December Littoral News December 1, 2020 
From the Director In December, Let's Celebrate the Coast Man, do we need something to celebrate.
No one wants to read a recitation of the challenges we have faced during the past year as Americans and people who care about the coast, much less those burdens unique to our own lives and paths.
So, as we head into the shortest days of the year, which will bring to many the cold winds of winter, lets focus on celebration.
Let’s celebrate the coast. Let’s celebrate the salt life.
COMING UP 2020 End of Year Giving Campaign This has been a tough year, but you’ve kept coastal conservation alive.
Giving Tuesday 
According to a Giving USA 2019 report, only 3% of philanthropic giving across income levels in the United States, goes to the environment and that is up from previous years. As coronavirus persists, sea levels continue to rise, while water and air pollution levels increase. Your support is integral to the health of our local waterways and communities!
Zero Waste Workshop for the Holidays Wednesday, December 9
Join Littoral Society Education Director, Nicole Haines, as she discusses ways to reduce waste during the holiday season.
This workshop will include:
Northeast Chapter Annual Holiday Party Saturday, December 12
Join us for the virtual Northeast Chapter Holiday Party via Zoom this holiday season.
Join Don, Alexandra, and Lisa for a presentation about the goings on at the American Littoral Society's Northeast Chapter throughout 2020. View stunning photos of Jamaica Bay, local wildlife and birds, and the hardworking staff and volunteers who made coastal conservation in the "Jewel of New York City." We'll be presenting the Second Annual Volunteer of the Year Award.
As usual, the party will contain an “Ugly Auction”, a Silent Auction, door prizes, fun events, slide presentation, plus a never before seen vintage (1986) video of our director Don Riepe (aka Don Diego) in a Flamenco Dance performance at Lincoln Center.
If you would like to donate a Silent Auction or Ugly Auction item please contact Don@littoralsociety.org or call (917) 371-8577.
If you're unable to make a donation, but would still like to attend the celebration, please contact Alexandra Kanonik at alexandra@littoralsociety.org.
Climate and Resilience Education Task Force Meeting with NJ's First Lady Monday, December 7 3:30 p.m. Free, Virtual Meeting
The Climate and Resilience Education Task Force is hosting New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy Murphy for a timely discussion on comprehensive climate education.
New Jersey is the first state in the nation to integrate interdisciplinary climate education standards across the curriculum, in a bold effort to address the looming climate change crisis. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/38WmtJr
Ms. Murphy will discuss how New Jersey's initiative came about and then participate in a Q and A, facilitated by a Youth Steering Committee member, to help us imagine how New Jersey's model could be replicated in New York State.
The regular Task Force meeting will follow Ms. Murphy's segment.
The Climate and Resilience Education Task Force was launched in May 2018 by the National Wildlife Federation and is supported NOAA, FEMA and Con Edison.
The Task Force is dedicated to increasing access to interdisciplinary climate and resilience education, and associated professional learning opportunities, in New York City's K-16 schools. 
Jamaica Bay Task Force Meeting
Wednesday, December 9 6:30 - 9 p.m. Virtual Meeting via Zoom
The fall meeting of the Jamaica Bay Task Force will be a virtual event open to all and include updates and information regarding initial or ongoing projects and programs in the Jamaica Bay areas of Brooklyn and Queens Counties, NYC.
Among those speaking at the session will be Don Riepe, Director of the American Littoral Society's Northeast Chapter; Alexandra Kanonik, Jamaica Bay Program Manager for the American Littoral Society, Dan Mundy Jr, Vice President of Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers, and Alex Zablocky, Executive Director of the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy.
The task force dates back to 1984 and has been an influential catalyst and outlet for public review and input to projects affecting Jamaica Bay. Northeast Chapter News Winter Waterfowl Workshop Success A total of 51 people came out in person for the Winter Waterfowl virtual workshop on Saturday, November 21, while more than 300 others participated via the Facebook Live broadcast.
The program featured the 30-plus species of ducks, geese, loons, swans, cormorants, and grebes that spend winter in Jamaica Bay.
At the moment, more than 10,000 Brant Geese and 1,000 Snow Geese are currently in the bay along with many Bufflehead and Ruddy Ducks. 
SIGHTS & SOUNDS American Littoral Society Launches New Restoration Project in Barnegat Bay The “spud barge” is packed up and on-site!
It signals that the Littoral Society is beginning a new oyster reef project in Barnegat Bay. The work will help improve water quality, enhance the environment and add add natural protection for shoreline communities.
Many thanks to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NJ Department of Environmental Protection for their support, guidance and partnership!
Stay tuned for updates on this project, which will be posted on the Littoral Society website. 
Veterans Day Recognition The American Littoral Society would like to thank all veterans for their service and extend special recognition to the many service members who have helped with our work along the Delaware Bay.
American Littoral Society Receives Resilient Communities Grant The American Littoral Society has received a $500,000 grant to improve horseshoe crab and shorebird habitat at South Jersey’s Fortescue Beach, while also making the shore more resistant to coastal storms and sea level rise.
The grant comes from the Resilient Communities Program, a collaboration between Wells Fargo and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) that aims to help communities better prepare for and respond to climate-related natural disasters by investing in green infrastructure.
Littoral Society Awarded $4.9 million Grant to Restore Mouth of Maurice River The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today announced more than $37 million in new grants from the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) that will support coastal resilience projects in 25 states and U.S. territories. The 46 grants announced today will generate $55 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $92 million.
JOIN US 
Membership, Renew or Join Today! Your loyalty and support enable us to continue to protect and care for the coast. Your membership supports marine science education programs for thousands of students, protecting and restoring marine life and habitat, and our efforts to defend the coast from harm. 
Show Your Support with Littoral Society Gear There are more ways than ever to show your support for the American Littoral Society. Now available at the Society online store are short-sleeve t-shirts in multiple designs/colors, as well as long-sleeve t's and baseball caps with the Society's name and/or logo.
POSTPONEMENTS & CANCELATIONS 
The American Littoral Society will be postponing or canceling upcoming public events based on public health advisories from states and the US Centers for Disease Control.
New Year's Day Walk, Sandy Hook, NJ - Friday, January 1
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November Littoral News November 1, 2020
From the Director The Littoral Society Wants You to Become a Lorax “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is ever going to get better. It's not.”
When I think of an advocate, I often think of the Lorax, the iconic conservation figure created by Dr. Suess. The Lorax spoke for the trees, which had no tongues.
The lesson of the Lorax was that there are things that must be cared for, resources that need to be stewarded. Often we need someone to remind us what we have or what may be lost. We need someone to speak out on behalf of the things that can’t speak for themselves – whether trees or horseshoe crabs.
Without an advocate we might not even hear about important things until they are gone.
COMING UP Join Us for the 5th Annual Lobster Run 
Saturday, Nov 7 Virtual and In-Person Options
The 5th Annual Lobster Run is ON! We hope you’ll join us wherever you’re most comfortable, whether it’s on the boards in Asbury Park, NJ, on the streets of your hometown, or in your local park.
If you plan to join us in person, please read through all the COVID-19 guidelines and regulations on the registration page before registering.
Register for the in-person or virtual race at www.raceforum.com/lobster.
2020 End of Year Giving Campaign This has been a tough year, but you’ve kept coastal conservation alive.
Northeast Chapter Annual Holiday Party Saturday, December 12
Winter Waterfowl Virtual Workshop Saturday, November 21
Save the Date for Giving Tuesday 
Tuesday, December 1
2020 Spooky Walk Ends Friday, November 6
Don't miss it, friends.
The 2020 Virtual Spooky Walk will only be available for a few more days. Don't miss your chance to follow our guide and travel through a space between time and technology to glimpse the darker side of Sandy Hook's history. These tales retreat to their lairs on November 6.
Together, we will brave the memories of those unfortunate souls who have faced death, despair -- and all the phantoms that lie in between.
Take heart, and prepare yourself. The Virtual Spooky Walk is for entertainment purposes only. The stories told are embellished based on stories passed down over the years. Not all spots on the tour are accessible if walked on your own. Please stay within the public areas of Sandy Hook. 
Celebrate the Society's 2020 Spooky Walk with this limited edition apparel! Two Eye-Catching Designs Available
Northeast Chapter News October is peak time for migrating hawks and falcons along our coast. The Littoral Society and partners held a hybrid event (virtual and live) on Sunday, October 18 about this amazing phenomenon. Participants saw presentations by naturalists who have been following these movements for many years.
The Raptorama Festival was a huge success, with about 200 viewers on the virtual portion and about 75 in-person attendees to the live event in a safe, socially distanced setting. 
The Restoration Corps skeleton crew did some great work planting and removing invasive weeds and grasses in Frank Charles park to improve the pollinator habitat that they helped to create there.
R-corps participants also planted 1,000 shrubs and wildflowers at Frank Charles Park on the edge of Jamaica Bay.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS Advocacy Organizations Call on ASMFC to Complete Action for Protecting Menhaden A number of organizations called on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to follow through on efforts to help protect a crucial fish species.
That effort was rewarded on Oct. 28 with a vote by ASMFC's Atlantic Menhaden Management Board to reduce the Atlantic menhaden quota by 10 percent.
The decision established a quota of 194,400 metric tons for the 2021 and 2022 fishing years. Atlantic menhaden are a primary food source for numerous sportfish populations, especially striped bass.
Vineland School Students & Staff Help Install Rain Garden Students and staff at Anthony Rossi Elementary School in Vineland, NJ partnered with the American Littoral Society, Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) to install two rain gardens on school grounds.
Students from several classrooms received education, both in class last Spring and virtually, to help prepare them for the planting and ongoing care of the gardens.
The Vineland Public Schools maintenance department worked hard to complete excavation, while school staff, along with team members from the Littoral Society, Rutgers, and ANJEC, completed the installation.
Together participants planted native, drought-resistant perennials that not only beautify school property, but also will attract butterflies and other pollinators while conserving one of our planet's most vital natural resources - water.
Click here to read the full story on the Littoral Society blog.
Webinar: Return to the Delaware River The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed hosted a webinar on Monday, October 5 to share information on a project seeking to promote fair and equitable opportunities to “get more people, more often, in more places” swimming, paddling and enjoying the 27 mile stretch of the Delaware River flowing past Philadelphia, Camden and Chester.
The Water Center, University of Pennsylvania, and the American Littoral Society, with the support of the William Penn Foundation, are creating a “road map” of possible improvements and a process to advise policy makers on preferred paths for relatively short-term action that would result in better water quality in targeted areas of the Delaware River in order to support swimming, wading, and paddling.
Ladder Helps Fish Scale Dam Fish in Wreck Pond can now climb further into the watershed thanks to a ladder over the Old Mill Dam.
This summer the American Littoral Society installed New Jersey's first fish ladder in order to give anadromous fish, like alewife and blueback river herring, which spend most of their lives in the ocean but lay eggs in fresh water, renewed access to a former spawning area.
The ladder is the next step in the ongoing effort to restore Wreck Pond and its watershed.
JOIN US Help Prepare for a Safer Future Feeling #grateful to be high & dry this Thanksgiving?
The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve wants us all to prepare for a safer future.
Help by taking this survey and sharing with friends who live in coastal #NJ or love to visit. Survey closes on 11/20!
Membership, Renew or Join Today! Your loyalty and support enable us to continue to protect and care for the coast. Your membership supports marine science education programs for thousands of students, protecting and restoring marine life and habitat, and our efforts to defend the coast from harm.
Show Your Support with Littoral Society Gear There are more ways than ever to show your support for the American Littoral Society. Now available at the Society online store are short-sleeve t-shirts in multiple designs/colors, as well as long-sleeve t's and baseball caps with the Society's name and/or logo.
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October Littoral News October 1, 2020
From the Director If We Love Our Neighbors, We Protect the Places They Call Home Habitat is home.
Just like in our own homes, coastal habitats are defined and made unique by their locations, specific features or characteristics, and who shares the neighborhood.
For example, bays, estuaries, coastal marshes and the ocean all have salt water but the level of salinity varies in each, making them as different as Highlands, NJ is from the New Jersey Highlands.
Likewise, in all of those salty places, plant and animal life differs, as does the energy of the water (waves, tides, currents), and the human influence on them through such things as construction, boating or fishing. Those elements and so many others intertwine to determine who in the coastal and marine environment lives where.
COMING UP 
2020 Annual Meeting
Saturday, October 24
Shop at AmazonSmile on Prime Day to Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14
Amazon's Prime Day(s) is Tuesday, Oct. 13 through Wednesday, Oct. 14 and will feature thousands of deals exclusively for Prime members, making it one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Click this link to have Amazon donate to the Littoral Society when you shop on AmazonSmile.
Virtual Rain Barrel Workshop Thursday, October 15
Attend a virtual rain barrel workshop over Zoom, then pick-up the barrel and supplies at our office to make it yourself at home!
For more information, email Education Outreach Coordinator Zach Nickerson.
Raptorama Festival Sunday, October 18 live presentation 2 - 4 p.m.
Zero Waste Workshop Wednesday, October 21
Join Littoral Society Education Director, Nicole Haines, as she goes through ways to lessen your waste. This workshop will include:
2020 Spooky Walk 
Beginning Oct. 19
Unfortunately, due to precautions surrounding Covid-19, we can't host large, in-person activities this year. However, we've come up with a way to help you do the Spooky Walk on your own. And we've created a special T-shirt to commemorate the occasion.
Beginning Oct. 19, the Littoral Society website will offer an interactive map of the places we typically visit on the Spooky Walk, with links to videos that will enable Jeff to act as your virtual guide and teller of tales.
So, make sure your hurricane lantern is in working order and locate your oilskin jacket, so you're prepared for the 2020 Spooky Walk on Sandy Hook.
Celebrate the Society's 2020 Spooky Walk with this limited edition apparel! Two Eye-Catching Designs Available
NORTHEAST CHAPTER NEWS National Wildlife Federation and Partners Receive NOAA Grant to Promote Climate Resilience Education in NYC The results of climate change are becoming ever more evident. Yet, according to an article in GRIST by Miyo McGinn, most American kids graduate high school “without any formal education about a crisis that is already harming their communities and fundamentally reshaping life on Earth."
The National Wildlife Federation - along with the American Littoral Society - is trying to change that by providing quality curricula and programs that advance climate literacy through the Resilient Schools Consortium (RiSC™) program.
The RiSC program was first launched in 2017 in six New York City public schools by Brooklyn College, the National Wildlife Federation, and partners with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Fall Equinox Walk Every year at the turning of the seasons, the American Littoral Society conducts a public Equinox Walk around our headquarters building in the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. In 2020, due to safety precautions linked to Covid-19, we are inviting you to join us for a virtual walk to welcome the beginning of Autumn.
Revisit the walk with Littoral Society hosts, Jeff Dement, Fish Tagging Director, and Nicole Haines, Education Director, as they guide you through the flora, fauna, history and sights of Sandy Hook, NJ on one of two days each year when the day is divided equally between daylight and darkness.
Old Mill Dam Fish Ladder Old Mill Dam is located in Spring Lake Heights New Jersey next to The Mill Lakeside Manor. The dam has acted as the main obstruction for migrating fish species for over 100 years. The American Littoral Society is pleased to announce that they have installed and opened a 60-foot Alaska-Steeppass Fish Ladder on Old Mill Dam. This fish ladder will allow fish to access nearly an additional mile of optimal spawning habitat.
Littorally Local at Home Presentation In case you missed the livestream on Facebook: Join Tim Dillingham, Executive Director of the American Littoral Society, and Littorally Local Host Committee Co-Chairs Kristen Hall and Heather Robinson on Saturday, September 12, at 6 pm for an update on the Society's efforts to care for the coast during this unprecedented time.
The Story of Plastic Webinar
In case you missed the live stream: The American Littoral Society recently hosted a virtual screening of "The #StoryOfPlastic," a documentary about the ugly truth behind the global plastic pollution crisis. It was followed by this webinar/panel discussion about the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people who inhabit it.
RESTORATION NEWS 
An aerial view of Cooks Beach in Cape May County, NJ with near shore engineered oyster reefs designed to help maintain and protect the restored beach from storm surge and waves. Best Restored Shore Awards Spotlights Littoral Society Beach Restoration Project An American Littoral Society restoration project has been honored by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) as one of the Best Restored Shores in the United States.
The work at Cooks Beach in Cape May County, NJ is one of three projects highlighted as part of ASBPA's second annual Best Restored Shores awards. The program recognizes projects that apply natural and nature-based solutions to enhance the nation's shorelines.
"We're certainly proud to be honored by the ASBPA for our work, which involves countless local volunteers, as well as the involvement of state and federal partners and funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation," said Capt. Al Modjeski, Restoration Program director for the American Littoral Society. "But equally important is that the project has paid off for the spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds who need these Delaware Bay beaches to maintain their natural lives."
Click Here to Learn More about the Project and ASBPA award. JOIN US Support the LIttoral Society Through the NJ State Employee Workplace Giving Are you a New Jersey state employee? Please consider supporting the American Littoral Society through the New Jersey State Employee Charitable Campaign. The Society’s code is 5918. 
Membership, Renew or Join Today! Your loyalty and support enable us to continue to protect and care for the coast. Your membership supports marine science education programs for thousands of students, protecting and restoring marine life and habitat, and our efforts to defend the coast from harm.
Show Your Support with Littoral Society Gear There are more ways than ever to show your support for the American Littoral Society. Now available at the Society online store are short-sleeve t-shirts in multiple designs/colors, as well as long-sleeve t's and baseball caps with the Society's name and/or logo.
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September Littoral News September 1, 2020
From the Director Water Touches Everything We Do At the American Littoral Society I was lucky to have a childhood filled with healthy local waterways. In them I found fish, turtles, an occasional snake and lots and lots of mud. Mostly, they were great places to explore, to be on my own or with my brother, to grow our appreciation for the natural world.
“We’re going to the creek” was a common parting call (usually from halfway out the back door) in our house. Waterways were the geography of my childhood, and no doubt put me on the path which led to the Littoral Society.
Everyone deserves healthy local waterways. Accessible, healthy local waterways.
COMING UP 
Sunset Kayak Tour of Subway Island Wednesday, September 2
The Discover Jamaica Bay: By Land and By Sea Tour Series highlights city, state, and national parks throughout Jamaica Bay in Brooklyn and Queens. This tour series focuses on the unique environment and ecology of Jamaica Bay, while also highlighting the historical, cultural, and social context of the 10,000 acres of parkland in this 18,000 acre estuary. The tour series is generously supported by Con Edison.
Click link to learn more and register. 
New York State Beach Cleanup The kickoff for the 24th New York State Beach Cleanup (NYSBC) is Saturday, September 19.
For more information, please e-mail NYSBC coordinator Lisa Scheppke at lisa@littoralsociety.org.
Jamaica Bay Monarch/Pollinator Festival Saturday, September 26
Zero Waste Workshop Wednesday, September 16
Join our Education Director, Nicole Haines, as she goes through ways to lessen your waste. This workshop will include:
Virtual Rain Barrel Workshop Thursday, October 15th
For more information, contact Zach Nickerson. 
SJ Landscape Makeover Workshops
Sign up for our September Virtual Landscape Makeover training sessions. Learn how to build a rain garden at your own home, and possibly get a rebate if you live in our focus area.
CELEBRATE YOUR LOCAL LITTORAL ZONE 
Littorally Local at Home Join the American Littoral Society for Littorally Local at Home, an annual celebration of all the coast has to offer to support our efforts to protect it. Since 1961, the American Littoral Society has been caring for the coast in New Jersey, New York and beyond. We see the beauty and feel the energy that draws you to coastal communities. With your support, we work to protect and restore that splendor.
Your help is needed to continue and expand that work.
Visit the online auction from August 29 to September 12 to browse a wide variety of littorally local items and activities! You can choose from a private boat tour of Jamaica Bay or Delaware Bay, a private Zero Waste Workshop for you and your friends and family, original artwork, and other local sites and sounds!
SIGHTS & SOUNDS Raptors Have Returned Webinar In 1990 there were zero osprey nests in New York City. DDT had interfered with their ability to reproduce and the population crashed.
Facebook Live: Cohansey River Canoe Trip In case you missed it: Join the American Littoral Society's Zach Nickerson and Lucia Ruggiero as they take a paddle on the Cohansey River.
Restoring Wreck Pond Webinar and Video Series On Thursday, Aug. 27, the American Littoral Society's Habitat Restoration Program conducted a webinar on their work to increase ecological and community resiliency in and around Wreck Pond, a 73-acre coastal lake located on the border of Spring Lake and Sea Girt, NJ.
The initial stage of the project involved reconnecting Wreck Pond with the Atlantic Ocean in order to improve water quality in the pond, provide better flood control to the surrounding area, and allow migratory fish (such as river herring) to reach traditional spawning areas.
The work has since expanded to include removing the buildup of sediment in the pond, create more natural shorelines, expand upstream access for spawning fish, and conduct monitoring of the project's results. PART 1: Restoring Wreck Pond Part 2: Fish Sampling and Monitoring PART 3: Citizen Science Monitoring Program
Forked River Living Shoreline Project Presentation
The American Littoral Society is preparing for a living shoreline project along a shoreline where the Forked River meets Barnegat Bay in Lacey Twp., NJ. This recording of a webinar and online discussion provides an introduction to the scope and purpose of this restoration project.
15th Annual Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival August is the perfect time to explore the diversity and abundance of NYC's shorebirds, particularly at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, so the 15th Annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay's was held virtually on August 22, 2020.
If you couldn't be there for the livestream of the event, you can watch the recording here.
JOIN US
Membership, Renew or Join Today! Your loyalty and support enable us to continue to protect and care for the coast. Your membership supports marine science education programs for thousands of students, protecting and restoring marine life and habitat, and our efforts to defend the coast from harm.
Show Your Support withLittoral Society Gear There are more ways than ever to show your support for the American Littoral Society. Now available at the the Society online store are short-sleeve t-shirts in multiple designs/colors, as well as long-sleeve t's and baseball caps with the Society's name and/or logo.
POSTPONEMENTS & CANCELLATIONS Canceled Events
The American Littoral Society will be postponing or canceling scheduled public events for July based on public health advisories from states and the US Centers for Disease Control.
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August Littoral News August 1, 2020
From the Director Our Mission is to Restore the Missing Pieces The Littoral Society’s mission is to promote the conservation and study of marine life and its habitats. That is the “why” of our work.
Having been around since 1961, the language of our mission harkens back to a more formal, subdued era. But make no mistake, “promoting the conservation and study” of coastal wildlife is dynamic, growing, community-based, and aimed at strategically putting back missing pieces – whether they are gone because of a storm or human irresponsibility.
COMING UP 
The Raptors Have Returned: Thursday, August 6 
Live Stream: Virtual Canoe Ride on Monday, August 10
Virtual Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival Saturday, August 22 Email Don Riepe to Participate 
Wreck Pond Virtual Lunch & Learn 
Thursday, August 27
Join the American Littoral Society's Habitat Restoration Program for a webinar about their work to increase ecological and community resiliency in and around Wreck Pond, a 73-acre coastal lake located on the border of Spring Lake and Sea Girt, NJ.
The initial stage of the project involved reconnecting Wreck Pond with the Atlantic Ocean in order to improve water quality in the pond, provide better flood control to the surrounding area, and allow migratory fish (such as river herring) to reach traditional spawning areas.
The work has since expanded to include removing the buildup of sediment in the pond, create more natural shorelines, expand upstream access for spawning fish, and conduct monitoring of the project's results.
Stay tuned to Littoral Society social media for three videos introducing the project!
SAVE THE DATE Film and Panel Discussion Tuesday, September 1 
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