 Join the American Littoral Society to discover the diverse wildlife inhabiting our coast on one of the American Littoral Society's most popular family activities: Sunset Seining on Sandy Hook Bay.
After a short talk on the Littoral Society's front porch, you will drive over to Horseshoe Cove to help pull a 40-foot seine net that will scoop up a variety of marine creatures. Our trained naturalists will then fill you in on how they fit into the ecosystem. There are four summer Tuesdays scheduled: July 9 and 23, as well as Aug. 6 and 20. Registration is free for members, $10 for non-member children, $20 for non-member adults. To register, click links below.  Operation Oyster aims to bring local communities together through education and restoration based research. Having a strong volunteer presence supporting this program is imperative to its mission.
As an ‘Oyster Wrangler’ citizen scientist, you will play a crucial role in the American Littoral Society’s state-wide effort to raise awareness about the importance of oysters and their ecological benefit to our ecosystem. Oyster Wranglers observe, monitor, and record data on oysters and varying aquatic species at dock locations throughout the Two Rivers. The data and observations collected by the Wranglers helps the Society better understand where in the Two Rivers oysters and species benefiting from oyster habitat flourish. Furthermore, Oyster Wranglers act as environmental ambassadors for the Society by educating those they come in contact with about the beneficial impact oysters can make on the health of the Two Rivers. Contact Julie Schumacher at julie@littoralsociety.org for more information or to participate. #NYNJCitizenScience #NYNJCommunityScience Saturday and Sunday, June 29 & 30
9 a.m. - Noon Sunset Cove Park Meet at West 22nd Road & Shade Creek Road Queens, NY Free Join the American Littoral Society for marsh grass planting within this newly restored NYC park. Planting events will be hosted by the American Littoral Society in partnership with the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and NYC Parks. To volunteer, please register via the provided links below: Click Here to Register for June 29 Click Here to Register for June 30 For more information please contact the American Littoral Society at 718-474-0896 or e-mail don@littoralsociety.org.  The American Littoral Society has filed a lawsuit against the Borough of Deal, NJ to protect public access to the beach. The Borough recently took action to sell a street end, Neptune Avenue, to a waterfront developer for $1 million. Neptune Avenue is used by the general public, fishermen and surfers to access the beach for recreational uses.
“Public access to the beaches and tidal waterfronts of our state is constantly under attack” said Tim Dillingham, Executive Director of the American Littoral Society. “We are taking this action to prevent the loss of this important public accessway to the beach, and to ensure that other towns aren’t tempted to sell off the public’s rights to the highest bidder.” For many years, Neptune Avenue has been used by beachgoers to access the adjacent beach. Fishermen, surfers and other members of the public have regularly parked on the easterly end of the street. The street end is included as a beach access point on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s New Jersey Public Access locations website. Coastal communities are taking actions to support regional ocean planning, ban intentional balloon releases, and oppose offshore oil and gas activities  Less than a year ago in September of 2018, the City of Asbury Park became the sixth New Jersey municipality to be recognized as a Champion of the Coast by the American Littoral Society. The recognition followed Asbury Park’s adoption of an ordinance banning intentional balloon releases, marking the third action in a series required by the Society to achieve Champion of the Coast status.
Soft plastics, like balloons, are the type of pollution most likely to cause death in birds and turtles who ingest them, and animals can also become entangled in the attached balloon ribbons. The Littoral Society launched the Champions of the Coast initiative in 2018 shortly after the Department of the Interior released a Draft Proposed Plan for new offshore oil and gas leases. The goal is to recognize local voices that support coordinated and collaborative planning for use of our shared ocean spaces.  It was an honor to be joined by the First Lady of Japan, Mrs. Akie Abe and the office of the Consulate General of Japan on September 26 for a shoreline cleanup of Jamaica Bay. Participants in the cleanup also included staff from the National Park Service and Gateway National Recreation Area, as welll as several volunteers. From September 23 to September 27, Mrs. Akie Abe visited the New York accompanying Prime Minister Shinzo, where she had various exchanges with many people. In addition to participating in a beach cleanup on September 26, she also visited the American Littoral Society offices in Jamaica Bay and received a briefing from Tim Dillingham, Executive Director of the Society, and Don Riepe, Jamaica Bay Program Director, about Littoral Society conservation activities in the Jamaica Bay.  Join the American Littoral Society to canoe one of the Pine Barrens' gentlest and most relaxing rivers, the Wading River. On Friday, June 28, Naturalists from the Society will guide you on a three-hour cruise of this unique and world-renowned New Jersey habitat. Together, we'll paddle through deep and shaded stands of the Atlantic white cedar forest, enjoy blueberries and azaleas in bloom, and enjoy a river-side lunch where we discuss Pine Barren history and tales of the Jersey Devil. Click here to register. Be sure to have a camera ready as you drift by remnants of Colonial settlers, towering pitch pines and beaver dams.
Children are welcome, but small children must be accompanied by a supervising adult. Life-jackets and transportation back to the parking area will be provided by the canoe company. Allot three hours for the trip and lunch break, however recent rains may make the trip slightly shorter. WHAT TO BRING: Wear shoes that can get wet (beach sandals or sneakers that can get wet), bring a change clothes and leave them in your car, lunch in a waterproof container, sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses), bug repellent, re-usable water bottle and a dry bag if you have one (they are available to rent). Pack your cell phones in a resealable plastic bag and keep it securely on you. Provide your own transportation to Mick's Pine Barren Canoe Rental, 3107 County Road 563, Chatsworth, NJ 08019, Departure from Mick's is at 9:30 a.m., so plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before then. Cost: $50 per Littoral Society member, $60 for non-members. Advance registration is required. For more information contact Nicole Haines, American Littoral Society Education Director at 732-291-0055 or nicole.haines@littoralsociety.org Click here to register.  Pictured are (left to right): Bobby Cook, Vice President, Small Business Lender, OceanFirst Bank, Nicole Haines, Littoral Society Education Director, Hillary Critelli, Littoral Society Director of Development, Joe Tuzzio, Vice President, Business Banking Lender, OceanFirst Bank, and Jennifer Harmon, Training Coordinator, OceanFirst Bank. The American Littoral Society would like to thank the OceanFirst Foundation for donating $1,500 to sponsor six scholarships to the 2018 Sandy Hook Coast Camps, which run July 8-12 and August 5-9 this year.
Littoral Society camps allow children in grades 5-8 to have a great time while exploring the natural world. They do this by getting sand between their toes and their hands in the water under the guidance of our trained staff.  On Thursday, May 23, the American Littoral Society, Bradley Beach Municipal officials and project partners came together near the north end of the Bradley Beach boardwalk for the official unveiling of the town’s restored maritime forest.
The maritime forest is a model for other coastal communities and provides sustainable protection for New Jersey’s coastal lakes, many of which are in jeopardy. The plants help protect against storms, reduce sand and debris going into Fletcher Lake, provide habitat, and beautify the area. "With our famous dunes, our soon to be natural shoreline at Sylvan Park and our Maritime Forest, Bradley Beach is blessed to work with individuals and organizations that are committed to forward thinking and have real compassion for the coast,” said Bradley Beach Mayor Gary Engelstad. “Much of this progress has been possible thanks to the help of the American Littoral Society."  A bill banning the ownership and sale of shark fins is once again scheduled for a vote in the NJ Assembly. The American Littoral Society asks members to contact their legislators and the Speaker of the Assembly to urge passage of this important bill.
A4845/S2905 would ban the sale and trade of certain shark fins, which will reduce the chance that foreign shark fins end up in our state. While shark finning itself is banned by federal law, the states must ban the sale and possession of these fins to further protect sharks, which are a vital component of our ocean ecosystem. The shark fin bill passed the NJ Senate in March and has been awaiting action in the Assembly. "The Littoral Society and numerous other organizations are deeply concerned with the decline of shark populations, which are crucial to the health of the ocean," said Tim Dillingham, Executive Director of the American Littoral Society. "We have been working for years to ban the possession, sale, trade or distribution of shark fins and we hope that New Jersey is ready to join other states that have already taken action to end the terrible practice of shark fining." We ask Littoral Society members and supporters to contact by phone and email both Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and their district Assembly representative to urge passage of this bill. |
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