Nomination for th Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards -  Healthy Ecosystems area

 Gef Flimlin, Professor/Marine Extension Agent Commercial Fisheries and Aquaculture Rutgers Cooperative Extension, nominated the Science Committee at the LBIF for the Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards -  Healthy Ecosystems area.

He said in his cover “I have been greatly impressed with how the Foundation has expanded it's programs recently and think they are a deserving entity for recognition.”

 

Note some of the things in the filing:

......Because of the SC, LBIF is now a destination for science activities and is host to a myriad of government, nonprofit, academic and business partners in the local, regional and statewide community partners. It has expanded the environmental aspects of the facility to become a learning laboratory where visitors can exhibit, demonstrate, teach and learn about the relationship of all the environmental elements. 

.... The vision for the LBIF SC began in 2007 by John and Nancy Petralia, current SC members. With their early guidance and with current leadership, the SC offering departs from the traditional by presenting the science about nature in a multi-media, multi-activity and multi-facetted way.

....... Sine 2009 Co- Chairs Angela Andersen, Long Beach Township Recycling Coordinator and Rick Bushnell, President, ReClam the Bay; have provided the leadership to use the structure offered by their predecessors to expand the LBIF SC involvement and reach even more people to attract more involvement in the improvement of the bay. The current organizational leadership has navigated the successes in the diversity of programming and the expanded number of partners dealing with pressing environmental issues and advanced technologies.

A rundown of 2011 projects/activities:

• 1000 Island Blue Pages distributed to visitors and residents Impact: awareness about the problems and what to do to improve
• 150 Terrapin Turtle hatchlings relocated, hatched and released in 2011 – Impact: protect and expand the terrapin population
• One Compost heap started – Impact: 30 local residents have seen it and several have begun composting
• 2 defunct Osprey Towers removed- 1 reconstructed and relocated to optimum viewing. Impact: 350 visitors to the LBIF marsh walks each summer
• 1000 Sq ft rain garden was designed and built with walkways, teaching area and educational poster. Impact: It treats and recharges 3.3ft/yr per sq ft of soil- an area that once took 7 to 10 days to dry now takes 3 to 5 days. Impact 2: Hundreds of people have learned the value of rain gardens to our environment
• 1000 Kw produced from solar panel demonstration site. Four solar panels were installed on the education building in 2010. Impact: in 2011, Daily Kw generation is recorded and used in the educational programming by about 125 people at the foundation.
• Two hydration stations (aka tankless water coolers) one in the rain garden and the other at the tennis courts. Impact 1: 5,000 water bottles avoided through the two on site. Impact 2: plastic water bottle use on the LBIF property declined 100%- Impact 3: plastic bottle and cap pollution has been reduced on the grounds near the tennis courts and in the parking area.
• 500 kids enlightened in summer camp. Impact: Kids have taken the knowledge home and many parents have returned with their children to learn from the rain garden, marsh walk, composter etc.
• Membership of over 600 families from the mid-Atlantic region continues to grow. Impact: entire families are receiving firsthand experience in improving the environment and Barnegat Bay.
• Science Committee membership expanded by a quotient of 100%. Impact: many people are now involved who were not
• Science Committee interested parties list grew to 300. Impact: knowing more about the environment has become part to their normal routine.

 

Meeting 10/22, 9:30 AM

The Goal of the Science Committee at the LBIF is to help everyone enjoy and discover the nature and the science that surrounds us. We are looking for people to help the LBIF bring knowledge and appreciation to young and old -  visitors and residents of LBI. Our tag line is “Let’s Discover Together” Please come to our OPEN Science Committee Meeting -10/22 at 9:30  at the Foundation. (You are invited whether you have served on the committee before or not, whether you are member of the LBIF or not)

This will be a 45 minute meeting to explain what we have done, and what we will do in 2011…. The goal is to see where your time and interests might help the LBIF bring the beauty of art and the curiosity about natural and physical science together.

Here is what we need help with:

Winter projects –

Science Saturdays – Bob Block has set up a great series of sessions for 2012 and needs people to help to welcome the visitors and facilitate the events from February to May.

Video Documentaries – Steve Miller has taken a giant first step in video-documenting 2011 activities. Now we need to edit and organize the information as well as plan some activities for 2012. People want to view science and beauty “on screen,” whether it is on the Internet or the new LARGE SCREEN MONITOR at the Foundation. Help in all aspects of video production.

Be a builder – Enrico, Rick, Fred, John need some help. In 2010 and 2011 we assembled a 450 foot Marsh Walk, erected an osprey platform and other neat stuff. We always have stuff to build and maintain.  

Project Power – Work with John Petralia, Jay Madden and others while you learn about conserving power and alternative energy by serving on a team dedicated to reducing costs for energy at the foundation.

Spring to summer –

Discovery Days  - Help out and learn with Angela Anderson, Rick Bushnell, Marc Labella and naturalists from Cattus Island State Park. Each Friday during the summer for about 1.5 hours, help the experts who will help visitors discover the salt marsh, the rain garden and the conservation and generation of electric. (You can learn while helping out….or give the presentation yourself, if you are qualified)

Be a rain gardener – The rain garden is now in its third year.  Angela and others have made some additions but we need to line up help to plan other modifications and to, maintain it.  

Save the Terrapins – Work with Dr. John Wnek and learn how to care for turtle eggs left on the island by “mommy turtles.” Keep them safe, monitor them and see them hatch!

Barnegat Bay Day, (July 2012) Fred and Arlene did great job in 2010 and 2011. They want to turn over the reins but are very willing to help out. They have established a process to make BB Day happen but we need some “new blood.” This is THE FUN LEARNING event for the summer and will be lots of fun for kids and adults. If you have experience with any fairs or festivals you will be a great asset. If you don’t have any experience but want to help….we sure could use you.

Exploring Science at LBIF 2011

If you want to know more about the world in which you live we invite you to participate in some mind expanding activities! We invite you to explore with us. “LBIF Science Explorers.”   Science Explorers come in all sizes, ages and levels of knowledge, but we share one thing in common; a love of learning and a curiosity about the world around us.  So welcome to the club!

We will be offering an extensive schedule of science programming in 2011. As you know we have 21 acres of marshes and wetlands, as well as labs, classrooms, and an art gallery where people of all ages can experience fun and learning unlike anywhere else on Long Beach Island so we want to bring our members and our community here to enjoy and learn from our environment.

Things to think about:

LBIF’s “Events” Include many fun activities for the spring and summer of 2001. We just finished our Science Saturday program from February to April of 2011. .

We are looking for volunteers to get more involved in our activities by learning and acting as informal guides. We’d call them Explorer/guides to welcome people at various LBIF functions (an hour at a time on certain days). We will offer training to these Explorer/guides and provide handout material. But the goal is for them provide a “personal touch” and find out visitor’s interests and encourage them to participate.  Here is where we can use some help:

• We have a wonderful Coastal Rain Garden and we would like to show it off. We are looking for volunteers to point out the plants and explain the benefits of this garden and the fact that we all benefit if someone does his own rain garden on LBI or, in fact, anywhere.
• Project Power, a full scale alternative energy demonstration that provides a real learning experience for everyone, especially any homeowner considering energy independence. We’d like volunteers to how off the equipment and explain (in nontechnical terms) how it works.
• Marsh Tours – In 2009 we had more that 250 people visit our facility and, with a naturalist, visit the marsh. People learned about the unique habitat and the critters who call it home. We need volunteers to maintain the marsh path, to help the naturalist and tell visitors about all the things that LBIF has to offer.
• Started in 2010, the LBIF has teamed with Project Terrapin, a rescue mission initiated by Professor John Wnek, from the Marine Academy for Technology and Environmental Sciences. Because of its unique location, the LBIF was selected to help track and monitor the animals, and will eventually provide a hatchery for young terrapins that will increase their chances for survival in the wild. For more information, visit the Project Terrapin website at www.projectterrapin.org. There will be an overview at one of the Science Saturdays in April and then training and participation.
• Give us a call at the LBI Foundation 609-494-1241 and tell us how you would like to be a part of our science program. We’ll get right back to you!

LBIF Science Explorer (and Science Co-Chair) Rick Bushnell