End of Summer 08 update

Hey everyone,
I hope everyone has been spending a lot of time outdoors this summer, hiking through parks, kayaking atop rivers, and relaxing on the beaches. My family and I have been experimenting with our vegetable garden, which we planted in very early summer.

Over the past few months we've watched in wonder as seeds delicately pushed through the earth, growing tentatively into seedlings before bursting full strength skyward. The garden started out brown and green and is now speckled with reds, oranges, yellows, and rich green. I encourage all of you to try it - all you need is a plot of land with full sun and the dedication to plant, weed and water. And the reward is worth the work a million times over. There have been so many times when I've exhaustedly arrived home from work to an empty refrigerator, too tired to go to the store, and instead wandered out to my garden only to be greeted by aisles of zucchini, squash, edamame, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, and lettuce all begging to be plucked, steamed, and served. Nothing accessorizes pasta like some zippy zucchini mixed in, with freshly-grated parmesan on top. Cucumber salad is a fantastic way to start off any meal. And even my 4-year-old will eat edamame with any meal of the day.

So that's what I've been up to this summer, just spending time with my veggies and my family, and working at my book publishing company. I'm so very lucky that I work for a company that is publishing a green book in September. And it's the real deal - FSC-certified (you can't imagine how much extra work it is to print a book on sustainable paper - but totally worth it!, and printed with vegetable-based inks.

It's called Urban Eco Chic by Oliver Heath and it's a great resource if you're thinking of remodeling your bathroom, kitchen, or any other room in an earth-friendly way. The book covers every room in the house and presents all of the green materials and options available. It also has an Eco Resources section that lists the suppliers that offer these choices, since it's still relatively difficult to get certain materials.

Read more at http://urbanecochic.blogspot.com

Parks will be open past July 1

Several people have contacted me asking for updates to the parks closing controvesy, now that we are approaching July 1. Well, tt was a very scary scenario for a few months, but thousands of people got together by protesting at the state house in Trenton, holding supportive rallies at the parks, writing letters to state political leaders, and writing about it on the web. So NJ decided to transfer funds from elsewhere in order to keep the parks open. Hooray! You can read about it here:

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080614/NEWS0301/806140329/1007/NEWS03

Can The New York Times Save Our Parks?

On April 23 at the Camp Out at the Capitol, we learned our neighbors in New York were shocked over New Jersey's decision to axe state park services this summer. The travesty inspired one of the nation's leading newspapers, The New York Times, to send political columnist Iver Peterson across state borders to investigate what's really going on. His insightful article, titled "A Reprieve For State Parks, But Not a Solution," was published on May 11, 2008 in the Times' New Jersey regional section. Click here to read the article. Will the article put pressure on Corzine to restore funding threatened park services such as swimming and camping?

The day I stopped blogging and joined the revolution.

The millions of shades of green visible from the gigantic windows of the train have inspired me to think up names for the colors. I always come back to the same shade to describe New Jersey's new leaves: Gaia Green. For about two weeks each year, this lovely lime-neon hybrid color pops out of the trees before darkening to a subdued Kelly green.

It’s Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 11:26 a.m. and I am riding the RiverLINE from Cinnaminson to Trenton, NJ for the Camp Out at the Capitol, organized by the NJ Keep it Green campaign. I keep my eyes open for other pilgrims, identifiable by their hiking boots, brightly-colored signs, and t-shirts, but so far I haven’t seen any. How many people will take the day off of work or school and come out in support of the parks? 12? 120? 1200?

As I write these numbers in the diary I cross my leg man-style over my knee. Noticing my flip flops reminds me of the Sierra Club’s request for all park supporters to wear their outdoor gear. I have:

2 Reefs flip flops made from hemp, bought at a surf shop in Deerfield Beach, FL
1 Sierra Club backpack [free gift with donation]
1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich
1 cell phone
1 Nikon digital camera
1 REI blue sweatshirt with embroidery
1 clear plastic thumb ring with chipped pink flowers, a gift from my three-year-old
3 bracelets: A one.org fundraiser bracelet, one green beaded bracelet from mom-mom, one Ashes and Snow Foundation bracelet (a.k.a. a brown rope marked by two red beads)
1 mint green Moorestown EMS t-shirt, a gift from a friend who works for the company
0 Kai, my three-year-old who usually goes everywhere with me
1 pair of green North Face cargo hiking pants
1 pair of very large sunglasses

Weather report: 76 degrees, blue sky caressed by puffy white clouds.

Suddenly the train stops and three people board, dressed in hiking gear and bearing a large sign that reads SAVE NEW JERSEY PARKS. In a few more minutes, the train stops in Trenton and I fall into step with these folks and a park ranger and his son who came from Cape May. We chat about the issues as we walk through Trenton.

After about 15 minutes we approach the state house, where a very large spectacle is transforming Trenton into the scene of a peaceful revolution. The first thing I notice is the sheer mass of people – there must be 500 or 600 people here! On the lawn sits a tent and as I approach to snap pictures Mark Weed introduced himself to me. He’s an avid camper from Titusville who is making his way through all of New Jersey’s parks. He’s stayed at 8 of 36 so far.

Mark and I weave through the crowd of equestrians on horseback, revolutionary war buffs in colonial costumes, high school kids wearing clever t-shirts and cheering, families with two or three children in hiking backpacks searching for shade, union works with a monstrous rat, and groups of environmentalists with cheeky, attention-snatching signs. So many people care, I thought with pride and amazement.

The history buffs stood at the center of a massive circle, yelling into a bullhorn as the crowds cheer. They’re using the language of freedom to describe how Governor Corzine is overstepping his boundaries as governor in thinking he can close the parks. “These parks are for the people, by the people!” They shout and are answered with wild cheers. Somewhere speakers blast Bob Marley music as the sun blares down hotly. There’s a really positive vibe here. Nobody is violent or angry, everybody is hopeful and inspired.

Jeff Tittel, the director of the NJ Sierra Club, feels that the vibe and the time are right to make a statement. Here are some excerpts from his speech:

-“The parks are our legacy, for the people, by the people!”

-“The parks belong to us and no one has the right to close them!”

-“These parks are our Yosemite. They’re our Yellowstone. New Jersey is the densest state in the nation. It’s denser per square mile than Japan and China. The only thing denser is the politician in this building who wants to close the parks!”

-“Our concern is that the parks will be sold. We don’t want a Marriot at Washington Crossing!”

-“If they close anything they should close Drumthwacket!”

Jeff’s speech uplifted the energy of the crowd. After nearly every sentence he was interrupted by cheers and shouts of support. Next spoke Hetty Rosenstein, the President of CWA 1037, who represents 10,000 workerss who steward state parks, forests and historic sites. Here’s what she said:

“Recently we heard that part of the money for the parks will be restored for passive recreation. [Boos!] That is not a solution and we’re not buying it. The parks have been underfunded for years and we’re not taking it!...They want to close down swimming and camping. Does anybody believe New Jersey can’t afford to have you pitch your tent in a forest?”

“We the people value our outdoor recreation. It’s what makes us who we are. It’s the heart and soul of the human experience....We don’t believe that New Jersey can’t afford history.”

“We want more walking on trails, not cars. We want beauty, not concrete. We want camping without the glow of the lights all around.”

Following Hetty was Tom Semansky, 17, who said, “Out of all the places we’ve been, our favorite place to camp is right here in New Jersey.” An Eagle Scout from Boy Scout Troop #16 in Point Pleasant, Tom also said, “The state should have more sense and compassion than to cut revenue and jobs from New Jersey.”

Brenda Wolzinger, who represents the NJ/NY hiking communities of 10,000 individuals, spoke next. She warned that “200 miles of Appalachian Trail would be closed” and explained that the outdoor enthusiasts from New York are in shock over this issue, since NY has been putting more money into its parks. She spoke about the need for a long term stable source of funding and the need for volunteers to maintain trails. Her command to “Take a hike, governor!” was met with wild applause.

The next speaker was a Molly Pitcher impersonator who spoke from the first person, as if she was Molly Pitcher. “There’s talk that the thousands who come here to use the parks will arrive to find them closed. Should the government sacrifice its history to save a relatively small amount of money? NO!” She finished by saying, “The last royal governor of New Jersey who disagreed with the people was William Franklin and he was escorted to exile in Connecticut!”

The Last Earth Day

If only every holiday could be celebrated like Earth Day - with a hike through sublimely sunlit woods on a Saturday blessed with summer-like weather. On April 19, my husband and three-year-old and I decided to take an early walk through the Wharton State Forest before heading to Washington, DC for a concert by Cloud Cult, an band whose musical ingenuity is surpassed only by their dedication to the environment.


We pulled into the dusty parking lot of the Atsion station excited for our adventure and happy to be together after a week separated by work and preschool. Escaping to the quiet of trees and forests helps us reconnect without distractions. But the day turned out to have much more in store for us than a simple hike – we met several people who inspired us to continue trying to be as green as any suburban family could be. We’ll never live in an eco-village or give up using paper towels (I tried for several weeks, but it was just impossible. So I’m back to buying the recycled kind, and only use them when it’s absolutely necessary), but we try to live an eco-conscious lifestyle as much as possible.


After snatching up trail maps from the Atsion ranger station, we talked to the park ranger about the threatened status of New Jersey’s parks. Although his job seems relatively safe for now, he was still very concerned for his colleagues in other state parks. He told us about the April 23 rally in Trenton, Camp out at the Capitol, and said that NJ DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson is expected to announce the DEP’s budget at the meeting, which includes funding for the state parks. He sounded hopeful that Ms. Jackson might have devised a way to preserve the parks. We talked about the history of this complex problem, and wished him good luck and good news before heading out of the old building.

By that time the temperature had climbed to the mid eighties; we walked in shorts and short-sleeved shirts. Before the woods would welcome our arrival with their shade, we walked through a large open field that stretched to the woods. Compared to the pristine landscape of nearby Medford, this field area introducing us to the park was dilapidated, littered with old buildings (one could have been beautiful if the money was available to restore it) and ruins. Towering trees were the landscape’s redeeming quality. The buildings looked tired, tired of living in a place where the environment gets no respect from the very people elected to fund and care for it. Even though this park isn’t on the chopping block, it was very clear that whatever the DEP’s budget would be, it wouldn’t be enough to care for any the state’s wild places with the respect they deserved.

For nine New Jersey Parks, this could be the last Earth Day they are officially considered parks. Politicians can strip them of their status as parks, but they will demand respect existentially - simply by existing as they have since before this land was even named New Jersey.

Dancing down the trail into the pine forests, we felt mixed emotions – glee that Mother Nature has given us this glorious day and sorrow for the many parks whose fates were in questions. I even felt guilt for hiking in a forest that will remain, instead of spending time in the parks that might be closed. But for us, this is the closest park and that says something. How many people have time to travel to a distant park if the ones around their houses are closed? These thoughts clouded my mind on the sunny day and Kai began to complain of feeling tired. So we decided to uplift our moods by playing a game.

“Kai, where's the next yellow square?” Nick quizzed him.

Kai brushed his long, blonde hair from his sweaty forehead and peered around. When he’s searching for something specific, say a Spider-man movie at the video store, his eyes rival those of raptors.

“There it is!” He shrieked in delight, pointing to a marked tree about 100 feet away. For the next mile we played this game, feeling like Hansel and Gretel following breadcrumbs as we hiked. It was strange for it to feel like summer but look like winter.

There were dozens of people enjoying the state forest, riding horses, canoeing on the Mullica River, hiking, driving SUVs and Jeeps. As we snacked on green apples and rice cakes we explained to our son the importance of cleaning up after ourselves and picking up any litter on the trails, even if it didn’t come from us.

By the time we reached a small beach at Mullica River bend, we were ready for a break. Kai had stopped walking long ago, and was enjoying the experience from the comfort of a hiking backpack. My husband needed to unload the 45 extra pounds.

As we walked closer to the beach, we exchanged friendly greetings with a family who was swimming in the tea-colored river. They had a beach blanket and three dogs.

“Is the water cold?” I asked the young daughter who was splashing in the river happily.

“Not once you get used to it,” she said.

The water looked more like tea, but it was very clean. How did it get like that? As the water runs through the roots of cedar trees, which function like tea leaves staining the water golden-red. There’s also iron in the river sand, deepening the color even further. It was exquisite. My husband explained that people used to make pilgrimages to this water, believing it had healing properties. He said that it’s one of the amazing features of the pinelands. New Jersey’s parks overflow with native species, the biodiversity that works like a unique thumbprint that gives us an identity. If we fail to protect and respect New Jersey’s state parks, our native gardens, than we forfeit our right to call ourselves the garden state.

The tiny blonde swimmer scooped up a pile of mac-and-cheese colored silt and showed it to my son. He dog ran over and sniffed it. Kai took a step back from the dirt and the dog.

“It’s great that your daughter is such a nature girl. I’m encouraging my son to be more like that,” I said.

“Yeah, it’s a heck of a lot better for kids than sitting in front of the video games. We come out to these parks all of the time. Do you guys know that all of the land around here used to be owned by one man, Mr. Wharton? He sold all of his land to the state for just $3 million dollars to make sure that it would always be preserved,” said the father of the swimmer.

“I wonder how he would feel if he knew about the parks closing?” I asked.

The family looked at me quizzically. “What do you mean?” the mother asked as she puffed on a cigarette from the beach blanket.

“Governor Corzine is closing nine state parks on July 1 to save $4.5 million dollars. I don’t know if any of them are Wharton’s land though. There’s a rally right now at Parvin State Park to support the parks,” I told him as I shot some photographs of some people paddling a canoe around the bend.

“Did you know Parvin State Park used to be a concentration camp? During World War II they rounded up all of the Japanese folks and made them live there. Nobody around here knows anything about that, but it’s for real,” he explained before waving to another canoe.

I saw that on the park's web site," I offered.

“You guys found the right guy to be answering your questions. My husband knows everything about South Jersey. Whereabouts do ya’ll live?” Asked the man’s wife.

“Medford, just a few miles away,” I responded. “Since your family uses the park for swimming and weekend vacations like this, you should get involved with the effort to save the parks. Just go to the New Jersey Sierra Club’s Web site.” More canoers glided past.

I unpocketed my cell phonhe to check the time; I was disappointed that we had to turn back now to get ready for our roadtrip to D.C., but happy that we had met some nice people and spent the morning outdoors.

It was my turn to wear the hiking backpack; I needed the extra exercise. We had decided to hike out of the woods via road instead of trail, to make sure we wouldn’t be late for our trip.

“Mommy, look out, car,” warned Kai from my back.

Nick and I moved to the side of the road as three old SUVs passed by, each occupied by families with their pets who waved as they passed us. The rug will be pulled out from under these people, I thought. How many people don’t even know what they might lose on July 1.

As I huffed and puffed down the trail, continually removing Kai’s Go Diego Go sneakers from my back, I thought about all of the people who use the parks and don’t even know about the fact that they’re closing. What’s going to happen? Will they pack up their beach blankets and swimsuits, hop into their pick up trucks packed with chips and coolers of soda, only to be turned away from their favorite park by No Trespassing signs? Or would they be allowed to drive down the dusty road, but be left on their own to deal with potholes, downed trees, and rocks in the road.

On this day, the Saturday of Earth Day weekend, I renewed my commitment to the trees and trails. The blueberries and the cranberries. The tea-like cedar water. The wild little nature girl and the nature lover I was hoping to shape my son into. If these parks close, there are so many children who will never have the chance to become nature lovers. I echo Richard Louv in asking: if there is no nature for our children, who will become the stewards of the earth, what will become of nature? What will become of children? If Governor Corzine closes New Jersey’s state parks, he will be cutting the cord between our children and nature. And that will have disastrous and lasting repercussions.

Let's make our voices heard on April 23 in Trenton.

Camp out at the Capitol on April 23

On Wednesday, April 23, hikers, mountain bikers, fisherman, nature lovers, environmentalists, and families will descend on Trenton! Bring your family, friends, and neighbors to this rallly to SAVE NEW JERSEY PARKS at the Trenton State House on Wednesday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m. The address is 125 West State Street.

Dress for the outdoors - hiking boots, fishing hats, cycling shirts, and COLORFUL SIGNS will all help communicate our cause to Corzine and the rest of the state lawmakers.

A park ranger told me this morning that NJ DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson is expected to deliver a speech outlining the DEP's budget, which will reveal how deep the cuts will go.

NJ Keep It Green Campaign is organizing the event.
Click here for more information.

Rally at Parvin State Park

Celebrate Earth Day with action - help save one of New Jersey's threatened parks!

Parvin State Park, which borders the Pinelands in Southwestern Jersey, is rich with biodiversity and history. Pine forests, swamp hardwood forests, blossoming trees and lovely lakes span nearly 2000 acres. Both local families and vacationing ones rest in the park's campgrounds and cabins after days spent swimming, fishing, biking and hiking.

Show your support Parvin State Park in Pittsgrove, NJ by attending a press event:
Saturday, April 19 (the weekend before Earth Day)
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

701 Almond road
Pittsgrove, NJ 08318

Details to follow from the South Jersey Land and Water Trust.

SAVE ROUND VALLEY

The governor’s proposed budget includes major cuts to the Department of Environmental Protection.

This week the department announced that Round Valley and other state parks would have to be closed as a result of the cuts.

We need to resolve our budget issues in other ways – not by closing our parks!

Show your support at a :

Peaceful Rally and Demonstration

Round Valley Reservoir, Lebanon, NJ

(volunteers will be directing you from the Route 22 entrance to the rally site)

THIS SATURDAY, April 5^th

12:00 noon

Questions? Contact Matt Apgar at 908-635-9695 or mapgar@gmail.com

Corzine closing 9 state parks in NJ

Today I saw a sarcastic bumper sticker in the window of a thrift shop on South Street that read "At least the war on the environment is going well." As environmentalists in New Jersey, we have been beaten down time and time again. Even with our small victories to protect Palmyra Cove and restore Green Acres funding, we are still fighting a tough battle. By now you've probably heard that 9 state parks in New Jersey are on the budget chopping block. I am sickened by this news, as I'm sure you are. The question is, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

Visit the NJ Sierra Club's Web site to take action.

-Call your state representatives.

-Write letters to newspaper editors.

-Email me at: savethecove@gmail.com if you would like to unite and fight against this.

There are so many strong groups in Jersey - the Sierra Club, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, the NJ Audubon Society, just to name a few. We need to fight this. We need to organize, protest, petition, fund raise, if necessary. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE to all of us who have sent a mandate to Trenton that we want NJ to be a true GARDEN STATE.


Read more here:

http://njkeepitgreen.org/

Philly.com article

NBC 10 Story

TALKING POINTS ON THE STATE BUDGET
(From NJ Sierra Club)

Cuts to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP):

-The governor’s proposed budget would cut the DEP’s budget by 15% and eliminate 200-300 jobs at the agency.

-The DEP cannot absorb these cuts because it has already borne a disproportionate share of budget cuts in recent years. In the 1990’s under Governor Whitman the budget was cut by almost a third and a quarter of the staff was laid off, and the agency has not recovered from those losses. In the past five years, an additional 400 jobs have been lost due to various hiring freezes. The DEP simply cannot sustain yet another cut and continue to effectively protect the state’s environment.

-The DEP’s Division of Parks and Forestry has 40% fewer staff members than it did in 1994 and 40% more land to manage. Likewise, the Site Remediation Program had 270 case managers handling 12,000 contaminated sites in 1994 – now it has 170 case managers handling 18,000 sites.

-The loss or reduction of DEP programs will have real and serious consequences. For example, with fewer staff to administer the Site Remediation Program, contaminated sites will take longer to clean up and more toxins will be leaked into our air, water, and soil, threatening public health. [Also see park closings as a major consequence.]

-The DEP constitutes only 0.7% of the overall state budget. Because of fines, fees, permits, and federal grants brought in by its programs, the department is 90% self-sustaining with only 10% of its budget coming from general state funds.

-In fact, cutting DEP will cause the state to LOSE money. The state currently receives federal monies both in the form of matching funds, which will be lost if the state funding is not available, and as grants in exchange for administering federal environmental programs, which will also be forfeited if there is no staff available to carry out those programs. With fewer staff to administer and enforce regulations, permit fees from programs such as the Site Remediation Program will be reduced and fines from Natural Resource Damages and other sources will drop off. [Also see park closings for economic consequences to DEP and the state’s general funds.]

Park Closings:
On April 1^st, the DEP announced that the proposed budget cuts would result in the closing of 9 state parks and portions of 3 other parks. These include Monmouth Battlefield State Park, High Point State Park, Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, Jenny Jump State Forest, Round Valley Recreation Area, Stephens State Park, Worthington State Forest, Parvin State Park, Fort Mott (including Hancock House), Bulls Island Recreation Area at D&R Canal State Park, and Shepherd’s Lake Recreation Area at Ringwood State Park. Washington Crossing State Park will also have reduced hours and services.

-Parks serve as places for people to spend vacation time with their families, enjoy nature, and exercise, providing a higher quality of life. The closure of public parks will disproportionately affect low- and middle-income families who do not have access to private facilities for these purposes.

-Seventeen million people visit New Jersey’s state parks every year, adding $3.9 billion to the state’s economy through park fees, sales tax, and tourism-related service industries, such as hotels and restaurants.

-There are alternative ways to fund these parks instead of closing them. Environmental groups have suggested many options for raising revenues, from raising camping fees to a modest sales tax on outdoor recreation equipment and ATVs to renegotiating leases of state land to reflect fair market value. [Note: Some corporations and other organizations lease state land – for example, utilities may lease state land to run power lines across. Currently these groups pay only $1 an acre, which is 100 times less than the market rate.]

-New Jersey voters have voted repeatedly to fund public open spaces, including most recently a 2007 bond initiative to keep the state’s open space, farmland, and historic preservation programs going for another year. The cuts in parks funding ignore the demonstrated will of the people.

-New Jersey voters have paid for these parks. They belong to us. For the Corzine Administration to deny us access to them is unacceptable and wrong.

50 acres saved!

Hey everyone! By now you've probably read that the 50 acres has been preserved, thanks to an amendment to the original agreement between the NJDEP, Burlington County Bridge Commission, and Tidelands. The CDF is reduced from 70 to 20 acres and "extends the life of the park by restarting the 30-year term of the agreement," according to Clara.

Congratulations to everyone who loves the park and worked hard this summer to protect it.