 Walkers on Sandy Hook wade through blowing sand.  Alexandra Kanonik, director of the Littoral Society's Northeast Chapter, carries a signal mirror on the New York walk. January blew in with a spirited 25–35 mph breeze this year, but a little wind was never going to stop a 50-year tradition. On January 1, 2026, the American Littoral Society celebrated five decades of New Year’s Day walks, bringing together a hardy community of coastal defenders on both sides of the New York/New Jersey Bight.
At our headquarters on Sandy Hook, nearly 200 people turned out to commemorate our golden anniversary trek. The destination was the northern tip of the Hook, a journey that became a true test of resolve as the final mile was spent walking almost directly into the gale. While not everyone made it to the very end, we were grateful to have so many Littoral Society members and supporters come out to our offices on Sandy Hook and help commemorate the 50th anniversary of our first-day walk. On the other side of the water, our New York contingent gathered outside the Little Chapel in Fort Tilden for a walk along Breezy Point. The "breezy" name lived up to expectations, but the group kept spirits high with coffee and doughnuts.
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 Red Knots and horseshoe crabs congregate on Delaware Bay beaches in an ancient rite of Spring that is also crucial to the future health of coastal ecosystems. Weakening the Endangered Species Act would make it harder to protect both. (Photo by Susan Allen) Every spring, a prehistoric ritual unfolds on the sandy shores of the Delaware Bay. The rufa Red Knot, a master of long-distance migration, touches down on our beaches to fuel up on horseshoe crab eggs before completing its arduous journey to the Arctic. This spectacle is a reminder that our coastlines are not just beautiful landscapes; they are vital engines of life that have supported complex ecosystems for millennia. From the shorebirds on the sand to the life beneath the waves, these coastal systems are the foundation of our natural heritage.
The reach of these habitats extends far beyond the Red Knot. Our rivers and estuaries serve as critical corridors for the Atlantic sturgeon, while our salt marshes provide rare nesting grounds for the elusive Eastern blackrail. Even the majestic North Atlantic right whale relies on these coastal waters as a migratory highway. These species represent the incredible diversity of our region, and they all share one thing in common: a fundamental dependence on the integrity of our coastal habitats to survive and thrive. However, a new threat has emerged that puts this entire web of life at risk. Proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) seek to weaken protections for "threatened" species and the habitats they rely on. As climate change accelerates and industrial development along our coasts expands, these safeguards are more important than ever. Weakening the ESA now would make it significantly harder to protect vulnerable species just when they need our help the most. We must ensure that the "threatened" designation remains a powerful tool for conservation, not a watered-down label. Thanks to All for A Night of Holiday Cheer and Community Support at the NE Chapter Party!12/16/2025  We had a wonderful and lively time celebrating the season and reflecting on a year of accomplishments at the American Littoral Society Northeast Chapter's annual holiday party on Saturday, December 13!
Thanks to those who came out for the event and all of you who stood and worked with us through the year. We want to send a special thank you to Cecilia Dean and David Selig for their incredible generosity in opening their beautiful home to us this year. The atmosphere was festive, warm, and the perfect setting for our community gathering. The 50 guests in attendance enjoyed a delicious meal from local Rockaway culinary wizard, Whit Aycock of the Blarney Castle, who treated us to fantastic pastas and a seasonal salad. For dessert, we were spoiled with lovely, carefully crafted brownies from Pastry Chef Tracy Obolsky of Rockaway Bakery. The space was made even more festive thanks to the selection of beautiful Poinsettias from our friends at Lisena Garden Center!  Our pinniped friends have returned to Sandy Hook, and winter waterfowl are once again filling the bay and ocean with color and activity.
From January through March, the Littoral Society invites you to join us for our Seal & Winter Waterfowl Walks—one of the best ways to experience the magic of winter wildlife on Sandy Hook. In addition to seals, the bayside tidal pools and protected coves create ideal resting spots for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. Last winter brought several unforgettable sightings. A standout moment was a Dovekie bobbing in the ocean waves—a tiny seabird and a rare visitor to New Jersey. We also enjoyed watching familiar winter favorites: mergansers (always prompting an enthusiastic “MERG!”), buffleheads, pintails, and many others showing off their striking plumage.  In November, the American Littoral Society returned to Anthony Rossi Elementary School in Vineland, NJ, to replant two of the rain gardens we first built in 2020. We were joined by teacher Amanda Trionfo’s 3rd graders.
These gardens were designed to capture stormwater before it can rush across the school’s parking lot, pick up pollutants, and flow into the storm drain leading to Menantico Creek and the Maurice River. By slowing that water down and allowing it to seep into the soil, the gardens help recharge the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer while supporting native plants, pollinators, and the local wildlife that depends on them. Over the years, Rossi students have become proud caretakers of these living classrooms, helping us weed, observe seasonal changes, and conduct mini “bio blitzes” to see what creatures call the gardens home.  Members of the Lenni-Lenape tribe, with Littoral Society staff and R-Corps members. November is National Native American Heritage Month, and we at the American Littoral Society are honoring the original stewards of our coasts by highlighting the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape people and the ways they continue to keep their culture alive today.
The Lenni-Lenape—whose name is generally translated as “Original People”—have a history in this region dating back more than 10,000 years. Long before European colonization, they lived in small, semi-permanent villages along rivers and coasts, including the Delaware Bay and its tributaries, where they fished, hunted, and farmed. Their communities in what is now New Jersey included three main groups, the southernmost of which were the Unami (“People Down River”) and the Unalachtigo (“People Who Live Near the Ocean”). In the 1600s, the Nanticoke—known as the “Tidewater People”—began migrating from Maryland and Delaware to the Delaware River region, eventually uniting with Lenape who remained in the area. By the 18th century, many Lenape had been pushed westward into Pennsylvania, Ohio, and beyond. Given the meaning of their names, it is clear that the Delaware River watershed—including its tributaries and the bay—has always been central to their cultural identity. The descendants who remained or returned to New Jersey are citizens of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation, and many of them work to preserve their culture and continue advocating for tribal recognition. The Littoral Society is proud to partner with the Nation to help protect South Jersey’s waterways and the communities that depend on them. To highlight this month, we spoke with one of our partners, Charlene Johnson, Cultural Retention Chairperson and a proud citizen of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation. For the past decade, the Society has worked with Charlene and other tribal members through environmental education programs, and we are honored to share her perspective.  Thursday, January 1
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. From Fort Tilden in New York and Littoral Society HQ on Sandy Hook, NJ Free Ring in the New Year with the American Littoral Society by joining us for brisk walks in New York and New Jersey. For the New York walk, meet at the little church just inside the 169th street entrance to Fort Tilden (note the Main gate may be closed). We'll hike along the beach and visit the hawk watch platform on top of Battery Harris east (about a mile on roads and trails). For the Sandy Hook Walk, meet at Littoral Society headquarters (Building 18 in the Fort Hancock Section of Gateway National Recreation Area). We will walk to the northern tip of Sandy Hook (a little over 2 miles on roads, trails and sand). Hot dogs and hot chocolate will be served after the walk. Once at their respective destinations, both groups will attempt to signal each other across the New York bight. By Gabriella Santucci Restoration Corps Member, 2025  Gabriella Santucci (center) with fellow Sandy Hook R-Corps members Vivian Oliver (left) and Rowan Semsel, working with students on Sandy Hook. This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the American Littoral Society’s Restoration Corps (R-Corps) program at Sandy Hook in Highlands, NJ. I had wanted to work with the Littoral Society for a few years and was thrilled to see that the Restoration Corps program was being offered at the Sandy Hook location for the first time ever. The goal of this program is to give young environmental professionals with little to no experience an opportunity to gain hands-on training in marine conservation and community engagement.
My favorite part of this program was working with the Littoral Society’s Restoration Team. Throughout the summer, we helped with many different projects across New Jersey — from digging on the beach to find horseshoe crab eggs, to floating all day in Barnegat Bay collecting aquatic vegetation data. There was never a dull moment! I worked most closely with Julie Schumacher, the Littoral Society’s Habitat Restoration Coordinator, who has been an incredible mentor and friend. She was always willing to answer my questions, was incredibly knowledgeable about the science the Littoral Society conducts, and made even the longest field days fun. Gaining hands-on experience in the environmental sciences is so important, and we had many opportunities to do that this summer as part of the Restoration Corps program.  Join the American Littoral Society for a volunteer opportunity and appreciation event all wrapped into one! Come to work, stay after to Shell-A-Brate!
With the help of volunteers, we will be installing a new oyster reef at Fortescue Beach in Downe Township, NJ on Sunday, Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2:30p.m. Once the work concludes at 2 p.m., we will provide food and refreshments. You can signup to lend a hand on our registration page. Participants will also help us roll out something brand new for this restoration project: Reef Prisms. These triangles are designed to not only provide a solid base for the reef sections, but also help us move away from using plastic mesh bags to hold oyster shell.  The American Littoral Society’s Restoration Corps (R-Corps) program isn't just a summer job; it’s an immersive training ground where the next generation of environmental leaders gets their hands dirty.
This year’s Delaware Bay R-Corps brought in both new and familiar faces, with two of the returning crew members being hired early so they could help our education program with work that included the new SeaQuest program in Bridgeton, NJ — made possible by a generous donation – and several field trips. The rest of the group — a mix of high school and college students, along with a few graduates — were hired at the end of May. With the whole group on board, R-Corps got the season underway with hands-on field work and outreach events. June was a busy and rewarding month for the R-Corps team. We spent the first few weeks along the shores of Delaware Bay, diving into projects that combined hands-on science with real-world conservation. |
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