The site boasts an impressive year round bird list of approximately 147 species.  Mid-July I spent a couple of hours walking through the various habitats, concentrating on the woodland, pond and field areas, but of course checking out the marsh and bay as well. I was able to rack up close to 40 bird species. Imagine how many more species I could have added to that list if I had stayed longer.  

My first visit to the pond spooked a Black-crowned Night Heron. Proceeding around the pond I could hear the buzzy call of breeding Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and the distinctive song of the Common Yellowthroat warbler.  A Cooper’s hawk attempted to take the Chipping Sparrows I was admiring in the field, and an Eastern Phoebe plucked bugs from the air along the edge of the forest.  Great-crested Flycatchers fought over tree supremacy out by the marsh. The next stop included sightings of Tri-colored Heron, Greater Yellowlegs and Willets and, of course, the usual Great and Snowy Egrets.   

This is not only a birder’s paradise. Operations Manager, Pola Galie, organizes events for the public to enjoy that highlight the cultural and historical significance of the area. The yearly Bayside Basketry and Fiber Bash began last year affording local craftsman the opportunity to demonstrate their talents and sell their wares.  On September 10th the center will host the Bounty of the Bay Festival, a fish fry and clam bake from 4-7 pm, open to the public, with a $25 entrance fee.  It’s an event you won’t want to miss.  

Originally I was going to list all of the intriguing environmental studies that are occurring on the property, the history of the site, etc., but you can read all of that on their informative website (find below).  Instead I thought I would put a pitch in for why you would want to be a member and possibly a volunteer.  Why pay to have access when there are so many free places you can go? There are many reasons I can think of. The first and foremost is because a membership in the Natural Resource Education Foundation, the non-profit that leases and manages the center, guarantees its future existence.

There are so many properties that are sold to hotels, casinos and housing developments, and this property was on the table at one point.  Paying for a membership says that you care enough to preserve this property for future generations.  Now you might be thinking, “Oh come on, NJ DEP owns the property” and you would be right, but in the shaky economic and political times we live in, I don’t think we can take anything for granted.   Membership is a tangible record that shows people are willing to pay to keep their natural resources and believe me, when it comes to money, our politicians listen.  Only now are they considering the ecological damage being done to Barnegat Bay because they fear people will decide that our waters are too polluted to enjoy and that could translate into huge economic loses.

Lastly, think of the birds. Quite literally, they are running out of habitat.  There aren’t too many places along the Barnegat Bay where you will find 194 contiguous acres with such diverse habitats, making this site quite special indeed.  I look forward to the many events it has to offer and to enjoying the many species of birds that find sanctuary there.
 
Please visit their website for upcoming events and for information on how you can become a member: