NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended...

14
NEW JERSEY ANNUAL REPORT JULY 1, 2018 – JUNE 30, 2019

Transcript of NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended...

Page 1: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

NEW JERSEY ANNUAL REPORTJULY 1, 2018 – JUNE 30, 2019

Page 2: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

High Mountain

New Bobcat Alley Acquisition

ColumbiaDam

TNC Chester O�ce

Slade DaleSanctuary,

Point Pleasant

Naval WeaponsStation Earle

TNC SouthernNJ O�ce

The LighthouseCenter

Avalon

RingIsland

WestWildwood

South Cape May Meadows

Gandy’s Beach

Fortescue

Paulins KillWatershed

BobcatAlley

MenanticoPreserve

Navesink River,Red Bank

Michael HuberPrairie WarblerPreserve

Shore Avenue Park,Ship Bottom

Mordecai Island,Beach Haven

PenningtonMountain

PointMountain

Musconetcong Highlands

Hyper-Humus

Paulina Dam County Line Dam

With your help, our ambitious 2015 – 2020 conservation goals are in sight – and in a few cases achieved early!

This year has seen some big conservation achievements, including the largest dam removal to date in the state of New Jersey. Our efforts to focus statewide protection of lands and waters on the highest-priority areas are gaining momentum. And, as always, we are planning for the future, preparing to raise the bar on our conservation impact.

How can we have an even bigger conservation impact? Certainly, it will involve leveraging our strengths – our foundation in science, our experience bringing together collaborative partnerships, and our track record of delivering tangible, lasting results. Consider Bobcat Alley: it not only contains critical habitat for our state’s last remaining wild feline, it is a key link in a larger greenway stretching from Alabama into Canada that will be a vital migratory corridor as temperatures continue to warm. And we will be applying what we’ve learned implementing nature-based solutions for coastal resilience, not only along the Jersey Shore, but also in cities and other communities where nature can help address flooding and other impacts from climate change.

But first, let’s take a moment to celebrate the conservation progress that you made possible this year – thank you!

Yours in conservation, Dr. Barbara Brummer

DEAR FRIENDS

The Nature Conservancy in New JerseyBOARD OF TRUSTEES Mark DeAngelis, Chair Anne H. Jacobson, Vice ChairGlenn BoydWarren CookeSusan DunnAaron FeilerVanita Gangwal R. Jay GerkenAmy Greene CONSERVANCY COUNCIL Anne H. Jacobson, Co-ChairDennis Hart, Co-ChairBarbara Okamoto BachMichael BatemanMary W. BaumSusan BoyleSusan M. CoanCarol CollierHans DekkerAlma DeMetropolisRobin DoughertyMartin EllingJeanne FoxRussell FurnariSidney HargroMerwin KinkadeJennifer Lakefield

NEW

JERSEY AN

NU

AL REPO

RT 2019

2

Valerie MontecalvoArnold PeinadoMargaret Post David A. RobinsonBenjamin RogersGeraldine SmithDennis ToftLisa WelshJim Wright

nature.org/newjersey Tweet us at @nature_NJFollow us at @nature_nj

The Nature Conservancy in New JerseyElizabeth D. Kay Environmental Center200 Pottersville Road • Chester, New Jersey 07930

For more information about The Nature Conservancy and ways to support it, please call 908-879-7262 or email [email protected]

Thomas G. LambrixBill LeavensAnn B. LeskHon. Frank LoBiondoRobert MedinaElizabeth K. ParkerJohn PostKathy SchroeherJames A. ShissiasTracy StrakaKate TomlinsonDonald UllmannDan VanAbs, Ph.D.Robert D. WilsonJoseph WofchuckChristian Zugel

ON THE COVER The Paulins Kill flows freely through the site of the former Columbia Dam! © Jeff Burian/TNC THIS PAGE left to right Wildflower meadow at the Garrett Family Preserve at Cape Island Creek © Scott Hardage/TNC; New Jersey State Director Dr. Barbara Brummer © Jeff Burian/TNC; Trees planted along the Paulins Kill © Jeff Burian/TNC MAP PHOTOS clockwise Removing the Columbia Dam © Jeff Burian/TNC; Wildlife camera photo from CHANJ project © TNC; Volunteers installing Christmas tree breakwater © Princeton Hydro; Piping plover decoy at South Cape May Meadows © Damon Noe/TNC; Roots for Rivers planting © Jill Dodds OPPOSITE PAGE Sunray Beach © Damon Noe/TNC

WHERE WE WORK 2019 PROJECTS

Page 3: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

High Mountain

New Bobcat Alley Acquisition

ColumbiaDam

TNC Chester O�ce

Slade DaleSanctuary,

Point Pleasant

Naval WeaponsStation Earle

TNC SouthernNJ O�ce

The LighthouseCenter

Avalon

RingIsland

WestWildwood

South Cape May Meadows

Gandy’s Beach

Fortescue

Paulins KillWatershed

BobcatAlley

MenanticoPreserve

Navesink River,Red Bank

Michael HuberPrairie WarblerPreserve

Shore Avenue Park,Ship Bottom

Mordecai Island,Beach Haven

PenningtonMountain

PointMountain

Musconetcong Highlands

Hyper-Humus

Paulina Dam County Line Dam

nature.org/newjersey Tweet us at @nature_NJFollow us at @nature_nj

FINANCIAL OVERVIEWThe Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real Nature of New Jersey, which we will wrap up in 2020. Operating expenses stood at $6.7 million and capital expenses were $5.4 million. The pie chart below shows primary sources of operating and capital revenue. Private donors accounted for 43% of the total. Strong public sector support for the Columbia Dam removal project represented 41.5% of overall revenue, an unusually high percentage for public funding. Other public funds and contracts represented 3% of total revenue.

For more information, please contact Betsy Wullert at 908-955-0360.

3

SOURCES OF OPERATING AND CAPITAL REVENUE

WHERE WE WORK 2019 PROJECTS

SOUTH CAPE MAY MEADOWS Using innovative concepts to create protected habitat for beach-nesting birds, complete with decoys and bird calls to attract least terns and piping plovers

CHANJ Working with the Connecting

Habitats Across New Jersey project to identify opportunities

to improve conditions for animals as they navigate our state’s

dense road network

ROOTS FOR RIVERS Providing financial and technical assistance to municipalities and organizations as they develop their own tree-planting projects to reforest floodplains throughout the state

CHRISTMAS TREE BREAKWATER Through our Living

Shorelines Incentives program, TNC supported

American Littoral Society in constructing

a breakwater out of recycled Christmas trees at Slade Dale Sanctuary.

KEY • Land conservation projects • Freshwater restoration projects • Coastal resilience projects • Roots for Rivers tree plantings • Dams • CHANJ monitoring areas

Private Donors 43%

Investment Income 10%

Private Contracts, Mitigation and Other 2.5%

Public Grants and Contracts – Other 3%

Public Grants – Dam Removal 41.5%

COLUMBIA DAM Removal of the dam reconnected 20 miles of river and stream habitat, improving water quality and allowing American shad to return upriver to spawn for the first time in over 100 years! This project was a key part of our long-term commitment to restoring the health of the entire Paulins Kill watershed.

Page 4: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

LAND Driven by science and focused on identifying the most critical lands to protect for people, wildlife and resilience to climate change, the New Jersey Chapter built on its legacy of collaboration, resulting in 2,624 newly protected acres.

Tracking Wildlife The New Jersey Chapter has teamed up with New Jersey’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program to track wildlife on the move. The Conservancy is monitoring wildlife along roads within a 17-mile stretch of Bobcat Alley, which connects the Highlands to the Appalachians, and within a nine-mile corridor between the Highlands and our High Mountain Park Preserve to support

NEW

JERSEY AN

NU

AL REPO

RT 2019

4

Bobcat Alley Land ProtectionThe Nature Conservancy continues to protect land in Bobcat Alley, a 32,000-acre corridor linking the Highlands to the Appalachians that provides vital habitat for species like the endangered bobcat and serves as a key link in a larger east coast greenway.

In the summer of 2018, we acquired 109 acres in the heart of Bobcat Alley that exemplify the corridor’s ecological significance. This hilly property in Hardwick Township is quintessential “ridge and valley.” Its rich variety of terrain — open glades, rock outcroppings, forested slopes and wetland valleys — make the parcel a high-ranking site for climate resilience, setting the stage for species to adjust to changing climate conditions. Vernal pools and seasonal headwaters provide clean water for the Paulins Kill, the key Delaware River tributary where our freshwater restoration is focused. This property will become part of a new preserve named in memory of our founding Trustee, Elizabeth “Betty” Merck.

an effort called Connecting Habitats Across New Jersey (CHANJ). The goal of CHANJ is to improve conditions for animals as they navigate the dense road network in our state.

The summer of 2018 was our first of three field seasons with weekly on-the-ground assessments of wildlife crossing roads in the targeted corridors; our second season is now underway. We’ve also installed motion-activated wildlife cameras to

Page 5: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

5

LAN

D I CO

ASTS I RIV

ERS I ACTIO

N

understand how animals use existing structures like culverts and bridges to go under or over roads.

We have observed a wide variety of animals including bobcat, fox, raccoon, great blue heron, long-tailed weasel, river otter – and, of course, many deer. The wildlife cameras are particularly helpful in capturing data on nocturnal species and those that shy away from human contact and observation; bobcats fall into both those categories. The monitoring data will inform future planning by transportation officials and help identify places for targeted land protection and retrofitting of passageways to encourage more animals to use them.

THIS PAGE Newly protected land at Menantico Preserve © NJCF OPPOSITE PAGE left to right Bobcat in Bobcat Alley © Tyler Christensen; Newest protected land in Bobcat Alley © Eric Olsen/TNC

Menantico Preserve 2018 600 acres Manumuskin Headwaters

2010-2012509 acres

Manumuskin River Preserve1982-20023,672 acres

Menantico Creek Preserve1998-2008602 acres

Maurice River BluffsPreserve 1999-2003

531 acres

Four Decades Saving a New Jersey Treasure To protect New Jersey’s lands and waters at a pace and scale that matters, collaboration with other conservation organizations is an essential strategy for us. This year, the Chapter was excited to collaborate with partners to protect land in important places throughout the state including the Highlands, Pine Barrens and Sourlands. We are especially proud to be among the partners that assisted New Jersey Conservation Foundation and Cumberland County in protecting 600 acres at Menantico Creek. This is the latest, but not last, piece of a 40-year land protection effort that covers tens of thousands of acres, including more than 5,300 acres protected in Nature Conservancy preserves (see map). Located in the Wild and Scenic Maurice River system, long threatened by development of industrial ports and massive housing developments, the area’s forests are breeding grounds for migratory songbirds including ruby-throated hummingbirds, scarlet tanagers and yellow-throated warblers. Its acquisition helped protect more than two miles of Menantico Creek and its tributaries, pristine waterways that attract ospreys and bald eagles. What a wonderful addition to the thousands of acres that New Jersey’s land conservation community has worked together to protect in this rich expanse of forest!

40-year land protection effort

Page 6: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

NEW

JERSEY AN

NU

AL REPO

RT 2019

6

Naturally Protecting Our Beloved Shore With increasing evidence that nature-based solutions like oyster reefs and marsh grasses can help protect our coastline from erosion, flooding and other risks to people and property, the Chapter continued its push for use of these green alternatives to options like bulkheads and seawalls.

This year, through our Living Shoreline Incentives Program, we awarded incentive grants to jump-start four new projects. These projects demonstrate the variety of forms that living shorelines can take. In Beach Haven, we are helping with the construction of an oyster reef breakwater. Marsh sills, which include a low reef of rocks and rebuilt marsh running parallel to the coast, will be used in Ship Bottom and on the Navesink River in Red Bank. And an array of Wave Attenuation Devices® will be incorporated into a project in Waretown on Barnegat Bay. In addition to grants, we assist recipients by reviewing designs, supporting agency relationships and helping to identify potential funding.

To reach the broader coastal management community, TNC and Rutgers University led a standing-room only workshop aimed at helping municipal planners incorporate nature-based solutions into their plans and also conducted a webinar focused on securing funding. Since we launched our coastal program, we have engaged an unexpectedly wide variety of professionals and more than two dozen communities through workshops and trainings and are sensing a groundswell of interest in using nature to address flooding, erosion and other hazards.

COASTS With the growing urgency to create resilient coastal communities able to adapt to sea level rise and other impacts of climate change, the Chapter doubled down on efforts to incentivize the use of nature-based solutions by towns up and down New Jersey’s coasts.

Monitoring vegetation recovery at marsh restoration site in Avalon, NJ. © Adrianna Zito-Livingston/TNC

Page 7: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

7

Enhancing Habitat for Beach-Nesting Birds In addition to helping our towns become resilient to rising seas and a changing climate, we also want to help our iconic beach-nesting birds thrive. The Nature Conservancy’s South Cape May Meadows Preserve is a popular destination for both people and birds. But over the past several years, most nests along the beach have been lost to predators, while encroaching vegetation has diminished nesting attempts. This season, our staff came up with creative ideas to improve habitat, encourage nesting and thwart predators. On the beach, they

removed vegetation, added 45 tons of crushed shell to create habitat beach-nesting birds prefer, and added fencing above and below ground to keep digging predators out. In a marsh further inland, the team added 75 tons of shell to an island less accessible to predators. Staff constructed a custom, solar-powered system to play piping plover and least tern calls and built plover and tern decoys, along with painted wooden eggs, to attract beach-nesters and confuse predators like crows. So far, least terns have established two colonies on our beach: one inside the fence with at least 10 nests and another just outside with at least 6. We have also observed three American oystercatcher nests. While proof of success will come from the number of chicks fledged at the end of the season, we’re seeing many more birds than in recent years, so we are hopeful that our experiment is making a difference!

7

Strengthening our marshes When it comes to reducing risks to people and property, we know that nature can be part of the solution and that marshes play an important role. But with sea level rise, many of our precious marshes are drowning. To help marshes (and the flood protection they offer) survive farther into the future, the Conservancy and partners have been testing an innovative technique that elevates sinking marshes using sand and soil dredged from nearby clogged boat channels. The technique was employed at marshes in Avalon, Stone Harbor and Fortescue between 2014 and 2016. Since then, staff and volunteers have been tracking vegetation recovery and elevation changes to ensure that the marshes are benefiting as expected; measurements from the 2018 field season were encouraging! Data from this project will identify factors driving marsh recovery and contribute to the recently-launched Seven Mile Island Living Laboratory, designed to advance techniques that marry dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway and restoration of marshes. Given our experience, The Nature Conservancy is serving on the Army Corps of Engineers’ Laboratory advisory group.

LAN

D I CO

ASTS I RIV

ERS I ACTIO

N

2016 2018

top to bottom Placing least tern decoys on South Cape May Meadows beach © Damon Noe/TNC; Least tern chick at South Cape May Meadows © Damon Noe/TNC

Aerial drone photos of Fortescue marsh restoration areas in the first and third growing seasons after placement of dredge materials. © NJDEP

Page 8: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

NEW

JERSEY AN

NU

AL REPO

RT 2019

8

Five years after the first meeting of a coalition to remove the Columbia Dam, the project is complete, and the Paulins Kill is flowing freely into the Delaware River! While record-breaking rain required constant and creative problem-solving, the last piece of the dam was removed in March. Just weeks later, on Earth Day, American shad were documented swimming upstream in Blairstown—the first time in over 100 years that they were able to access their historic spawning grounds! In addition to removing the dam, we stabilized three nearby bridges and planted over 10,500 native trees and shrubs in floodplains formerly inundated by the dam.

Beyond the Columbia Dam

RIVERS We have reached several exciting milestones toward our goal to restore the health of the entire Paulins Kill watershed: completing the largest dam removal in New Jersey history, exceeding our ambitious tree-planting goal, and designing a restoration plan for the degraded headwaters of this key Delaware River tributary.

Inspired in part by our success with the Columbia Dam, the Town of Blairstown has asked The Nature Conservancy to take the lead on removal of the Paulina Dam, 10 miles upriver from the Columbia. Its removal will open another seven miles of river for migratory fish like shad and reduce risks for paddlers and anglers, as well as landowners downstream. We are also working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on a feasibility study to remove the County Line Dam, a smaller, privately owned dam upstream from the Paulina. In total, these three dam removals will reopen nearly 45 miles of mainstem river and tributaries!

The Paulins Kill before and after removal of the Columbia Dam. © Jeff Burian/TNC

Page 9: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

9

THIS PAGE top to bottom Trees and live stakes planted along the Paulins Kill. © Jeff Burian/TNC; Concept design for Paulins Kill headwaters restoration. © Louis Berger; Great Egret at Hyper-Humus © Matt Zeit

Goal Exceeded! We are delighted to report that the extensive floodplain plantings at the former Columbia Dam site have helped us to exceed our goal to plant 50,000 trees in the Paulins Kill watershed by 2020 – a full year early! Since 2012, the Conservancy, our partners and volunteers have planted 54,689 native trees and shrubs along the banks and floodplains of the Paulins Kill. These plantings are establishing a root system to stabilize the stream banks and prevent erosion, providing habitat for a variety of species, and filtering nutrients and other pollutants. As they mature, they will provide a canopy to cool the waters. And our planting efforts in the Paulins Kill are still going strong!

LAN

D I CO

ASTS I RIV

ERS I ACTIO

N

A Design for Headwaters Restoration The Paulins Kill’s headwaters, in an area known as Hyper-Humus after a mining company that once operated there, were seriously degraded by decades of peat mining. After extensive community outreach and site surveys, we have developed a concept design to restore the 1,000-acre site, now part of a wildlife management area owned by the State of New Jersey. In addition to re-creating a more natural, meandering flow to the river that will significantly improve water quality, the design will create varied wildlife habitat and add amenities such as bird blinds and pedestrian bridges for the many visitors to this popular site.

0 0.25 0.5 1 Mile

Page 10: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

NEW

JERSEY AN

NU

AL REPO

RT 2019

10

Focusing Action on Land Protection In this most densely populated state, there has long been strong public support for protecting the lands that safeguard our drinking water, clean our air, sustain wildlife, grow our

food, provide places for people to enjoy the outdoors and, more recently, help us adapt to a warming

climate. Because land here is expensive and resources are limited, in 2016 The Nature Conservancy, Rowan University and New Jersey Conservation Foundation came together with 22 conservation-focused groups to accelerate preservation of our state’s most important remaining natural and cultural land resources. The result was the NJ Conservation Blueprint, an interactive mapping tool that provides access to the most current data on New Jersey’s lands. Enthusiastically adopted early on by the major land protection agencies and nonprofits, the Blueprint has continued to gain users, attracting 9,000 users over its lifetime. We were excited to release a new website interface this spring designed to shorten the training curve for new users. And we will continue to work to make it even more useful to an even broader audience, including government and land trust professionals, open space committees, planning boards, environmental commissions, and interested people like you! The graphic on this page can only give an inkling of the richness and accessibility of the data. Take a look at www.njblueprint.org and let us know what you think at [email protected].

Priority Lands for Water Quality Protection

Impervious Surface by NHD Catchment

Floodplains

Headwaters

Groundwater Recharge

Reference Map

TAKING ACTION STATEWIDE

Reducing Carbon Emissions To address climate change and the threats it poses to our world, every chapter in The Nature Conservancy is pursuing actions that, given the unique circumstances in each state, stand the best chance of success at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The New Jersey Chapter’s new Climate Change & Energy Policy Manager began by exploring the state’s climate change landscape to find the best niche for us to add value to existing nonprofit initiatives. Research and outreach to nonprofits, universities, legislators and companies identified a substantial need to engage New Jersey’s corporate sector, especially since corporate practices can have an outsized impact on emissions. We have engaged with 25 corporations and convened two roundtables, generating a valuable exchange of ideas and validating the potential for corporations to be part of the solution. At TNC’s invitation, the CEO of a $10 billion multi-national company joined environmental groups at a Trenton press conference to celebrate the one-year anniversary of New Jersey’s clean energy law, becoming the first corporate leader to so publicly support implementation of this landmark statute.

Groundwater Recharge

Page 11: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

11

LAN

D I CO

ASTS I RIV

ERS I ACTIO

N

TAKING ACTION STATEWIDE Wallkill

Upper Delaware

Pompton, Pequannock, Wanaque, Ramapo

Upper Passaic, Whippany, & Rockaway

North & South Branch RaritanArthur Kill

Lower Raritan, South River & Lawrence

MillstoneCentral Delaware

Barnegat Bay

Rancocas

Maurice, Salem & CohanseyRoots for Rivers Tree Planting Locations

Years Planted

• 2017

• 2017 & 2018

• 2018

• 2019

Planting Roots for Rivers The Nature Conservancy is nearing our ambitious goal to plant 100,000 trees in New Jersey’s floodplains, the critical lands adjacent to our riverbanks. In addition to filtering water, absorbing floodwaters, and supplying habitat for wildlife, trees’ root systems stabilize stream banks. Tree canopies will provide shade to cool the water, helping fish and other aquatic life to thrive as the climate warms. To help accomplish our goal, in 2017 TNC launched Roots for Rivers, a floodplain reforestation program through which we provide mini-grants to support tree-planting projects by organizations, municipalities, and school districts statewide. In addition to financial support, Roots for Rivers equips grant recipients with the tools they need to identify appropriate sites for restoration, develop and implement a project plan, and maintain the plantings over time. Building on the success of that first year, our partnership with Sustainable Jersey, The Watershed Institute, and AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors has considerably expanded the program’s reach. In total, Roots for Rivers has funded 56 projects across 14 major watersheds, planting a total of 28,020 native trees and shrubs! Combined with the 54,689 trees TNC has planted in the Paulins Kill watershed, we are on track to meet our 100,000-tree goal in 2020!

THIS PAGE Roots for Rivers planting in Mt. Holly, NJ © A. J. Sosa; inset Newly planted tree in protective tree tube. © Jeff Burian/TNC OPPOSITE PAGE left to right New Jersey Conservation Blueprint. © 2019 Microsoft Corporation, Earthstar Geographics SIO, Rowan University GeoSpatial Research Lab; Solar array at Sourland Mountain Spirits in Hopewell. © Sourland Mountain Spirits

Page 12: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

Your enthusiastic response to our $500,000 Campaign Matching Fund allowed us to meet the match even earlier than expected. Thanks to all who participated and maximized the impact of their gifts, accelerating the pace of conservation in New Jersey!

~ Mark DeAngelis, Chair, Campaign for the Real Nature of New Jersey

top NJ Board Chair Mark DeAngelis © Bernard DeLierre clockwise The Paulins Kill. © Jeff Burian/TNC; Oyster Castles at Gandy’s Beach. © Adrianna Zito-Livingston/TNC; Solar panels © Jeff Burian/TNC; Overlooking Bobcat Alley from Kittatinny Ridge © Mary Conti/TNC

NEW

JERSEY AN

NU

AL REPO

RT 2019

12

FY 14 FY 2089%

Progress Toward Our $80 Million Goal

CAMPAIGN

Take out two more dams on the Paulins Kill

THERE’S SO MUCH MORE TO DO! YOUR SUPPORT CAN HELP:

Protect our coast and its communities using nature

Strengthen the natural corridor along Bobcat Alley Make clean energy part of New Jersey’s future

Page 13: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

13

Awaiting the return of a tiny-but-bold hummingbird at the feeder, locking eyes with a fawn at dusk, it is the little things in nature that so often touch our hearts. Jack and Ellen Moskowitz both grew up chasing fireflies, and the glow of those humble little winged beetles illuminated their path to a lifelong love of wildlife and the outdoors.

“Nature has always been important to us,” says Ellen. “It is literally what supports human life.” Ellen and Jack have a lot in common. In addition to a penchant for Lampyridae, they both retired from careers in science, and they share three passions: whitewater kayaking, travel and nature photography.

A kayak trip in the Adirondacks’ Hudson River Gorge introduced them to The Nature Conservancy, which played a major role in protecting the wilderness surrounding the gorge. Not long after, they were inspired to make provisions in their wills to support the organization’s work, citing an appreciation of TNC’s collaborative, science-based approach to meaningful conservation around the globe.

“As world travelers, we have seen first-hand how important it is to protect nature everywhere,” says Ellen. “We hope our legacy will spark the next generation to do even more to ensure that people and nature thrive.”

Jack and Ellen Moskowitz

13

Legacy Heroes

Anela Kolohe Foundation Bill and Debbie Alexander Anonymous BAPS Charities, Inc. Estate of Peter Bardach Jonathan B. Bellack Glenn Boyd and Lisa Ani Garapedian Franta J. Broulik Dr. Barbara and Mr. Thomas Brummer Climate Resilience Fund Louise R. Cockey Mary M. Conway Warren and Cathy Cooke Kate Curley Denise and Mark DeAngelis Estate of Lois N. DeConca Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation John Donofrio Estate of Nancy K. Dunn Thomas F. and Susan K. Dunn Martin Elling Anne Freeney* Angela and Jay Gerken Estate of Frederick E. Gillen Joan C. Gilson E. J. Grassmann Trust Joanne T. Greenspun* Estate of Jane Gruenberg Leavens Foundation Dale Hagstrom and Eileen Leonard Estate of Nancy Harges Michael Holtz Jeffrey and Dawn Howell Anne H. Jacobson Betty Wold Johnson Johnson & Johnson F. M. Kirby Foundation

*deceased

Kowalski Family Foundation Stephen J. Kulyik William R. Kuhl Estate of Victor Lindner Amy C. Liss Dr. Deanna Z. Macek Abigail and Vincent Maddi Helen & William Mazer Foundation Estate of Elizabeth Mead Merck Nancy H. Monroe Valerie and Frank Montecalvo and the Bayshore Companies Jack and Ellen Moskowitz National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Mark and Robin Opel Open Space Institute The John and Margaret Post Foundation PSEG Marjorie J. Purchase Robert Wood Johnson 1962 Charitable Trust Thomas J. Scheffer Susan and Charles Snyder Ursula M. Sommer Marian W. Starrett Estate of Elizabeth Straubmuller TD Bank Estate of Althea Thornton Tiffany & Co. Foundation Dennis M. Toft Union Foundation Elizabeth Van Vleck Victoria Foundation Patricia and Donald* Walker Johanette Wallerstein Institute Christine A. Will William Penn Foundation Robert D. Wilson Sonia and Christian Zugel

The $80 million Campaign for the Real Nature of New Jersey was launched in 2014 to generate the resources needed to accomplish The Nature Conservancy’s ambitious conservation objectives. This Annual Report showcases exciting accomplishments resulting from this effort, with a year of fundraising still to go! The New Jersey Chapter thanks the following major contributors – along with all our other generous supporters – whose gifts and pledges are accelerating protection of lands and waters in New Jersey and beyond.

Background photo: Roadside tree, Great Meadows, NJ © Ellen and Jack Moskowitz inset Ellen and Jack Moskowitz © Jeff Burian/TNC

Jack and Ellen Moskowitz became Legacy Club members by including The Nature Conservancy in their estate plans.

Page 14: NEW JERSEYANNUAL REPORT - The Nature Conservancy · The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey ended FY2019 on a high note, having reached 89% of our goal for the Campaign for the Real

The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey200 Pottersville RoadChester, NJ 07930

nature.org/newjersey

Follow us at @nature_nj

LONG LIVE

Rainbow over the Delaware River © Dwight Hiscano

VALUESYOUR

Make a lasting commitment to conservation by including The Nature Conservancy in your will or estate plan. Gifts can be designated to our work in New Jersey, other states or an international program that aligns with your passions. To learn more, contact Kelly Grassi at (908) 955-0359 or [email protected].

Tweet us at @nature_NJ