter on wildlife and the ocean. Citizens learn about the types and quantities of debris found along the coast and the shorelines of rivers, lakes and streams.” For more information regarding open S.P.A.C.E.S, please contact the Middlesex County Improvement Authority’s Public Information Officer Maria Prato at [email protected] or by calling 609-655-5141. Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders Ronald G. Rios, Freeholder Director Carol Bellante, Freeholder Deputy Director Kenneth Armwood Charles Kenny H. James Polos Charles E. Tomaro Blanquita B. Valenti MCIA Board Leonard J. Roseman, Chairman Robert J. Mantz Jacque Eaker Camille Fernicola Anthony Raczynski Carol Bellante, Freeholder & MCIA Liaison
Similar documents
An Education in Giving
The program is taped and edited by the staff of Piscataway Community Television Center. Three technical staff members carried out video, lighting and audio functions. Additional exterior shots of t...
More information