Experiential: My Final Project

By Demelza Davies

My experiential component was thorough research to develop my final project. I created a survey on Zoomerang.com and was able to collect accurate percentages concerning my topic, college students and the environment. I put the link on my Facebook as well as asked my friends to spread it around to their friends. I also emailed the link of the survey to my classes. I aspired to have more surveys done, but I was satisfied with the number I received. I also researched various campaigns and images to give me further insight on my topic. Although I did not use this research in my final presentation, I was able to develop my ideas and create different tips for students to be more environmentally sound.

Overall, I enjoyed doing this project as it gave me insight on my own behavior that effects the environment negatively. I myself am guilty of every one of the topics presented (except for the smoking), and I intend to use the tips I displayed towards my own lifestyle. I am very interested in learning about the small ways someone like me who will never be an environmentalist can change to help make the Earth a little healthier.

Experiential: Recycling Program Keeps Ramapo Green

By Krysta Daniels

Ramapo College is lucky enough to have a recycling program where students under the supervision of facilities pick up students’ recycling on a weekly basis. I’ve been a student here at Ramapo since 2008 and it has been a huge inspiration to see this group of students really help Ramapo become more green.

Other colleges that have a similar program include EARTH University, The Evergreen State College, Harvard University, University of British Columbia, California State University, Green Mountain College, Yale University, Aquinas College Glasgow University. Just by the looks of these colleges listed, you get a feel of prestige and Ramapo is included in this category.

The recycling crew at Ramapo College collects bottles, cans and paper and then sorts them. ”From my knowledge, this job was created by a couple of students who thought it would be beneficial to the school as well as the environment to recycle on campus,” said sophomore Andrew Wong.

This group is important on campus for the simple reason of green awareness. Students, staff and faculty should be aware of the different types of items to recycle and what a better way then to witness students on campus doing it for you. With this program you get to become educated on recycling facts, statistics and even the causes of global warming.

I was able to walk around with the crew on a very rainy Tuesday in March and see exactly what they do. They did everything from ride the elevator with recycling bins to sort through the bottles and cardboard to teaming up and giving a lending hand to another section of the residents halls. My trip with them started in the Village, which is located not too far from the entrance from Ramapo College. I brought my umbrella and a sweater and got to work with them.

I was privileged enough to chat with three of the student staff that recycle Ramapo’s goods. They shared with me their likes and dislikes about the job and what made them get started with this special environmentally friendly job.

The elected supervisor for the students is senior Jennifer De Shields. “At first it was about the money, but after I started working my concern for the environment grew. Although getting paid is very nice, the good it does for the environment is starting to outweigh the money,” said De Shields.

“Although we have supervisors in facilities, the job is student-run, so I like that we’re the ones who are more or less in charge. Although I like working outside on nice days, it’s pretty terrible working outside when it’s raining, snowing, icing, or bitterly cold and we’ve had a lot of that weather lately,” said De Shields.

The pay varies with academic year standing. Despite the job’s environmental aspect, there are pros and cons. “Well, the major enjoyment from this job is the feeling of helping out the environment. A dislike is sorting through student bins. For example, when a student puts plastics into a garbage can,” said Wong.

The entire experience took about two hours to complete the Village complex, but overall I had such a good time. I was able to see the exact grunt work taken in order to get this job done. Regardless if it were rain or shine, this job is a necessity on our campus. We are lucky that students have this passion for a greener world and do this job to better it. If you are looking for a job on campus, they are hiring students; simply contact the facilities office at Ramapo College.

Krysta Daniels is an undergraduate student at Ramapo College, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts with a concentration in Journalism. She has worked as a staff writer on the Ramapo Newspaper, Ramapo College Marketing and Communication department, as well as contributed to Ramapo College's Bischoff Halls monthly newsletter. She is currently a Resident Assistant and enjoys her job with Residence Life. She was inducted into the Resident Assistant Honors Society, Rho Alpha Sigma in April 2010. Her goal is to continue her education at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in 2011 and start a Christian Magazine when she is finished her masters.

Letter to the Editor: Preventing Oil Spills

By Jonathan Madden

Dear Editor:

According to the National Ocean Service, the United States alone uses about 700 million gallons of oil everyday; similarly the world uses nearly 3 billion gallons each day. This has to be transported somehow. Most often than not, oil is exported by tankers across the ocean to their destinations.

Most of the biggest oil spills into our oceans are the results of tankers carrying large amounts of oil, such as the spill caused by the Exxon Valdez. In 1989 the Valdez spilt approximately 11 million gallons of crude oil covering 1,100 miles of Alaska's pristine souther coast. This oil spill, recorded as the fourth largest spill of petroleum globally, took its toll on the environment with a casualty list of 900 bald eagles, 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, and 300 harbor seals according to pollutionissues.com.

Since so much is at stake when dealing with the oceans surrounding us, I feel as if it is time to do something to reduce the risk of petroleum polluting our waters and hurting the environment. Though our country does heavily depend upon oil, we should find ways of limiting our oil intake so we do not put our environment further at risk of being polluted by such a harmful substance. Perhaps we could also work on developing new methods of transportation that wouldn't be as risky as attempting to carry it across our oceans.

Examples of how harmful petroleum can be if released into the environment has already been seen and has taken its toll. How much more must we sacrifice to address this potential problem and work on developing new ways to further limit it's risk?

Global Warming Takes Its Toll on Bird Species

By Jonathan Madden

Global warming causing climate changes around the world may not just effect temperatures, but migratory birds as well. According to The National Wildlife Federation, climate change is changing waterfowl habitats, food sources, and migration cycles.

"Migratory birds are particularly vulnerable because of their use of several habitats during migration as stopover sites for feeding, resting or to sit out bad weather," Said Bert Lenten, Executive Secretary of the AEWA Agreement.

Though many species of waterfowl and migratory birds are effected by teh change in climate, according to the U.N., habitat change is expected to hit the Actic and other high latitude regions the hardest. Habitat loss within this region will furthermore hurt migratory birds by elminating stopover spots and preventing them from finishing their migrations.

In some cases, climate changes have already shown signs amongst certain species which include birds starting their migrations earlier, change of routes, or the abandonment of migration.

"Examples include cranes which normally migrate to Spain and Portugal but now stay in Germany... they are not used to low temperatures, there is a danger that most of them wouldnot survive a hard winter in Germany," Lenten said.

Areas of North America may be greatly impacted by the climate change as well, including species of birds living wihtin the Pacific, Central, Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways. In areas like the Atlantic Flyway, which spans from Florida up the coast to Quebec, global warming is expected to affect the timing and distance of waterfowl migration. Ducks are amongst the species of birds affected in North America such as the Canvasback Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Mallard, and Northern Pintail.

Migratory species are particularly more vulnerable to climate change than other species of bird because they require separate and defined breeding, wintering and stop-over sites. Any changes to one of these habitats could be disasterous and put them at extreme risk. With certain species already on teh threatened list, many more may receive endangered status if temperatures continue to rise.

According to a report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, "In the past year alone, 26 of the 1,226 species on their red list of threatened bird species became more endangered, while only 2 species improved in status."

Though evidence of the damages to bird species caused by climate change continues to mount, further damage can be inhibited. According to the U.N. it's not too late to help birds cope with climate change. The protecting of key stopover and nesting habitats could prove to make a critical difference in some species' survival.

News Release: Backyard Composting A Way to Go Green

By Jonathan Madden

For Immediate Release
Contact: Leonard J. Buck Garden
908-234-2677

4/29/10

Instructional Meeting on Backyard Composting To Be Held May 1, 2010 at Leonard J. Buck Garden

Far Hills, NJ- An informational meeting on how to properly Backyard Compost will be held at Leonard J. Buck Garden at 11 Layton Road, Far Hills, NJ. This event will be open to the public but pre-registration and a 12$ fee is required.

The meeting will take place on Saturday between the hours of 9:30 - 11:30am. The event will include teaching those interested on how to create and produce soil amendments to enrich garden soil and how to protect our environment.

Whether making a compost pile, using a bin, or verminculture, be prepared to get dirty while learning how to go green. Speakers will include Buck Garden Foreman Jim Fleming providing you with all knowledge necessary to get started.

Additional information can be found about the event at www.somersetcountyparks.org

Experiential: Timber Rattlesnakes

By Stephanie Noda

For my experiential component for Environmental Writing, I attended the Ramapo Watershed Conference. One of the most interesting lectures was by Randy Stechert, a specialist on timber rattlesnakes, who talked about the anthropogenic impacts of rattlesnakes in the New York/New Jersey Highlands.

Timber rattlesnakes come in two basic color morphs: yellow morph timber rattlesnake and the black morph rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes do not actively go after their prey; they will wait on a log without moving in order to ambush their prey. This method is unlike most other snakes, since black snakes, garden snakes, and water snakes will actively go after their prey. The timber rattlesnake is smart about where they set up an ambush; they will find a rodent pathway, where rodents are bound to turn up. They will sometimes wait over 24 hours for their prey. The timber rattlesnake population of New York State is quite small – they only occupy 7% of the state – but this is unfortunately on the land with the most development. This area is located in the southern part of New York State called Orange County, which is considered one of the fastest growing counties in New York State.

The demise of some of the populations of timber rattlesnakes in the past are linked to “collecting.” It could not officially be called poaching till 1983, when a law was made that proclaimed killing timber rattlesnakes was illegal. 4,000 timber rattle snake were taken from New York State by one man alone over the course of 45 years, Stechert said. This man also “collected” from northern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts as well. According to estimates by Stechert, who knows the whereabouts of about 65% of timber rattle snakes’ “den colonies” in New York State, there are only about 10,000 timber rattle snakes left. This number shows how much damage killing 4,000 could have on snake populations. Today, some populations of timber rattlesnakes are recovering, but some are declining. Due to the effects of the “collecting,” they will probably never been taken off the threatened list, he said.

Development is one of the major problems affecting the population of timber rattlesnakes. A man recently put up 240 homes in Orange County; the development had taken place on a major conservancy property, which caused officials to make the owner donate 222 acres to the conservancy. Stechert did a four year study in this area, where he marked and recaptured timber rattlesnakes. There were two methods he used in tracking the snakes. The fist was just marking the snakes with Sharpie marker on their rattle. The mark will stay in place as long as the rattlesnake does not shed the rattle; Stechert had found these marks on snakes for up to 9 years now. Another way he finds the snakes is through the use of radio telemetry. Usually finding a snake in the woods is like finding a needle in a haystack, he said. If three rattlesnakes are found during one hike through the woods, that’s a lot for the year as a whole. Since the snakes are elusive, the technology of the radio telemetry is necessary to find the timber rattlesnakes. To date, Stechert has found 20,025 timber rattlesnakes, with about 600 recaptures.

To separate the snakes on the 222 acres of conservation from 240 homes, snake beds were created between the snake dens and the development. The snake beds were essentially a giant fence to keep the snakes out: it was made out of 48 inch wide metal mesh and 1 ½ inch hardware claw, which was held vertically in place with reinforcement bars every 8 feet, with the bottom 6 inches sinking into the hummus layer of the soil. However, Stechert’s study found that there were many rattlesnake locations in the development that were past the fence. The development had an excellent foraging habitat for the timber rattlesnakes, since the area of development was on a lowland. The rattlesnakes were determined to get past the fence, finding chipmunk holes to climb through or even traveling thousands of feet around the snake beds to get through to the development area. If the timber rattlesnakes continue to lose their land to development, there is no telling how much more the population of this species will decline.

Exploring the Great Swamp and the Raptor Trust

By Jonathan Madden

Somerset County, a land-locked county in central New Jersey, may not seem too vibrant to search out places where one could go out and enjoy the surrounding environment. Yet in actuality there are a few points of interest you shouldn't pass up.

The Great Swamp

The Great Swamp is a big wetland left behind from glacial Lake Passaic from about 15,000 years ago. This watershed spans across Morris and Somerset counties including 10 different towns and is a compilation of five streams; Upper Passaic River, Black Brook, Great Brook, Loantaka Brook, and Primrose Brook which flow and meet with each other within the Great Swamp. But perhaps what the Great Swamp is most recognized for is its wide variety of plants and especially animals. The Swamp is home to about 39 different types of animals which include wild turkey, otter, beaver, muskrat, wood duck, and pheasants. Birdwatchers may also find locations within the Great Swamp intriguing as it hosts over 90 species of birds, including birds of prey such as ospreys and red tailed hawks. To these birds, the Great Swamp acts as a safe haven and a place to live, as well as a key part in the migration route of many species who reside there temporarily. Yet of course this section of mother nature is also at risk, according to Naturalist Cathy Schrein, for a number of reasons, some of which include acid rain, water pollution from surrounding rivers and water run-off, and invasive species of quick growing non-native plants which choke out other species.

The Environmental Center in the Great Swamp

Located in the heart of the Great Swamp is Lord Stirling Park, where the Somerset County Park Commission set up an Environmental Education Center nesting in the tall grasses of the surrounding swamp. This building, which is maintained and operated by the Commission, is about 18,000 square feet and is home to a number of naturalists offices and a wealth of information about the Great Swamp including its long history. For years these naturalists have created classes and provided instruction to the surrounding community about the environment and the importance of conservation. The Environmental Center in the Great Swamp is also known as an educational center as well, hosting its own form of pre-school for children who live within the area.

"Everyone who lives in Basking Ridge knows about the Environmental Center and have been there on multiple occasions because there is just no place like it nearby. My little girl attended pre-school there and in some cases, I think we got more than we originally bargained for since she got the education necessary while also learning about the environment and the importance of conservation, something I wish they taught me in school." said Kim Madden, a teacher in Bernards Township and mother to 5 kids.

What seems to attract most of the attention to the Environmental Center lies outside the facilities' walls. There one can take part in a satisfying and unique experience while hiking, using the center's 8 1/2 mile trail system. No more than 100 feet in, the hiker is engulfed by tall grass as the boardwalk pathway weaves around the swamp to places otherwise unreachable by other means as you navigate from start to finish through an experience you ordinarily might have had to travel a fair distance for. If hiking by yourself isn't enough, throughout the summer the Environmental Center offers guided nature walks hosted by a naturalist, so a visitor not only has a chance to see the swamp first hand, but can learn about it and it's wildlife simultaneously.

While at my visit there I had the opportunity to speak to a college grad of the local Ridge High School, David Cymer, who told me that he still visits here on occasion because of the unique experience this area offers. "I moved away from this town after college, having frequently visited this refuge, I still find it a necessity to come back here whenever I'm in town to visit family. This place is one of those places that make you wonder why people don't do more to preserve the environment," said Cymer.

To find out more information about the Environmental Center and Educational programs, visit: http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/parksFacilities/eec/EEC.html

A Unique Experience to See Birds of Prey at the Raptor Trust

While in the area of the Great Swamp, one can also not pass up the opportunity of seeing first hand, some species of birds you may only read about in books or see from a long distance. The Raptor Trust is located in Millington, New Jersey near Lord Stirling Park. The Raptor Trust is an non-profit organization to protect and nurture birds of prey, created by Len Soucy. In the past, many states including New Jersey, looked at birds of prey-also known as "raptors" as vermin and killers. In some cases, states would place bounties on these birds for their destruction. Now the Raptor Trust is home to a wealth of information about these amazing species of birds, as well as 70 exterior cages and aviaries which house 130,000 cubic feet of space where visitors have the opportunity to get a close look at some of the greatest predators of our skies. The Raptor Trust also offers a series of classes to educate the public on things such as the story behind the organization, raptors, and the hawks and owls of New Jersey. What the organization is best known for is its rehabilitation program for injured birds. The Raptor Trust encourages anyone who has come across an injured bird of prey to contact them so they can take it to their rehabilitation center where it can be nurtured back to health, or if unsuccessful, has a permanent and safe home.

During my visit to the Raptor Trust, I had the opportunity to speak with a volunteer, Tom Fritz, who told me about the importance of this organization and what opportunities it presents for visitors. "The Raptor Trust is an excellent way for the people to see up close these often miss-understood predators of the sky. So many times I hear around me a child pointing up to the sky at an encircling hawk and saying mom what's that... well, here's an opportunity for the children to see what Hawks and other species actually look like first hand," said Fritz.
To find out how to donate to the Raptor Trust or seek additional information, visit: http://theraptortrust.org/home/

Of the many places one can visit to experience the environment by their own means, any interested person native to central New Jersey shouldn't pass up the Environmental Center or Raptor Trust and the unique opportunities it presents. It's not often you have a chance to see what an owl actually looks like first hand or go on a hike that navigates its way through the swamp on board walks above the water.

Jonathan Madden is a senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey, studying Journalism and Media Studies. He has had a variety of classes dealing with audio, video, and production and aspires to one day be a magazine or newspaper columnist.