PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The countdown to Memorial Day continues. Local resident Ryan J. Drewes captured this amazing sunset in Mantoloking recently. Want to share your pix with our readers? What about a chance to see the Jersey Shore BlueClaws on us? Email photos@ jerseyshoreonline.com and you may get lucky!

New Jersey Natural Gas Invites Customers To A end Ocean Fun Days

NEW JERSEY – New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) invites customers to explore the wonders of the Jersey Shore at its annual Ocean Fun Days on May 20 and 21, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Now in its 20th year, this free, two-day event brings awareness and appreciation for our coastal environment and ecosystems with fun activities for the entire family. As part of NJNG’s commitment to sustainability through the company’s Coastal Climate Initiative, Ocean Fun Days provides the opportunity for customers to learn about steps they can take to protect these environmental treasures. For this milestone anniversary, NJNG is providing an enhanced experience for its customers with new activities for the whole family including a bird walk, beach combing, kayak tours and exhibitors. This year, attendees can also enjoy free tours of The Sandy Hook lighthouse, interactive demonstrations, touch tanks, fiddler crab races, seining and more. Guests can learn from marine scientists, researchers and environmentalists about energy conservation and the importance of preserving and protecting the Jersey Shore’s natural resources.

“For the past 20 years of Ocean Fun Days, we have shared an appreciation for our unique coastal environment with the families and communities we serve,” said Tom Hayes, director of Customer and Community Relations at New Jersey Natural Gas. “Customers of all ages can engage in activities that help raise awareness about this vital ecosystem and the role we can play to help protect our beloved Jersey Shore.”

NJNG is proud to host this annual event, working alongside state and local agencies and organizations, including New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, Gateway National Park/National Park Service, New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry/ Island Beach State Park, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Asbury Park Press and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s James J. Howard Marine Sciences Lab at Sandy Hook.

This year’s Ocean Fun Days takes place on May 20 at Island Beach State Park, Seaside Park and May 21 at N.J. Sea Grant Consortium, Sandy Hook, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Free admission and parking will be provided for guests. To learn more, visit oceanfundays.org.