Littoral Society Staff Installs Habitat Garden on Sandy Hook

By Richard Strittmatter, American Littoral Society Delaware Bayshore Program Technician

​In mid-September, the American Littoral Society team gathered at our Sandy Hook headquarters to install a garden that will serve as both an apartment complex and grocery store for birds.

The project was funded through a Conservation Grant from the Monmouth County Audubon Society (MCAS).

The goal of the garden is to support both migratory and resident bird species by providing them with crucial nesting and foraging habitat, while also serving as an educational tool for visitors and Littoral Society members.

The project began with site preparation, using solar fabric to kill off existing grass and weeds, followed by tilling the area to make it easier to plant.

Only plants native to New Jersey were selected due to their natural adaptation to the local environment, meaning they require less maintenance and offer significant benefits for local wildlife. These plants also provide valuable resources to birds, especially migratory species that rely on Sandy Hook as a key stopover on the Atlantic Flyway.

The pollinator garden includes a variety of native plants, such as beach plum, Virginia sweetspire, and bearberry, which not only supply essential food for migratory birds but also serve as year-round habitat for resident species. These plants are particularly important in the winter, when their fruit and seeds offer sustenance, and their structure provides cover and nesting opportunities.

Beyond benefiting birds, the garden serves as a living classroom. By showcasing how native plants can be used to support bird populations, the Society hopes to inspire individuals to incorporate similar plants in their own yards, creating more bird-friendly environments throughout the region.

The selection of plant species was guided by Lucia Osborne, our Delaware Bay Program Director, and our Habitat Restoration Program Director Captain Al Modjeski, both of whom have extensive expertise in native New Jersey plants. The design for the garden was crafted by Katrina Majewski of Prototype Design Group, a landscape architecture firm specializing in sustainable and urban design.

As this new pollinator garden takes root, it will play a vital role in supporting local and migratory bird populations, while also educating the public on the importance of creating habitats for wildlife in our own backyards.

MCAS offers small grants for projects that are located in Monmouth County and will benefit birds through habitat creation, improvement, or restoration. Examples of such projects include, but are not limited to:

• Installation of nesting platforms for osprey;
• Creation of hummingbird gardens with native plants;
• Installation of nest boxes for purple martins, tree swallows, Eastern bluebirds, American kestrel, wood ducks, and/or owls;
• Native tree/shrub plantings which are selected based upon suitability for bird nesting and/or foraging.

---