Start Date
10/11/2023
End Date
10/11/2023
Description
(Site 1 - full group) The Cape May State Park Hawkwatch Platform is one of the most highly regarded bird observation sites in the Eastern U.S. From the vast wetland vista that the platform provides, Ornithologists Brett Ewald and David La Puma will point out the bird species that are present, interpret the behaviors they are displaying, and explain the specific habitat requirements that the marsh is providing.
(Site 2 - split group) Here we will be introduced to three restoration sites on Cape May Point. First, Bob Mullock, president and founder of The Cape May Point Science Center, will guide us through dune restorations that are some of the most beautiful, tall, and protective on the East Coast. He will then introduce us to Lake Lily, where restoration efforts rescued the lake from siltation; and climate change-induced temperature rise, salinity, and algae blooms. Finally, Director of New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, Brett Ewald, will host us at the observatory’s habitat restoration site. Completed in 2017 and managed exclusively by volunteers, this 1.5-acre site exemplifies what residences can do to enhance habitat at a small scale.
(Site 3 - split group) We will visit and investigate Cape May Point State Park, one of the crown jewel natural areas of the region. The park contains 244 acres of freshwater meadows, ponds, forests, dunes, and beach. Ornithologist David La Puma will point out signs of bird use, the effects of invasive species, and the habitat enhancement that has been achieved in restored sections. Landscape Designer Larry Weaner will discuss how the native plant assemblages that are found here, and the restoration techniques that have been employed here, can be translated to the designed landscape.
(Site 4 - full group) Our day will conclude at the New Jersey Plant Materials Center, whose mission is to seek out, assemble, test, and provide the commercial landscape industry with superior performing plants for restoration; and develop innovative, science-based technologies to improve planting and seeding success. Conservation Agronomist Chris Miller will provide guidance for plant selection, planting techniques, and stabilization protocols for dunes, tidal shorelines, streambanks, and heavily disturbed lands.
Location
Cape May Point, NJ
Distance Learning
No
Course Equivalency
No
Subjects
Horticulture / Plants
Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Hours
6.0
Learning Outcomes
1. Learn about the bird species that are present in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, interpret the behaviors they are displaying, and understand the specific habitat requirements that the marsh is providing.
2. Learn about what residences can do to enhance habitat at a small scale through the exploration of New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory and habitat restoration site.
3. Understand how the native plant assemblages and the restoration techniques that have been employed in the Atlantic Coastal Plain can be translated to the designed landscape.
Instructors
Brett Ewald, David La Puma, Chris Miller, Bob Mullock, Larry Weaner, FAPLD
Course Codes
Provider
New Directions in the American Landscape