Originally published in Seven Mile Times' Holiday 2015 issue Once we believe in our selves, we can risk curiosity, w onder, ...
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The Wetlands Doctor Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Stone Harbor POA’s Outstanding Citizen, is devoted to the health our ecosystems By Dave Bontempo Dr. Lenore Tedesco poses with Frank Byrne (left), Jeff Alderton.
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enore Tedesco sports an elite “intellectual ecosystem.” That gives Stone Harbor a rare “academic species.” Tedesco, a Long Island native, appears destined to have engaged with nature. One of her earliest memories involved strolling the beach with her grandmother, a pioneering professional named Connie Tedesco, in the 1970s. “She sparked my curiosity and fascination with all of it,” Tedesco recalls. “She used to walk with me along the beach and point out so many things. My grandmother had a bachelor’s degree in biology, which she earned in 1922 from Hunter College. Think about that. Who does that? A woman in science in the 1920s?” Fast-forward nearly 100 years. Lenore became the “Who Does That” lady, logging nearly four decades of passion, expertise and professional achievement as a modern-day woman in science. It’s Dr. Tedesco now, executive director of The Wetlands Institute, the Stone Harbor-based, nonprofit organization designed to promote appreciation, understanding and stewardship of wetlands and coastal ecosystems through programs in research, education and conservation. Academics laid the foundation for her journey. Tedesco earned a bachelor of arts degree in geology from Boston University in 1984 and a Ph.D. from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School for Marine & Atmospheric Science in 1991. A teaching realm followed. Tedesco was a professor for the department of earth sciences at Indiana University/Purdue University for 20 years, and its director for the Center for Earth and Environmental Science. Four years ago, she became executive director of The Wetlands Institute, and the hits keep coming. Tedesco was honored with the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association’s
Outstanding Citizen Award in the fall. She is a rare non-Stone Harbor resident to receive this distinction. She resides in Cape May Court House but nonetheless impacts the Stone Harbor landscape. “I’m honored to receive this award,” she says. “I care very much about this community. The work that is done here matters a lot to people here. This community sees that and is embracing it. They support our efforts.” Tedesco, who writes for Seven Mile Times about The Wetlands Institute’s issues and activities, has directed major initiatives for Stone Harbor since coming to the institute in 2011. With the bird sanctuary, she was instrumental in helping vegetation management, restoration of the wetlands, replanting and revitalization of the gardens. At Stone Harbor Point, her group worked to restore and enhance the habitat for an endangered species of birds. Tedesco also has close ties with Stone Harbor’s natural resource committee. She has focused her research and conservation activities on coastal and wetland ecosystem dynamics and restoration. And it all matters. Tedesco says people will value wetlands and coastal ecosystems if they understand why their health intertwines with that of the community. It’s not simply about providing a bird sanctuary. It could extend to affecting major industries, like fishing. “The wetlands provide a number of major benefits to those who live in this area,” Tedesco says. “One is the intrinsic beauty. Why are people here? This is an exceptional place for an ecosystem. You want that lobster? You want that crab? You want that scallop? Well, this is where they live, that area has to be protected.” A second major benefit is storm protection, she says. The wetlands store billions of gallons of water. That’s billions of gallons, absorbed into the
marshlands, that won’t rush toward shore in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane. Tedesco says rising sea levels and development are the natural antagonists of wetlands. Lessons from around the world also affect thinking here. In the Katrina aftermath, for example, people lamented the earlier loss of tens of thousands of acres of wetlands that might have lessened the destruction of the storm surges. Another wetlands opponent is escaped crude oil, which creeps toward shore or smothers the ocean bottom. Hundreds of millions of dollars can be lost from the tourism and fishing industry wherever that happens. Tedesco has taken a leadership role in the industry. She sits on the steering committee for Wetlands Link International and on the New Jersey state fowl stamp committee. Her organization, by way of the U.S. State Department, recently was involved in a Wetlands Education Center Exchange Program with officials from Russia, in an effort to help both countries better serve the public. Her research interests include water resources, wetland, estuarine and stream restoration, and environmental education. She has obtained research grants from federal, state, local, corporate and philanthropic funding sources in excess of $5.5 million and education grants totaling more than $3.6 million. The realms of funding have run the gamut: Ecosystem Restoration, Water Resources Research, Watershed Planning and Management, Flood Erosion Hazard Mitigation, Wetland and Stream Restoration and Dynamics, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystem Development and Stability, and K-12 Science and Environmental Science Education. You name it, she knows it: from the history of a funded project to the
authoring of a video showing how spartina plugs restore damaged areas of a salt marsh. Tedesco thrives in her professional habitat. Jeff Alderton, the outgoing president of the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association, lauded her commitment to this area. “Lenore was unanimously approved for this award because of her incredible dedication to her craft, which benefits Stone Harbor tremendously,” Alderton says. “The effort Lenore has made with the bird sanctuary, in particular, is amazing. We had done a massive reconstruction of the food source and the water source a few years ago. We had created an infrastructure that allowed more fresh water. With both the saltwater and fresh water, we are able to produce food [to attract the birds]. Lenore has made it a personal quest to bring back the birds. This ties in with the great scientist she is and the downright wonderful person she is.” Alderton says Tedesco’s honor denotes an expanded concept for the Property Owners Association. He indicates that Stone Harbor, because of attractions like The Reeds at Shelter Haven and with business expansion, has become more closely associated with all of Cape May County. A SHPOA honoree does not necessarily have to live in Stone Harbor. An organization like The Wetlands Institute, which carries responsibility far beyond this area, ties in with Stone Harbor’s success. “When we thought of someone who impacted us in a great way, we thought of Lenore, hands down,” Alderton indicates. “She leaves a very large footprint.” To many, Tedesco is as precious as what she protects, a gift not limited to the holiday season. Somewhere, Connie Tedesco is beaming.
Dave Bontempo, a national award-winning writer and commentator, broadcasts major fights throughout the world for HBO. He covered lifeguard races and other ocean events for the Press of Atlantic City, Casino Connection and Global Gaming Business magazines. Holiday 2015
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