Volunteers Restore Two Mile Beach Refuge

DIAMOND BEACH — On Friday and Saturday, July 25-26, volunteers and Friends of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) grabbed their work gloves, shovels and pruning shears and headed over to the Refuge’s Two Mile Beach Unit to implement a variety of improvement projects.
Despite the soaring temperatures, volunteers committed their valuable summer mornings to trail maintenance, invasive plant species removal, litter clean up, painting and cleaning. Stepping up to the task were local residents, weekend visitors, long-time Refuge volunteers and staff from the Cape May NWR, New Jersey Audubon Society and American Littoral Society. Additional support and materials for these projects were graciously donated by the Township of Lower, the Nature Center of Cape May and The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore Office.
For several hours on Friday and Saturday, the parking lot and trails near the Refuge Visitor Station were a flurry of activity. Some volunteers used hand saws to remove the invasive shrub, autumn olive, from the surrounding dune habitat. Others yanked spotted knapweed, another invasive plant, from trail edges. Windows and interpretive signs were scrubbed clean and treated to protect them from the salt air. Still others painted crosswalks, removed asphalt and laid pavers for a walkway through a planned butterfly garden.
“It feels great to be able to give back to the Refuge, stated Refuge volunteer and Friends Group member Joe Alvarez. “The Refuge needs volunteers now more than ever – Friends of Cape May Refuge NWR couldn’t have come at a better time.”
The volunteer work days are part of an effort to improve habitat for wildlife and for Refuge visitors who come to appreciate the 500+ acres of one of the last remaining tracts of undeveloped maritime forest and beach in New Jersey. The effort is being spearheaded by the recently formed Friends of Cape May NWR, a nonprofit organization working to protect and conserve the Cape May NWR. The Refuge’s three divisions, Two Mile Beach Unit, Great Cedar Swamp Division and Delaware Bay Division, encompass about 11,500 acres of incredibly important habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory shorebirds, songbirds, raptors and waterfowl passing through each year.
“Due to its significance for migratory birds, breeding birds and other wildlife,” stated Refuge Manager Howard Schlegel, “the Cape May NWR has been designated a Wetland of International Importance, an Important Bird Area and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The invaluable time and support devoted by the Friends of Cape May NWR and all refuge volunteers is essential to sustaining and enhancing the refuge’s habitat management and public use programs for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.”
 
Working closely with Schlegel and Deputy Refuge Manager, Laurel Wilkerson, Friends of Cape May NWR developed an ambitious to-do list, focusing efforts for Summer 2009 on the Two-Mile Beach Unit. The site includes a new Visitor Contact Station that was built to facilitate public access. Due to government budget cuts, however, the Station never opened to the public.  The goal is to open the Visitor Contact Station during the summer season with volunteer staff and to welcome local residents and summer visitors to this hidden natural treasure.
 
“Increasing public awareness of the importance of the Refuge to migratory birds and other wildlife is essential to its protection,” stated Cristina Frank, New Jersey Audubon Society biologist and Friends of the Cape May NWR board member. “One way to achieve this is to invite the community to participate in restoration and improvement projects occurring on the Refuge.”
Jessica Knox, American Littoral Society Conservation Coordinator and Friends Group board member explained, “These kinds of projects are great because they connect people with nature and the coast.  The Littoral Society has long believed that encouraging the use and enjoyment of our coastal open spaces fosters support for efforts to safeguard these resources. People fight for things that they know and love.”
Like over 200 Friends organizations throughout the country, Friends of Cape May NWR works on behalf of the National Wildlife Refuge System to provide financial and technical support for the Refuge and serves as a liaison between the Refuge and the local community.  For more information on volunteer opportunities or to become a Friend of Cape May NWR, please email the Friends at friendscapemayrefuge@gmail.com or contact Cristina Frank at 609-861-1608.