High Bridge Environmental Commission
- 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
- Native Garden and Rain Barrel Display
- Lead Poisoning Prevention Info- at end of this site
- Lead Poisoning - In General Documents
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
- Lynn Hughes(Council) - Term expires 12/31/12
- Vicki Peck (Planning Board Liaison) - Term expires 12/31/12
- John Farrell(Chair) - Term expires 12/31/13
- Fred Kushner - Term expires 12/31/14
- Diane Seals- Term expires 12/31/14
- Sue Song (Secretary) - Term expires 12/31/13
- Lisa Zambito- Term expires 12/31/12
Alternates (2 Year Term)
- Eric Brodean - Term expires 12/31/12
- Kathy Kushner - Term expires 12/31/12
2011 Goals for High Bridge Environmental Committee End-of-Year Status Report Dec. 2011
Public Awareness: increase environmental awareness and assist other environmental groups. Status: site updated and new items added, EC project lists on web page.
Assist with completion of Phase 1 of Mountain Bike Trail on Pfauth property. Status: location moved to Nassau Property: have been assisting J. Oliver, T. Simpson and volunteers on trail design.
Continue to participate in High Bridge Community Days. Status: unable to participate this Fall due to scheduling difficulties.
Nominate worthy contributions to the County Planning Bd Awards. Status: none nominated.
Continue outreach programs with the High Bridge Elemenatry and Middle School and the school Environmental Club: Hold Annual Arbor/Earth Day Activities and Day of Caring: Status: held Arbor Day activities with the Elementary School Environmental Club on May 19, Earth Day assemblies sponsored at both schools on April 13. Install bluebird houses at Elementary School in late winter and incorporate education module around bird life sycle. Status: submitted grant proposal to Cornell Lab of Ornithorlogy's "Celebrate Urban Birds" program; results available January, 2012.
Open Space: promote public awareness, monitor, and enhance.
Continue to promote awareness and use of acquired open space and work on enhancing these areas. Status: articles written for each newsletter and information on our web site, assisting with and monitoring the multipurpose trail project on Nassau, and created a native garden at the Solitude property.
Continue to be stewards of our Borough's conservation easements. Walk all our open space yearly and document findings. Status: Easement walk held May 28, 2011; all open space walked in 2011.
Continue improvments and plantings in Borough Parks/Open Spaces. Remove remaining trash from woodlands around Nassau Trail. Status: Planned trash removal part of Multipurpose Trail project, Main Street planters maintained by EC Spring through Fall, Commons Gardens weeded and new plants added.
Achieve "Wildlife Habitat Community" town certification. Status: 37 yards certified: our goal is 100.
Identify areas for "mini parks" in various parts of the Borough. Status: article written in "Bridge" requesting residents to submit location ideas: none received.
Storm Water Managment: Promote Publilc Awareness
Continue storm water management public awareness. Contribute artricles for the "Bridge". Status: articles written for the newsletter.
Continue participation in the Annual Raritan River Clean Up Day. Status: EC organized and participated in Raritan River Clean Up held April 16; involved 29 Borough volunteers who collected about 300 pounds of garbage and many bags of recyclable items.
Promote the creation of rain garden/rain barrels in the borough and provide information to our residents. Status: rain barrel project completed at Solitude House summer 2011 with assistance from AmeriCorps volunteer.
Recycling & Garbage: Monitor and promote.
Write articles in every town newsletter and update town web site. Status: Articles published each issue of the "Bridge."
Encourage environmentally responsible recycling habits. Status: expanded town-wide recycling events to include paint in addition to electronics, bicycles, and sewing machines; promoted recycling through articles in the "Bridge."
Hold Annual Recycling Event (e.g., electronics, fluorescent bulbs, bicycles, sewing machines, and latex paint). Status: Electronics recycling held April 2, 2011. 279 cars dropped off electronics, which completely filled one trailer. Numerous individuals took advantage of the paint recycilng, and over 800 cans were collected. Bicycles and sewing machines were also collected.
Hold annual town wide Litter Clean Up Day. Status: held in conjunction with the electonics event; litter collection bags handed out at event.
Hold Nike shoe recycling event in association with High Bridge Elementary and Middle School. Status: discountinued; Nike now requires a minumum of 500 pairs of shoes which is considered excessive for a town of our size.
Continue bottle cap, ink jet, cell phone recycling. Status: discontinued bottle cap late 2011 due to cost of postage. Collection site remains at the Library for ink jets and cell phones.
Identify alternate routes for difficult-to-recycle items such as hard plastics and scrap metal. Status: located and listed several metal recyclers in the "Bridge" and on the web site, continuing to seek out opportunities for hard plastics.
Assist with the specs for the next garbage/recycling contract. Stauts: Completed; EC assisted with specs for the new contract.
Continue to coordinate Clean Community Grant Program. Status: grant money spent on: two school Earth Day assemblies, graffiti cleaning supplies, two more cigarette receptacles for Main Street, a litter abatement sign for our tree nursery, tire recycling, recycling of fuel/water mixture from DPW, and sponsoring the electronics recycling event.
Attend County Solid Waste Advisory Council. Status: EC representative attend meetings.
Borough Trees: monitor and provide new grant trees
Identify and apply for tree grants. Status: deferred until next year.
Pursue Tree City USA certification for High Bridge. Status: 2010 certification obtained; working to complete 2011 requirments and become recertified.
Monitor all trees for safety, health and growth. Status: tree health continuously investigated during walks of open space.
Identify and implement opportunities to increase number of trees in Borough. Look for opportunities to combine resources with other town committees (e.g. Rec Committee). Status: continuing to seek out opportunities. Apply for free trees from New Jersey Celebrate Arbor Day Foundation and plant on borough property. Status: 50 free trees received from Celebrate Arbor Day Foundation; 15 planted at golf course and 35 in Borough Tree Nursery on Saturday, April 30, 2011.
New item: planted tree donated by town resident at Union Forge Ballfield June 2011; location selected with Rec. Committee input.
Environmental Green Efforts: promote and provide public awareness. Pursue Sustainable New Jersey bronze certification. Status: Green Team has met monthly and is on track to apply for bronze certification by year-end. Completed actions include: Green Team formation, Environmental Committee formation, Sustainable Land Use Pledge, Pledge Supporting NJ Wildlife Action Plan, Farmer's Market, Tree Protection Ordinance, Natural Resourse Inventory, Diversity on Boards and Commissions, Animals in the Community Education, Inventory and Energy Audit All Buildings, and Lead Education.
Continue promoting Bike/Walking Paths. Status: forceful advocate for walking lane on Cregar Road; will continue to promote as opportunties arise.
Continue to sponsor annual "Caught Being Green" award. Contribute newsletter article requesting nominations. Status: article written and nominations received.
New Item: held "Bike Rodeo" Saturday June 18 to help promote safe bike riding by school age children (in conjunction with HART, HB Police Dept. and HB Hilltoppers Bike Club).
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)
- Trails in Commons Woods
- 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 (completed 2007)
- Continue planting by the monument (completed 2010)
- Paint Gazebo (completed 2009)
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
- create a sitting area off the Columbia Trail to view the river / falls- (completed 2010)
- Tree identification survey and name plates along trail
Riding Stables
- research turning Springside into a community riding stable
Street Signage
. survey all streets and record condition of street and road signs
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.
Native Garden and Rain Barrel Display
Members of the Environmental Committee with the help of an Americorps volunteer have created a native garden/rain barrel educational exhibit at the annex building on the Solitude Museum property. Thank you to Toadshade Farm for donating all the native plants for our project (www.toadshade.com)
We encourage you to try some plants that are native to our area. There are some terrific advantages to planting native wildflowers. First, native plants often require less care... They have adapted over thousands of years to the conditions in their native range. They require little if any supplemental water or fertilizer when placed in locations appropriate to them. Remember to take both sunlight requirements and moisture requirements into account when planning the placement of any plants, including native species. Second, native plants often have fewer pest problems. By and large, native plants are adapted to insects and diseases that occur naturally in the area where they grow. And third, native plants provide food for wildlife. Many birds and butterflies depend heavily on native plants.
A rain barrel provides two important environmental functions: 1. Harvesting rain water provides an alternative to utilizing the drinking water supply for gardening and other uses, and 2. The overflow from the barrel can be directed to a pervious area to help replenish groundwater supplies. Rain barrels can easily be home made or you can purchase pre-made barrels. Information can be found on line.
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:
- 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. High Bridge reported1,200 birds representing 34 species.
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.”
Mark your calendar: the next Great Backyard Bird Count is February 17-20, 2012!
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.
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 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!
