 By Samantha Hemming, American Littoral Society Coastal Education Intern
On the last Friday night in July, moth admirers from across the tri-state joined the American Littoral Society in the Sandy Hook maritime forest to celebrate National Moth Week! The evening's activities were led by Senior Ecologist at GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. and moth expert Blaine Rothauser, who offered insight on New Jersey’s rich moth biodiversity and the significance of those winged insects in our ecosystem. To draw in the stars of the show, Rothauser draped a white tarp over his truck and illuminated it with a strong white light on one side and UV light on the other. The light blinds the moths, placing them in a docile state that allows them to be held. Participants of all ages and levels of moth knowledge crowded together with Blaine to learn how to identify and handle the beautiful bugs.  By Stella Mueller, American Littoral Society Education Program Intern
Do you have a child that is fascinated with fishing? Then the Junior Ranger Angler Surf Fishing Program on Sandy Hook could be the perfect way for them to learn the art of casting from a beach. It was for me! Led by the American Littoral Society's Fish Tagging Director Emily McGuckin and rangers from the National Park Service, it offers young people ages 10-16 an opportunity learn from experts about the basics of fishing and why fish tagging is beneficial to conservation, while also getting hands-on experience. This program, which has multiple dates throughout the summer, welcomes anglers with all experience levels and promotes fish tagging to a growing community of local young anglers.   By Stella Mueller, American Littoral Society Education Program Intern
During a recent seining excursion, we caught an abundance of local species that are common along the New Jersey coastline. We hosted about 25 participants, from adults to young children. Everyone got into the fun by pulling the net, examining the species caught, and admiring the beautiful sunset! Among the critters caught were striped killifish, Atlantic silversides, blue crabs, pipefish, fluke, and even a large female horseshoe crab. However, the best discovery of the evening was during our final net pull when we found a massive hermit crab! Typically, the aquatic hermit crabs we catch are about the size of a quarter. This hermit crab however, was about the size of a large egg! You never know what animal you might find next when you’re seining! If you’d like to join us on our next seining trip and catch some critters of your own, please check out our Upcoming Events page or contact Education Coordinator, Audrey Litto: [email protected]. |
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