Happy Earth Day 2013 from Great Swamp Watershed Association!

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Earth Day 2013 is here! According to the Earth Day Network, more than a billion people in 192 countries are participating in related events around the globe.

Since this year's official observance falls on a Monday, most folks are probably spending the day at work. But, remember that April is often called "Earth Month" and this week is often called "Earth Week." Perhaps you marked Earth Day early at an event this past weekend or earlier in April.  Perhaps you're observing it in the days to come. When you get right down to it, any day is a good day for an Earth Day celebration!

Help GSWA keep this year's Earth Day spirit alive and kicking throughout May too! There are few ways you can help.

Volunteer

Why not become a GSWA volunteer?

There are two important volunteer opportunities coming up soon. On Sunday, May 5, Laura Kelm, our director of water quality programs, is looking for volunteers to help with our annual stream restoration project. This event, which is our version of a traditional Earth Day cleanup, will take place at Kitchell Pond in the heart of Morris County's Loantaka Brook Reservation. We will be building a new vegetated buffer around the pond that will work to curb the negative effects of  stormwater runnoff and erosion. Much of the work will center around planting native shrubs and plants that slow down stormwater flow and help absorb water into the ground. For more information about this event, visit https://greatswamp.ejoinme.org/Sp13StreamRest.

Sunday, May 19 is your opportunity to become a member of GSWA's Stream Team at our biannual stream assessment training for volunteers. Held twice a year (once in the fall and once in the spring), GSWA's visual assessment training teaches volunteers how to observe and record important scientific data about our local stream reaches, including information like stream depth, stream width, and the presence or absence of streambank erosion. Trained Stream Team members are in short supply, so please help us out by coming to this event. For more information about this hands-on, indoor-outdoor workshop, visit https://greatswamp.ejoinme.org/Sp13StreamAssess.

Learn

Take some time to educate yourself on an important environmental topic: climate change.

The Face of Climate Change is the theme that Earth Day Network—an international nonprofit that has been working to mobilize and diversify the environmental movement for many years—has given to Earth Day 2013. In celebration of that theme, GSWA has created a special event that will focus on climate change issues and how they will specifically affects those of us living here in northern New Jersey.

On Monday, May 13, GSWA, the Somerset County Park Commission, and the Passaic River Institute will convene a special panel discussion called "The Challenges of Climate Change and Building Resilient Communities." This event, which takes place at 7PM at the Somerset County Environmental Education Center in Basking Ridge, will feature a panel of climate change experts from Montclair State University. Topics for discussion will include everything from the documented rise in average temperatures in New Jersey, to the important, but often overlooked, role of human relationships in preparing for and recovering from severe climatic events. For more information about this public panel discussion, visit

Join

Become a GSWA member right now!

Make Earth Day your everyday by making a financial commitment to the only group solely dedicated to protecting the waters and land of the Great Swamp Watershed.

There are plenty of benefits for members: a biannual print newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on watershed happenings, a monthly eNewsletter that notifies you of important breaking environmental news, free participation in GSWA events and invitations to special get-togethers, and much more.

We need your help all year long! Click here to become a member right now.

Community Response To Changing Climate: A Public Panel Discussion

Multidisciplinary panel of experts from Montclair State University will share climate change perspectives at Somerset County Environmental Education Center, May 13.

A spate of unusual weather events, including hurricanes, flooding, drought, and unseasonable snowfalls, have focused New Jersey’s attention on the current and future consequences of global climate change.

While national debate in the U.S. lingers over abstract arguments about the existence or non-existence of global warming and other climate issues, local communities and individuals struggle to deal with new climate realities, such as the destruction wrought by Superstorm Sandy, frequent flooding along the Passaic River, and a wealth of predictions forecasting more and more-severe weather events.

Clearer information and a more complete message about the broad impact of ongoing climate change phenomena is needed if we expect ourselves to bounce back from intensifying natural disasters.  The need is critical if we expect our communities and our social institutions to effectively adapt to protect us as the natural world we live in continues to change.

The Great Swamp Watershed Association, Somerset County Park Commission, and Montclair State University’s Passaic River Institute, will work together this spring to help local communities build a base of knowledge aimed at responding to local climate change issues and locating resources for estimating future effects on our region.

On May 13, the groups will convene a public panel discussion at the Somerset County Environmental Education Center titled, “The Challenges of Climate Change and Building Resilient Communities.”

The panel of presenters will include climate change experts drawn from several different academic departments at Montclair State University, including the Department of Anthropology, the Department of Biology and Molecular Biology, the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, and the School of Business.

Click here for a complete list of panelists.

Short, topical presentations from each expert will address a wide range of local concerns, including the documented rise in average temperatures in New Jersey, the unprecedented increase in public awareness of weather phenomena, the connection between land development and flooding in New Jersey, the public health implications of post-traumatic stress in the wake of natural disasters, climate-change best practices for the business community, and the important, but often overlooked, role of human relationships in preparing for and recovering from severe climatic events.

Panel moderator Dr. Meyin Wu, director of the Passaic River Institute and professor of Biology and Molecular Biology at MSU, will open the forum for public discussion and questions from the audience following the completion of presentations.

This event will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will conclude at or after 8:30 p.m.  The Somerset County Environmental Education Center is located at 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge, NJ. Advanced registration is strongly recommended. Please register online at GreatSwamp.org, or call 973-538-3500 x22 to register by telephone.

Registration is free of charge, but voluntary donations are gratefully accepted.

Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee & Their Impact On Local Water Pollution Utilities

by Laura Kelm, Director of Water Quality Programs

I’m sure we all remember the impacts that Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee had on our homes, businesses, and towns. Great Swamp Watershed Association was curious if the storms had any impacts on the two water pollution control utilities (a.k.a. WPCUs, or wastewater treatment plants) located in the watershed.

The Woodland Water Pollution Control Utility of Morris Township discharges into Loantaka Brook. The plant did suffer a power outage as a result of the storms, but a backup generator was able to keep the plant running as usual. Timothy O’Dell, assistant superintendent of the WPCU, noted that the plant was designed to treat a maximum of 2.2 million gallons per day (mgd), while its average daily volume is only half that amount. This allows excess volume generated by storms to be held and treated afterward to meet state water quality requirements for WPCU effluent.

The Chatham Township WPCU, which discharges to Black Brook, also lost power during the storms, but was kept online with power from a backup generator. The maximum permitted flow at this smaller plant is 0.875 mgd. During the days after Hurricane Irene, the plant saw volumes as high as 2.26 mgd. Marc Christensen, the water pollution control manager, said that while the excess flow meant that the water moved through the plant faster than normal, the WPCU still met all of its target requirements for effluent.

Here are some other interesting facts and figures about these two WPCUs—

The Morris Township Woodland WPCU:

• had its new system built in 1992 to provide tertiary treatment.
• can retain 1.5 mgd for future treatment.
• has no combined sewer overflows (aka. CSOs).

The Chatham Township WPCU:

• has a normal flow under 0.875 mgd.
• took precautionary measures before Irene hit, including reducing the amount of solids held in inventory, in order to hold greater capacity during the storm.
• increases its flow during precipitation events because of open tanks at the WPCU, some infiltration from manhole covers and pipes, and some illegal hookups of rain gutters into sewer lines.
• has no combined sewer overflows (aka. CSOs).
• measured the following flows after Irene: 1.54 mgd on 8/27/20112.26 mgd on 8/28/20111.435 mgd on 8/29/20111.441 mgd on 8/30/2011, and1.167 mgd on 8/31/2011.

Reprinted from Great Swamp Watershed Association, Across The Watershed, Spring-Summer 2012.

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Editor's note: The spate of turbulent weather in the Great Swamp region that originally sparked our interest in learning more about what happens at our local Water Pollution Control Utilities has stuck with us for many months. How much of what we have experience—hurricanes, tropical storms, rampant flooding, mild winters, and unusual snow falls—actually demonstrate the effects of global climate change on our small corner of the world?

We decided to go in search of some answers that we could share with you in the form of one of our regularly schedule, early morning Breakfast Briefings.

On Tuesday, April 10, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Professor Anthony Broccoli, director of the Rutgers Center for Environmental Predication, will try to help us understand what to expect of the changing weather in our state in the coming months and years. He also will explain studying the causes of climate change might help us all prepare for what is coming.

Please join us at GSWA's headquaters located at 568 Tempe Wick Road in Morristown, NJ, for this very special presentation.

Register at www.GreatSwamp.org/EventReg.htm if you wish to attend, or give us a call at 973-538-3500 x22. Registration is free for current GSWA members. Non-members are asked to make a voluntary donation of $10/adult and $5/child (6-17 yrs.), or $30/family (includes 4 or more people).

Great Swamp Watershed Association Announces Spring 2012 Speaker Series

Breakfast Briefings keep you informed about the local environment without missing time at the office.

Morristown, NJ—The Great Swamp Watershed Association is pleased to announce speakers and presentations scheduled for its Spring 2012 Breakfast Briefing Series. GSWA created the Breakfast Briefing Series in order to help busy professionals stay informed about community environmental issues without taking valuable time away from work or family life. Presentations are kept brief, focus on current environmental topics, and minimize overlap with most traditional business hours. Unless otherwise noted, all Breakfast Briefings take place on the second Tuesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at GSWA’s headquarters located at 568 Tempe Wick Road in Morristown. Seating is limited, so online pre-registration is recommended, visit www.GreatSwamp.org/EventReg.htm. GSWA members attend at no additional cost. Non-members are asked to make a voluntary contribution of $10 per adult at time of registration. A continental breakfast is served at all events.

This spring’s scheduled presentations will cover eco-friendly landscaping, weather and climate changes in New Jersey, a discussion of threats to New Jersey’s critical forests and woodlands, and a summary of findings from an ongoing study of Great Swamp’s bugs, worms, mollusks, and other tiny spineless creatures. Speakers will include Professor Anthony Broccoli, director of the Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction, environmental author and landscape designer Leslie Sauer, Drew University Emeritus Professor of Biology Leland Pollock, and GSWA’s own Hazel England, director of education and outreach, and Laura Kelm, director of water quality programs. Our first briefing takes place on Tuesday, March 13, 2012.


Here is GSWA’s complete Breakfast Briefing schedule for Spring 2012—


Landscaping for the Environment
Tuesday, March 13, 8:00—9:30 a.m.
Kemmerer Library, 19 Blue Mill Road, Harding Twp., NJ

Want to learn how to make your yard more eco-friendly? Join Great Swamp Watershed Association’s Laura Kelm and Hazel England as they discuss ways to improve your landscaping to benefit local wildlife, water quality, and environmental conservation. We’ll start by reviewing simple tips and techniques designed to help you choose native plants that can manage the water on your property and keep pollution out of nearby streams. Later, you will learn which of those plants and shrubs do well under conditions found in the Great Swamp watershed, and which ones attract beneficial wildlife. This event includes an indoor presentation and an outdoor tour of recent plantings at Harding’s Bayne Park. Kemmerer Library is in no way responsible for the content or views presented during this event. Please note alternate location of this event.

Why Is New Jersey’s Weather Changing?
Tuesday, April 10, 8:00—9:30 a.m.
GSWA Headquarters, 568 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ

Hurricanes, freak snowstorms, 100-year flood events –what’s coming next?  If you’ve worried about our weather over the last twelve months, or the overall effects of climate change on your life here in New Jersey, you need to join us for this presentation by Dr. Anthony Broccoli, director of the Rutgers Center for Environmental Predication. Professor Broccoli will tell us what to expect of the changing weather in our state, and he also will explain how study of the causes of climate change might help us better prepare for what is coming. Climate change will have profound effects on our environment and our society. Use this opportunity to inform yourself about the local consequences.

The Future of New Jersey’s Forests
Tuesday, May 8, 8:00—9:30 a.m.
GSWA Headquarters, 568 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ

What is going on with the woods?  What threats do New Jersey’s forests face? Join Leslie Sauer, founder of the ecological restoration consultancy Andropogon Associates and author of The Once and Future Forest, as she speaks about the environmental and manmade threats facing New Jersey woodlands. Topics covered may include deer overpopulation, non-native invasive species introduction, forest fragmentation, and logging plans. What do we have to watch for in our state and protected forests next time we are out for a hike in the woods? Come to this talk and find out!

Unlock the Secrets of Great Swamp's Small Creatures: 2011 Findings from an Ongoing Study of Macroinvertebrates
Tuesday, May 22, 8:00—9:30 a.m.
Kemmerer Library, 19 Blue Mill Road, Harding Twp., NJ

Macroinvertebrates—known outside of scientific circles as bugs, worms, mollusks and other small, spineless creatures—are useful when it comes to studying water quality and environmental conditions in and around a stream. For instance, dragonflies, aquatic snails, and flatworms can indicate whether the water in a stream is truly clean.

Drew University Emeritus Professor of Biology Lee Pollock, has studied these small creatures each year in the Great Swamp watershed since 1992. Join us to hear findings from his 2011 studies, along with his long-term view of environmental trends and what they mean for our local waters. There is no suggested donation requested for non-member attendance. Please pre-register online at www.GreatSwamp.org/EventReg.htm. Kemmerer Library is in no way responsible for the content or views presented during this event. Please note alternate day and location for this event.


For more information about GSWA’s Breakfast Briefing Series, please visit www.GreatSwamp.org or call 973-538-3500.


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