Views from theTower
Quarterly Newsletter
SUMMER 2019 | VOLUME 47 | NO. 2
We’ve Secured These Marshes, Now is the Time to Secure Our Future by Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director Fifty years ago, the founding of The Wetlands Institute marked a milestone in the history of the conservation movement. In 1969, Herbert Mills and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) made a stand for wetland protection on a national stage, and they did it here in South Jersey. Mills, then WWF Executive Director, sought to draw attention to the dramatic loss of wetlands he was witnessing and the threat that loss posed to society. Mills and his colleagues noted the dramatic decline in commercial and recreational fisheries, the increase in water pollution, and the loss of important services that wetlands provide to communities. resiliency, a term now in widespread use He wrote frequently of the values of following the devastation of Superstorm coastal marshes for the protection of Sandy, but largely not a recognized communities in coastal storms, and in a benefit before then. 1968 article, he documented the role of our wetlands for averting flood damage Mills set upon a several year effort to use to the community from a recent storm. private funding to acquire more than Mills was a visionary who was way ahead 5,000 acres of marshland with the intent of his time. He was talking about coastal of preserving it in perpetuity. His success
was dramatic and the initial acquisitions covered more than 10 square miles and extended throughout the back bays from Sea Isle to Wildwood and from the barrier islands to the mainland. The land acquisition costs exceeded $4.9 million, when converted to 2019 values. These early founders of The Wetlands Institute protected our environment and preserved our heritage. Mills then embarked on a mission to create a coastal research and education center, forever changing the history of Seven Mile Island, the State of New Jersey, and the region. We are all beneficiaries of their work. Every season, every Wetlands Institute has that founding vision, research, conservation
Along the way, we have been honored to have many people provide their vision, time, and talents to this enterprise. Mills preserved this land. Lehigh University and many scientists since conduct important research to understand and preserve these ecosystems. Cindy O’Connor dramatically expanded the physical campus and our reach in education and ecotourism. So many supporters along the way made it all possible. Today, the threats facing wetland ecosystems are different than in decades past, but they have never been greater – and the work of the Institute never more essential. For five decades, The Wetlands Institute has been working to preserve and protect our wetlands and teaching about the beauty and wonders of these amazing ecosystems so that others will embrace the need to preserve and protect them as well. As we celebrate 50 years of remarkable achievement, we look forward to the next 50 years and seek to secure that future. In honor of our anniversary, The Wetlands Institute is launching a 50th Anniversary Endowment Campaign to ensure that this work will continue for generations to come.
day since, The worked to fulfill as a force for and education.
wetlandsinstitute.org | 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247 | 609.368.1211
A non-profit organization studying, preserving and protecting wetlands and coastal ecosystems. Founded in 1969 by Herbert Mills, Executive Director of the World Wildlife Fund.
Marsh Musings by Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director
Deborah A. Hays, Chair Jane Rakestraw, Vice-Chair Robert Rich, Treasurer John Flynn, Secretary Jeffrey Alderton Raymond Burke, III Michael Craig John Cuthbert Roberta DeVries James Donohue Lois Hamilton
Mary Millar Wayne Renneisen Donna Rothman Hank Schellenger Amy Welsh William Wermuth
Staff Leadership
Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director Dr. Lisa Ferguson, Director of Research and Conservation Bonnie Girard, Director of Finance and Administration Brooke Knapick, Director of Educational Program Development
Research & Conservation Samantha Collins, Research Scientist Brittany Morey, Research Associate Brian Williamson, Research Scientist
Education
Samantha Glover, Aquarist / Environmental Educator Sue Slotterback, Environmental Educator
Administration
Terrie Campbell, Financial Admin. Assistant Kimberly Dmytro, Tidepool Shop Christina Faulk, Administrative Assistant Devin Griffiths, Marketing and Communications Specialist Stephanie Stroble, Front Desk Receptionist/ Admissions Coordinator Glenn Thompson, Maintenance Jamie Warner, Manager of Advancement Dale Watson, Gardener
It’s spring in the wetlands and the marshes are vibrant and full of life. So too is the Institute, with the undergraduate interns settled in for a remarkable learning experience and personal discovery. Visitors come in every day to learn about this wonderful environment, and grandparents, parents and children connect to each other and nature here. Our scientists are discovering new things about these marshes and testing new methods for ensuring that these marshes are resilient and remain healthy. Over the years, the threats to wetlands have changed, but the need to better understand them and their response to these new threats has never been greater. As I consider another spring, I know this is a special one because it is the 50th spring at The Wetlands Institute. A lot has happened in those 50 years. Many faces have come and gone, great leaders and great supporters have all left their mark and helped shape the legacy of The Wetlands Institute, and all make up the fabric of this great organization.
with the income being used to support operations and programs, allowing the Institute to meet new demands and seize new opportunities. They are an investment in the future of our marshes and coasts and our coastal communities. Now is the time to renew the commitment of 50 years ago – a commitment to preserve a majestic ecosystem that holds different meanings for each of us, but is vitally important to all of us. We must act now to understand how these ecosystems are changing, to restore them, and to engage the public in protecting and preserving them. It is our time to take the next bold move to ensure the future of The Wetlands Institute and its programs. Join the special friends that have made a commitment to the 50th Anniversary Endowment. It is up to us to create a lasting legacy so that 50 years from now people will look back and be grateful for the vision we have demonstrated.
As we celebrate 50 years of contributions, it’s appropriate to look forward to the next 50 years, and now is the perfect time for this generation to step forward to ensure that these marshes and this Institute are here for generations to come. I am pleased to announce that The Wetlands Institute is launching a $3.5 million 50th Anniversary Endowment Campaign. Endowed funds grow over time and are protected in perpetuity,
Visit Us Hours: May 20 - September 20, open daily 9:30-4:30. Extended hours until 7pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from June 18 to August 29. General Admission: Members: Free. Non-members: $8 Adults, $6 Children 3-12. Views From the Tower is the quarterly newsletter of The Wetlands Institute and can also be found on our website.
wetlandsinstitute.org
Jersey Cape Shell Club Show Friday, August 9 - Sunday, August 12. Stop in to see incredible collections of shells from around the world, including shells and shell artwork that will be available for sale. Free with Admission. Shell Show only: $3, children under 12 free.
Ensuring our Future through Endowment The Wetlands Institute is pleased to announce our 50th Anniversary Endowment Campaign to raise $3.5 million. Our 50th Anniversary is an ideal moment in our history to seek endowment support, and building our endowment is the most important investment we can make. Staying true to our mission, we will invest in the people and programs that define The Wetlands Institute and our future. As we advance our work in environmental research, conservation and education, the establishment of a healthy endowment provides stability and certainty in uncertain times, ensuring that resource allocation continues to be strategic. We are pleased to announce that we have received pledges of $2.88 million as of the middle of May. With a gift to the endowment, you can create a personal legacy and permanently support everything you value and appreciate about The Wetlands Institute. A healthy, unrestricted endowment means we can be flexible and responsive, and ensures that our mission – rather than external forces – influences our decision-making. Endowed program support
allows The Wetlands Institute to grow core programs and plan for their inclusion in our resource allocations in perpetuity. Gifts of appreciated stocks and pledges over a 3-5 year period are excellent ways to invest in The Wetlands Institute. Endowment gifts are invested and provide The Wetlands Institute a permanent source of income. They are gifts that grow over time. Each year, a portion of earned income is used to support programs. Over time, investment returns increase the value of the endowment, so that the impact of each donor’s gift will continue to grow. With gifts to The Wetlands Institute’s endowment fund, donors create a legacy that will sustain forever the initiatives they wish to support. Will you make a gift that has impact now and forever? Contact Lenore Tedesco (ltedesco@wetlandsinstitute.org or 609.368.1212) to learn more about how you can be part of The Wetlands Institute legacy.
50th Anniversary Endowment Campaign Honor Roll The Wetlands Institute thanks these supporters who are helping ensure our future by pledging gifts to the Endowment Campaign.
VISIONARIES $500,000 and Up
CHAMPIONS
Barbara and Jim Summers
LUMINARIES
$250,000-$499,999
Estate of Jane Dent The Larry L. Luing Family Foundation Sam and JoAnn Thomas The Wermuth Family
LEADERS
$100,000 - $249,999
Todd and Cindy Leff Mary Millar Marjorie Moretzsohn Hank and Julie Schellenger Jennifer (Jacobs) Zeigler
$50,000 TO $99,999
Ray and Ellen Burke Bert DeVries Jim Donohue and Carol Mager Anne Galli Lois and Barry Hamilton Michael and Deborah Hays Kevin and Trisha Luing Julian and Betsy Miraglia Jane Rakestraw Craig and Donna Rothman
INNOVATORS $25,000 TO $49,999 Jeffrey H. and Lee Alderton Wayne and Kay Renneisen Philip and Amy Welsh
H ERBERT MILLS LEGACY SOCIETY*
Anonymous Anne Galli John and Muriel Cuthbert Michael and Deborah Hays John Flynn and Kathe Hocevar *These Legacy Society members participated in our Endowment
Campaign by including The Wetlands Institute in their estate plans. We gratefully recognize these future gifts to the Endowment.
Reflects pledges of $25,000 or more received through May 22, 2019. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the Endowment Campaign.
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What Inspired Me by Amy Swanson, Supporter I grew up in a small blue-collar town outside Philadelphia. Most families had both parents working to make ends meet, and some lived in poverty. If college was a goal, then a scholarship was needed. I had a passion for science that started early. In elementary school I wanted to know how things worked. In junior high I wanted to be with beakers and Bunsen burners. In high school, when we did actual experiments, I couldn’t get enough. I never knew how that would play out for college, but I knew I had to keep my grades up and hope for some type of scholarship. In high school, we had few chances to take advanced classes but luckily my senior year, I enrolled in Advanced Biology. There were only a handful of us, some because it looked good on college applications, some to help with scholarships; I was there to fuel my expanding passion for science. In 1993, our biology group went to The Wetlands Institute (TWI). I had never spent more than a couple days at the beach, so I was extremely excited for this trip. I had never seen a marsh, or smelled that distinct smell or knew how many exciting creatures lived there until our group stayed in the Institute dorms and explored every day. I literally submerged myself into learning about the marsh when I sunk while seining and needed rescuing. Those nights were the first time in my life that I saw a tide come in, and the reflection of the moon off the water, and fell asleep to the sounds of the shore! I can honestly say they were the best days of my senior year.
There was no way my family could have afforded this trip. I now know it was because of a scholarship fund awarded to my school that I was able to go on this amazing journey. It was because of donors and supporters to this wonderful organization, that a child like me, one that didn’t grow up with a lot, was able to experience a new level of science and wonder which then pushed me into selecting a biochemistry major in college. When I met my husband, he had vacationed in Avalon for years, and took me to that beautiful island on our first vacation. One night we drove to Stone Harbor and all the memories came flooding back about my adventures to TWI and I recounted them to John. He became very interested, which then started our joint passion for the Institute. John has adopted a horseshoe crab for Valentine’s Day and surprised me with tickets to the Summer Celebration via a sponsorship. I was just a kid, from a small town, with a passion for science, and 25 years later, my husband and I are sponsoring an event for an organization that gave me such good memories. It was, and still is an incredible feeling. The Wetlands Institute sparked something in me at a young age, and that passion is still there. I hope more kids get to experience the magic of this special place. You never know where your life will end up, but seeing this come full circle for me has been an amazing experience. Thanks for the memories Amy, and these photos of your class trip. If you have memories or photos to share, please contact Jamie Warner at jwarner@wetlandsinstitute.org.
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Coastal Conservation Research Program
Environmental Education Program
The 2019 Coastal Conservation Research Program interns have been fully immersed in their summer at the Institute, learning new skills, contributing to our projects, and developing their own individual studies:
Hands-on, feet wet! Our Environmental Education interns are elbows and knees into leading public programs and looking forward to meeting you:
Tully Frain*, University of Connecticut Zachary Hulmes+, University of Rhode Island Jamie Infanti*, Lead Intern, University of Connecticut Emilie Karovic+, University of Connecticut; Jessica Klein#, Stockton University Aileen Lavelle#, University of California, Berkeley Tori Musumeci is also back as CCRP Program Coordinator, making sure the interns get the most of their time at the Institute this summer! * Position supported through The Larry L. Luing Family Foundation
Brandon Henry*, Stockton University Reilly McFoy*, Lebanon Valley College Sarah O’Sullivan+, University of Rhode Island Madison Sandquist+, University of Miami-Rosential School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Be sure to learn more about their experiences at our Annual Intern Symposium on August 5!
+ Position supported through The Barbara and Jim Summers Intern Endowment Fund
# Position supported through The Leff Family Foundation
The Wetlands Institute is pleased to announce endowment gifts in support of the undergraduate internship programs from the Luing Family and Barbara and Jim Summers.
Welcome to the Team! Meet Samantha Collins Sam joined The Wetlands Institute as a Research Scientist in early April. Before arriving she served as the Refuge Ornithologist at Rockefeller Refuge researching avian species of concern to better inform conservation, management and restoration. She served as a biologist with the Bird Banding Laboratory where she managed all avian banding and encounter records, nation-wide. Sam received her Bachelor’s from University of Vermont and her Master’s from Clemson University, where she studied the reproductive success of American Oystercatchers and implemented a headstarting effort to enhance low productivity rates. She is excited to join our team to further develop research on avian habitat use, nesting ecology, and response to habitat restoration and enhancement efforts.
Meet Devin Griffiths Devin joined the Wetlands Institute in May 2019 as the Marketing and Communications Specialist. He studied natural science and writing at Hampshire College, earning his B.A. in Science Journalism, and has been writing professionally for more than 30 years. Devin is an avid birder and a hobbyist photographer, and loves getting out in nature – seeing what’s there and being immersed in it, and then sharing what he’s seen with others in the hope that it might spark a love for – and a desire to protect – the amazing creatures with whom we share our home.
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Summer Happenings and Events The Wetlands Institute will be open daily from 9:30am-4:30pm, with extended evening hours and activities until 7:00pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from June 18-August 29, 2019! Unless otherwise stated, all activities are free with admission and occur onsite at The Wetlands Institute. For more information, visit wetlandsinstitute.org/events.
Salt Marsh Safari 10AM, 12PM & 2PM 11AM & 1PM
Monday - Friday Saturday & Sunday
Watch our award-winning film, Secrets of the Salt Marsh, then join us for an interpretive marsh walk along our elevated walkway and onto the dock overlooking Scotch Bonnet creek!
Creature Feature 11:15AM & 1:15PM
Monday & Friday
During this live animal presentation, get up close and personal with turtles, fish, crabs, sea stars and urchins, mollusks, horseshoe crabs, or the popular animals of Finding Nemo.
Aquarium Feeding 3:15PM 2:15PM
Tuesday and Thursday Saturday
Help us feed the local marine life! We will open up feeding three times each week so you can see fish getting dinner and the horseshoe crab gobbling shrimp.
Catch o’ the Day Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3:15PM Get your feet wet (or wear waders!) as you discover what swims in the back bays. Help us drag a seine net through the water to find crabs, shrimp, fish and more.
Special Evening Happenings 5PM
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights are bursting with fun! Meet live animals, learn about our latest research, release a terrapin (Tuesday) or horseshoe crab (Thursday) from our dock or spend an evening with the fish (Wednesday)!
Hooked on Fishing 9:30AM
Saturday
Go fishing! We’ll teach you how to bait a hook, cast a line, catch a fish and reel it in. We’ve even got fishing poles and bait.
Dune and Beach Walk 9:30AM
Wednesday
Meet at 48th Street and Dune Drive in Avalon for an interpretive walk along the maritime forest and dune trails to learn about the flora and fauna that call this area their home. Free to attend and generously sponsored by Avalon Free Public Library.
Exploration Point 9:30AM
Monday
Bring your buckets! Meet at the trailhead at 122nd Street in Stone Harbor and explore Stone Harbor Point for awesome seashells, cool birds, and fun things that live under the sand. Suggested $3 donation to The Wetlands Institute.
Seashell Sunday 10AM
Sunday
Seashells at the seashore! Join us to learn all about seashells, how to collect them without harming the environment, and touch an assortment of live mollusks and cool artifacts.
Crabbing at the Dock 2:15PM
Sunday
Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary Tour 10AM
Sunday (June 2 - August 25) Saturday (July and August)
Grab binoculars and your best bird guide! Then meet us at Egret Espy trail, 2nd Avenue Entrance in Stone Harbor for a guided tour of the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary. Program free to attend and generously sponsored by the Borough of Stone Harbor.
Drop a line in the water and see what pinches it! We’ll provide the bait and handlines - You reel in the blue crabs!
Learn, Support, Experience! Our Adoption Programs offer the chance to learn more about the coastal animals you love while supporting the work we do to research and protect them. Each program has several options to symbolically adopt an animal – Diamondback Terrapins, Horseshoe Crabs, and American Oystercatchers - and receive an adoption certificate, educational newsletter, stickers, and at some levels the chance to participate in our work. Adoptions make a great gift too. Check them out on our website, www.wetlandsinstitute.org.
Summer
on the
Ocean City Back Bay Birding and Wildlife Tours Join us aboard the Duke o’ Fluke for a special sunset sail on the Ocean City back bays. Cruise past endangered skimmers, dozens of osprey, and the area’s largest rookery of herons and egrets. Trip departs from the Bayside Center, located between 5th and 6th Streets, in Ocean City. Call 609-368-1211 for reservations.
Water
Reservations required for all activities. Please check our website for complete schedule and pricing. Unless otherwise stated, all activities leave from The Wetlands Institute dock.
Back Bay Birding and Wildlife Tours Board The Skimmer to cruise the beautiful back bays of Stone Harbor. Highlights include bird watching, salt marsh wildlife viewing and marine life touch tanks. Trips depart weekly, Tuesday through Thursday, with both daytime and evening tours available. Call 609-884-3100 for reservations or book online at skimmer.com.
Back Bay Kayaking and Paddle Boarding Kayaking and paddle boarding have become very popular ways to explore the marsh. Join us Monday through Friday, day or evening, for a guided kayak or paddle board tour of the coastal marsh ecosystem in a single or tandem kayak or atop a paddleboard. Call 609368-1211 for reservations.
Full Moon Paddling For two nights each month, hop into a kayak as the sun sets and the full moon rises. During this guided tour, if needed, we’ll paddle with lights on for safety beneath the moonlight. Call 609-3681211 for reservations.
Do Your Kids Love Summer Camp? Engage in science experimentation and exploration, play games, go on field trips, explore the beach, create arts and crafts, and much more all while enjoying a new theme each week. Spaces fill quickly! Ages 5-13: Weekly programs from June 26 - August 21, 2019 with field trips and beach days. Age 4: Special programs during the weeks of June 26, July 8, July 22, August 5 and August 19, 2019. at e Wetlands Inst ute For complete details, including descriptions, pricing and registration packet, please visit www.wetlandsinstitute.org June 26-28
July 1-5
Fins, Scales & Tails: A Fishes Creature Feature July 22-26 Terrapins to Toads: Community Defenders
Eco-Trails & Treasures
July 29-Aug. 2
July 8-12
Oceanopolis Aug. 5-9
Making a Splash with Dragons, Damsels, and Butter? Marine Mammals Oh, Fly!
Tidepool Shop
July 15-19 The Great Outback Survival Games Aug. 12-16 Mainland to Marshes: Explore the Shore
Aug. 19-21 Rock Fossil Stone
Our book and gift shop is open every day from 9:30am to 4:30pm with evening hours until 7pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from June 18 to August 29, 2019. Can’t visit us? Purchase by phone and we will ship your purchase anywhere in the US.
Beautiful Brooches Inspired by nature, Trovelore’s line of brooches are exquisitely handembroidered with vintage appeal. Plus, they contribute to a not-forprofit school with every product they make.
Anniversary Tees
Horseshoe Crab Totes
Featuring a whimsical array of butterflies, horseshoe crabs and Diamondback Terrapins encircling our 50th Anniversary logo. Come celebrate with us!
Our Eco Cotton totes make it easy to practice ocean-safe shopping – keep one (or more!) on hand to help eliminate plastic waste. The Possibilities really ARE Limulus!
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Presort Non-Profit US Postage PAID Permit 1940 Bellmawr, NJ
1075 Stone Harbor Blvd. Stone Harbor, NJ 08247-1424 A non-profit organization studying, preserving and protecting wetlands and coastal ecosystems
As a conservation organization, we have a special responsibility to address the global challenges of climate change and sustainability. We are committed to minimizing environmental impacts in all aspects of our operations. Visit our website at wetlandsinstitute.org/about-us/ sustainability/ for more on our sustainability initiatives.
Views from theTower The Wetlands Institute’s
Call 609.368.1211 or stop in to buy tickets. Drawing: December 19, 2019, 1:00pm at The Wetlands Institute
Only 240 tickets being sold... Get yours today! *$12,000 if all 240 tickets are sold. No substitution of the offered prize may be made. Winner does not need to be present to win. Must be 18 years of age or older to participate. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call toll-free 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). Net proceeds will be used to further environmental education and conservation programs at The Wetlands Institute. RA# 08-19 481-5-25895 Middle Township.