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QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
January - March 2023
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NEXT MEMBERSHIP MEETING
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Bi-monthly Business Meeting & Presentation
Wednesday, July 12th , 6:30 pm
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The above infographic was taken from Late Pleistocene Ice-Marginal Dune Fields on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, New Jersey Pine Barrens, USA
A study completed by Mark Demitroff, Stephen A. Wolfe, Barbara Woronko,Dorota Chmielowska, Michael Cicali.
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Join us at the next Bi-monthly Membership Meeting on Wednesday, July 12th, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. There you will be queued into upcoming opportunities to get involved and out-of-doors. This gathering is public and will be held at The Authority on Lebanon Road in Deerfield. Afterward, stay on for a presentation by Dr. Mark Demitroff of Stockton University.
He will be speaking on Earth, Wind & Ice: Ancient Climate Change to Periglacial Landscapes. The “Pine Barrens” region of southern New Jersey has recently been the focus of intensive examination of the evidence for deep seasonal frost and permafrost. Surprisingly little is known of the mid-Atlantic States’ cold, nonglacial (periglacial) history, a dynamic dry, windy, and poorly vegetated environment subject to abrupt changes. Conditions during the Late Glacial Maximum have few modern terrestrial analogs. South Jersey, at times desertlike, was a sand-starved eolian system. Sediments were frozen when the winds were strongest. Cryostratigraphic studies of the region’s periglacial features provide exciting opportunities for frozen ground and climate change studies.
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Mark Demitroff is a ‘native’ Pine Barrens natural historian and NJ Licensed Tree Expert (#285) who internationally publishes and lectures on local geography—notably on Pleistocene environments. He received a BS in Agricultural Sciences (Rutgers University). In midlife, Mark returned to academia, winning a University of Delaware competitive fellowship for an MS in Geography and completing coursework toward a Ph.D. in Land-Surface Processes. Mark is an Adjunct Instructor at Stockton University, an inaugural board member at the South Jersey Culture and History Center, and twice elected to the US Permafrost Association board.
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FIRST QUARTER FUN'RAISING
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17th Annual Chili Bowl
March 4th, 2023
The Chili Bowl was sold out again this year. The new venue's size allowed for a spacious and engaging layout. Thank you to the setup crew who developed a completely new design for the room. This may have had an impact on the silent auction, as it was one of the most successful to date.
Thank you to the many people who donated items to the silent and live auctions. Thank you to those who donated experiences to the live auction. Thank you to the Events Committee for preparing the auctions and room. Thank you to the many Chili Chefs who cooked to serve 250 guests. Thank you to those who donated appetizers and sides. Thank you to the dessert bakers who made sure that every sweet tooth in the room was satisfied. And thank you to all the volunteers and guests who came together in order to support the continued protection of the Wild and Scenic Maurice River's and Down Jersey's natural resources.
The Chili Bowl is a testament to the vitality and dedication of CU Maurice River's community. Together we raised over $34K. We thank you all for once again making this our biggest fundraiser!
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AH WHY KNOT AWARD WINNERS 2023: | |
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Marika Masarek
Marika came to CU Maurice River as a youngster with her mother and father, Sharry and Paul. Her volunteerism as a child was the inspiration for the Sanderling Award, which she received in 2016. The award recognizes youths who go above and beyond to protect the natural treasures of our area. Over the last seven years, Marika has remained a dedicated steward.
She volunteers to install and maintain rain gardens, bake for the shorebird scientists, lend a hand at fundraisers, and represent CU at community festivals. At outdoor education events, you will find Marika working with the younger generation to show them how to explore nature through art.
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Sue Harasink
Sue is a certified genetic counselor with over 30 years of extensive clinical experience in pediatric and prenatal/maternal-fetal genetics. Since she became active with CU Maurice River, she has volunteered to do anything that involves getting onto the water, or wet and dirty.
She has assisted in wetland revitalization projects, wetland vegetative mapping, dragonfly mercury sampling, reTURN the Favor, and Raise the River planning. She is an experienced paddler and is always helpful when others need a hand while on the water. And - when we get lucky – she will play hooky from work to help plan our next paddle excursion!
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Jeff Johnson
Jeff Johnson has been active with CU Maurice River since, at least, 2016. Jeff worked at the power plant but had studied horticulture formerly. He enjoys participating with CU Maurice River because he gets to explore his early interests. Jeff has planted many a tree at wetlands restoration sites and along buffers. A year or so ago, Jeff moved to a complex where having a garden isn’t possible. So in order to satisfy his desire to plant, he has been dedicating many hours to the sites that we renaturalized or improved together over the years.
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Dr. Trudy Pomeratz
Trudy received her Bachelor's and Doctorate Degrees in Chemistry from The University of Queensland. Only a member since 2021, however, she has made a big impact over a short period of time.
In 2022, Trudy volunteered well over 60 hours raising plants for rain gardens, mapping wetland vegetative cover, cleaning up waterways, reTURNing the Favor, pollinator surveys, community science phenology projects, and much more. In 2023, Trudy took the next step in her stewardship when she became a monitor for a bluebird trail in her neighborhood and adjacent areas.
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Kevin Stupp
Kevin in his role as a volunteer coordinator for Ducks Unlimited South Jersey Chapter, manages wood duck boxes and leads waterway clean-ups throughout the Wild and Scenic Maurice River. Kevin also engages youth with the outdoors by organizing hunting education activities.
Three years ago, DU’s biologist Jim Faege was providing CU Maurice River with his professional insight and guidance on the creation of a wetland restoration project. As part of these conversations, Jim connected CUMR with DU’s volunteer chapter. Since then Kevin has been organizing his crew to assist in the wetland vegetative mapping project, a community science initiative. The DU volunteers have been lending their time and boats to chauffeuring our volunteers as we take wayfinding points of wetlands dominated by phragmites, spartina, or wild rice. As we mosey downstream, the DU guys freely share generational river stories and knowledge - anecdotal information that helps the mapping project along. Thanks to our partnership, DU and CU volunteers have also partnered on waterway clean-ups and other initiatives. Any time we call up Kevin - like the time we took out environmental consultants to visit potential restoration sites – Kevin responds, “Ah-Why-Knot - I am always down for a boat ride!”
If you follow Kevin on social media, you will notice his pride in his wife and family, his daughter’s first hunting experiences, the Bayshore fishing cabin he is reconstructing, and his general excitement about his family’s academic successes. And – you will catch glimpses of South Jersey’s best duck dog (no questions about it) – Maverick.
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Skitch Manion
Skitch has been helping the CU community for many years; however, the first time we had the pleasure of working with him in the field was at the installation of the WheatonArts Urban Oasis, a large interconnected system of rain gardens and upland pollinator spaces that filter 890,000 gallons of water back into the aquifer per year. We learned something about Skitch during that project. As shown in his artwork, he subscribes to the theory, “Go big – or go home.” That said, this never comes at the cost of detail nor perfection.
Over the years Skitch has blown many pieces of glass for CU Maurice River fundraisers. We are forever grateful for his dedication to environmental stewardship, community, and traditional, local art forms.
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Presidential Award Winner - | |
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Dennis Palmer
Dennis Palmer has served on the CU board since 2017 He is well known in the community and in his professional circles as Chief Engineer for the Landis Sewage Authority since 1993. A licensed Professional Engineer and Licensed Professional Planner in NJ, Dennis has over 40 years of experience in the water and environmental field at the state, county, and local levels. He has been very active in the Vineland Chamber of Commerce and Rotary, he was past Chairman of the multi-state Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin and is active in the Association of Environmental Authorities a statewide organization of water. He serves on the Planning Board in Blackwood NJ
His planning background and common sense approach has enabled Vineland to place sewer service primarily in appropriate places, but most importantly to exclude areas that need protection. Dennis has been one of the people who has most influenced the health of the Maurice River. He has made improvements in the Vineland treatment plant for 30 years and it is known as one of the best in NJ. This is no small task; it provides 1.8 billion gallons of highly treated effluent from the original source, the highest volume in NJ! He has been innovative – returning water to the aquifer, and utilizing farming, infiltration basins, and spray irrigation.
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 |  | LSA's staff members are stewards of the most botanically significant site in NJ. The Authority has created 300 acres of quail habitat project native grasses – working with NGOs including NJ Audubon, South Jersey Quail, Wild Turkey Federation, and NJ Fish and Wildlife. Meanwhile, they have installed innovative energy production measures with the goal of a zero carbon footprint! LSA uses treated biosolids to fertilize 550 acres of corn, hay, straw, and southern yellow pine trees and operates a windmill, solar array, and CHP system to generate electricity for the facility. At the LSA, even byproducts have a use. The authority collects wastewater biosolids, which are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus and uses them as organic fertilizer for the products grown on its 400-acre farm. Crop production has exceeded 1,100 tons per year, and gross sales of more than $100,000 per year help stabilize LSA’s user rates. Biosolids are also turned into fertilizer as part of LSA’s forest management plan: It used 150 of its 1,800 acres to plant 75,000 trees, including Eastern white cedar. The trees sequester carbon, removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Dennis guided CU Maurice River in efforts like the piping of sewage under Route 55 – which ended up in 470 acres being protected on the west side of the highway. He advised us in relation to a massive regional sewage proposal that would have diverted waters from the Maurice and Cohansey Watershed bypassing, these waterways and putting outflow into Delaware Bay.
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The Raise the River Planning Committee is working away at designing CU Maurice River's
third annual paddle-a-thon to support our river conservation work and education.
On January 19th, the Raise the River Planning Committee
solidified the dates for RTR 2023, and discussed schwag items we could offer,
a sailing club dinner option, possible paddle routes, and other tasks.
This year you can choose from three options to support
CU's river education and stewardship programs:
Paddle with us, dine with us, or sponsor a paddler!
This event will occur over three days, June 23rd - 25th!
For more information, register,
contribute, or volunteer for Raise the River, by clicking here.
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Wendy Jo Brewer
Administrative Assistant
Wendy Jo Brewer has joined the CU Maurice River team as the Administrative Assistant, a new position on the team. This new venture into what staff calls - with the utmost respect - a bean-counting role is preceded by her experience growing sweet peas, limas, and runner beans in any patch of backyard she can find. All joking aside, through her studies Wendy Jo honed her time management and organizational skills. In her professional experience, she instructed others on how these techniques can make a positive impact on one's quality of life.
She earned a Master of Arts in Wellness and Lifestyle Management at Rowan University. Over the last decade, she has been building a resume that reflects her experience working directly with a multitude of disadvantaged communities in southern New Jersey. Whether she is leading a family art workshop at WheatonArts and Cultural Center, mentoring youth in Bridgeton, instructing a yoga class, or coaching nontraditional students registered with disabilities— Wendy Jo likes to roll up her sleeves and get involved. After almost a decade away from her hometown, she is now back in Bridgeton and is excitedly growing a third generation of birdhouse gourds in her backyard garden.
Currently, Wendy Jo is working with Sunnie Banks, Doreen Homan, and Meghan Thompson to learn the ins and outs of managing the CU Maurice River office. Over the next few months, she will be joining programming staff on the nature trail in order to learn more about CU Maurice River - and to meet you!
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Amy Hemple
Intern
This position with CU Maurice River is sponsored by the Holly City Development Corporation's Internship Employment Program which aims to introduce local young adults to the variety of job opportunities in Downtown Millville.
In High School, Amy participated in many clubs and sports. She was a Class Officer, Peer Leader, and member of the National Honor Society. She received multiple certificates of praise for outstanding excellence in the classroom, the highest honors on state testing, as well as having her artwork displayed and recognized by the Board of Education. Amy has since gone on to obtain her Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Rowan College of South Jersey. In addition, she has been a babysitter, tutor, camp counselor, children’s nursery caretaker, and service industry worker.
Ever since she was a child, Amy enjoyed sports and playing outside. She grew up next door to her grandparents’ dairy farm in Bridgeton. She was always on call if a cow escaped or if a calf needed its bottle feeding. Her passion for nature was formed early on. Her hobbies include working out, making jewelry, painting, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Amy’s people-centric nature along with her personal interests in education, wildlife, and the environment drew her to the position with CU Maurice River. She appreciates the organization’s conservation, outdoor education, and awareness work, and feels honored to be a part of the team. CU Members and friends are sure to meet Amy at events and volunteer activities this summer.
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FIRST QUARTER EVENTS 2023
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JANUARY
Wed. 11, 6:30 p.m. Bi-Monthly Meeting
Make-n-Take Workshop: Staff members Kimberly, Joe, and Sunnie all gave a short presentation on their 2023 projects during the membership meeting. Unfortunately, our speaker, Morgan Wry from Parvin/Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, canceled due to COVID. Instead Karla gave a presentation on feeding backyard birds from the information Morgan provided us. 24 people attended and 9 participated in the suet workshop.
Thurs. 26, 5:30 p.m. CU Ambassador Training
CUMR hosted a cozy potluck at the office before starting this training session. Outdoor educators and interested volunteers enjoyed an evening of socializing, crafting, and participating in the same outdoor learning activities CUMR plans to offer at 2023 community festivals. Afterward, volunteers registered to lead educational outreach activities at CUMR's booth throughout the year. 11 ambassadors were trained.
Sat. 28, 8:30 a.m. CU Saturday Eagle Trail Walk: CUMR’s Team of Naturalists led this walk in celebration of the Eagle Project’s success along Delaware Bay. Over 40 people joined CU for our first outing of 2023, where numerous bald eagles and northern harriers were seen throughout the morning.
FEBRUARY
Sat. 11, 1:00 p.m. Volunteer Workgroup
Clean-up: We had a great turnout for a clean-up of Sharp Street Park which included some new members. Ian and Rachael Borgo found out about us from the Eagle Festival, while Sharon and Marc Chiappini heard of our event through Facebook. We collected about 15 bags of trash, removed 2 tires from the bank of the river, and collected various other pieces of metal and debris. Volunteers were not deterred by all the briars and dove right in. We cleaned up the entire length of the river in the park and also a little way down the bike and walking trail, just past the first bridge. CU Nature Enthusiast Wendy Walker took a few of the members out for a walk along the trail afterwards. 20 Litter Obliterators attended
Thurs. 16, 6:30 p.m. CU Social
Lenape Origins: Ty Gould of Native Advancement presented the history of the Wahatquenak Watershed’s original stewards. The talk covered numerous topics like environmental degradation and the Native American drive to protect the earth for the next 7 generations. Ty also described her ranch and homestead lifestyle. She came with her husband, who is a Native American from Mexico, along with her daughter and 3 grandchildren, and they set up a table with some of their items and books. 44 people attended the event.
Sat. 18, 8:30 a.m. CU Saturday The Duck Waddle: CU Naturalists Mary Watkins and Tony Klock took a group of 17 people to hotspots for winter waterfowl viewing in the Maurice River Watershed and Southern New Jersey. 16 species of ducks were seen across Cumberland and Cape May counties.
Wed. 22, 5:30 p.m. New Member Orientation
10 new members attended an orientation where they learned about how they can best get involved in local conservation. This event was hosted at the Maurice River Historical Society's Compton House.
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Thurs. 23, 10:00 a.m. Book Circle, The Insect Crisis: This event was led and hosted by CU Member and former librarian Suzy Merighi. CUMR's Jane Galetto and Sunnie Banks also helped lead the Book Circle. 12 people read the book and attended.
Sat. Feb. 25, 10:00 a.m. Plant Germination Session
CU’s Kimberly Spiegel led this educational session on plant reproduction and germination. 14 volunteers sowed trays of butterfly weed, purple coneflower, and little bluestem to raise at home for public wildlife gardens. The butterfly weed seed was gathered from a lone plant that CUMR donated and planted at the Holly City Family Success Center three years ago.
MARCH
Wed. 1, 5:00 p.m. Two-Part Stewardship Program
Native Bumble Bees Part I: Kass Urban-Mead of the Xerces Society presented on native bumble bees, their threats, and how you can help lift their declining numbers. Kass's enthusiasm for bees was contagious which made for a highly enjoyable presentation. 26 people in attendance.
Tues. 7, 9:00 a.m. Tuesday on the Fly
Tarkiln Bog Trail: Peter Manzelmann led a walk along Belleplain State Park’s nature trail that skirts a former cranberry bog operation. 18 people came out for this informative adventure.
Wed. 8, 6:30 p.m. Bi-Monthly Meeting
Make-n-Take Workshop Part II: 27 participants joined CU for a membership update and then participated in a conservation workshop in support of native bee species in people's yards.
Sat. 11, 9:00 a.m. Volunteer Work Group
Spring Clean-up: It was a cold and drizzly morning. A small group of volunteers prepared the gardens for visitors in spring. Benches were scrubbed and cleaned, with the help of Peter, the neighbor across the street, who sprayed down the bench with a cleaning agent he brought over, and fallen limbs were cleared out and added to the brush pile. Trash was picked up and English ivy was pulled and cut back off the trees.
Sun. 12, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Lines on the Pines
A group of CU Ambassadors represented our organization and mission at Stockton University's Lines on the Pines, a community event.
Sat. 18, 9:00 a.m. CU Saturday
Drumming Woodpeckers: 25 people joined us in the wild to explore the world of the ultimate suite of backyard birds, the woodpeckers. Even though we had very few to no woodpecker sightings, the group was treated to a special viewing of a flying squirrel.
Wed. 22, 5:30 p.m. Stewardship Workshop
This workshop was postponed until May due to unforeseen circumstances.
Sat. 25, 9:00 a.m. Trash Hunt
The Trash Hunt was canceled and rescheduled, then canceled again due to two weekends of inclement weather and storms that caused flooding at the clean-up site.
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SECOND QUARTER EVENTS 2023
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To view all scheduled events and locations for 2023,
please visit CUMauriceRiver.org/about/events.
CU Staff sends all members a quarterly mailer with a short description of each offering.
Become a member today by calling the office (856) 300-5331
or visiting CUMauriceRiver.org/join-renew-donated.
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OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUE MANAGEMENT
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Wetland Vegetative Mapping
January - To inform the community science-led wetland vegetative mapping project, Karla met with Dr. Joe Smith to discuss his study on The Impact of Past Management Practices on Tidal Marsh Resilience to Sea Level Rise in the Delaware Estuary, which was developed by Joseph A.M. Smith, Steven F. Hafner, and Lawrence J. Niles.
Partners for Water Resource Stewardship
January 23rd – Karla and Kimberly met with the City of Millville’s Shade Tree Commission to offer CU Maurice River’s assistance in finding ecologically friendly solutions for the Maurice River Walking and Bicycling Trail, and to discuss potential projects to renaturalize or enhance buffer areas along or adjacent to this preserve.
Diamond Back Terrapin
January 25th – Karla and Joe met with the Wetlands Institute to discuss reinitiating the Diamondback Terrapin Management Project along Delaware Bay. In 2023, CU Maurice River will be assisting in outreach and awareness efforts by outfitting crabbers with bycatch reduction devices (BRDs). Amy Brewer, CU's Summer Intern, will distribute the BRDs to the crabbing community.
Waterway Access
January - March - Princeton Hydro was contracted to develop an online ArcGIS Story Map of recreational resources on the river: a paddle trail for the Maurice River Watershed. Karla has been working with PH to create an outline for this future addition to CUMR’s website and gather the necessary data to generate the first draft map. For this project, CU Staff is creating an ArcGIS Story Map that will be online and interactive. It will not only highlight access points, provide tide information, and give descriptions of the paddle trail, but some sections will also have an audio narrative of natural and cultural points of interest.
Wetlands Restoration Proposals
March 2nd – In preparation for the wetland restoration grant submissions, CU’s Executive Director met with Manumuskin River neighbors to further discuss proposal details and explore the potential for a cost-share program to cover maintenance post-project.
Aquatic Connectivity and Barrier Removal
March 22nd and 23rd – The CU Executive Director was invited to attend The Nature Conservancy’s Dam Removal Workshop for Project Managers in Trenton. The event was highly educational and offered professional insight provided by experienced stream restoration experts. CUMR was invited due to its role with the Centerton Dam and its resulting TNC partnership.
Water Quality
February – A Rutgers Environmental Stewardship Program Intern began working with CU Maurice River, and will be devoting 60 hours toward reinvigorating CUMR’s water quality program with the objective of installing water quality meters at essential locations within the Wild and Scenic designation area. As sea level rise affects wetland health, the end goal of this project is to collect data on conductivity, temperature, and depth upstream. We hope to compare the current data to the years of data collected by Tony Ficcaglia on the Manumuskin. This data could be helpful in understanding the status of freshwater wetlands within the system as well as informing future restoration projects.
Winter Raptor and Waterfowl Study
Clay Sutton and Dr. Paul Kerlinger continue to work on drafting a report analyzing the vast archive of data that has been collected over the years. Retired ArcGIS specialist Tom McKee assists in this effort by producing supporting maps.
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OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, AND COVERAGE
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Cumberland County Leadership Program
September ’22- June ‘23
The CU Executive Director participates in this monthly program where various non-profits, businesses, and governmental facilities are toured. The program aims to develop, promote, and inspire community leadership skills and encourage a deeper understanding and appreciation of Cumberland County.
SNJToday
CU President continues to submit articles to the local newspaper, SNJToday, which are published on a weekly basis. These are included in the Feature Section under The Great Outdoors, which explores the region’s natural and cultural wonders.
Preparation for the EcoFair
January 31st – Karla and Kimberly met with WheatonArts and Cultural Center along with other event partners to discuss the planning of the EcoFair. CU Maurice River will offer educational activities at our booth, run a nature walk, and host the keynote speaker, Dr. Larry Niles. His presentation involved the protection of the rich ecosystem of Delaware Bay, with a special focus placed on red knots and horseshoe crabs.
Cumberland County’s Winter Eagle Festival
February 4th
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We are happy that Eagle Fest 2023 was able to return to its traditional format. Activities were headquartered at the Mauricetown Fire Hall, where various conservation organizations hosted both informational booths and children’s activities while the speaker series was underway in the hall. The speakers and their turnout were great. Thank you Pete Dunne, Debbie Beer, Ted Nichols, Pat Sutton, and Brett Ewald for offering compelling educational presentations! In all, over 400 people decided to take advantage of this popular series.
Eagle Fest partners, who collaborate to host this community event, include Cumberland County, NJ Audubon's Cape May Bird Observatory, Natural Lands, South Jersey Land and Water Trust, American Littoral Society, Woodford Cedar Run, Conserve Wildlife, Partners for the Delaware Estuary, NJ Dep, plus many more Down Jersey stewards.
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FORUMS, COALITIONS, ADVOCACY, AND THE LIKE -
Wild and Scenic Partner Organizations
January 15th – CU Maurice River met with a sister Wild and Scenic Partnership River, The Musconectcong Watershed Association, to provide insight from our experience in fostering participation, volunteerism, stewardship, and advocacy by involving the community and creating lasting relationships based on environmental appreciation.
Conservation Blueprint Workshop
February 23rd - The Conservation BluePrint Workshop was organized and held in partnership with our South Jersey Bayshore Coalition partners at Rowan College of South Jersey. Invitees included Environmental Commissioners and municipal leaders from throughout the Bayshore region. County Planners from Cumberland and Cape May spoke on current development trends and conservation priorities in their areas. After the presentation, invitees provided input on online interactive mapping tools that function as planning instruments. We also discussed current barriers to land preservation and threats to sustainability in the Bayshore region.
Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed’s Forum
CU Maurice River Staff continues to participate in CDRW meetings, educational training, and other offerings.
South Jersey Bayshore Coalition
CUMR continues to coordinate the meetings of SJBC.
Wild and Scenic Coalition
CU Maurice River has been attending the Coalition’s meetings; these have been helpful in connecting our team with available resources as well as updating us on current activity within the program.
NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee Meetings - CU Maurice River continues to hold a seat on this committee.
Delaware Bayshore Council – CU Maurice River has been functioning as the interim SJBC representative on the Bayshore Council.
CU also continues to serve on the Aquaculture Stakeholder Committee for the State and Federal conservation measures that involve the oyster harvest and its impacts on shorebirds. This is specific to the federally endangered red knot and its migration on the Delaware Bayshore.
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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR YOUTH & FAMILIES
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Internship Programs
March - Karla was in contact with Tim Andrews of Cumberland County Workforce Development to discuss the possibility of employing a summer intern. Tim is managing two grant programs that aim to connect local young adults and professionals to the diversity of work opportunities that exist in our area. These are the Holly City Development Corporation’s Internship Program and the Cumberland County Workforce Department’s Summer Youth Employment Program. As a result of this partnership, CU Maurice River was able to welcome Amy Hemple to the CU Team.
Outdoor Education Grants/Sponsorships
January - March - CU Maurice River submitted two grant applications seeking local corporate sponsorships for Wild About Cumberland. One was presented to Century Savings Bank and the other to OceanFirst Bank. Both applications were successful, and we are very grateful for these institutions’ support of outdoor education and their awareness of the need to get kids out of doors.
WILD ABOUT CUMBERLAND –
March 28th, 29th, and 30th
Wild About Cumberland was a success! Involving almost 600 kids over 3 days, this was a monumental feat that was pulled together with the help of about 30 volunteers. Many of the 4th-grade students had not been on a field trip since kindergarten due to COVID, and they were psyched to be outdoors! They were fascinated especially by the bones and shells used as part of the experiential segments; anything they could touch really sparked their interest. They were happy to be out of the classroom but genuinely engaged in learning, and the spotting scopes were mesmerizing to them, even when they were unlucky and didn't spot any birds. We are thankful for the large team of volunteers who once again came together to connect the next generation of Down Jersey stewards to the natural wonders found right here. Carl and Doreen provided a wonderful spread of lunch all 3 days.
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These outdoor education days are funded by the National Park Service’s Wild and Scenic Program and the CU Maurice River membership. CU Maurice River is thankful for business sponsors who contribute to the realization of this important outdoor learning day. For the current year, PSE&G, Chemglass Life Sciences, Century Savings Bank, Inspira Emergency Services, and OceanFirst Bank came on board to share their appreciation of Down Jersey’s wild spaces with the next generation of stewards.
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OPERATIONS AND OFFICE SUPPORT
STAFF ACTIVITY REPORT:
Training -
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Stop the Bleed - Stacey Staman, Clinical Educator at Cooper University Hospital, led CU Staff in training on how to stop bleeding in the event of a serious injury in the field. They learned how to properly apply pressure to a wound, stuff a wound, and use a tourniquet.
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Association of New Jersey Environmental Educators - CU's Environmental Education and Outreach Coordinator continues to take advantage of ANJEE's training and networking opportunities.
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Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resource Management Training for Professionals CU's Environmental Education and Outreach Coordinator is attending Rutger's Green Stormwater Infrastructure Champion Course. She will receive her training certificate in Spring.
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National Phenology Network - CU's Environmental Education and Outreach Coordinator attended a Local Phenology Leader Training and Workshop.
Personnel - The Personnel Committee and Executive Director finalized a job description for a full-time administrative assistant to assume the front office responsibilities that Doreen, CU’s retired Office Manager, provided. The position was promoted, interviews were held, and in March CUMR offered the position to Wendy Jo Brewer of Bridgeton. See her bio above.
CALENDAR – Programming staff concluded the planning of the 2023 calendar and uploaded all the information to CUMR’s online platforms, while also developing social media marketing campaigns.
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK
National Park Service - Administrative reporting to the National Park Service is an aspect of our functioning beyond the actual carrying-out of the contracted deliverables. CU is meeting the new semi-annual reporting requirements. Staff continues to work with the NPS River Manager to implement reporting procedures. In the first quarter of 2023, staff compiled the documents needed to renew the five-year Cooperative Agreement with NPS's Wild and Scenic Partnership Program. All materials were successfully developed and presented. We are expecting final approval in July. The new contract will be signed by August 19th, 2023.
Office
Administrative staff works to maintain an efficient, welcoming, and safe workspace for the whole CU team. They also manage organizational documentation, supply inventory, service contracting, and purchasing.
Volunteer, Participation, and Financial Tracking - The programming and administrative staff continue to track many aspects of CUMR activities, including but not limited to NPS billing, volunteer hours, participation/attendance, volunteer recruitment, bookkeeping, corporate support, births, deaths, illnesses - all the details that make CU a community.
Social Media – CU Maurice River’s Facebook page is more active than ever. You can view videos, see pictures from outings, read volunteer stories, and much more. By following CUMR and liking our posts, you not only stay better connected but also help us get more information out to more people in the community.
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ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES
National Park Service - Administrative reporting to the National Park Service is an aspect of our functioning beyond the actual carrying-out of the contracted deliverables. Financial and Programming Performance Reports will now be submitted semi-annually. Staff worked with NPS to implement new reporting procedures.
Fundraisers - The Administrative staff completes many of the background tasks associated with fundraising. These include generating reports, processing payments, providing tax letters, answering inquiries, and orchestrating thank-yous, among other tasks.
Membership, Volunteer, Participation, and Financial Tracking - The programming and administrative staff continue to track many aspects of CUMR activities, including NPS billing, volunteer hours, participation/attendance, volunteer recruitment, bookkeeping, membership donations, corporate support, births, deaths, illnesses - all the details that make us a community.
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MEMBERSHIP
A special thanks to all those who give the important gift of your time.
We couldn’t do this without you!
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Next Bi-monthly Membership Meeting
This is a public meeting and educational presentation open to all, no matter your membership status.
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Address Changes –
Please keep us posted about any changes in your email or mailing address. Our communications contain a helpful stream of reminders and updates you won’t want to miss.
Membership and Renewals –
Help us by ensuring that your membership is up-to-date and/or invite a friend to join! Membership is set at $20 for individuals and $30 for families, although our average annual donation is approximately $75. Mail your check to PO Box 474, Millville, NJ 08332, or join online at www.cumauriceriver.org.
If you are interested in learning more about the monthly giving program,
reach out to CitizensUnited@CUMauriceRiver.org, or (856) 300-5331.
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