International Day of Women & Girls in Science: Celebrating the Women Protecting Our Coasts2/11/2026  February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a global recognition of the women whose research, leadership, education, and fieldwork are shaping a more resilient future. At the American Littoral Society, women are advancing coastal science every day—restoring marshes, protecting horseshoe crabs and terrapins, empowering communities, educating the next generation, and leading large-scale conservation initiatives.
Today, we celebrate the women on our staff whose work strengthens the Delaware Bay, Jamaica Bay, Sandy Hook, and coastal communities throughout our region. Alexandra Kanonik Jamaica Bay Program Director Alexandra Kanonik joined the Littoral Society’s Northeast Chapter in 2017 as a Youth Coordinator for the Jamaica Bay Restoration Corps. Today, she leads the program as Jamaica Bay Program Director, combining field science, habitat restoration, and community engagement in one of New York City’s most ecologically significant estuaries.
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 For many years, people have braved the cold February weather to come to the Winter Eagle Fest in Mauricetown, Cumberland County, for a chance to see some winter wildlife and talk to nonprofits, such as the Littoral Society, who are working to preserve and restore the local environment so that the eagles and all other creatures in the Delaware Bayshore ecosystem can continue to thrive.
This year the eagle fest took place during frigid weather on Saturday, February 7 and included a Littoral Society walk in conjunction with PSE&G. A small but dedicated group braved the chill to walk with us at the bird observatory on Strawberry Avenue and some trekked onto the boardwalk to get an up-close look at the electrical utility’s estuary enhancement site. Participants also learned more about our nearby marsh restoration project along the Northwest Reach of the Maurice River. The view led to lots of great conversations and promises to take a better look at the work in warmer weather! Black History Month: honoring the people, places, & stories that shaped coastal communities2/10/2026  Black History Month offers a powerful opportunity to honor the people, places, and stories that have shaped our coastal communities in ways both visible and overlooked. Along the shores of New Jersey and beyond, Black leaders, artists, workers, and families built vibrant cultural landscapes, advanced movements for freedom, and transformed local and national history.
From beaches that fostered joy and resilience during segregation to museums, parks, and cultural centers preserving legacies of artistry, activism, and maritime heritage, these sites remind us that the coast is more than a scenic backdrop — it is a living archive of Black excellence, endurance, and imagination. Chicken Bone Beach, Atlantic City, NJ Chicken Bone Beach stands as one of Atlantic City’s most significant cultural landmarks, a stretch of shoreline where Black families, musicians, and entrepreneurs carved out joy and community during an era of enforced segregation.  The American Littoral Society is honored to be partnering with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on a Delaware Bayshore project that will restore habitat and protect surrounding communities.
This grant is part of a larger $12.5 million initiative through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, designed to protect the water, wildlife, and communities that rely on the Delaware River watershed. Our project will focus on stabilizing the shoreline at the Kimbles Beach and Bay Cove Beach Complex near Cape May Courthouse, NJ. Grants were also awarded to 30 partner-led projects across the four-state Delaware River watershed, leveraging nearly $17 million in matching funds for a total investment of $29.3 million in conservation. These strategic investments will restore vital habitats, improve water quality, strengthen community resilience to natural disasters, and expand public access to natural spaces throughout the region. |
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