New Video: Why Is New Jersey's Weather Changing?

by Steve Reynolds. Director of Communications & Membership, Great Swamp Watershed Association

We don't expect climate change to make things warmer as if we're going up an escalator. It's much more like you're going on a hiking trail to the top of a peak, but that path has ups and downs as you try and get there. Don't lose sight of the long-term picture.

—Professor Anthony Broccoli, Director, Rutgers University Center for Environmental Prediction

Over the last year or so, it seems as though we New Jerseyians just cannot catch a break when it comes to weather. In December 2010 Snowmageddon blanketed our state in white. In 2011, flooding from Hurricane Irene washed out roads and homes statewide, and an unusual late-October snowstorm pulled down trees and wreaked havoc with our power infrastructure. In these early months of 2012, we have seen our warmest March ever and our fourth warmest winter on record. As I write this piece, wildfires touched off by unusually dry conditions rage in the Pine Barrens, in the Meadowlands, and elsewhere. What exactly is going on with all this bizarre weather?

That is one of the questions the Great Swamp Watershed Association asked guest speaker Professor Anthony Broccoli, director of the Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction, in advance of his visit to the organization's headquarters in Morristown on April 10, 2012. When he arrived to give his presentation as part of GSWA's popular Breakfast Briefing speaker series, he helped us better understand the issue by re-imagining our question.

Setting a more scientific tone, he asked our audience of 28 people, "What types of extreme weather may be plausibly associated with climate change and which may not?" The answer was much more complicated than any of us could have imagined.

Among all of the different manifestations of weather he proceeded to describe--temperature and precipitation extremes, heat and drought, tornadoes and thunderstorm, hurricanes and heavy rains, and snowstorms--the associations varied widely. For events like extreme heat and drought, the links to global climate change were quite strong. For events like hurricanes and freak snowstorms, the links were harder to distinguish.

Why was it so hard to come up with clearly definitive answers? The reasons are manifold. For intance, where tornadoes are concerned, a relative lack of observational data complicates the establishment of trends. And, in the case of snowstorms, the alignment of conditions needed to produce a significant event is much more unpredictable.

GSWA recorded Professor Broccoli's presentation and posted on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/GreatSwampWatershed. We invite you to watch the video and draw your own conclusions about our recent spate of extreme weather and its relationship to global climate change.

Viewers will want to make special note of all the examples of New Jersey weather phenomena Professor Broccoli uses throughout his talk. The richness of this state-specific content--the weather observations, photos, and more--will pique the interest of any New Jerseyian.

The video is embedded below. As you watch, please turn up the volume. Audio quality is complicated by our presentation space.

If you would like to download the slideshow Professor Broccoli presented, please click here or visit http://www.greatswamp.org/PDFs/NJClimateChangePresABroccoli04102012[Flat].pdf. Slides are in PDF format.

The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt, May 19

The Great Swamp Watershed Association is proud to inaugurate a new event this May that will spotlight amazing sites of natural, cultural, and historic interest found throughout the 55-square-mile Great Swamp watershed. The first Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2012, and its goal is to help you enjoy a day outdoors and take you to places you might not know about, or have not thought about visiting before.

How will it work? Well, from 9 a.m. to noon on May 19, you, your family, and friends will stop by our home base at  Loantaka Brook Reservation's Kitchell Pond Pavilion. There you will pick up a set of clues designed to take you on a journey of discovery through our region. Along the way, you will choose where you want to go and what questions you will answer to prove that you've been there.

Scavenge as much or as little as you want throughout the day. This will be your time to explore! But, whatever you do, remember to return to Loantaka Brook Reservation at 4:00 p.m. where we will celebrate your odyssey with refreshments. While you relax, we will tally up everyone's scavenger hunt results. Special prizes await our highest-scoring scavengers, and, who knows, there just might be one or two more surprises in store!

The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt is suitable for people of all ages and all skill levels.

GSWA is partnering with Morris County Park Commission, Somerset County Park Commission,Morristown National Historical Park, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, The Raptor Trust, New Jersey Audubon Society, and Harding Land Trust, so there will be lots of fun and exciting places to visit.

Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt Partners

This is shaping up to be one of northern New Jersey's can't-miss events of spring 2012! So remember, save May 19 on your calendars for GSWA's inaugural Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt.

You need to get in this game!

Thanks to our Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt underwriters PSEG and PNC Bank!

All are invited to participate in this FREE event; however, if you do plan to attend, please register online at GSWA's website. Advanced registration helps us better organize our activities, and allows us to contact you if plans change.

What: The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt

Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012

Times: Pick up clues—between 9:00 a.m. & Noon, Hunt—between 9:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m., Rewards & Relaxation—between 4:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.

Where: Start & End at Kitchell Pond Pavilion, 75 Kitchell Road, Morristown, NJ, but Scavenger Hunt locations will be spread throughout the 55-square-mile Great Swamp Watershed.

Registration: Participation in the Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt is FREE of charge. Please let us know if you plan to attend by completing the registration form below.

More Information: Call GSWA at 973-538-3500 x22 for event updates, including scheduling and venue changes. Please listen to the recorded message on the hotline for any change or cancellation notices. All events are subject to change or cancellation without advanced notice; however, we will try to notify registered participants of any changes via email or telephone (if contact information is provided).

Springtime Is Volunteer Time!

March at the Great Swamp Watershed Association was all about volunteering and working outside this year. On Sunday, March 18, Director of Water Quality Programs Laura Kelm worked with the Morris County Park Commission and the Americorp NJ Watershed Ambassadors to lead more than 20 volunteers through cleanup activities at a new inside Loantaka Brook Reservation (Morris Township). After three hours of hard work, the nonnative plants are out and the natives are in along this short stretch of Loantaka Brook near Seaton Hackney Stables.

On Saturday, March 24, Director of Outreach and Education Hazel England, who also doubles as our land steward, led another large group of volunteers through trail maintenance tasks at our 53-acre Conservation Management Area (CMA) in Harding Township. Bridges were built, trails were mulched, and weeds were pulled. After all this hard work our CMA is ready for springtime visitors, so remember to pay us a visit at 1 Tiger Lily Lane.

Want to get the scoop on what really happened during our March volunteer days? Check out these two recent updates from our two volunteer group leaders, Laura and Hazel.

GSWA’s Annual Stream Cleanup & Enhancement by Laura Kelm

You might remember previous Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) stream cleanups at Kitchell Pond where our volunteers collected trash from the grounds of Loantaka Brook Reservation. The good news is that our gatherings there have made a real difference! This year there was minimal trash around the pond, so we decided to change our work site and the focus of our event.

GSWA worked with Geoff Knapp from the Morris County Park Commission and Stephanie Queirolo, the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador for the region, to plan this year’s volunteer work. On March 18th, 21 volunteers converged on Loantaka Brook Reservation’s South Street Recreation Area to refresh and enhance the stream bank along Loantaka Brook. Many of the participants were new to GSWA, including several students from Passaic County Community College.

Located next to Seton Hackney Stables, the area we focused on sheltered many invasive plant species and nuisance vines that were overtaking nearby trees and reducing local biodiversity. Using clippers and lots of manpower, the volunteers removed the vines and invasive plants and planted 15 native trees in their place.

The native trees that we planted will provide wildlife habitat, and their deep roots will help to stabilize the bank of Loantaka Brook. The plant material we removed from the site was collected by the Morris County Park Commission to be turned into mulch. We got much more accomplished than we had planned, but there is still more to be done to rid the entire area of invasive plants. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out, and we hope to see you at future cleanups!

Check out photos from the Loantaka Brook volunteer day below or on GSWA's Flickr page!

Volunteer Workday At The Conservation Management Area by Hazel England

Twenty-three people from near and far enjoyed the warm March weather and early blooming trout lilies and spicebush, while readying the GSWA CMA for spring.  After the hurricanes and flooding of August, and the freak snows in October, the trails were in need of some TLC. Our volunteers spread wood mulch over paths leading a third of a mile away from the CMA entrance to the Silver Brook boardwalk bridge. This will allow hikers access without muddying up their boots quite so much.

Students from Passaic County College helped us clear introduced, non-native plant species away from several hundred small native shrubs. This will give our native plants time to establish themselves successfully without competing with invasives for light or nutrients. Because the CMA has a 28-acre fence around it to exclude deer, we have found that removing invasives and replanting native plants has allowed the forest understory to flourish.

Ten volunteers from the REI’s retail store in East Hanover—easily identified by their bright orange volunteer shirts—helped us construct a temporary bridge crossing that will join the CMA’s existing trail system with lands conserved by our neighbors at the Harding Land Trust. In the coming year, new trails will be created on HLT lands that will expand the total number of trail miles visitors can access. When all is said and done, a hike that begins at the CMA gate off of Tiger Lily Lane and concludes on HLT property along Harter Road will cover almost 2.5 miles of ground. 

Thanks to all who volunteered their time!  GSWA will having more weekend volunteer days as we manage the property and restore it to a functioning floodplain forest. Our next scheduled volunteer workday takes place on June 16. Register online at www.GreatSwamp.org/EventReg.htm.

Check out photos from the CMA volunteer day below or on GSWA's Flickr page!

Please join us at a future volunteer event!

 

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).

Spring's Almost Here! Time To Get Out And Volunteer!

Need an excuse to more spend time outdoors? Want to protect the local environment? Think you have what it takes to help out in your community? If so, then Great Swamp Watershed Association invites you to volunteer with us in March. Help us clean and enhance our open spaces, and learn how you can help protect our local streams and waterways from contamination and destruction. It's easy, and we'll supply the equipment you need. Here are some upcoming events where you can help—

March 18 — Annual Stream Cleanup & Enhancement at Loantaka Reservation

GSWA will hold its annual stream cleanup and enhancement at Loantaka Brook Reservation on March 18, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Activities along the banks of Loantaka Brook will include invasive plant removal, planting native plants, and trash cleanup. Volunteers ages 15 and above should wear long pants, long sleeves, and shoes or boots that can get wet and muddy. Participants should gather at the South Street Recreation Area located at 434 South Street, Morristown, NJ.

Click here to volunteer for this event!

March 24 — Spring Cleaning Day at the CMA

Please join GSWA's Dir. of Outreach and Education and Land Steward Hazel England from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for a spring cleanup at our 53-acre Conservation Management Area (CMA) in Harding, NJ. GSWA relies on the support and work of volunteers as we maintain and restore this important open space to become a functional floodplain forest again. Work on March 24 will focus preparing the property for springtime visitors. Tasks will include chipping, mulching and edging trails, cleaning nest boxes so they are ready for spring residents, and carrying lumber to help build boardwalks over the wettest portions. All tools and supplies will be provided. Show up with energy and enthusiasm, and we will handle the rest. Location: GSWA CMA, 1 Tiger Lily Road, Morristown, NJ.

Click here to volunteer for this event!

March 31 — Stream Assessment Training for Volunteers

Want to get outside and help GSWA? We are looking for a few good volunteers to conduct visual assessments of streams in our watershed. Visual assessments are conducted at stream reaches throughout the region twice per year, and they help us to know what’s happening along our streams. During an assessment, volunteers record information about the amount of canopy cover over the stream, nearby land uses, the clarity of the water, and more. Before you are ready to conduct an assessment, you will need to attend our training session. Our next training session takes place on March 31, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and will also cover macroinvertebrate assessments. Location: GSWA Office, 568 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ.

Click here to volunteer for this event!

*Please remember to dress and prepare appropriately for all our volunteer events. Outdoor work will often be wet and muddy, so boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. Long pants and long-sleeve shirts are also recommended. Please feel free to bring your own snacks, and we encourage the use of a reusable water bottle for any beverages you bring along. Please remember to recycle or properly dispose of any refuse.

For more information, visit www.GreatSwamp.org. Write to GSWA at events@greatswamp.org, or call us at 973-538-3500.

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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Enviro Attorney Jan Schlichtmann Will Speak At Public Screening of "A Civil Action"

Great Swamp Watershed Association will show A Civil Action at Morris County Cultural Center on March 22.

Morris Township, NJ—Jan Schlichtmann’s dogged pursuit of justice for families torn apart by environmental pollution nearly cost him his career. In the 1980s, the personal injury attorney took on a lawsuit that would have an extraordinary impact on the environmental movement in the U.S. The suit, Anderson v. Cryovac (or Woburn as is it more commonly known), pitted residents of the town of Woburn, Massachusetts, against two manufacturers, W.R. Grace and Beatrice Co., who allegedly discharged carcinogenic waste into Woburn’s water supply that eventually lead to the leukemia-related deaths of several local children.

The facts of the Woburn case, as well as the extraordinary expense incurred during prosecution, caught the attention of writer Jonathan Harr. After numerous years of research, Harr turned Schlichtmann’s story and the story of the Woburn families into a work of nonfiction titled, A Civil Action. The book, which was published in 1995, garnered several prestigious nominations and awards, and was eventually turned into a major motion picture. In 1998, Academy-Award-nominee John Travolta was tapped to portray Schlichtmann in the theatrical version of A Civil Action, which opened to substantial critical acclaim. Co-star Robert Duvall would eventually win an Oscar for his supporting role in the film.

Although the plaintiffs never won their original case in court, the Woburn suit set a precedent for the use of environmental science research and testimony in the courtroom that has been replicated time and time again. This is the procedural mark Jan Schlichtmann has made on the legal landscape of the U.S., and the victory that has made him a significant figure in the environmental movement.

The Great Swamp Watershed Association will host a special evening of conversation and discussion with Mr. Schlichtmann on Thursday, March 22, at the Morris County Cultural Center located at 300 Mendham Road in Morris Township, NJ. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and a public screening of the film A Civil Action (115 minutes) will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. After the screening Mr. Schlichtmann will answer questions about the Woburn case, his life during and after its prosecution, and the legal and advocacy projects he has undertaken in its aftermath, including the founding of the Legal Broadcast Network, the establishment of The Civil Action Center , and his mission to protect urban forests and shade trees from destruction.

Please join us for this very special event!

What:  Public screening of A Civil Action starring John Travolta and Robert Duvall

Where:  Morris County Cultural Center, 300 Mendham Rd., Morris Township, NJ

When:  Thursday, March 22, 2012 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Who:  Jan Schlichtmann, the personal injury and environmental attorney who inspired the film

Register:  Seating is limited. Please pre-register online at www.GreatSwamp.org/EventReg.htm. Attendees are asked to make a voluntary donation of $10 to cover costs associated with the event.

For more information, write to events@greatswamp.org or call GSWA at 973-538-3500.