SPRING 2016
Middlesex County Improvement Authority
Under the Open Space Preservation Program, with the assistance of the Middlesex County Open Space Advisory Committee and the Middlesex
County Improvement Authority, the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders acquires land to be preserved forever.
open S.P.A.C.E.S is a quarterly report of the program’s progress.
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Butterfly Jeopardy
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ilkweed put New Jersey on the map – at least as
far as the monarch butterfly is concerned.
In brilliant waves of orange and black, the “king of
butterflies” flocks to the Garden State each spring to
indulge in this native plant, reputed for its complex
flowers and milky sap.
But as of late, experts, energized by staggering reports,
have suggested that the monarch could be well on its
way to the endangered species list.
With the butterflies’ numbers in decline, some
scientists are urging New Jersey residents to plant more
milkweed, vegetation that has also been waning as a
result of habitat loss and an uptick in pesticide usage.
Monarchs use this plant alone, not only to lay their
eggs, but also as a primary food source once the larvae
or caterpillar has hatched.
For Eric Gehring, a naturalist with the Middlesex
County Office of Parks and Recreation, the seasonal
monarch sightings have become fewer and fewer.
“The numbers are concerning,” Gehring said. “One of
the things conservationists are concerned with is the
protection of habitats…If there are not enough food
habitats for the caterpillars, you won’t have the adults.”
Add fewer pollinator plants and obstructions like
weather anomalies and it’s clear to see why this
whimsical creature is fighting for
its very existence.
On average, the
monarch’s approximate
lifespan
amounts
to a mere two
months in the world.
Like an advancing army, these
butterflies move north during the
warmer months, only to redirect
south before the cold snaps hit.
In fact, it takes several generations to complete the
round-trip journey from the Oyamel fir forest of
central Mexico to southern Canada and back.
In a citizen scientist role, the public can help track
everything from the first sprouting of milkweed
to first flight of the butterfly by documenting their
observations at: www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/
SpringWatch.html.
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Open Space Acquisition
he County’s inventory of preserved open space
may yet again grow, as more than 18 acres in South
Plainfield are under contract for acquisition.
The vacant land owned by the Fishbein family is part
of the Dismal Swamp, where a total of nearly 120 acres
has now been preserved.
A number of local and national environmental
advocacy groups have supported the conservation of
the Dismal Swamp because of its capacity to provide
flood protection and its role as a natural habitat for area
wildlife.
Furthermore, the open space purchase allows for
additional public access to Green Acres for County
residents.
It brings Middlesex County’s total acreage of preserved
open space to 7,791 acres, not including an additional
5,400 acres of preserved farmland already on the books.
Officials acquired the Fishbein parcel through the
County’s Open Space Trust Fund, which was established
with voter approval in 1995.
The Open Space Program is administered by the
Middlesex County Improvement Authority on behalf
of the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Butterfly Garden
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t’s that time of year, when butterfly gardens will be cropping up in flower beds the world over. For years, gardeners
have been baiting these migrant, airborne and ornate insects with a colorful display of nectar-producing plants
meant to attract, retain and encourage butterfly visits. The goal is to choose flowers and plants with ample nectar
and multiple florets that, as a collection, are sure to bloom throughout the season.
š Herbs/Fruits/Veggies ›
Ë Flowers Ë
• Oregano
• Mint
• Dill
• Parsley
Ì
Milkweed
Ì
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Ì
Phlox
Ì
Turk’s Cap Lily
• Radishes
• Blueberries
• Mustard Greens
• Beach Plums
Ì
Goldenrod Ì
Turtlehead
Ì
Mistflower
Ì
Joe-Pye Weed
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Middlesex County Parks Wants You!!!!
he Middlesex County Office of Parks and Recreation is constantly recruiting for its Conservation Corps. Since
its 2006 inception, the Corps has been responsible for constructing hiking trails, invasive species management,
litter removal and an array of other wildlife conservation efforts. In the spring and fall, the group hosts three major
volunteer events, as well as regular weekend workdays, while the summer is ripe with weekday opportunities.
Year-round, the Corps is in need of volunteers to inventory plants and animals, monitor trails, conduct native plant
restoration, trash clean-up and so much more. No particular skills are required, and anyone from the public is
welcome to apply. Applications, which can be found at www.co.middlesex.nj.us/About/ParksRecreation/Pages/
PR/CC-Volunteer.aspx, must be postmarked and mailed to Conservation Corps Coordinator Scott Meyler at P.O.
Box 661 New Brunswick, NJ 08903. For further information, contact Meyler at 732-745-3064.
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Weather Folklore
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ince the birth of civilization, mankind has been
trying its hand at predicting the weather.
The first record of such activities dates back to
around 650 B.C., when the Babylonians monitored
the stars and the clouds to create short-term
weather forecasts.
Well, the pseudo science has certainly had staying
power.
Some experts subscribe to a few tried-andtrue proverbs that claim astrological and natural
anomalies can cue certain weather patterns, for
instance:
“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.
Red sky in the morning, sailors take
warning.”
Giving this old wives’ tale some
credence, a reddish sunset could
indicate dusty air moving eastward,
allowing for dry weather that’s
optimal for sailing. However, a
reddish sunrise could point to
dry air moving west, which may
be clearing the way for a storm to
move in.
Oddly enough, in modern times,
animals and insects have also become a bastion for
weather lore.
The superstitious might look to ants that build
higher mounds as a precursor to treacherous
weather, or groundhogs casting a shadow to signal
a lengthier winter or low-flying birds as a warning
of an approaching storm.
Still, one of the most notable weather-tellers is
the Farmer’s Almanac, a nearly two centuries-old
periodical that attempts to predict North America’s
temperatures, snowfall and precipitation by as
much as 2 years out.
Representatives from Farmer’s Almanac will only
say that they reach their conclusion through a “top
secret mathematical and astronomical formula,
that relies on sunspot activity, tidal action,
planetary position and many other factors.”
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Meadow Management
hile it may seem counterintuitive to thwart tree
growth on preserved properties, it happens
regularly on parcels the world over and more notably, here
in Middlesex County.
Meadow management, the act of keeping trees and other
obstructive vegetation at bay, ranks high on the modernday conservationist’s to-do lists.
A brief explanation for the unfamiliar: a meadow is best
described as a field or grassland that’s typically found in
upland areas; a land feature mostly devoid of trees and
which is a necessary resource for animals and insects
dependent on the terrain.
In their natural state, meadows are
generally the byproduct of wildfires or
herbivorous inhabitants.
But in the local scheme, staff at the
Middlesex County Office of Parks and
Recreation can’t chance the upkeep to
mere fate, a natural disaster or wildlife
that leans to a vegetarian diet. Instead,
they must employ industrial-sized
mowers, tractors and equipment capable
of tackling this large-scale task.
In the past year, the Middlesex County
meadow-maintenance schedule has
shifted from fall to early spring so that
the local animals and insects, such as the
eastern cottontail rabbit and dark-eyed juncos, can find
suitable habitat for over-wintering.
In doing so, staff members give pollinators, like the
monarch butterflies, access to late season wildflowers,
while small mammals and some birds have the benefit
of wintertime coverage. Doubly, the process allows
wildflowers to complete their life cycle and produce seeds,
which can also become wintertime food for animals.
Certain plants, like dogbane, thoroughwort and tickseed
sunflower also blanket a meadow’s scenery, where sunshine
dominates and shadows are sparing during much of the
daylight hours.
Without the maintenance, that sunny open field will one
day succeed into a forest floor that’s heavily guarded from
the light.
In total, Middlesex County maintains more than 160 acres
of meadows between six different properties, including:
Heathcote Meadows, Himmel Farm, Davidsons Mill Pond
Park, Ireland Brook’s Riva Avenue section, the Thompson Park
Conservation Area and Scotts Corner Conservation Area.
For more information regarding open S.P.A.C.E.S, please contact the Middlesex County Improvement Authority’s
Public Information Officer Maria Prato at [email protected] or by calling 609-655-5141.
Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Ronald G. Rios, Freeholder Director
Carol Bellante, Freeholder Deputy Director
Kenneth Armwood
Charles Kenny
H. James Polos
Charles E. Tomaro
Blanquita B. Valenti
MCIA Board
Leonard J. Roseman, Chairman
Robert J. Mantz
Jacque Eaker
Camille Fernicola
Anthony Raczynski
Carol Bellante, Freeholder and MCIA Liaison