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Mansfield NewsJournal.com: Saltwater tips to help swimmers avoid shark attack


Photo credit: heinznfrenchie.blogspot.com

The top place in the world for shark attacks is Florida. The top of the top, according to CNN.US (Google) is New Smyrna Beach in Florida,which has seen 210 attacks. Hawaii is second, and California third. First runner-up for attacks among countries is Australia, then South Africa.

Even though your chances of getting hit by a hungry predator are small, especially in New Jersey, there are ways to reduce those chances even further. Wearing proper colors is one.


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NorthJersey.com: Woman runs into an alligator on her nature walk in Wayne


The captured alligator.
Photo credit: NorthJersey.com


It was the ultimate nature walk for one woman on Wednesday when she spotted a four-foot alligator on the grounds of George Washington Middle School.

“It was near the storm pipe,” said Wayne Det. Capt. Jim Clarke. “She was just up there taking a nature walk, saw the alligator, and called us.”

It wasn’t long after the 5:30 p.m. call to police that Wayne Township Park Ranger Robert Morgenfruh arrived to the school at Lenox Road to try and wrangle the freshwater gator, but it slipped into the storm pipe when he arrived.

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NJ.com: Extend the hunting season to reduce deer herd, letters to the editor


Photo credit: PGC Photo, Hal Korber

John Dellvigne's letter to the editor:

"In the latest letter from Margaret Andersen, again we learn that she loves deer, strongly dislikes hunters and exhorts us all to fence our shrubs and guard our trees."

"We do that at considerable expense and inconvenience, but why should we have to? At what point will she admit that the natural reproductive nature of the deer herd unrestricted is a geometric progression"

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Jill's Pick from Around the World: Dwellers In The Abyss: Ugly, Monstrous Fish


The Iceland catshark, found off Greenland
Photo credit: darkroastedblend.com


From DarkRoastedBlend.com: "It's commonly said we know more about the surface of the moon than we know about what happens right here on our own planet, in that murky world at the bottom of the sea. And indeed, we have only explored less than 5 percent of our oceans (we have better maps of Mars than we do of the ocean floor!)"

"Here's a fun fact for you: did you know that you, an unprotected human being, can last for about two whole minutes in a vacuum  — say on the surface of the moon? Here's another amusing bit of knowledge: did you also know that you, still just an unprotected homo sapiens, would last only the barest smidgen of a second before being totally, completely pulped by the crushing pressures at the bottom of the sea? Auguste Piccard, who made an adventurous trip in 1960 to the bottom of the Deep in his bathyscaphe, the Trieste, saw a few extreme creatures that managed to made that extreme environment their home."
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Go Wild! Travel Exclusive: Next generation goes to Vermont to build Greener Garden State


The New Jersey Next Generation Food Systems Alumni stand above the Mad River Valley in Vermont.

By WildNewJersey.tv Correspondent Dana Patterson

How do we make New Jersey into the Garden State again?  

How do we fill our breadbasket organically?

And how do we bring gardens into our inner cities?


To find out, fifteen youthful leaders went to Vermont.

As a young New Jersey environmentalist, I was sponsored by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to attend the New Jersey Next Generation Food Systems Retreat at The Center for Whole Communities located at Knoll Farm near Waitsfield, Vermont overlooking the beautiful Mad River Valley.
 
Knoll farm was donated to the Vermont Land Trust over 50 years ago, after serving as a refugee camp called Camp MacArthur.   Ten years ago Peter and Helen Forbes purchased the land with a shared vision in mind – to create a space where individuals can gather to converse organically over many different issues that exist in the world today.  Over 900 alumni from 400 different organizations have graduated from The Center for Whole Communities retreat programs.

The Record: Reservoir levels decline as drought worries rise in Bergen and Passaic counties


Photo credit: Tyson Trish, The Record staff photographer


Demand for reservoir water temporarily spiked by 20 percent after the state issued a drought watch for North Jersey last week, as municipalities and water utilities rushed to top off their own reservoirs and storage tanks, an official said.

Demandfor reservoir water temporarily spiked by 20 percent after the stateissued a drought watch for North Jersey last week, as municipalitiesand water utilities rushed to top off their own reservoirs and storagetanks, an official said.

Water utilities on Monday were not able to provide day-to-dayfigures that might show whether the state's call for voluntaryconservation in Bergen, Passaic and three other counties has beenheeded by residential users.

But water officials have said a similar appeal in July helpedstabilize use after several extremely hot days sparked a huge surge indemand.

And the state's climatologist says there's no way to tell whetherthe conditions that have put pressure on the water supply — hotter thannormal temperatures and lower than normal rainfall — will changeanytime soon.

In fact, the state Department of Environmental Protection hasscheduled a public hearing to discuss replacing the drought watch witha more dire drought warning for the region, a move that would triggerbans on certain water use including lawn watering and car washing.

The last time New Jersey experienced a drought emergency was 2002.

The DEP's drought watch announcement last week "caused an immediatesurge" in demand, said Colleen DeStefano, deputy executive director ofthe North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, which runs theWanaque and Monksville reservoirs that provide water to bothmunicipalities and utilities. "Everyone wanted to top off theirreservoirs."

The commission supplies United Water, the Passaic Valley Water Commission and individual cities and towns from Wayne to Newark.

DeStefano said many of the commission's municipal and utilityclients have been allowed to overdraft — that is, they're taking morewater than they are normally allocated, because of the increased demandon their supplies.

The Wanaque Reservoir, which has a capacity of 29 billion gallons,is down to 17.6 billion, or 59.6 percent of capacity, compared with93.3 percent last year at this time. "We're concerned," DeStefano said.

Normally, the smaller Monksville reservoir is not tapped until latein October, but the commission may have to do it sooner this year.

The Oradell Reservoir — one of four operated by United Water, whichserves about 800,000 customers in Bergen and Hudson counties — is at 47percent of capacity, said United Water spokeswoman Sonja Clark.Combined, she said, the four are at 51 percent of capacity, compared toabove 90 percent last summer.

The Oradell has taken on a greenish tinge because the lower waterlevels have allowed seeds to germinate and grow. In addition, the hotweather has increased water temperatures, encouraging more algae tobloom.

The Wanaque reservoir system also has an emergency backup source of water — pumps along the Passaic and Ramapo rivers.

Normally, the DEP does not allow the commission to pump from therivers until September, because dwindling river flows affect pollutionlevels and can harm fish and wildlife. The commission has petitionedthe DEP to start pumping now, but so far the state has not grantedpermission, DeStefano said.

"The DEP is continuing to closely monitor all of the droughtindicators for each of the state's drought regions," said spokesmanLarry Hajna.

Hajna said the DEP will hold a public hearing at the MillburnLibrary in Essex County at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 25 on whether to issue adrought warning for the Northeast region, which includes Bergen,Passaic, Essex, Morris and Hudson counties.

Things would be far more dire if not for a very wet March. "Marchalso ended the wettest 12-month period on record, so that has provideda cushion, and ground water levels are still OK," said stateclimatologist David Robinson.

E-mail: oneillj@northjersey.com

The Pascack Brook feeds the Oradell Reservoir, which United Water says is at 47 percent of capacity. Reservoir demand jumped 20 percent last week after the state issued a drought watch for North Jersey. Water utilities on Monday were not able to provide day-to-day figures that might show whether the state's call for voluntary conservation in Bergen, Passaic and three other counties has been heeded by residential users.

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PressofAtlanticCity.com: Cape May County is refusing millions for open space


Photo Credit: Paul Kerlinger, Outdoor Columnist, Cape May Times

Between 2005 and 2010, the state Green Acres program handed out more than $98 million to county governments throughout New Jersey to preserve open space, while Cape May County declined the money.Cape May County residents and towns need ask their freeholders why they continually refuse millions from Green Acres.

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Conserve Wildlife Blog: A healthy population, osprey numbers continue to rise


Photo credit: Eric Sambol

By Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager: "Ospreys are currently listed as a threatened species in New Jersey. They were first listed as endangered in 1974 after the state population declined to only 50 pairs, from over 500 prior to1950. Ospreys have made a remarkable recovery in New Jersey thanks to biologists with the Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) and many volunteers. Surveys that help monitor the population were conducted in late June and early July."

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A DC Birding Blog: Northern Gray Treefrog at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge


Photo credit: A DC Birding Blog

By a DC Birding Blog: "Last week I found this Northern Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) near Big John's Pond in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I had stopped to photograph some insects and just happened to lay eyes on it. Otherwise I might have missed the frog due to its excellent camouflage.These treefrogs are plentiful but are more often heard than seen. Their call is a soft trill."
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DailyRecord.com: Fall Bird Migration Begins at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge


A heron at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo credit: Thomas Jambor


With a sighting the other day of a blue winged teal, the fall bird migration appeared to have started.

"Blue winged teals are an early migrator," said Craig Bitler, the wildlife biologist at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

The Great Swamp's wildlife observation Center off Long Hill Road is one of the best sites to observe both migrating and native birds, Bitler said. It offers visitors three observation blinds along its 1.2 miles of trails which offer the chance to see a variety of birds and other wildlife. It is one of three sites within the Great Swamp that offer an up-close experience with wildlife, including the wilderness area of the refuge, marked by eight miles of rough trails, and the overlook on Pleasant Plains Road, which offers among other sights, a view of a heron rookery.
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Yahoo! News: Long Beach Island listed third on North America's top shark-attack beaches


Photo credit: Brandon Cole

Note from WildNewJersey.tv: This Yahoo! News article did not note that three of the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks took place in
Matawan Creek.

North America is home to dozens of beaches where swimmers and sharks intermix, even though the humans may never know it. According to George Burgess, an ichthyologist at the University of Florida who maintains a database called the International Shark Attack File. When the rare attack happens it's usually a predatory mistake. "In the surf zone, where many attacks happen, sharks need to make quick decisions," he said. "Humans on surfboards—hands splashing, feet kicking — can trigger a shark to think there's trouble or a wounded animal, and it looks like an easy meal."

But according to Laleh Mohajerani, executive director of the shark conservation organization Iemanya Oceanica, sharks are not looking to interfere with humans in the water. Our shark-attack fears are irrational, she said. "You are more likely to be hit by lightning."
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The Jersey Journal: Warehouse worker finds 7-foot boa constrictor during his lunch break

A seven-foot boa constrictor seen just outside the Century 21 Distribution Warehouse building in Secaucus on Enterprise Avenue.
Photo credit: The Jersey Journal

A worker on his lunch break discovered a seven-foot boa constrictor in a drainage pipe at the Century 21 distribution warehouse in Secaucus on Monday, today's Jersey Journal reports.  Jorge Feliz of the Bronx, NY, found the snake just outside the building at 12:30 p.m.

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NorthJersey.com: Wildlife in urban areas draw a thin line in the sand between residents


The native rodent most often seen in the Meadowlands, the muskrat, has been the sparkle in many trappers' eyes for years as they provided a lucrative side job because of their furs. Although not often seen, trapping and hunting in parts of South Bergen are still legal if proper state permits and guidelines are obtained.
Photo credit: NJMC

A deer was captured on camera after three curious Rutherford residents heard it clamoring around their neighborhood about a month ago. Two wild turkeys have become unofficial mascots of the Borough of Trees; one was shot and killed with a bow and arrow on July 21. Then there are the scores of rabbits, raccoons, groundhogs, squirrels and other wildlife that make an appearance within South Bergen's borders, not to mention the muskrats of the Meadowlands who for years had been the focus of trappers seeking their furs.

However, it was that turkey killed on July 21 that now raises the question of how sensitive the line is when wildlife and humans cross in densely populated suburban areas such as South Bergen. Two Rutherford 18-year-olds have been charged in connection to the killing. One, James Garner, faces animal cruelty charges from the county and a borough ordinance charge that prohibits hunting in Rutherford. The 18-year-old accused of the shooting the turkey, Garnic Hovanessian, faces the same charges, plus a disorderly person's offense from Rutherford and three violations of Department of Environmental Protection wildlife rules. The charges are taking a turkey out of season, hunting without a license and use of an improper arrow and discharging it within 450 feet of a building.
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Department of Environmental Conservation: What's happening on the Hudson River in September


Photo credit: osiny.org

Just when Hudson Valley residents have had all they can take of the haze, heat, and humidity of summer, along comes September. The ninth month will have its hot spells, but the sun sets a few minutes earlier each evening, a reminder that we're in transition to the clear, chilly days of October.

For hikers, this may be the single best month to visit the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. The crowds of summer hikers have left, the days are cooler, and you may actually be able to carry enough water for an overnighter. The crisp nights treat us to a star show, and coyotes and owls serenade us to sleep.

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American Bird Conservancy: EPA to End All Use of Bird-Killing Pesticide


Photo credit: FWS

American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, and other environmental groups today welcomed the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency and Bayer CropScience to cease production of the pesticide aldicarb in 2014, begin phasing out its more dangerous uses immediately, and end all uses by 2018.

ABC had voiced grave concerns to EPA over the use of aldicarb as far back as 2005. Following official ABC comments, as well as comments from other members of the National Pesticide Reform Coalition, applications of aldicarb were restricted in both the amount of the pesticide that could be used per application and the number of times it could be applied per year. Many of the concerns about aldicarb came from groups who are members of the National Pesticide Reform Coalition (NPRC). NPRC was formed in 2002 by ABC and other non-profit groups who recognized an increasing need for coordination in addressing issues arising from the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide registration and re-registration processes.

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New Haven Register: Tropical fish spreading up eastern seaboard


Photo credit: New Haven Register

William Kaempffer, Register Staff:  "Netting off in the shallows of Hotchkiss Grove, Tony Pulcinella and his grandkids don’t think twice about catching snapper, silver-side minnows, blue crabs and sea robins."

"But this weekend, Pulcinella found something in his net that he had never encountered in his 68 years in Long Island Sound: What appeared to be three small angelfish that typically swim near warm water reefs in the Caribbean, Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic."

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Meadowlands Blog: Avocet in Dekorte Park continues


Photo credit: Jeff Nicol

From The Meadowlands Nature Blog: "We saw the Am. Avocet on our lunch hour Tuesday — 12:15. It was in the back of the North Pool, along the distant shoreline just to the right of a  power-line tower. A Peregrine was strafing the Short-billed Dowitchers and other shorebirds. Also had three Ospreys fishing at once. Did not see a Sora or Least Bittern today."

Julie McCall reports: "The Am. Avocet is still present as of Monday evening.  It was still there when I left the Marsh  Discovery Trail after around 4:30 p.m. I have a small .jpg (above) with an excerpt of the DeKorte trail map with the location pointed out in case people want to see if the bird is still there Tuesday."

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WNJ Exclusive: The Great American River Water Gun War


The 2010 Summer has been the perfect year for tubing down the Delaware River.   The river is now at the perfect water level and the water temperature averages in the low 80's!  Besides the perfect weather and river conditions, there is so much in store for you and your family tomorrow at Delaware River Tubing!  Walk-in's are welcome and we are open daily until September 12.

Join Delaware River Tubing tomorrow for the first annual Great American River Water Gun War!  This first ever event is going to be a blast (quite literally) for the whole family!  Each participant will receive ONE FREE AQUA ZOOKA Water Gun when tubing, rafting, canoeing, or kayaking this Saturday, only at Delaware River Tubing!


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WNJ Exclusive: Immature Cooper's Hawk Stalks a Least Sandpiper


All photos by Bob Devlin from flickr.com

By Bob Devlin: "Walking the trail between Edmund's Ave and the bay at Coneskonk Point, I came across an immature Cooper's Hawk stalking a Least Sandpiper in a puddle. Eventually, the Least flew down the trail followed by the Coop. Farther down the trail, I again saw the Coop within flush distance, but still walking toward me. It was still stalking the Least, which now caught between a hawk and a human, wisely ran into the marsh grass . . . much to the disappointment of the Coop."

WTNH New Haven: Manatee spotted in Conn. is likely N.J. migrant


Photo credit: wtnh.com

A manatee, not usually seen this far north, was spotted at a marina in Clinton. Folks at the Cedar Island Marina were surprised to see the manatee, about 9 or 10 feet long, Friday morning.

"The water at the time was about two and a half three feet deep. It just came over, rolled right on his back and just drank water. Right from that pipe right there. Right from the drain and he just stayed there and just drank water," said Beth Patrizzi.


Beth Patrizzi who works in the research lab at Cedar Island Marina says the manatee looks a lot like one seen in Bridgeport two days ago. It may be rare, but these mammals, known as sea cows, do sometimes make their way into the warm New England waters.

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