A group of homeowners in coastal Ocean County is fighting back against the use of eminent domain by the state of New Jersey to build a series of protective sand dunes. Seventeen homeowners in Point Pleasant, Brick, and Mantoloking argue that the state is abusing its power by taking parts of their land in an unnecessary bid to build the dunes. “Superstorm Sandy certainly showed that dunes were a very good first defense for flooding and storm surge coming in on the ocean side,” said Lisa Auermuller, the watershed coordinator for the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve in Tuckerton, which is operated by Rutgers University.
Archives for January 2016
Tall timing: Why it’s wise to look far ahead when planting new trees on a golf course.
Trees are an important part of the infrastructure at many golf facilities. They frame holes and dictate the line of play while providing golfers with much-desired shade. It’s no secret that trees can become problematic on a golf course, but they are un…
Vietnam’s Sacred Turtle Dies at an Awkward, Some Say Ominous, Time
A giant turtle, a mythic symbol of Vietnamese independence and longevity that had quietly paddled around Hanoi’s central lake for decades – some say centuries – has died, official state news media reported. Of the four animals that many Vietnamese consider sacred, including the dragon, phoenix and unicorn, the turtle is the only one that exists in real life, said Pamela McElwee, a Vietnam expert and a professor of human ecology at Rutgers University. As a result, she added, Hanoi’s giant turtle was seen as an important link between “the here and now, the earthly world and the spiritual world.”
South Jersey Shore Braces For Weekend Storm
As the region braces for the potential of a major winter storm this weekend, towns down the shore could be particularly hard hit. It’ll be a nor’easter, which is bad enough. But add a full moon, and New Jersey state climatologist Dave Robinson at Rutge…
Investment in neighborhood parks may curb obesity rates, save costs
It may sound simple, but adding a neighborhood park or playground can lower children’s obesity rates and improve their physical fitness, says new research from Ball State University. And parks might reap immediate and long-term savings in health care.”Neighborhood parks and playgrounds provide physical locations for children to engage in outdoor physical activity and to develop physically active lifestyles,” said Maoyong Fan, a Ball State economics professor who conducted the study with Yanhong Jin, a Rutgers University professor. “These parks simply make children more fit. The children get to play outdoors and enjoy life much more than those who don’t have access to such facilities.”
Bridgewater students learn about weather from Rutgers student
The students in Terry Tunkel’s class at Hillside Intermediate School in Bridgewater recently enjoyed a visit from special guest, Joe Fogarty, a graduate of Bridgewater-Raritan High School who currently attends Rutgers University while majoring in meteo…
Rutgers Energy Institute Intern Wins First Prize in Student Poster Competition at National Meeting
Rutgers Energy Institute (REI) summer intern Ajay Kashi, a Chemistry and Chemical Biology major who conducts research in Prof. Charles Dismukes’ lab, took home first prize in the student poster competition at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) National Meeting in Salt Lake City. REI’s home campus is at the School of Environmental and […]
Landscape Resolution for 2016: Create A Pollinator Victory Garden
Pollinators are critical to our food supply and are responsible for the pollination of the vast majority of all flowering plants. But many pollinators are in trouble and most of our home landscapes have little to offer them… Kim Eierman, a resident o…
Christie OKs bill allowing oyster colonies in polluted water
Gov. Chris Christie has signed a bill permitting researchers to grow oyster colonies in polluted waterways to try to improve water quality. The Republican presidential candidate on Tuesday signed a measure letting groups establish experimental oyster c…
Mostly snowless winters in New Jersey are rare, but they do happen
You may have noticed that the strong El Niño winter has yielded very little snow in New Jersey so far, and while that’s unusual, it has happened before.
Even Sunday’s wintry weather only produced a dusting to about 2 inches in parts of the sta…