Originally published in Seven Mile Times' Holiday 2015 issue Celebrate what you want to se e more of. ~Tom Peters
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Wetlands Institute:
Standing Up For Nature,
THEN & NOW By Dr. Lenore Tedesco of The Wetlands Institute
The Wetlands Institute photo taken by drone – Institute and marsh
even Mile Beach and the backbay meadows are very special places. The island provides an amazing wealth that is often appreciated relative to its beautiful beaches, wonderful dining and memorable times with family and friends. Seven Mile Beach is also a remarkable place for its natural resources – natural resources that often go unnoticed. The rich mosaic of environments and habitats found here make this a place so special that for many animals who live or pass through here on their great migrations, this is a place of importance. This gift also brings great responsibility because what happens here – good and bad – has profound impact to these animals and also to us. Since 1972, the iconic tower of the Wetlands Institute has been welcoming residents and visitors back to the island communities they love. The Institute was founded in 1969 by Herbert Mills, then executive director of the World Wildlife Fund, to fulfill his lifelong vision of creating a world-class research, conservation and education center that would educate people of all ages about the beauty and wonders of the coastal environment, and the importance of that environment to their daily lives and well-being. In the face of dramatic wetland loss and infilling, during a time that predates most of the environmental protections we now have, he purchased 6,000 acres of wetlands and preserved the splendor Holiday 2015
of Seven Mile Beach forever. His dream was to help people understand the importance of wetlands and to inspire everyone to preserve and protect coastal and wetland ecosystems. For almost 50 years, The Wetlands Institute has been working on important conservation issues and translating crucial research into action through engaging conservation and education programs. In 2011, The Wetlands Institute put forth a bold new plan to address threats to wetlands, coastal ecosystems and the animals who rely on them. In doing so, we are also protecting and preserving Seven Mile Beach, our community, its intrinsic beauty, and the way of life so many enjoy. All of us at The Wetlands Institute understand that our marshes and coastal ecosystems are crucial to our communities, our lifestyle and our well-being. We know that they provide storm protection to our homes and businesses; that they store billions of gallons of water to reduce flooding and improve water quality. We understand that most of the commercial fish and shellfish we consume depend on healthy wetlands. We appreciate that so many of the threatened and endangered birds and fish rely on wetlands for their survival. We treasure the intrinsic beauty of wetlands. Forty-eight years ago, The Wetlands Institute made a stand for the protection of our marshes. We forever protected all of the marsh extending from the
The Wetlands Institute in July 1973, shortly after construction.
mainland to the islands, and from north of Sea Isle to south of Wildwood. We fought for the protection of wetlands nationwide, and set upon a course of research, conservation and education of wetland and coastal ecosystems. Can you imagine Seven Mile Beach today if we hadn’t? It wasn’t by accident that this location in southern New Jersey was chosen to anchor The Wetlands Institute. The institute’s founder understood the uniqueness and wealth of resources we all appreciate in so many ways. He created an opportunity for research, exploration and learning right here in the middle of a salt marsh so that future generations could continue enjoying, protecting and benefiting from these wetlands. While the early fight to preserve and protect our wetlands succeeded in slowing the loss of wetlands, the conditions of these meadows are in a constant flux. Wetlands are being impacted by devastating natural and man-made forces. Tragically, many people still view marshes as wastelands. Nationally, more
than 50 percent of wetlands have been lost. In New Jersey, more than 40 percent are gone. Historically, the threat has come from development. Those threats remain, but wetlands now face even greater threats. Rising sea level and increased intensity and frequency of coastal storms is causing erosion and drowning of wetlands. Superstorm Sandy, and several coastal storms since, remind us of the importance wetlands have for coastal protection, but the marshes and their inhabitants are stressed. Marsh nesting birds, already pushed into marginal nesting areas because of habitat degradation and loss, are increasingly losing nests and eggs to flooding tides. Diamondback terrapins, already driven to nesting on roadsides in search of high ground, face additional threats as more ground is flooded. Finally, the marsh itself is becoming flooded more and more frequently, changing the very structure of the marsh and impacting its effectiveness for coastal resiliency and shoreline protection. continued on page 72 WWW.SEVENMILETIMES.COM
When snow falls, nature listens. ~Antoinette van Kleeff
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Saturday,Nov. Nov.28 28 Saturday, 9:30am-3pm 9:30am - 3pm
View of marsh from live video tower cam.
Come celebrate the change of season and discover how animals of the marsh Come celebrate the temperatures. change of season and discover adapt to survive the colder winter • Live animal presentationof by the Philadelphia how animals the marshZooadapt
colder winter temperatures.
to survive the
• Aquarium feeding
• Teaching-tank and touch-tank demonstrations • A special appearance by Scute
Live animal presentation by the Philadelphia Zoo
activities, crafts, games and more! • Winter
Nonmember: $10 Adult, $8 Child, $30 Family Pack of 4
Aquarium feeding
Member: $8 Adult, $6 Child, $25 Family Pack of 4 View of marsh at storm tide on Oct. 1, 2015.
continued from page 70
The Wetlands Institute continues to take a leadership role in addressing crucial wetland conservation issues. To address these critical issues, the institute has restructured the research and conservation department, recruited several key scientists, and initiated several new conservation programs. A new research station is poised to underpin new monitoring efforts to enable staff to understand impacts of rising sea level on local coastal resiliency. The experimental techniques in marsh restoration and habitat enhancements being studied on Stone Harbor Point and on Ring Island may prove to be keys to stabilizing natural areas that are losing their resiliency. With this resiliency loss comes a loss of the natural services for storm protection they afford our community. Staff at the Wetlands Institute spends every day: • Working on multi-partner research and education teams to explore new methods to restore our wetlands and barrier islands and maintain resilient coasts; • Taking the pulse of our wetlands and beaches through intensive monitoring, building long-term research projects and exploring local trends; • Continuing to help diamondbackterrapin populations cope with habitat loss and pressures from island development and roadways; • Expanding our work rescuing and returning spawning horseshoe crabs to our local waters to help stabilize their populations and accelerate population recovery; Holiday 2015
• Connecting so many with the beauty and intricacies of this amazing system when they join our school programs, visit our property and exhibits, and engage in our conservation programs. Situated in an area of global significance for migratory birds and horseshoe crabs and with a natural laboratory spanning thousands of acres of unbroken wetlands, The Wetlands Institute continues to be a problem-solver and educator of complex issues that have both direct and indirect influence on coastal communities and economies in New Jersey and beyond. With renewed energy, focus, leadership and passion, The Wetlands Institute has been repurposed and is moving its mission to new heights. Come visit The Wetlands Institute and learn more about our research, conservation and education programs. Slow down next time you are on the causeway and enjoy the majesty of the meadows, and notice the remarkable natural resources that make Seven Mile Beach such a special place. Enjoy a short video about our work (wetlandsinstitue.org) or tune in to our three live video cams on the tower that afford beautify views of the meadows so you can check in from wherever you are (wetlandsinstitute.org/visit-us/wetlandsinstitute-livecams/). Regardless of how you appreciate the majesty of the essence of Seven Mile Beach, be sure to include appreciation of its rich natural resources. You’ll be glad you did.
Teaching-tank and touch-tank demonstrations
Did You Know…
• Wetlands are someappearance of the most productive ecosystems on earth, rivaling coral by Scute A special reefs and rainforests in their biodiversity. • Wetlands provide protection to the barrier island and mainland from storms and Winter activities, crafts, games and more! major flooding events. • Wetlands act as giant sponges: 1 acre of wetlands can store more than 1 million Nonmember: $10 Adult, $8 Child, $30 Family Pack of 4 gallons of water, and their grasses absorb wave energy, stabilizing soil and Member: Adult, $6 Child, $25 Family Pack of 4 diminishing the erosive$8 effects of waves and currents. • Wetlands are the great nurseries of the ocean; more than two-thirds of all commercially valuable (and delicious) fish and shellfish rely on wetlands for some portion of their lives.
Did You Know…
• Wetlands functionare as great keepproductive our water clean. They filter somekidneys. of theThey most ecosystems Wetlands contaminants and pollutants from the water and buffer the bays and oceans from runoffon from land. rivaling coral reefs and rainforests in their earth,
biodiversity. Wetlands provide protection to the barrier island and mainland from storms and major flooding events. 1075 Stone Stone1Harbor, 08247 can actHarbor as giantBlvd, sponges: acre ofNJ wetlands Wetlands wetlandsinstitute.org | 609.368.1211 store more than 1 million gallons of water, and their Dr. Lenorestabilizing P. Tedesco soil is the grasses absorb wave energy, andExecutive Director of The Wetlands Institute in Stone diminishing the erosive of waves currents. Harbor.effects Tedesco has a Ph.D. inand marine geology and geophysics from the University of Miami,
nurseries of the ocean; Wetlands are the great and a bachelor’s degree in geology frommore Boston University. She joined The Wetlands Institute than two-thirds ofinallOctober commercially valuable (and 2011. Prior to then, she had been a in the Department of Earthfor Sciences at delicious) fish and professor shellfish rely on wetlands some Indiana-Purdue University for 21 years. She has portion of their lives. focused her research activities on coastal and wetland ecosystem dynamics and restoration.
Wetlands function as great kidneys. They keep our WWW.SEVENMILETIMES.COM water clean. They filter contaminants and pollutants