Winter appears poised to become stormier in New Jersey… “I think it’s safe to say that there is a storm that’s looming for Saturday with the potential of delivering a plowable snow,” said David A. Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist… And it appears that this winter may more closely resemble last winter — the seventh snowiest on record in New Jersey- for a while, according to Robinson, a snow cover expert and geography professor at Rutgers University.
Archives for January 2015
Red Knot Protection Could Take Toll on Oyster Industry, Beach Replenishment
A recent decision by the federal government to list a migratory shorebird as a threatened species could have implications beyond the Delaware Bay beaches where the birds come each spring to feed on horseshoe crab eggs.. While wild oyster harvesting began locally in the 1730s, using the tidal flats to grow them, a French method known as “rack-and-bag” is relatively new… “There are nine growers on the Delaware Bay, though one is not active, and they grow 1.5 million oysters a year,” said Lisa Calvo, aquaculture program coordinator with New Jersey Sea Grant at Rutgers University.
Restoring the Manalapan Brook Watershed: An Introduction
This video is the first in a series describing the restoration efforts within the Manalapan Brook watershed. The Manalapan Brook is part of the Raritan River Basin in central New Jersey. This introduction begins with a description of urban watershed problems throughout New Jersey such as polluted stormwater runoff, urbanization, and flooding. It provides examples […]
Snow Could Slow Wednesday and Thursday Rush Hours
Drivers beware: The upcoming clipper snowstorm will impact the Wednesday afternoon commute, according to the National Weather Service. “It looks like it could be a two rush-hour event,” said David A. Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist. After the snow stops, “it could still leave roads pretty icy on Thursday morning.” He speculated that “you could be talking about delayed (school) openings on Thursday, but it is going to get above freezing Thursday and that should clean things up.”
Sustainable Farming on the Urban Fringe: A Winter’s Tale of Two Fields
Jack Rabin (CC ’78), NJAES director of farm programs, shares “Farm Calls” on the Sustainable Farming on the Urban Fringe blog. A picture is worth a thousand words in this post on cover crops. This fall, a leading Jersey vegetable grower asked, “What’s with all the recent media hype about cover crops? I’m getting ads, […]
Middlesex County 4-H Celebrates 2 014 Accomplishments
In this modern world of digital living, a youth organization that prides itself on accomplishments such as leadership, crafts, agriculture and animal raising is refreshing. Since 1902, 4-H has steadfastly invited each generation’s youth to come and take part in whatever club interests them most. And the Middlesex County 4-H membership is thriving… “It truly sank in- I was a leader- and this would continue to help me throughout my life with leadership skills and confidence under my belt,” said Wolverton, who is a member of the Teen Council, Food Doods and Renegade Racers. “I gained this found talent of leadership that no one could have given me, but 4-H.”
Earth Policy Institute Announces Plans to Cease Operations
The Earth Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C-based think tank dedicated to working on global environmental issues, will closed close its doors at the end of June, its founder, Lester Brown, announced this morning. “After careful consideration of my life at 80 years, and with profound appreciation to my staff, collaborators and supporters, I have decided to step down as president of the Earth Policy Institute and end its work as of July 1, 2015,” Brown said in a written statement… Brown, whose career has spanned more than half a century working on environmental issues, plans to retire at that time. Already, Rutgers University in the U.S. state of New jersey, and Brown’s alma mater, has announced the establishment of the Lester R. Brown Reading Room in late 2015.
Rutgers Master Gardeners of Cumberland County Training/ Accreditation Courses
Rutgers Master Gardeners of Cumberland County’s training/accreditation courses continue in February and the following three-hour courses are open to the public. This includes intensive topic training from experts in their field, handouts and light refr…
How Rutgers Scientists Transformed Lettuce into a “Superfood”
Ask someone to name a “superfood,” a food item jam-packed with nutritional value, and a few items invariably come up. Blueberries. Quinoa. Almonds. Kale. Thanks to a team of Rutgers University scientists, you can add lettuce- yes, lettuce- to the list… The new lettuce has more antioxidants and polyphenols, which are associated with preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease, than blueberries. It’s packed with fiber and low in calories, the scientists say… Most important, it tastes good- at least to Rutgers Distinguished Prof. Ilya Raskin, who led the project to develop the super-lettuce.
A Brief History of the Delaware Bay
Much of what is going under as the sea advances is material that was deposited as previous ice sheets melted. The Cape May Formation, the major geologic formation along the bay, was deposited during previous interglacial periods as rivers ran to the sea. Much of the Cape May Delta was created by a larger ancestral Great Egg Harbor River. Melting ice created land that now is threatened by higher seas… Underneath Sandy Hook, we found 270 feet of sediments deposited since 20,000 years ago,” said Kenneth Miller, a marine geologist at Rutgers University.