High Bridge Environmental Commission

• Environmental Committee Goals 2009
• 2008 Accomplishments
• Commission Established
• Meeting Time
• Members
• Stormwater Management
• Environmental Commission Project List
• NWF Wildlife Habitat Certification
• 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
• Caught Being Green Award and Information
• Rain Gardens

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.

Public Meeting March 9, 2010

Members

1. Adrienne Pavan (Council) - Term expires 12/31/10
2. Vicki Peck (Planning Board Liaison) - Term expires 12/31/12
3. Lynn Hughes (Chair) - Term expires 12/31/11
4. Fred Kushner - Term expires 12/31/11
5. John Farrell - Term expires 12/31/10
6. Sue Song (Secretary) - Term expires 12/31/11
7. Lisa Zambito- Term expires 12/31/12

Alternates (2 Year Term)

1. Rebecca Vecere - Term expires 12/31/10
2. Kathy Kushner - Term expires 12/31/10

2009 Goals

1. Public Awareness: increase environmental awareness and assist other environmental groups

• Further develop the Environmental page on our town web site.
• Assist group environmental projects: Rotary Mini Park Revitalization

  Plant flowers & plants in mini park

• Nominate worthy contributions to the County Planning Bd. Awards

  Submit up Rotary Mini Park

1. Public Awareness

• Further developed the Environmental page on our town web site. See webpage update
• Created an Environmental Com. Brochure for residents and to be included in the Welcome Box for new residents.
• Assisted group environmental projects:                                                                               a. Girl Scout Troop # 243 Bronze Award Project-Open Space Brochure.                             b. I'm For HB Organization/ Rotary Club Mini Park Revitalization
• Wrote Main St. Mini Park Project nomination to the North Hunterdon Rotary Club-Project was chosen and work has been completed!
•  Nominate worthy contributions to the County Planning Bd. Awards-Wrote nomination for Girl Scout Troop #243 Open Space Brochure

• Continue to promote awareness and use of acquired open space and work on enhancing these areas.
• Open Space Map has been updated.
• Nassau Trail Dedication July 19, 2008 (Eagle Scout Will Meissner's project)
• Submitted trail nomination to the Audubon Society to be included in their 2008 Regional Trail Guide Book
• The Columbia Trail and a mention of the upcoming TSWHG has been published in the 08 Trail Book. 
• Continue annual Arbor / Earth Day Activities with the elementary school environmental club.
• Day of Caring was held May 1 (weeding & planting in Commons) 
• Continue to look for trail grants and work on trail plans that connect our open space.
• Worked with UFHA on NJ DEP Recreational Trails Grant- $24,500 grant received for Taylor Steelworkers Historical Greenway
• Continue to be stewards of our borough's conservation easements. 
• Walk all our open space yearly.
• Continue improvements and plantings in Borough Parks
• Applied for and received $200 Garden Grant from Somerset Hills Garden Club: 

  Purchased and planted 5 bushes, 4 shrubs, and 12 perennial plants at the Commons entrance.

• Promote the High Bridge Natural Garden Club.Found a new chairperson for this committee: Susan Haake

  Her garden was nominated and included in the 2008 Hunterdon Hills Garden Tour. 

• Continue to sponsor "Wildlife Habitat Community" town certification- We have 25 yards certified: our goal is 100. 

4. Monitor and promote borough Recycling & Garbage 

• Encourage environmentally responsible recycling habits. See articles in every town newsletter and on town web site
• Created a recycling information brochure (in fall newsletter)
• Held first town wide Hard Plastic Recycling Event Aug. 23, 2008
• Continue to be coordinators of the Clean Community Grant Program.
• Used some CC money to provide an Earth Day Environmental Assembly for both borough schools, purchased a new trashcan for Lake Solitude fishing area, and purchased fencing for the commons.   

5. Borough Trees

• Apply for tree grants- Received & planted 10 trees at Union Forge Park.
• Monitor all borough trees. Pruned and restaked previous grant trees at Commons Park.

6. Environmental "Green" Efforts

• Investigate Bike Paths. Letter was written to council requesting when future roads are being redone, to keep in mind the possibility of creating a bike lane. 
• Green Award- Newsletter article requesting nominations for our 2008 Green Award. Presented our 2nd annual Green Award this year.        

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 (UFHA received grant in 2008)
• 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- working on

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- working on

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 $20 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:

1. A personalized certificate that recognizes your NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat™.
2. A free NWF membership which includes a full year’s subscription to the award-winning National Wildlife® magazine.
3. A free subscription to the quarterly e-newsletter, Habitats, full of insightful tips and information on gardening and attracting wildlife year after year.
4. Your name listed in NWF’s National registry of certified habitats…to recognize all you’ve done for wildlife.

To those of you who already have certified their backyards, and to all of you who will, THANK YOU for helping to make High Bridge a wildlife-friendly community.

The Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count

Dear GBBC participant,
 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 12-15 2010!

Count birds year round and help track the declining Rusty Blackbird
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

Main Street Mini Park Revitalization Project

The Main Street Mini Park has undergone a transformation this past year thanks to the generosity of the North Hunterdon Rotary Club.

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 was no cost to the Borough for this project other than volunteer labor. Thank you to the "I'm for High Bridge Organization, the HB Environmental Commission, and the many residents who volunteered their time to assist with the labor on this project. 

The borough of High Bridge would like to express our sincere appreciation to the North Hunterdon Rotary Club for the  beautification of our Main Street Mini Park!

Click here to see the map of the Main Street Mini Park

Click here to view the PowerPoint show from beginning to end of the Main Street Mini Park

Dedication of High Bridge Mini Park on June 13, 2009

Open Space Powerpoint Presentation

At the April 24, 2008 council meeting, Junior Girl Scout Troop #243 presented to both the public and council a powerpoint presentation as well as a brochure for showing all the Open Space located in our borough of High Bridge. This was the troop's bronze award project for 2007/2008. Each girl put in at least 15 hours on this project- from touring each site to working on the powerpoint and the brochure. Click here to view their slide show:

High Bridge Open Spaces

Click here to view their brochure:

Open Space brochure

 

               

         

         

"Caught Being Green"

The Environmental Commission is looking for environmentally responsible residents.  Please submit the name and the environmental action of any HB resident you have observed going out of their way to be environmentally responsible.  The environmental commission will vote on one person each year to receive our annual Green Award. Nominations should be sent anytime before Dec. 1 to dseals@highbridge.org.

"Caught Being Green" Recipient Award List

This annual award was started in 2007 by the Environmental Commission to recognize High Bridge residents who have been observed on a regular basis going out of their way to be environmentally responsible citizens. 

2007 Sharon Apperson 

providing a trash receptacle along the Columbia Trail and maintaining its upkeep.  

2008  Linda L. Lucas

voluntarily picking up litter along several borough streets and replacing garbage bags along the fishing area of the Raritan River. 

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are where form meets function and the gutter meets the ground. Simply put, rain gardens are gardens that are specifically designed to soak up stormwater runoff mainly from roofs, but also from driveways and patios.

Rain gardens look like regular flower gardens but are truly much more. When it rains, a rain garden fills with a few inches of water and allows the water to slowly filter into the ground rather than running off to the storm drains. Rain Gardens enhance local water quality by allowing water to be naturally filtered by soil instead of being piped, untreated into large bodies of water. Compared to a patch of lawn, a rain garden allows about 30% more water to soak into the ground

Beyond its environmental use, rain gardens provide attractive landscaping and a natural habitat for birds and butterflies, while encouraging environmental stewardship and community pride. In addition, using native plant species in your rain garden will be an excellent way to increase native plant populations.

And the best part, making a rain garden is easy and inexpensive, even for a gardening beginner! A typical residential garden runs only $3-4 per square foot.

Rain gardens should be located in a relatively flat place where it will receive runoff. You want to make sure runoff flows toward your rain garden site. However, Rain gardens are NOT a solution to wet areas with standing water. The garden must have good drainage so that water can soak in within 24 hours after a rainfall. Your rain garden should be at least 10 feet away from the house, receive full or partial sunlight and not be constructed over a septic system.