High Bridge Environmental Commission
- Environmental Committee Goals 2008
- Environmental Committee Accomplishments 2007
- 2006 Accomplishments
- Commission Established
- Meeting Time
- Members
- Stormwater Management
- Environmental Commission Project List
- Gardening for Wildlife
- Great Backyard Bird Count
- Main Street Mini Park Revitalization Project
- Open Space Project by Junior Girl Scout Troop #243
- Boy Scout project Nassau Trail Photos
- Proper Disposal of used US Flags
The Environmental Commission is herby established for the protection, development and use of the natural resources within this borough. This commission has 7 members that serve 3 year terms.
Commission Established
Pursant to NJSA 40:56A-1, an Environmental commission is herby established for the protection, development or use of natural resources within this borough, including water resources.
Meeting Time
Second Tuesday of every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Borough Hall.
Members
- Eric Brodean (Chair) - Term expires 12/31/10
- Lynn Hughes (Council) - Term expires 12/31/08
- Vicki Peck (Planning Board Liaison) - Term expires 12/31/11
- Kathy Kushner - Term expires 12/31/08
- Diane Seals - Term expires 12/31/08
- Sue Song (Secretary) - Term expires 12/31/10
- Lisa Zambito- Term expires 12/31/09
Alternates (2 Year Term)
- Fred Kushner - Term expires 12/31/09
2008 Goals
1. Continue annual Arbor / Earth Day Activities with the elementary
school environmental club.
2. Continue stormwater management public awareness campaign.
3. Continue participation in the annual Raritan River Clean Up Day
4. Continue to be stewards of our borough’s conservation easements.
5. Continue to promote awareness and use of acquired open space and
work on enhancing these areas.
6 . Continue improvements and plantings in the Commons & Union Forge
park: apply for another tree grant for Union Forge Park
7. Continue to be the coordinators of the Clean Community Grant Program.
8. Review recent revisions and participate on committees as needed to
meet the new Storm Water Management requirements
9. Monitor all borough trees.
10. Monitor and promote borough recycling
11. Promote the High Bridge Natural Garden Club.
12. Continue to sponsor the certification of our town as a “Wildlife
Habitat”
13. Continue to look for environmental and trail grants and work on
trail plans that connect our open space.
14. Nominate worthy contributions to the County Planning Bd. Awards
15. Continue to pursue the use of Solar Panels on Borough Buildings
16. Further develop the Environmental page on our town web site.
17. Work with other groups on projects: Boy / Girl Scouts award
project, I’m for HB Main Street. MIni Park project.
18. Hold a town wide Litter Pickup & Recycling Day
2007 Accomplishments
1. Continued annual Arbor / Earth Day Activities with the elementary
school environmental club.
2. Continued stormwater management public awareness campaign.
3. Participated in the annual Raritan River Clean Up Day
4. Continued to promote awareness and use of our open space through newsletter articles.
5. Continued Town Wildlife Habitat Certification program
6 . Continued improvements and plantings in the Commons and Union Forge Park: applied and received a tree grant.
7. Monitored and promoted borough recycling.
12. Liaison to the county recycling committee.
13. Sponsored a townwide Electronics Recycling Event & Litter Pickup.
14. Nominated our Townwide Electronics Recycling Event for a County Planning Award and won a “Green Award”.
15. Had Environmental Committee shirts made.
16. Created an Environmental Committee brochure.
17. Participated in the Community Day Parade.
18. Clean Communities coordinator.
19. Acquired more recycling containers for our parks.
20. Purchased another trash receptacle for fishing area by lake.
21. Sponsored an environmental assembly at each school.
22. Updated our Environmental page on the town web site.
23. Created the High Bridge Natural Garden Club.
24. Applied for inclusion of Lake Solitude into the Audubon Wildlife GuideBook.
25. Purchased flowers for Main Street planters.
26. Continued to be stewards of borough conservation easements.
27. Advisors for Scout open space projects: Nassau Trail Eagle Scout
Project & Girl Scout Union Forge beautification project.
Environmental Commission 2006 Goal Accomplishments
- Continued annual Arbor / Earth Day Activities with the elementary school environmental club.
- Continued stormwater management public awareness campaign
- Participated in the annual Raritan River Clean Up Day
- Assisted with the purchase the Pfauth Property
- Continued to promote awareness and use of our open space and worked on enhancing these areas: started Town Wildlife Certification program
- Continued improvements and plantings in the Commons and Union Forge Park: applied and received a tree grant and a garden grant
- Requested 3 quotes for Solar Panels on Borough Buildings
- Planted 2nd garden area in front of Borough Hall
- Reviewed recent revisions and participated on committees as needed to meet the new Storm Water Management requirements
- Assisted Girl Scouts on Gold Award Commons Project
- Monitored and promoted borough recycling : acquired recycling containers for cans & bottles at the parks.
- Clean Communities coordinator & liaison to the county recycling committee
- Nominated Girl Scouts for a County Planning Award
Storm Water Management
Be a Part of the Solution to Storm Water Pollution
Do you know where the majority of water pollution comes from? You may think it comes from factories or large tankers, but you are wrong. It comes from you and me. In fact, over 60% of New Jersey's water pollution comes from 'people pollution'! This type of pollution is called non-point source pollution.
Think of a rainstorm and your street like waterfront property. As the water hits your house, lawn, driveway, and street, it can pick up dirt, oil, pesticides, fertilizers, and litter. The water and its 'luggage' ( these potential pollutants) then goes to the closest storm drain and into a series of pipes that lead directly to the river.
Many people believe that the water is treated before emptying into the river. This is not true! That means all the water that runs into the storm drains in High Bridge goes directly into the South Branch of the Raritan River!
What can you do to help?
It's simple! Dump nothing on your property or down the storm drain that you wouldn't swim in or drink!
Here are a few changes we can make to ensure a clean water supply for years to come:
- Pick up after your pet and dispose of pet waste in the garbage, not the storm drain.
- Use less fertilizer.
- Avoid pesticides.
- Compost garden trimmings.
- Take motor oil to the recycling center.
- Pick up litter in the street.
The High Bridge Environmental Commission is working to increase community awareness of storm drain pollution. Look at the storm drains in your neighborhood. You will see markers with the message; 'No Dumping, Drains to River.' These markers will serve as a reminder that...
We all play a part in the solution to water pollution!
Environmental Committee Project List
To all organizations and residents of High Bridge
High Bridge has many projects on our wish list. The following list is for the Environmental Commission. This list is not all inclusive and do not prevent you from designing and working on an idea that does not appear on the attached.
Our committee would be happy to work with any organization, group, or individual that would be interested in taking charge of one of our "future projects". We are also open to other possible ideas that do not appear on this list. Additional ideas can be submitted via e-mail to info@highbridge.org.
Trails
- Trail connecting Springside to Solitude House to TISCO property to Columbia Trail (grant written)
- Trail markers for Solitude Museum path
- Trails around Solitude House
- Create a Hiking Trail on the Nassau Property (completed 2007)
Commons Area
- More benches and picnic tables are needed
- Create a walkway/ path around the gazebo (completed 2006)
- Create a wildflower garden along the driveway
- Create a quiet garden area around the gazebo by planting small shrubs and perennials
Union Forge Park
- Continue planting around the gazebo (working on)
- Continue planting by the monument (working on)
Trees
- Tree survey: show where trees are located and identify the type of tree
- Tree checkers: Every fall, look for dangerous tree situations and report to our committee
Litter
- Litter patrol: organize every street to pick up litter in their neighborhoods on a regular basis
Mini Sitting Parks
- identify small borough owned spots where a small sitting park could be created
Water
- identify and locate all our small streams on a map
Open Space
- create a brochure to highlight all our "Open Space" (completed 2008)
- plant a town pumpkin patch
- grow a corn maze
- plant wildflower garden
- Dennis Ave. wetlands area nature preserve
Falls Area
- start fixing up the area as a park
- cleanup the trails that lead to the falls
- create a sitting area off the Columbia Trail to view the river / falls
Campground
- study done on where to create a campground
Riding Stables
- research turning Springside into a community riding stable (working on)
Please also see the Cultural and Heritage Community Service Project List.
Green Gardener's Group
Do you love to garden and have some spare time to help beautify our town? Contact Susan Haake at 638-4189 or sbh12@embarqmail.com.
Gardening for Wildlife
Gardening for Wildlife – CERTIFY YOUR BACKYARD TODAY!
The Environmental Commission is spearheading the Borough’s efforts to become certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat but in order for the town to be certified by the National Wildlife Federation, we need YOUR help. In addition to various public projects, we need to have at least 91 backyards certified as Backyard Wildlife Habitats. Please join us on this project by certifying your backyard today.
The process of getting certified is easy, it’s quick and it’s fun.
Here’s what you need:
The basic elements of a backyard wildlife habitat are food, water and cover & places for wildlife to raise their young.
The Food element can include plants that provide nectar, pollen, sap, seeds or berries as well as feeders. You need a minimum of 3 Food sources for your yard to qualify as a Wildlife Habitat.
The Water element can include, among others, a pond, stream, wetland, water garden or a birdbath. Your backyard needs 1 Water element to qualify.
The Cover and Places for Wildlife to Raise their Young elements often overlap and can include shrubs, woodpiles, stone walls, a water garden, as well as nesting boxes, wooded areas and evergreens. You need at least 2 of each of these elements for certification.
Additionally, the National Wildlife Federation wants to ensure that we are all utilizing Sustainable Gardening Practices. These include the elimination of chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers, utilizing mulch, composting, removing invasive plants, restoring native plants, reducing lawn areas and reducing erosion. A minimum of 2 Sustainable Gardening Practices is required.
More information can be found here: http://www.nwf.org/backyard/ .
You'll likely find that your yard already contains many, if not all, of the elements needed to qualify.
The NWF application (which also lists the specific requirements) can be found here: https://secure.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/certify/page1.cfm . If you’d rather apply by mail, there are printed applications available at both Borough Hall and at the High Bridge Library.
There is a $15 application and processing fee payable to the NWF online by credit card or by check if you apply by mail.
Once certified, you will receive these National Wildlife Federation benefits:
- A personalized certificate that recognizes your NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat™.
- A free NWF membership which includes a full year’s subscription to the award-winning National Wildlife® magazine.
- A free subscription to the quarterly e-newsletter, Habitats, full of insightful tips and information on gardening and attracting wildlife year after year.
- Your name listed in NWF’s National registry of certified habitats…to recognize all you’ve done for wildlife.
Thanks to you, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) broke yet another
record this year! You and your fellow birders submitted more than
85,000 checklists during the four-day event, surpassing last year’s
all-time record by several thousand. Participants also identified a
record 635 species and sent in thousands of stunning bird images from
around the continent.
To view this year’s top 10 most-reported birds, visit
http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/top10.
Some species showed up in GBBC reports for the very first time,
including a Masked Duck in Texas—a bird that is usually found in the
tropics. An Arctic Loon, seldom seen outside Alaska, was spotted in
California. An Ivory Gull wandered down from the high Arctic to show
up on a checklist in South Dakota.
For an even more detailed summary of this year’s results, visit the
GBBC web site at www.birdcount.org. You can explore maps, see
beautiful photos, prize-drawing winners, and the list of cities and
towns that topped their state or province for the number of checklists
submitted—our “checklist champs.”
Each year, awareness of the GBBC seems to spread. Visit the GBBC web
site to read about some of the ways individuals, nature centers,
parks, and schools adopted the GBBC as their own.
Our thanks to Wild Birds Unlimited for sponsoring the GBBC, helping to
spread the word about the event, and donating great prizes for the
photo contest!
Mark your calendar: the next Great Backyard Bird Count is February 13-16, 2009!
Your bird counting does not have end with the GBBC. We invite you to
participate in eBird, a free, year-round bird-monitoring project
developed by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. With eBird, you can track your life list as well as
explore reports from other parts of North America, Mexico, and the
Caribbean.
eBird is also being used in a brand new initiative to track what is
happening to the Rusty Blackbird whose numbers have dropped as much as
98% since the 1960s.You can help too. From April 1st through the 7th,
look for migrating Rusty Blackbirds and file your reports online at
www.ebird.org. help science and have fun! Introducing NestWatch
Revel in the wonder of birds with the new NestWatch citizen-science
project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Visit open cup nests
and/or nest boxes to collect information about location, habitat,
species, number of eggs, and number of young in the nest. Then submit
your observations online at www.NestWatch.org. Your reports will be
used by scientists studying bird biology and help measure the impact
of such things as climate change and habitat destruction on a broad
geographic scale. And check out the updated, interactive NestCams web
site with live cameras showing nesting birds around the country. More
cameras will be going online in the weeks ahead at www.nestcams.org.
And when fall rolls around, be sure you’re ready for more bird
monitoring by signing up now for Project FeederWatch, which runs from
November through April. Find out more at www.FeederWatch.org.
Thanks for your interest and commitment. If you have any ideas or
comments, please send them to citizenscience@audubon.org or
cornellbirds@cornell.edu.
Happy Birding,
Janis Dickinson, Director of Citizen Science, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Rob Fergus, Senior Scientist, National Audubon Society
Melissa Hopkins, Project Manager, National Audubon Society
Pat Leonard, Project Coordinator, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The mini park on Main Street will be undergoing some changes this spring thanks to a joint effort between the North Hunterdon Rotary Club and the Borough of High Bridge.
The revitalization of the mini park was started by the "I'm for High Bridge" organization last summer with the painting of the wall and railing. The Environmental Commission submitted the project to the North Hunterdon Rotary Club for consideration and we are excited to announce that the Rotary Club has accepted our mini park project as their 2008 volunteer service project! There is no cost to the borough for this project other than volunteer labor. Both the "I'm for HIgh Bridge Organization and the HB Environmental Commission will be volunteering our time to assist with the labor on this project.
1. You may bring your used US flag to borough hall and the High Bridge American Legion Post 188 will see that it is properly disposed of.