STONE HARBOR — Walking in Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary is like traveling back in time.
Maritime forests surround a fresh water pond. Paths meander towards a 300-year-old Holly tree. Butterfly gardens welcome Monarchs as they make their way to Mexico. One can envision cattle grazing as they had here 100 years ago.
Councilman Randall Bauer led a group of National Audubon Society members through a tour of the sanctuary, which was recognized as part of the Watchable Wildlife Conference Oct. 6-8 hosted by The Golden Inn in Avalon.
The conference was the 18th annual meeting of North American wildlife and tourism professionals. This year’s focus was “Tourism as an Economic Stimulus—Keeping it Local.” Sessions concentrated on how local communities and businesses can profit from continuing growth in wildlife tourism.
Dede Harris, a member of Bird Sanctuary Advisory Committee, told the Herald New Jersey Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership gave the sanctuary restoration project a $35,000 grant to help finance the redesign and upgrade of the tidal inlet pipe into the sanctuary to support ecological health.
“We were honored,” she said.
A 24-inch pipeline floods areas of the sanctuary to naturally control phragmites and bring fish that wild heron and egrets feed upon.
The area has been pristine for hundreds of years; one of the last uses was as an area for cattle to graze, Bauer said.
“We knew there had to be freshwater because cattle were here for months at a time and needed to drink,” he said.
“A freshwater pond is very unique on a barrier island,” said volunteer Bob Bartke.
Bauer said the green slimy film over the freshwater pond is duckweed, which is the smallest flowering plant on Earth and requires a balanced environment.
The DEP Clean Shores Program provided 20 inmates from Bayside State Prison who removed eight dumpsters of vines and weeds over four days last April, Harris said.
“This is a place a lot of people thought they’d never find in Stone Harbor, and it’s here,” Bauer said.
The sanctuary is now open for birds and the public to enjoy.
Contact Truluck at (609) 886-8600 ext. 24 or at: ltruluck@cmcherald.com.
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