Hackensack SUMMER

Hackensack SUMMER

2002

idelines~ 1/ACKEA!SACK R.ziiE.KiCE.E.PE.K IS THE LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONWORKINGON HACKENSACKRIVER ISSUES.

"I say that children DO get it. We do understand loss and we understand the permanence of extinction. Not only that, but some of us realize that we are the ones who have to live the longest with the decisions that are being made right now regarding nature. The scary part isn't what you tell us, it's what you don't tell us."

- Chance Ruder

Chance Ruder is a nine year old from Texas that doesn't sugar-coat his objections to the downplaying of death and devastation that society casually imparts to children.

In speaking events across the country he discusses wildlife and habitat loss and the controversy regarding the covering up of the issues to protect our youth.

One of his upcoming speeches is reprinted on Page 20.

WATUJ:.U.P~;JLIJAA/U

MEMBER

INSIDE: Welcome Additions to HRI Ongoing Advocacy Birds, Birds, Birds HRI Activities for You

PEARL RivER GRADUATE

AWARDED ENVIRONMENTAL

SCHOLARSHIP

By Hugh M. Carola Jacqueline Allalouf of Pearl

River, New York is the winner of the 2002 HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD.

Ms. Allalouf was selected from among a very strong field of applicants from schools across the Hackensack River watershed to receive the one thousand dollar award. "Jackie's parents have much to be proud of," said Capt. Bill. "She has proven to all of us beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has the intellect, the skills, and the commitment to succeed."

Regarding the essay which she included in her scholarship application,

Continued on Page 5 •

Jacqueline Allalouf of Pearl River, NY, receives her scholarship from Capt. Bill.

Sea Level Rise in NJ 9 State Programs and HRI 10.11

2,3 Summer Woes for Fish 14 4 Blue Claw Crab, New Alerts 16 6 You Can Help Riverkeeper 18,19 7 Public Access to the River 22

Hackensack Tidelines - Summer 2002

A NEw VESSEL JoiNS OuR FLEET MIV "Edward Abbey" dedicated on May 20, 2002

By Hugh M. Carola There is a new floating classroom plying the

waters of the Hackensack River and the marshes of the Meadowlands. The 27-foot pontoon cruiser "Edward Abbey" was christened on a sum1y May morning at the boat ramp in Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus, NJ by Hackensack Riverkeeper. Capt. Bill Sheehan, staff and guests all smiled and cheered as Capt. Bill's mentor, Baykeeper Andrew Willner did the honors and poured champagne over the bow of the new boat.

Built by Godfrey Marine of Elkhart, Indiana and named for one of the founding fathers of the modern environmental movement, the "Abbey" takes her place alongside Hackensack Riverkeeper' s other custom-rigged pontoon cruiser, the "Robert H Boyle. " "The boats allow our organization to maintain an active presence on the River and are the principle means by which we educate the citizens of the watershed about their river," said Capt. Bill. "Since 1998 when we christened the 'Boyle, 'we've introduced over nine thousand people to the Meadowlands."

The Captain continued, "Most of those folks have come to appreciate the Meadowlands for the unique ecosystem that it is and to advocate for its protection." In addition to education and outreach, the boats are used to investigate pollution incidents, reports of illegal wetlands fill, and other activities throughout the lower Hackensack River watershed.

Hackensack Riverkeeper also places its vessels at the disposal of local, county, state and federal authorities

dence in such cases. The shallow draft and stability of pontoon boats make them ideal observation platforms and an excellent choice for extended trips on the water.

The funding to acquire the "Edward Abbey., came as a result of citizen action brought by NY /NJ Baykeeper against the City of Bayonne for failure to maintain its combined sewer outfall system. Earlier this year when the case was resolved, the city and the Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority offered a $30,000 Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) as part of their settlement. Bayonne's attorneys asked if the money could be awarded to Hackensack Riverkeeper and the judge agreed. According to one city official who attended the christening ceremony, "It was important to us that the money be an investment in the recovery of our estuary." So far this year their investment has already taken hundreds of people out on EcoCruises and has become a fixture on the River.

Additional support for the purchase was provided by the manufacturer and from West Marine, Inc., the nationwide purveyor of marine supplies. The "Abbey" is powered by a 115-horsepower Yamaha 4-stroke outboard engine. All equipment aboard the vessel is United States Coast Guardapproved.

(and the media) as a Our new pontoon cruiser, the "Edward Abbey" rests comfortably in her new slip with our veteran means to gather evi- cruiser, the "Robert H. Boyle" only a short distance away. Both are anxious for river time.


"CONGRATULATIONS, CAPTAIN" By Hugh M. Carola

Here's how the crazy day started: On June 19, I woke up at 4:30AM in order to be at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City by 6:30. Traffic on the Turnpike Extension caused me to miss the first Water Taxi trip but I made the second boat at 6:55. Once in lower Manhattan, it was an easy walk through Battery Park along with the other early-risers: NYC Parks Department employees, street vendors, and pigeons. I was headed to the United States Coast Guard's Regional Examination Center for an appointment with Petty Officer Wilkins at 7:30. How did I get there and why? Read on ....

Soon after I began working here at Hackensack Riverkeeper and learning to handle our 28-foot "Robert H. Boyle, " Capt. Bill had me take a Coast Guard Auxiliary Safe Boating Course at Secaucus High School. Not only did I enjoy the course and my instructors, I also passed with flying colors. It didn't take Capt. Bill very long before he started saying things like, "Hughie, you should go for your Master's License" and "All it takes is study and practice, practice and study."

Practice was no problem since during the 2000 and 2001 boating seasons, I had logged over 130 hours aboard the "Boyle" either as Capt. Bill's mate or helmsman and this year I expected to get even more opportunities to weigh anchor. Those of you who have come out on the River with me have enjoyed yourselves and (more importantly) have returned safely to shore. Yes, prac-

tice was easy. And fun. Study was something else again.

I knew that there were institutions where one could take courses to prepare for Master's Exams but they are expensive and are geared to a higher level than I required. I was applying for credentials as a Limited Master of Inland Waterways, same as Capt. Bill's, but unlike him I didn't have a lifetime ofboating experience to fall back on. J needed a book-a big one. Fast. I found what I needed (and then some) in January at West Marine on Rte. 17 in Lodi. Written by Charlie Wing and entitled Get Your Captain's License (how's that for optimism?), the book has every possible question and answer one could possibly be asked on any possible Master's exam-more than 5000 of them!

For six months that book was my constant companion-at the dinner table, in the office, at my son's band practice. I learned how to fight fires in chain lockers, what kind of navigation lights submarines use, how to evacuate injured crewmen by helicopter, what the penalties are for failing to report oil spills and much, much more. So much more that I began to worry that I wasn't retaining enough information, or that I was retaining the wrong information. If you ask them, both my family and my coworkers can tell you what a state I was in as my exam date -June 19 - approached.

I graduated high school in 1976 and college in 1980 so it had been twenty-two years since I took my last meaningful exam. Fortunately though, I've always

Captain Hugh Carola

been a pretty good test-taker. I don't choke. Plus, I had passed my physical, submitted a complete application, studied for six months and had two sharpened Number 2 pencils in my possession. What more did I need? So when the doors opened at 7:30, I was good to go. So ... after two hours in the exam room, I looked down at the sixty black dots made by my Dixon Ticonderoga® #2 pencil and decided I was done. All that was left was for Petty Officer Wilkins to score my test.

With military precision, my exam proctor took the exam booklet from me and sent (ordered?) me back to my seat to await my score. Offering a silent prayer as I sat, I thought, "Oh great, you're supposed to pray before the test, not after." Finally I heard his chair push back from the desk and Petty Officer Wilkins announced, "Mr. Carola!" I tried to read any expression at all on the man's face but his training was too good. All I could do was ask, "Well, how'd it go?" In response, he smiled, shook my hand and said, "Congratulations, Captain."


Ongoing Advocacy ... By Kathy Urffer

Meadowlands Mills The New York District of

the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a public notice on July 5, 2002 announcing the publication of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Meadowlands Mills permit application to develop the CarlstadtMoonachie wetland, submitted by Empire Ltd, the owner of the tract. Due to numerous requests solicited by Hackensack Riverkeeper and the Meadowlands Partnership, the Army Corps agreed to extend the public comment period, which is now open until October 3, 2002.

On a related note, on July 1, 2002 the State released a request for proposals (RFP) to develop the Continental Arena site. The Continental Airlines Arena site RFP is designed to accommodate any use of the site regardless of whether the Arena remains on the site. According to Mills' website, the corporation will develop a plan that will work with or without the presence of the Arena.

Unfortunately, because the USACE does not consider the Continental Airlines Arena site an alternative to the Empire Tract, it is not examined in the scope of the current FEIS. However, Mills has started a public media campaign for New Jersey residents to gamer support to develop the Continental Arena site, a dry-land alternative to the Empire wetlands.

Van Buskirk Island In June 2001, the water

company buildings were listed on the NJ Register of Historic Places at the request of the Water Works Conservancy Inc. (WWC) without any public input or consent by the property's owner, Bergen County. The WWC did so with full knowledge that Bergen County was proposing a compromise plan for the site that did not include control of the buildings by the WWC.

The persons involved with the WWC have sought, without success, to have the County tum over to them (at no charge) the three acres of the island containing the buildings for restoration as a pump museum complex with restaurant and museum store. (In 1996, the WWC president, along with others, sought to develop part of the island as a housing cornplex.) In June 2001, the Bergen County Executive presented the written version of the compromise plan for a County passive park preserve that would incorporate substantial portions of the historic industrial elements of the site.

The site is located on an island in the Hackensack River in an area that needs riparian habitat restoration and has tremendous open space potential. However, because the site is now listed on the historic sites register, Bergen County must submit an application to the State for plan approval before proceeding with the creation of the Van Buskirk Island Passive Park Preserve.

On June 27, 2002 Lisa Goodnight from the Bergen Record reported that NJDEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell had postponed a decision on the County's plan until next year (2003).

River Vale Woods Forty-four acres of forests

in River Vale are still threatened with development! The woods are on the north and south sides of Poplar Road and act as a buffer to the adjacent Lake Tappan which serves as a drinking water reservoir. The land owner, United Properties Group, is asking the River Vale Planning Board for approval to convert the forested buffer land to more than 100 single and multi-family homes. Over two hundred people came to the February 25th Planning Board meeting and their presence was a powerful statement against sprawl.

The town asked for and received an amendment to their Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund Award to acquire only 18 acres of the woods for development. The River Vale Planning Board gave approval to the developer to develop the property at the end of Stanley Place for single-family homes. Hackensack Riverkeeper would like to see the town of River Vale condemn the rest of the woods for preservation and seek relief through NJDEP in upholding those condemnations.


Senior Scores a Scholarship Continued from Page 1

Capt. Bill noted that Jacqueline, a Civil Air Patrol search-and rescue volunteer, "is someone who not only cares about the natural world; she truly revels in it." As part of her tenure in CAP and other camping and survival programs, she has learned which trees are edible and poisonous, how to identity and track animals, and how to create tools from scraps of wood, rocks, and willow branches.

Her academics are perhaps even more extraordinary than her survival skills. As a high school junior she participated in an Advanced Placement Environmental Science course, which is normally reserved for seniors. After absorbing the cur-

riculum, she scored a 5 on the AP test, the highest grade bestowed to test-takers. The following year, she became a classroom assistant for the evolving course.

"It was so very hard to choose one student from among such a fine field of applicants and we salute them all because they are the best of the best," said Capt. Bill. "And as far as Jackie is concerned, I'm certain that she'll not only succeed in her life; she will most assuredly enrich all our lives as well."

The award, which was established last year at the behest of an anonymous benefactor, is presented to a graduating senior who has demonstrated both academic prowess and a personal

commitment to the environment. The Captain continued, "We're very happy to recognize Jackie's achievements and to do our small part to help her college career." Ms. Allalouf received her award from Capt. Bill and Hackensack Riverkeeper Program Director Hugh Carola on July 17 in front of what is now her alma mater, Pearl River High School.

Ms. Allalouf has been accepted to the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry located in Syracuse, NY where she will develop her already impressive environmental prowess with the intent to "make a difference in this world through education, knowledge, and action."

SAVE THE DATE- OCTOBER 21,2002

Hackensack Riverkeeper Annual Awards Celebration

and Benefit Auction

New Jersey Meadowlands Commission Environment Center, Lyndhurst

Watch our website for more details: www.HackensackRiverkeeper.orz:

To donate an auction item, please call 201-692-8440 or 201-968-0808

WSB: What a Day for the Birds (and the Birdwatchers)!

Team Hackensack Riverkeeper lists 110 species

By Hugh M. Carola

It began at 4:45 AM on Saturday, May 11 in the woods near Lake Tappan and didn't end until 9:30 PM in those same woods as team members listened (unsuccessfully) for an Eastern screech owl to add to the list. But that was pretty much the only disappointment in a day that saw Team Hackensack Riverkeeper - Stan Blumenfeld, Kerul Kassel and me, team leader Hugh Carola - post a team best of 110 bird species in the pre-dawn to post-dusk event. All our birds were recorded within the Hackensack River watershed from the New York border south to Kearny, just a mile up from Newark Bay. See side-bar for the actual list!

As you probably know, the World Series ofBirding (WSB) was begun nineteen years ago by the New Jersey Audubon Society as both a fundraiser and as an attempt at "extreme" birding. It was a success at both. Since 1984, millions of dollars have been raised for conservation efforts in New Jersey and elsewhere by teams of birders that scour the state to list as many bird species as they can.

The extreme part comes in with the style of birding; for 364 days of the year most birders take leisurely strolls through woods, fields and marshes but when the WSB comes around on the second Saturday in May, watch out! To list a lot of species, WSB-ers have to "hit and run" (hit a good spot, list the birds, then run to the next good spot) a11 day long until they're done.

Although we moved quickly throughout the watershed, Team Hackensack Riverkeeper' space was

a little slower than most WSBers. In our case that helped because by lingering at places we were able to list some pretty remarkable birds:

A Black tern (VERY rare in NJ) feeding on Oradell Reservoir.

Red-shouldered hawk (only about 30 nesting pairs in NJ) near Lake Tappan.

Boat-tailed grackle (usually a Jersey shore-only bird) at DeKorte Park.

Twenty-one warbler species including Yellow-breasted chat, Hooded warbler and BOTH waterthrushes (heard and seen across the watershed.).

A pair of Peregrine falcons in Kearny (from the deck of the "Robert H.

Boyle")

As well as we did, we couldn't have done it without help. So on behalf of my teammates, Capt. Bill, and a11 of us at Hackensack Riverkeeper, I wish to thank United Water New Jersey for

Continued on Page 11

Photo Courtesy: George Raiche

Red Shouldered Hawk

Hackensack Tidelines- Summer 2002


Eco-program update for the 2002 season!! OPEN Eco-CRmsEs

Following is a list ofthe remaining dates and times for our open Eco-Cruises for the 2002 season. Individuals and small groups may sign up, but do so quickly because these dates fill up fast! Donations for trips are $15 for adults and $10 for children.

As always, groups of approximately I5 are welcome to schedule private trips during the season from May to October. For more information, contact Hugh at 20I-692-8440 or hugh@hackensackriverkeeper.org.

August 3 - 6pm August 15 - 6pm August 18 - 6pm August 2I - 6pm August 24 - I Oam August 25 - 1 Oam August 31 - 6pm

Sept. I - I Oam Sept. 3- 6pm Sept. II - 6pm Sept. 15- 3pm Sept. 21 - 3pm Sept. 29 - 3pm

Oct. 5- lOam Oct. 6- lOam Oct. 12 - lOam Oct. 13 - lOam

Eco-WALKS These walks are a great way to get out and

enjoy the watershed, while learning about the connection between upland habitat and the river. Donations are $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, contact Hugh, our experienced birder and naturalist, at hugh@hackensackriver

keeper.org or 201-692-8440.

Fall Walks at MehrhofPond Nature Trail Sept. 21@ 10 AM Oct. 12 @ 10 AM Nov. 9@ lOAM Dec. 7@ lOAM

HACKENSACK RivER-CLEANUPS (Get some exercise and help us clean up the river!)

These are the remaining river cleanups scheduled for the 2002 season. We invite the community to come together to actively work on restoring the beauty and health of the Hackensack River watershed by picking up the trash. Cleanups run 9 am - 1 pm with lunch served around 12:30. For further information contact Lisa at [email protected] or 201-759-6377 or Kathy at [email protected] or 201-692-8440.

August 17-0verpeck Creek County Park, Leonia

September 22 -Hackensack River County Park, Hackensack

October 19-Snipes Park, Secaucus

GUIDED CANOE TOURS Please join us for a 2-hour guided canoe tour

through the Meadowlands, offered on the following dates and times. The cost is only $15 per person. These fill up quickly so please call us as soon as possible to assure yourself a spot. (Private tours are also available.) Contact Jared at [email protected] or 201-920-4 7 46 for more information.

August 10 Sept. 8

4p.m. lOa.m.

Eco-CANOE SuMMER CAMP This watershed-wide eco-entertainment is an outdoor educational experience that takes campers on trips to Congers Lake in the upper watershed and through several of the marshes and creeks in the lower watershed, including the Meadowlands. ONLY ONE SESSION LEFT!! For info, contact Jared at [email protected] or 201-920-4746.

Advanced Aug 19-23 $140


In Memoriam

RONALD VELLEKAMP

1954-2002 It is with great sadness that Hackensack Riverkeeper informs you of the death of Ronald Vellekamp. Not only has the Hackensack Riverkeeper Board lost a vital member but the environment has lost a ceaseless advocate.

Ron was a founding member of the Hackensac:k River Coalition in 1985. He continued his concern by joining the Board of the Hackensack Riverkeeper four years ago. A social studies teacher, Ron devoted his spare time to public service and environmental conservation. Over the years, he was a park ranger, historical tour guide, Boy Scout leader, recycling coordinator and he served on the boards of a myriad of environmental and social service association.

He will be truly missed by ,his family, his many friends, and by the environmental movement to which he tirelessly gave his insight 4Uld wisdom.

Margaret Utzinger President, Hackensack Riverkeeper Board of Trustees

Time to update your rolodex--We're moving! By Cathe Morrow

Hopefully by the time you read this we will have taken up residence in our new home on Main Street in downtown Hackensack. We are progressing steadily but slowly. You see, it's busy season for the Riverkeeper getting all of you out on the river, so our time to devote to our new home is limited.

We want to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has helped with volunteer work or donations so far. I hope we didn't miss anybody. So here goes - in no particular order:

Volunteer that made our new home a reality Michael Bartels Danielle Donkersloot Ed Hughs Lynne Knudsen Mike McNamara Danny McSorley Steve Royka

Companies that donated time, manpower, and materials Paul Amico, Amico Ironworks - welding work Bogush Plumbing & Heating - plumbing work Dan Harrison, Eastern Datacomm- phone and network wiring Palisades Interstate Park Commission - fish tank Victoria Foundation - office furniture Steve Wilkins, Sign Graphics - new sign

Special thanks to PSE&G for donating advice, support and materials

Please update your address file on September C 2002:

Hackensack Riverkeeper 231 ~ain Street Hackensack, NJ 07601 201-968-0808


Real Science for Real People:

Sea Level Rise: Consequences for New Jersey By Beth Ravit

I was recently working on a study in the Saw Mil1 Creek marshes. This site is characterized by large patches of Phragmites adjacent to extensive Spartina alternijlora, the grass that is typically found in east coast salt marshes. I was surprised to fmd large Spartina plants growing amidst the Phragmites. Salt marsh vegetation is controlled by water flow, and Spartina is usually found at lower elevation, higher salinity locations. Phragmites prefers drier, less salty conditions. Finding the Spartina in a Phragmites stand, I began to consider the effects of sea level rise in the Hackensack Meadowlands.

The response of coastal wetlands to rising sea level is an urgent problem facing residents living along the eastern coast of the U.S. We are aware of the effort and money involved in maintaining the sand beaches in New Jersey's shore communities, but little is being said or done to plan for the potential effects of rising sea level in the Meadowlands.

Under natural conditions salt marshes are able to respond to sea level rise. Vegetation colonizes new sediment deposits that are carried into the marsh on the tide or down from higher land by rivers. As the new vegetation decays, a higher marsh surface is formed from the mixture of vegetation remnants and sediment particles. This process allows the salt marsh to accrete vertically, thus keeping up with sea level rise, and the marsh can continue to serve as a buffer between tidal and upland ecosystems. Under natural conditions, if sea level is rising faster than a marsh can accrete vertically, the marsh moves inland and high marsh converts to low marsh as in the accompanying figure.

Today the Hackensack Meadowlands are not able to respond to sea level rise like a natural system. Before the darn in Oradell was built in 1922, sediment was carried downriver where it was deposited in the wetlands, helping the marsh keep pace with rising sea level. However, because the hydrology and sedi-

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ment flows have been changed by the dam, much of the historical sediment load is now deposited further upriver rather than in the Meadowlands. Additionally, development along the river edge blocks movement of the marsh inland and there is little high marsh left to convert to new low marsh.

In spite of projections by various government agencies that rising sea levels will be a major threat to our coastal communities, development projects continue to be approved, making a bad situation worse. An example of this lack of foresight is the proposed fate of the Empire Tract. The hydrology within this part of the Meadowlands has been altered, so the largest contiguous marsh surface remaining in the Meadowlands is currently covered with Phragmites. However, this marsh would serve as an upland buffer as sea level rises, potentially becoming a Spartina low marsh.

Although the Army Corps of Engineers is battling the problems of sea level rise in the Southern U.S., this problem did not appear to be a consideration in their recently released EIS in support of the Meadowland Mills project When government policies fail to take into account scientifically relevant information, the local community is forced to live with the consequences of poor planning. This is currently happening in situations as diverse as raging western wildfires and devastating floods that are destroying millions of dollars of private property.

The Hackensack Meadowland marshes can help protect Hackensack River communities from the future effects of a rising sea level. Our local government representatives and agencies must find a way to preserve these last remaining wetlands.

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NJ BEGINS URBAN WILDLIFE STUDY PROJECT Hackensack Riverkeeper assists NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Program

By Hugh M. Carola This year, the state ofNew Jersey

began an ambitious project to identify endangered and threatened animal species that live in our urban counties. The Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP), a program of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, has called for volunteer naturalists to take part in the Urban Wildlife Study Program. Although we don't often think of rare species inhabiting urban and developed areas, they do. This year alone, Capt. Bill and I have observed the following endangered bird species within the Hackensack River Watershed:

Peregrine falcons nesting on the Pulaski Skyway between Kearny and Jersey City,

A pair of Northern Harrier in courtship flight over the Empire Tract in Carlstadt,

Four Yellow-crowned night herons in breeding plumage feeding in Lyndhurst,

Least terns at Mill Creek Point in Secaucus, A Bald eagle flying over Prospect Ave. in

Hackensack during spring migration.

Our developed watershed isn't much different from that of the Hudson, Passaic and Raritan watersheds; they are all places where people and animals can and do coexist. In fact, oases of habitat like the Oradell Reservoir, Saw Mill Creek Marsh and Overpeck Park are critical to the survival of many resident and migratory species. Because the state has insufficient data on such species in urban open space areas and because those areas often require special protection, the Survey Project was begun.

After the initial call for volunteers, planning sessions were held at Weequaic Park in Newark and training sessions were begun at Bloomfield College in Bloomfield with more training scheduled for this summer and fall. Spring-migrating and

Yellow Crowned Night Heron

breeding songbirds, waterbirds and raptors have already been counted as well as breeding reptiles and amphibians. Next up will be fall migratory birds and winter resident waterfowl with a special emphasis on the Meadowlands.

The goal of the Project is twofold. It will collect wildlife data that will be used to inform Landscape Project Maps, which target and prioritize critical habitat for conservation. And it will help nonprofit groups further protect, conserve and restore wildlife in their urban areas and benefit public education and awareness. As you can see, the Project and Hackensack Riverkeeper were made for each other.

One of the great things about the Project is that one need not be an •·expert" to volunteer. All are welcome to take part. In addition to training sessions, mentoring with experienced wildlife watchers is available for anyone through the ENSP and volunteers can gather data on their own time. To take part in the Project, contact ENSP Outreach Biologist Marie Mockers-Numata at 609-777-4136 or viaemail at [email protected]. You can also learn more about it on their website at: www.njfishandwildlife.com.

Hope to see you in the field!


Urban Fishing Program Catches New Anglers By Jared Eudell

This spring saw another fulfilling season nearly two hundred middle school students. Once again, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection co-sponsored the award-winning Harbor Watershed and Urban Fishing Program with Hackensack Riverkeeper, the Neu family, the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program, the Greater Newark Conservancy, and the City of Bayonne.

This year, from March to July, staff from Hackensack Riverkeeper and the NJDEP, including the Watershed Ambassadors, visited seventh and eighth grade science classes in eight schools in Bayonne, Jersey City, Newark and Elizabeth for four days of hands-on activities.

On Day One, we utilized several games and diverse activities to introduce the students to several important concepts, including watersheds, estuaries, point- and non-point source pollution, and fossil fuel gluttony. A series of map exercises illustrated where their local waterways originate and where they enter a larger body of water. They were also told which fish and crabs Jive in the Newark Bay Complex and which are unsafe to eat due to various pollutants.

When we next met, on Day Two, we used an EnviroScape model (plastic mini-watershed) to better exemplify the watershed mechanism where anything placed anywhere on the land (e.g. litter,

pesticides, fertilizers, animal waste, chemicals in storage tanks, etc.) will ultimately end up in a body of water during a heavy rain. So, to alleviate the problem, we set out to the streets with gloves and huge contractor clean-up bags. We collected about 30 bags of debris from the neighborhoods around their schools. We also marked each stormwater catch basin (storm drain) with permanent markers that read "No dumping. Drains to your river." to inform more people about Jittering.

Day Three took us to the water. The group split, and half of the group got onboard Riverkeeper's pontoon cruiser which took the students on a tour around their city.

The rest of the group stayed on land to perform several water quality tests such as dissolved oxygen, nitrates, salinity and turbidity. Then the groups switched, and at the end of the day, compared answers and shared stories.

Finally, on Day Four, we placed a fishing pole in the hands of each student (after a safety demonstration) and told them to catch fish. Only a few of them actually did, but for the ones that had never been fishing before, it was enough just to be on the water. They were also told what it means to be a responsible and safe angler and a watershed citizen so that everyone can enjoy the boundless joy that the water holds for us.

Photo by Bill Sheehan

Students from Bayonne sit comfortably onboard Hackensack Riverkeeper's pontoon cruisers while learning about water quality monitoring and the potentially destructive effects that human endeavors can have on the ecosystem.

Birding there for us. Thanks guys! So what did it all mean? Well, when the pledges

were tallied and all the donations were in, we raised over one thousand dollars to help support the ongoing work of Hackensack Riverkeeper. And realize that most of that amount carne from folks pledging $.25 per bird. So, on behalf of Capt. Bill and Team Hackensack Riverkeeper, we thank all of you who helped make the 2002 WSB a success, and we thank the birds, whose habitats we're working to protect.

Continued from Page 6

allowing us access to Lake Tappan and Oradell Reservoir. Ray Cywinski and Kevin Doell went to bat for us with their superiors and secured for us the permission we needed not only bird "inside the fences," but to be successful. I'm certain we would have never reached 100 species had Ray and Kevin not been


''THE SENATOR WOULD LIKE TO GO

CANOEING WITH HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER'' By Hugh M. Carola

Those were the words spoken by Mada Liebman from Senator Jon Corzine's office in a phone call to us in early July. When the day arrived, Captain Bill and I arrived at Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus, and were joined by Senator Corzine, Congressman Steve Rothman, NJDEP Commissioner Brad Campbell and a host of other officials and staffers. Before leaving the dock, Director of the NJ Meadowlands Commission Bob Ceberio gave us an update on new wetlands preservation initiatives. Then it was into the canoes and onto the river.

According to Senator Corzine, he wanted a firsthand look at the continuing recovery of the Hackensack River and he wanted to know how he might help our watershed in the Senate. Between observing troops of fiddler crabs along the shores of Sawmill Creek, seeing an osprey fly overhead and hearing statements from Capt. Bill, NY /NJ Baykeeper Andy Willner, Rep. Rothman and Commissioner Campbell, it was clear that the Senator's time with us was well spent. Although there had been rumors of a possible canoe race between him and Congressman Rothman, both men decided to confine their racing to the politi cal arena.

Captain Bill addresses the press.

Senator Jon Corzine, N YINJ Baykeeper Andy Willner, Volunteer Mary Ellen Woods, NJDEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell, and Captain BilL

Congressman Steve Rothman and Hugh Carola.

Friends and staff join the festivities.

Forget the office, move the meeting to the Meadows.


Post-paddle congratulations. Rothman and Carola show their skiUs.


Why all the dead fish?! By Kathy Urffer

Recently there have been numerous fish kills in the Hackensack River. This is probably due to the cumulative impact of excessive heat, which releases oxygen from the water, excessive influx of sediment run-off, and an overload of nutrients that causes algae blooms which eventually chokes out sunlight and diminishes oxygen as the algae die. It may be acute this year in part due to the lack of rain which cools the river and replenishes the oxygen. This may make for a very grim summer as the temperature gets hotter.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) refers to oxygen gas that is dissolved in water. Fish "breathe" oxygen just as land animals do. However, fish and many other aquatic organisms respire by absorbing oxygen directly from the water into their bloodstream using gills, whereas land animals use lungs to absorb oxygen from the air.

The two main sources of oxygen in the aquatic environment are photosynthesis and direct diffusion from the atmosphere, aided by disturbances of the air-water interface (e.g. wind, waves, rain, and boat traffic). Of these, photosynthesis by submerged aquatic vegetation and phytoplankton (microscopic plants) is pivotal. Unfortunately, due to the turbidity of the Hackensack River, there is very little sunlight penetration into the water to stimulate photosynthesis.

Oxygen depletions occur when oxygen consumption exceeds oxygen production resulting in fish mortality. A concentration of 5 parts per million (ppm) is recommended to maintain fish health. When DO concentrations drop below 3 ppm, fish are severely stressed, and when concentrations fall much lower, fish begin to die. The number of fish that die during an oxygen depletion is determined

Continued on Next Page


Continued from Previous Page

by how low the DO gets and by the duration of the anoxic conditions. Usually larger fish are affected first by low DO and then smaller fish. A DO reading coincidently taken in the Arthur Kill near Elizabeth as the proliferation of dead fish was noticed in the Hackensack River gave a reading of 1.8 ppm-a value far too low to maintain life.

Although oxygen depletions can occur at anytime, they are most common, and most likely to cause fish kills, during hot summer weather. Warm water is much less capable of holding oxygen gas in solution than cool water. This physical phenomenon puts the fish in double jeopardy because at high water temperatures the metabolic rate is increased, hence their physiologic demand for oxygen is increased.

The only way to know for sure if oxygen depletion has caused a fish kill is to measure oxygen in the affected water while the fish kill is in progress. Indications of oxygen depletion as a probable cause of a fish kill include:

All fish die at approximately the same time. Large fish may be affected more than small fish. Fish may be seen at the surface "gasping" for

oxygen (this is called "piping"). Some species may die with their back arched,

gills flared, and mouth open. The weather immediately prior to the fish kill

may have been hot and still. An oxygen depletion severe enough to result in

significant fish mortality is often observed in water with heavy populations of algae.

Increases in oxygen consumption can be caused by increased organic waste entering the water (i.e., dog and goose feces, combined sewer overflows during moderate to severe rain events, and excess fertilizer), death and decay of organic matter (i.e., algae and animal die-offs), or by certain chemicals (i.e., formalin) that remove oxygen directly from the water column. The dying fish are the canary in the coal mine regarding the river's health. The best thing people can do to help the river in this regard is to spread the word about reducing nutrient loads to the waterways. People can help the river by:

Pick up after dogs. Fecal matter from dogs (and geese) runs-off into river and increases the nutrient load.

Maintain at least a 15 foot vegetative buffer along riverbanks by planting trees, etc. Shade reduces water temperature; roots leak oxygen into the river; vegetation slows the runoff of other pollutants.

Use none or no more than the recommended amount of fertilizer on your lawn.

Conserve water (so there is greater flow fresh colder water into the river system).

Be more active in the water (boating, canoeing, waterskiing, etc. help to aerate the water).

Adapted from: University of Florida Cooperative Extension

Service, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY FA002.


The Life of the Blue Claw Crab: A native to the Hackensack River, but locally dangerous to eat

By Kathy Urffer The blue claw crab has the scientific name

Callinectes (Greek for beautiful swimmer) sapidus (Latin meaning tasty or savory). It lives up to its name, being both an elegant swimmer and when safe to eat and prepared correctly, a delectable feast. It is part of a large group of arthropods called crustaceans (numbering about 38,000 species). The width of the shell is approximately twice the length, and blue claw crabs can grow up to 9 inches in width. They mate after about two years and only live for about three years. They are found south of Cape Cod.

As these crabs grow, they molt from their old, hard shell by swimming out the back. Until a new hard shell develops, their soft shell leaves them vulnerable to predation and injury. Predators claim large numbers of young crabs and soft-shell crabs, and crab populations may vary from year to year according to the abundance of predators.

FORAGING BEHAVIOR

Blue claw crabs are classified either as general scavengers, bottom carnivores, detritivores (eating decaying organic matter called detritus), or omnivores. Adult blue claw crabs prefer mollusks such as oysters and hard clams, but also eat dead and live fish, crabs (including other blue claw crabs), shrimp, benthic macroinvertebrates, organic debris, and aquatic plants.

Food is located by a combination of chemoreception (chemical sense) and taction (touch). The crab uses the tips of its front-most walking legs to probe the bottom for buried bivalves and to manipulate them once caught. Blue claw crabs may play a significant role in the control ofbenthic populations.

MATING

Blue claw crabs are sexually dimorphic and are primarily distinguished by looking at their abdomen. A male crab has a long, narrow, inverted "T' shaped abdomen, has blue claws and can grow to larger sizes than the female. Females are recognized by the inverted "V" shaped apron of young crabs and an inverted "U" shaped apron of sexually mature female crabs. The females also "paint their fingernails;" i.e., have bright red claw tips.

When a female crab undergoes a pubertal molt (and therefore is soft-shelled), she is sexually mature (called a "sook") and will migrate to shallow areas with marsh-lined banks or beds of submerged vegetation. She will then release a pheromone in her urine that attracts males.

After a male is mature he is ready to mate after his third or fourth intermolt phase, when he will perform a rather elaborate courtship ritual, or "dance." He will stand up high on his walking legs, extend his claws fully outward, and begin slowly waving his swimming

Male


legs. Finally, he wil1 snap his body backwards and kick up sand. Should the female fail to respond, he will repeat the process again.

Mating occurs primarily in relatively low-salinity waters in the upper areas ofbays and lower portions of rivers. During mating, the female captures and stores the male's sperm in sac-like receptacles so that she can fertilize her eggs at a later time. Once the female's shell has hardened, the male will release her and she will migrate to higher salinity waters to spawn. Extended periods of low temperatures usually shorten the mating season.

Females spa\vn for the first time two to nine months after mating, usually from May through August the following season. The female extrudes fertilized eggs into a cohesive mass, or "sponge," that remains attached to her abdomen until the larvae emerge. The average sponge contains about two million eggs and is formed in about two hours.

CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES

Eating, selling or taking (harvesting) blue claw crabs from Newark Bay Complex (Newark Bay, Hackensack River, Passaic River, Arthur Kill and Kill Van Kull, and all tributaries to these waterbodies) is prohibited due to contaminant loads of PCBs, dioxin, mercury, and PIHs. The contaminants, which are colorless, odorless and tasteless, accumulate in the fatty tissue and can increase one's chance of developing cancer, neurological impairments and miscarriage. Women of child-bearing age and children under the age of 5 are at particular risk.

The highest levels of chemical contaminants are fmmd in the hepatopancreas, commonly known as the tomalley or green gland. It is the yellowish green gland under the gills. If you buy blue claw crabs in the store or acquire them from water bodies other than the

DO NOT CATCH! DO NOT EAT!

BLUE' CLAW CRABS nv rt-i~se WATERS MAY cAuse

CANCER AND, MAV HARM BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

IN UNBORN AND YOUNG CHILDREN

Newark Bay Complex, remove and do not eat the green gland. Also do not use the cooking water or green gland (hepatopancreas) in any juices, sauces or soups.

Again, there is NO safe way to prepare crabs taken from the Newark Bay Complex. It is illegal to take blue claw crabs from anywhere in the Newark Bay Complex. and could result in fines from $100 to $3,000 for the first offense.

FOR l\10RE INFORMATION ON FISH ADVISORIES

New Jersey health advisories contact: NJDEP, Division of Science & Research 609-984-6070,

(www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/fishadvpg l.htm)

NJDEP, Division ofFish & Wildlife 609-748-2020

NJ Department of Health & Senior Services Consumer and Environmental Health Services 609-588-3123

NJ Administrative Code 7:25-14, 18A (fmmd at libraries)

Delaware health advisories: 302-739-5617

www .dnrec.state.de.us!fw/fwwel.htm

New York health advisories: 518-457-6178 ww\v.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/environ/tish.htm

Pennsylvania health ad\'isories: 717-787-9633 ww\v.dep.state.pa.us/dep!deputate/,,;aterm~t!\Vqp/WQ

Standards:FishAdvis/fi~hadvisory. htm

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Think of yow-friend$,'!/';'!'" famdy. arul JIOliT rfver; au t!tl~~ hii1e!

You can gi.ve ~ .dQ.~~n .. t~ lf~sa~k ~i'!r~¢ ij\ th~ name of a gift red~. Thai-person WiB::teeeive an. acknowledgement cardt our Qewsletter,. and::tb~· ~tisrac~on thaf they have 8: generous an~fihOughtfQl frie~ -·~'yoy: can give gift eerti.fitates 1ft inctem:ents of.$25 to-:6e ·used for: ; . ..

Bco-CralMa duaoe Rea.~ Bco-Walka t-'b·r 01~

Are you an On-line shopper? Cbe(k out tile

Charitable Empor!umw and donate to

Hacken§ac!k Riverkeeper for dttails qo to our website at

www.UaekensackRiverkeepe&orq

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LEAVE. A. LEGACY~ NEW $ J ERSEY

Hackensack Riverkeeper has elected to participate in LEAVE A LEGACYTM New Jersey, a statewide awareness campaign to encourage people to make gifts to the charities that they care about when arranging their estate plans.

Sponsored by the Gift Planning Council of New Jersey, LEAVE A LEGACY™ New Jersey is a collaboration of nonprofit organizations, community foundations, businesscs, attorneys, accountants, trust officers, and estate pla1mers. It is a volunteer, nonprofit, public education effort to increase awareness of and participation in charitable gifts and bequests.

LEAVE A LEGACYTM New Jersey can help to show you how to atrdnge for charitable bequests. You can access their website at www .leavealegacy-new1ersev .om, or call the campaign headquarters at 609-585-0248.

r-----------------------------, HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER NEEDS FRIENDS I

Your support is urgently needed. Hackensack Riverkeeper operates with assistance and contributions I I from concerned citizens such as yourself. Please help us spread the important message of environmental

health and protection within the Hackensack River Watershed by making a donation today.

HRI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible. I I

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City ............................................................... State .............. Zip Code ........................ . ' __ $18 __ $25 _._$50 __ $100 $ (other)

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Signature:-------------------- Exp. Date _1_. _!_ 1

Please mail your check and coupon to Hackensack Riverkeeper, Inc, 1000 River Road, T-090-C, Teaneck, NJ 07666

I I

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Eco-Cruise T-shirt 1 00% cotton in naturdl with broow11 eco-cmise graphic. Small and medilUll only. Call tor availability.

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Tank Top Black colton tank top (for women) for these hot summer days. Small (20012BS), Med. (2UOI2BM)

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•'Phragmites & You, Perfect Together T -shirt'" 100% cotton in pi.ne green with cream logo on front and title gro!phic screenprinted on the back. S (2U003PS), M (20003PM). XXL (20003PXI.

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Hackeqsack Riverkeeper Umbrella 48" b>Teell and white umbrella featuring the Hackensack Riverkccpcr logo (200061) [this item taxable].

Sale Price $8.49!

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The Riverkeepers By John Cronin & Robert F. KcBnedy, Jr. This is the book that e.xplains hoVv the Riverkeepers came to be. (20009BT) [this item taxable)

Sale Price $15.00!

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"The Waterkeepers" Videotape chronicles the Waterkeeper Alliance. PrOOuc!XI by Outs1de Television, it tells lh~ stocy of heroic Keepers, featuring l!obert F. Kennedy, Jr. (20008VT) [this item taxable]

Sale Price $11.32!

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<iflh .. Hackensack Rive.-keeper" Poster Hackensack Riverkeeper cclebmtcs 350 Yi.."llrs of Hackensack river sailing and boating with a specially designed poster. This limited edition print (25"w x 30.5"h) is numbered and signed by both the artist. Richard K. Mills. and om own Captain Bill Sheehan . (20013PT)

----··~·· .. ..,... . :liP' . . : -- --·. ... . -...: .....

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"" Sale Price $11.32!

------------------------------------~------------Item# Quantity Description Cost each Total Ship to information:

ShiJlping 11ntl H»ndling Suhlolal ( S ): Add ( S ): o uo - ~''on :>.nu

4U.Ot - ~o.ou 75 0 llO.OI · I !500 10.00 1~5DI - 20<J.~(I 1250 ()\'Cr 200.UU C3ll the otlicc

Subtotal

(6%) NJ Sales Tax. if applicable Shipping and Handling Tax Deductible Donation

TOTAL

Name: __________________ _

Address: ------------------

Phone: -----,-------------

Am ex Visa :VIa.~lercard I Exp Date: ____ _

Card No ------------------Signature ___________________ _

Hackensack Tidelines- Summer 2002

Dear Miss Kathy, I am very honored for you to

use my paper to help inspire other people_ It is my big job to begin a natural renaissance for the animals and for the Earth so people will sec some things different from their hearts. T did not know anyone thought it was very good.

our Tomorrow_ 1 know what kids think since I am one and I know what we worry about (like that even though we are hurrying to get to our Tomorrow lots of land and animals could be destroyed before we get there and only be in books about extinct things)

assume we'll fix our tomorrows when we grow up which 1 think is a very bad plan_ Riverkeepers deliver our tomorrows to us very safely like the man at the store who puts the eggs in the front scat of my mom's car just to be sure they don't get cracked before we get home. Do you know how important that is to us? In case nobody ever says it to you Thanks for the peace Miss Kathy_ I will pay it back to the next generat ion of kids.

Mr. Fisher sent me Mr. Kennedy's book about how rivcrkccpers started and T went to your riverkeeper web site and it is pretty cooL Thank you for your work Miss Kathy. Children thank you for taking care of

Grownups like Mr. F isher and Mr. Kennedy and other riverkeepers like you inspire us kids since we aren't alone in our fight for the earth and for wildlife. Mr. Kennedy says we are on the side of the angels and that is the best thing anyone has ever said to me.

Your fiiend. Chance Ruder, Bird Boy (9) www.WhcnWcGrowl Jp.com Some grownups deny kids and

When We Grow lJp Educating Children About Endangered Species Chance Ruder (9) San Antonio, TX

(to be presented at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Docents national convention in Houston, September 2003)

Many do not expect to sec a child speaking, but that is exactly why I do. To share a kid's perspective on the issue of educating kids about endangered species and wildlife in generaL

I read a paper published last year about educating children about endangered species that saddened and worried me. The author suggested that children should not be educated about endangered species because it's scmy tor us and because she felt that we don't really "get it" l can't agree.

I am not a doctor and I did not go to college and study how kids think, but I am a kid and I play with them at recess every day and they are in my scout group and on my soccer and swim teams.

! say that children DO get it We do understand loss and we understand the perm<mence of extinction. Not only that, but some of us realize that we arc the ones who have to live the longest with the decisions that are being made right nmv regarding nature. The scary part isn't what you tell us, it's what you don't tell us.

I think tlmt we arc an important part of species survival. We arc part ofthe answer_ But we need to know the truth about endangered species if we are going to find solutions to problems_

WUAT KIDS KNOW AND 110\\' TIIF.Y LF.ARN

A. It is true that we kids learn by helping nature:

Helping nature through projects teaches us that we can b1~ prut of the answer. We can plant trees and adopt animals at the zoo and do recycling projects learn lots of things and this is how most grownups teach us. You help us to build birdhouses, bat houses and pine cone bird feeders all the time. These things are great

and I support these projects. But building bird houses is only part ofleaming. We can't stop there when it comes to experiencing nature and helping wildlife.

R We learn best by experiencing nature in our hearts. Tilis is where our natural education usually takes a detour. We kids need to touch, smell, feel and cry on behalf of nature_ Y cs cry_ Plea<>e don't protect us from this_ Conservation is a mat~ ter of the heart It is more than knowing the science; it is something that comes in a language that has no words. At Sea World, we quote an African Naturalist who once said, "For in the end, we will conserve only what we love, we love only what we understand, and we understand only what we have been taught·· Sometimes we kids are taught best by see-ing stuff through the wild eyes of the animal world and making

· a connection as humans.

Ever since Twas really young I have had a deep passion tor animals. Right after I tumed 5. I started working with a raptor rehabilitation center. During the three years that 1 studied and worked there, I did just about everything involved in raptor work With my mentor, T helped with hawk rescues. eagle tratlspmts, rehabilitation of injured animals, diagnosis of birds ru1d even postings, (autopsies) of the unfortunate ones that did not make it lll<>t about every weekend we did educational mptor demonstrations tor schools and the public_

I remember one day at the bird faci lity; we had to post 3 birds that were brought into the center already dead. You have to check them and find out why they died because raptors arc an indicator species and that's one way we tind out what's going on in the environment We had a hawk that flew into a cactus and I found the spines stuck in its organs. We had a Sharp Shinned hawk ~4ccipiter striatus) that got hit by a car and it died instantly_ And we got this really pretty Barred Owl (Strix varia)_ It was so beautiful I couldn't even tell it was dead until


I realized its body was limp

Have you ever looked into the spirit-less eyes of a Barred Owl who was instantly killed by flying into the glass window of a house that had just been built right in the middle of its habitat? I have and I was not even 6 yet.

I remember the day we cut that bird open to perform its posting like it was yesterday. I remember it so well because that's the day I made a big connection. I knew that I had to help save habitats. I knew that ifl loved that Barred Owl as much as I thought I did, then I knew that I had to care about where it lives. You don't have to be a grownup to know that there is something wrong when a perfect bird dies like that. In a moment that seemed like an eternity, human population and habitat destruction and urban sprawl became a very real problem to me. I was almost 6. It didn't scare me. It motivated me. We kids do get it but you have to give us a chance to see the truth.

Experience on a heart level- not just building a birdhouse, but really getting our hands dirty and getting close to the problem, impassions us kids. That's how we learn what the real problems are for wildlife. For some of us, that's how we begin to think of ways to solve the problems we will face in the future.

I know that there are rules about kids and animals. We aren't allowed to do and touch a lot of stuff (and I don't always agree with that) but I have always been

lucky enough to have mentors who found a way to get me close enough to feel nature in my own heart. And that is when I feel my future and the future of

this earth. People who do this for kids are our best teachers.

We kids can put ourselves in animals' place and see through their eyes. Maybe it's a little scary and it's very sad, but without knowing what it's like to be the animals, we '11 never grow up to care enough about solving the problems they face. And we all know that their problems will eventually become our problems. That's why experiencing nature is so important.

READY? GET SET! Go WHERE?

If you are going to see kids someday fix the problems that endangered species face, then we need to be prepared

I am the only one here who can say this from my side of time: When 1 grow up, I want to be prepared for my own future. I want to know how much work is ahead of me. My future and every kid's future are linked to nature. It's our quality of life. It's our link to God. We are impoverished without nature. There isn't enough time in one day to explain all the reasons for why we need animals and why kids should begin thinking about these things now.

To TELL THE TRUTH OR NOT?

It's been asked of me: What is scarier? To find out the awful truth that there are

endangered species in the world while I am still young; That the cute little ocelot at the zoo is one of only a handful left in the world? Or is it worse to grow up, and

know nothing about the world's wildlife woes until I am an adult? And then be expected to fix it?

I stand and make a torrid appeal to educators on behalf of children and

wildlife: Please tell us the problems now so that we are ready for the task we face.

Chance Ruder, an environmental (and motivational) speaker, prepares for a bird-of-prey demonstration with a Lanner Falcon from North Africa.

Children like me do not want to grow up and find out all of a sudden it is up to us to save wildlife and habi-tats. By then it is too late.

By then we have chosen other educational paths, we have debts to pay, children to raise and corporate ladders to climb. But if you will educate us honestly and

truthfully while we are still young, we will have the time to make life choices that change the tide of environmental disasters like the ones that ALMOST occurred when two teachers at my school planned to release unwanted classroom pets such as exotic African leopard frogs and African clawed frogs in a San Antonio river. With the truth about endangered species, we can begin our impact now, and continue to grow toward the future.

In Spiderman, Peter's uncle said something cool "With great power comes great responsibility."

I began to think about how this applies to nature and kids. I say, "With great knowledge comes great responsibility." Knowledge plus wisdom equals power. Docents have both power and responsibility.

Robert F. Kennedy spoke these words in 1968: "This World demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease .... It is young people who must take the lead."

We kids can't take the lead if we aren't properly prepared. We can't take the lead if the truth is sugar coated. Children do need to know about endangered species and all the reasons that brings an animal to the point of extinction. That is the only way we can lead the next generation.

Leaders come in all kinds of commitment levels- from the weekly meeting to the occasional email. All of them count. When everyone works together, we kids can hear bad news about the environment and know that we are not alone in our fight to save even the most endangered species. This is how we learn. This is what we need. Which level of commitment to a child will you choose?

For the love of life,

Hawks on the wing, EaglesinthesAyand For the love of peace, We must always put up a fight


Public Access Alo11g the Hacke11sack River:

RIVER EDGE- The MUNICIPAL CANOE LAllNCH is located at the far end of the River Edge Swim Club parking lot on Riverside Way. The launch ramp is suitable for launching canoes, kayaks and rowboats. At high tides, small boats with outboard motors can be launched from trailers.

NEW MILFORD - The ALFIS TRACf is located at the end of River Lane. The undeveloped park contains woods, wetlands and approximately ~ mile of open shoreline and is open for walking, birdwatching and fishing.

TEANECK - The HACKENSACK RIVER GREENWAY THROUGH TEANECK is a linear parl<:, nearly 3.5 miles long, that runs south between Brett Park, through the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University, to Terhune Park. Nearby Andreas Park features a pond and several fishing spots along the riverbank. Access is from River Road.

HACKENSACK - HACKENSACK RIVER COUNTY PARK is accessible from Riverside Square Mall and offers opportunities for walking, birdwatching and fishing. Several observation areas and fishing docks are

located there. JOHNSON PARK, located just north of the Anderson Street Bridge, will soon host a canoe and kayak livery and be linked by a river walkway to Foschini Park, a popular fishing spot (and good place to launch a canoe or kayak). RIVERFRONT WALKWAY: Completed sections of the city's River Walkway are located adjacent to Costco and Shop Rite along River Street.

RIDGEFIELD PARK - On the river behind the DPW on Industrial Ave. is WATERSIDE PARK, featuring a sma1I floating dock from which canoes and kayaks may be launched. This parlc is the home of theW anda Canoe Club.

LEONIA - OVERPECK CREEK COUNTY PARK, located on both sides ofFort Lee Road, provides plenty of fishing access and birdwatching opportunities along this impounded tributary of the Hackensack River.

LITTLE FERRY - The Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA) maintains the MEHRHOF POND NATURE TRAIL. Open to organized groups only, Hackensack Riverkeeper (201-692-8440) leads ECOW ALKS throughout the year. The nearby LOSEN SLOTE STATE PARK, is open year-round and can be accessed behind the playground on MehrhofRoad. Two small marinas are located on the river at the terminus of Bergen Turnpike.

RIDGEFIELD - The Hendrix Causeway, near the PSE&G power plant, offers another area on Overpeck Creek that can be easily fished.

CARLSTADT - Just a stone's throw from the Meadowlands Sports Complex are four establishments catering to boaters and others looking to access the Hackensack River: THE RIVER BARGE CAFE, SKY HARBOR MARINA, SNIPES BOAT CLUB, MAJESTIC BOAT CLUB and the MEADOWLANDS GOLF CENTER & MARINA You can access all of them via NJ Rte. 120 or Bergen County Rte. 503 to Paterson Plank Road to Outwater Place. Boat tours offered by the NEW JERSEY MEADOWLANDS COMMISSION (NJMC) leave from the Meadowlands Golf Center & Marina.

SECAUCUS - MILL CREEK PARK, located at the end of Mill Creek Rd. offers picnicking, fishing and a place to launch canoes and kayaks. Two small parks (TROLLEY PARK and the end of Paterson Plank Rd. and SNIPES PARK behind the UPN-9 TV studio on


boating, fishing, birding, hiking, exploring Meadowlands Parkway) offer nice places to sit and enjoy river views. Secaucus is home to the world's only RED ROOF INN with a marina and public boat launch located between the Rte. 3 bridges on Meadowlands Pkwy. LAUREL HILL COUNTY PARK is located across the river from the SAWMILL CREEK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA and is the home of the HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER CANOE PROJECT, the only small boat livery service on the river. The park also boasts a modern public boat launch facility with a ramp and two floating docks. Boats of virtually any size can be launched from this location for fishing, duck hunting or pleasure cruising. Laurel Hill is also the homeport for HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER ECO-CRUISE PROGRAM.

LYNDHURST- Located at the end of Valley Brook Avenue, the headquarters of the NJMC features the HACKENSACK MEADOWLANDS ENVIRONMENT CENTER and DEKORTE PARK. Several miles of trails wind around the Kingsland Impoundment and though various marsh and upland habitats for hiking and wildlife viewing. The birding is excellent but fishing and boating are prohibited. Currently under renovation, the Environment Center will feature museum displays and live animals when completed.

NORTH ARLINGTON - HARRIER MEADOW, a cooperative marsh habitat restoration project between the NJMC and DUCKS UNLIMITED is open for tours given by NJMC Environment Center staff. Call 201-460-8300 for details.

KEARNY- From the GUNNEL OVAL RECREATION AREA off Schuyler Avenue, people can access WEST KEARNY MARSH, a rare freshwater wetland within the typically brackish Meadowlands, for canoeing and kayaking. The NJMC and local paddling clubs often sponsor canoe trips through the marsh.

WHEREVER YOU GO, BE SURE TO HAVE FUN AND PLEASE BE CAREFUL!

REMEMBER TO RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY AND TO OBEY ALL SAFETY RULES AND REGULATIONS!

THE HACKENSACK RIVER IS A CATCH-AND-RELEASE FISHERY.

FISH ONLY FOR FUN AND NOT FOR FOOD!

An unabridged version of these listings can be found on our website: www.hackensackriverkeeper.org


Ode to the Hackensack Riverkeeper, Inc.

We started in the late 90's And we were long overdue Protecting the Hackensack River For me andfor you

We do Eco-Cruises And we rent canoes We do Eco-Walks So wear comfortable shoes

Captain Bill's at the helm Of the Robert H. Boyle Checking for pollution on the river Like tires and oil

We say, .. Throw it in the trash" Don't throw it in the river We like our river clean We don't like litter

Protecting the Meadowlands is another concern The builders and developers, they never learn Fill in a couple of acres here and there And before too long There won't be anything left, they'll all be gone

Now the Mills Corporation has a plan To build a mall on the Empire Tract (a large piece of land) they say, uwe 'll jill in 200 acres and we'll give you 3 (hundred)" Sorry, that just isn't satisfactory

Educating children on the environment, fishing, and history

Is another thing we do Helping the birds and the turtles All other animals too.

Having clean-ups on the river, its creeks and streams

And doing water quality test We at Hackensack Riverkeeper, Inc. Prove we are the best And we plan to stay that way!

Steve Royka, Little Ferry

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 97 TEANECK, N.J.

CL-RRENT ADDRESS 1000 River Road, T090C Teaneck. New Jersey 07666

ADDRESS AS OF SEPT. 1 231 Main Street Ha,:kens.ack. NJ 07601

Phone: (201) 692-8440 Toll Free: 877-CPT-BILL Fax: (201) 692-8449

(201) 968-0808

E-mail: kathyu@ha,:kensa,:kriverkeeper.org http://www .hackensadrriverkeeper.org

Tidelines Contributors Jared Eudell HughCarola Kathy Urffer Catherine Morrow Beth Ravit Mary Arnold Capt. Bill Sheehan

HRI Board of Trustees Margaret Utzinger Catherine Morrow Alice Allured Ivan Kossak Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Susan Gordon Ellie Spray

Hackensack Tidelines is published quarterly on n~':ycled material.

~. is a registered trademark and service mark of Riverkeeper, Inc. and is licensed for use herein.

Hackensack SUMMER

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