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THE MARSH CONNECTION
News from the Meadowlands Environment Center and the NJ Sports and Exposition Authority
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MEC offers two weeks of Professional Development on Climate Change to K-12 Teachers funded by Grant from the NJ Department of Education | |
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The grant from the NJ Department of Education to Ramapo College and the MEC providing professional development for K-12 teachers to integrate standards-aligned climate change learning in all content areas was doubled to $650,000. The one-year grant will provide workshops for school districts and charter schools in seven counties in North Jersey (Bergen, Essex Hudson, Passaic, Morris, Sussex, Warren). The workshops at the MEC were offered August 5-9 and 12-16 and will be repeated on Saturdays September – March 2025.
For more information, contact Dr. Cristini at acristin@ramapo.edu
In the workshops, teachers learn about the science of climate change, how to access/integrate climate data, local and global mitigation strategies, social and political issues, career opportunities, and planning student and community projects that will help them act in informed and sustainable ways. The outcomes of this grant will prepare students to understand how and why climate change happens and equip them to take on roles in their future that will lead to actions locally, nationally and globally.
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Book a date for the 2024-2025 school year!
Registration opens Friday, September 6th
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K-12 Field Trips
The Meadowlands Environment Center is ready to help you book field trips for all grades & academic abilities both at our Center or at your school.
If you are a teacher or administrator and would like to book a date for a field trip for your class, grade, or school, please email us with your information.
You can book a date to come to the Environment Center or you can book a date for our Mobile Food Lab to come to your school for programming!
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Meadowlands Birding Festival is
Sunday, Oct. 6, at DeKorte Park!
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Join the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) and the Bergen County Audubon Society for the annual Meadowlands Birding Festival at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. The event includes something for the entire family, including walks, talks, live raptor shows and kid’s activities. Guest speaker Rachel McGovern of the Conserve Wildlife Federation of New Jersey will present a talk on “Peregrine Falcons: Flying High in New Jersey.”
The event runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact Don Torino of the Bergen County Audubon Society at greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983; or the NJSEA at info@njsea.com or 201-460-1700.
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MRRI Ecological Restoration Initiative part of $72.5 Million Federal Grant | |
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Scientists with the NJSEA’s Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute (MRRI) are part of a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) team that recently was awarded $72.5 million to fortify New Jersey’s coast against climate change and extreme weather events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded the grant to the NJDEP-led team for the Building a Climate Ready New Jersey program. The five-year initiative seeks to enhance climate resilience across the state’s 16 coastal counties – all with tidal waterways – through projects ranging from flood mitigation to workforce development training and student education.
For this effort, MRRI scientists will be undertaking a $6.5 million ecological restoration of the Sawmill Creek Wildlife Management Area, located within the Meadowlands District in Kearny and Lyndhurst, to re-create a diverse coastal ecosystem with strengthened shorelines and revegetated marshes.
“The funding award for Building a Climate Ready NJ highlights the advances that the State of New Jersey has made in leading the nation’s efforts on climate action,” said Paul Juliano, President and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). “Ready NJ also advances efforts already underway in the Meadowlands to develop and implement climate resilient plans and actionable nature-based projects through an engaging and inclusive process. The NJSEA looks forward to collaborating with the Ready NJ team to make the state’s resilience vision a reality.”
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Meet Cindy Tirrell, Environmental Educator |  | |
Curly red hair, loves science, great with kids…is it Ms. Frizzle?! No, it is Cindy Tirrell, part-time educator at the Meadowlands Environment Center! She doesn't drive a magic bus, but you can find her leading class trips at the Center. As a retired public school teacher, she brings over 33 years of experience with students ages 5 and up. She is amazed by science and nature and works to bring that joy and love of learning to all of the kids who visit us at the MEC. She is a proud Jersey Girl with an undergraduate degree from Seton Hall University and a Masters Degree from The College of New Jersey. Plants are her passion! She is currently working on my Master Gardener certification through Rutgers University and is a member of both the Native Plant Society of NJ and the Brookdale Park Conservancy. When not walking the trails around the MEC, you can find her reading, volunteering, playing with her dog Clarence or rooting for the New York Yankees.
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The purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is beneficial to humans, butterflies, bees, and birds?
The purple coneflower is a perennial wildflower native to most of the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. It is named for the prickly scales in its large conical seed head, which resembles the spines of an angry hedgehog (echinos is Greek for hedgehog).
Human use - Archaeologists have found evidence that Native Americans may have used echinacea for more than 400 years to treat infections and wounds, and as a general "cure-all." Today, people use echinacea to shorten the duration of the common cold and flu, and reduce symptoms. The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. However, herbs contain active substances that may trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs only under the supervision of a health care provider knowledgeable in the field of botanical medicine. Echinacea Information | Mount Sinai - New York
Environmental benefits - A wide range of bees including honey bees, native bees, and leafcutter bees collect nectar and pollen from purple coneflowers. Many different species of butterflies including monarchs, tiger swallowtails, skippers, American ladies, red admirals, and fritillaries will also feed on the nectar. They also provide natural forage for some of our songbirds. After the flowers go to seed, goldfinches and other birds will devour the seeds.
Purple coneflowers are beautiful, available at many nurseries and are easy to grow and maintain - making them a great option to consider for your garden https://www.backyardecology.net › purple-coneflower
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Drew McQuade, Senior Biologist,
MRRI
| Photo: NJSEA Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute Senior Biologist Drew McQuade and Cailin O’Conner of Kean University take measurements of a female Indigo Bunting at the NJSEA Bird Banding Station. | |
Drew McQuade is the Senior Biologist for the Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute (MRRI), the scientific arm of the NJSEA. Drew started working at the NJSEA in 2013 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Drexel University, concentrating in Ecology and Endangered Species Management. While at Drexel, Drew had multiple, wildlife-focused internships that helped steer his career towards working with wildlife.
He was hired at the NJSEA to work on the 2013-15 Fisheries and Benthic Invertebrate Inventories of the Hackensack River. In addition, Drew helped lead MRRI’s long-term Diamondback Terrapin mark-and-recapture study. He also became involved in the Meadowlands Bird Banding Station and now leads MRRI’s bird research.
His projects have included establishing a Meadowlands-wide avian point count system, collecting data on rare and elusive species like Saltmarsh Sparrows, and secretive marsh bird. He also organized a Breeding Bird Atlas of the Meadowlands with support from the Bergan County Audubon Society.
Drew is now leading the fourth iteration of the Meadowlands Fisheries Inventory. He has also re-established the Meadowlands Bird Banding Station with Cailin O’Conner of Kean University. Their work focuses on tracking the population of the Meadowlands’ migratory and breeding species. With support from the Bergen County Audubon Society, Drew utilizes the Motus Network (motus.org) to study the migration patterns and success rates of birds that come through the Meadowlands.
He is also continuing the long-term Terrapin mark-and-recapture study, focusing on assessing the health of the terrapin population. In addition to his fieldwork, Drew is part of an inter-agency review team for the Meadowlands District, offering his expertise on the Meadowlands when needed. He also serves as project manager for various, grant-funded initiatives.
When not at work, Drew is an avid birder, multi-instrumentalist and home chef.
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