Rutgers University Human Ecology Class

April 19- 21, 2007

Dr. Bonnie McKay brought students from her Human Ecology Class in April to become the first group to be in residence in 2007. Many of the students are majoring in environmental policy. As a result we had some interesting discussions as to how both government and non-government organizations could be involved in issues regarding wildlife and other conservation issues. Dr. Roger Locandro, former Dean of Students at Cook College, got things started as he led a discussion on Friday night.

The next morning we boarded the kayaks and paddled through the marshes that had been completely submerged during the big northeaster that hit the state several days earlier. We noted that the pair of peregrine falcons appear to be guarding eggs in their new “igloo” house and osprey are setting up their nests on almost all of the platforms. We stopped for lunch at one of the last remaining “shacks” on the islands in the Marine Conservation Zone. As we ate we watched several types of migratory warblers resting in the trees around the house. In the afternoon we returned to the house and got involved in a variety of the usual activities including clamming, and fishing. On his first cast one of the students caught the first fish of the season, a twenty-four inch striped bass.

On Saturday we celebrated Earth Day. We took a hike along the ocean beach to Barnegat Inlet. On this, the warmest day of the year, we enjoyed our walk along the jetty to the Army Corps of Engineers Dike. We found that this last northeaster has eroded the dike even more to a point where much of the sand has blown back into the inlet and the geo-tube is broken in several places. These observations led to more discussions of environmental policy.

One member of the class had been a professional photographer. Using his digital camera he took many pictures. If he sends a disc of his pictures as promised we will post them on this site.