The LRWP has launched a new woodworking class for women, under the guidance of boat build volunteers-turned-instructors Amber Hennes and Sarah Tomasello. Amber gained skills in woodworking through her work in theater design and scenic fabrication across the US. Sarah has taken classes in woodworking, and has been part of our community boat shop boat build since project inception.
Participants are learning several aspects of woodworking, including: preparing and laminating wood for construction; transferring the pattern and cutting the shape; shaping the shaft, grip and blade; sanding; and applying the finish. At the end of the session, participants will have a paddle to take home!
Last Saturday, the second week of the workshop, participants finished gluing and clamping all of the pieces. Everyone’s paddles are now drying on the work benches! The next task is to cut out the basic paddle shape using a jigsaw.
Surrounded by colorful tree buds, a newborn great horned owl left its nest to begin ‘branching’. The owl will walk, hop, flap its wings and glide short distances in preparation for its first flight, only a few weeks away.
The gentle month of May steps out of character to finally terminate winter’s lease on the land. May does what March and April were unable to do and does it with authority and grace.
Winter has been served an ironclad, last frost warning, and nature celebrates. Delicate plant life now bursts from its dormancy to join their hardier kin who dared unpredictable early spring conditions.
Floral scent now fills the morning air to conjure pleasant memories of warm weather suppressed by winter doldrums.
Walking through the meadow grass, canoe balanced on my shoulders, the scent of multiflora rose fills the air. My path meanders around these thorny bushes and prickly eastern redcedar as if I were bouncing around in a pinball machine.
As I walked into the wind, aromatic meadow grass replaced the floral scent of the scattered bouquets of wild rose. A three-strand barbed wire fence, intended to keep generations of dairy cows honest, now delineated the lush meadow, but could not contain the whimsical direction of the perfumed air. I slid the boat under the sagging bottom wire, laid face down on the grass and inched to the other side.
The river was flowing gently, sun sparkling off its rippled surface which lay just beneath a parallel current of air which carried, intermittent quantums of the unmistakable perfume of black locust blossoms.
Though my olfactory senses were immersed in the current of scent, I had to walk further into the river to set my boat in water deep enough to float, with me aboard. I had to walk-in ankle-deep water to the main channel and each step sent a cloud of muddy water downstream, while upstream, the water ran clear. A pickerel frog escaped my intrusion by lying motionless on the bottom of the shallow water. His spots blending in so well among the small stones. Fresh water clams showed telltale depressions in the mud that revealed their presence. I stopped for a moment to pull up a clam, check to see if it was alive and set it back down to watch it bury itself out of sight.
I had been dragging my boat by a short bow line through the shallows. As I near the main flow and deeper water the current swung the stern downstream. I pulled the boat back up to the center seat to set my paddle in against the forward thwart and snapped my spare into clips mounted on the seats’ pedestal. Then secured my pack behind the center seat with a figure eight knot and two half hitches. Swinging the boat around with the bow now facing downstream, I gingerly got in, sat down, picked up the paddle and just drifted for a long minute before I made a correction. I began to slowly paddle downstream, careful to take in a 360 view. The clear water, blue, cloudless sky, both lush overgrown river banks and the water ahead all held my interest.
May is the time of year to see young creatures of all species and thier parents gathering food to feed hungry pups or kits freshly weaned.
The first week in May I saw and photographed a mink transferring her kits to a new den. That was certainly unexpected. Fox will also move pups from one den to another. One den with six pups, situated in the pasture, was abandoned after two weeks. The pups were moved further uphill and closer to human habitation. As the meadow was really a flood plain, the vixen made a smart move, perhaps for the wrong reason, but her pups did survive the next week’s flood.
A high vertical bank, perhaps constructed by a muskrat and remodeled by a groundhog, now served as harbor for a daydreaming raccoon. A masked face momentarily peered out as a face might be seen glancing out behind the sheer drapery of a window in a high-rise city building. Yellow, white and purple flowers screened the den’s doorway.
Further downstream a flightless great horned owl perched in a tangle of a fallen tree beneath a red shale cliff. It was now old enough to ‘branch’. The stage where the owl leaves the nest and begins to walk, climb and flap its wings, strengthening them for a first attempt at flight.
The sights sounds and smells that appear in late spring under the banner of May, whether from the perspective of the rivers or backyard gardens, are the first floral wrapped gift box, filled to the brim with new life, to be opened after winter’s reign has ended.
Author Joe Mish has been running wild in New Jersey since childhood when he found ways to escape his mother’s watchful eyes. He continues to trek the swamps, rivers and thickets seeking to share, with the residents and visitors, all of the state’s natural beauty hidden within full view. To read more of his writing and view more of his gorgeous photographs visit Winter Bear Rising, his wordpress blog. Joe’s series “Nature on the Raritan, Hidden in Plain View” runs monthly as part of the LRWP “Voices of the Watershed” series. Writing and photos used with permission from the author. Contact jjmish57@msn.com. See more articles and photos at winterbearrising.wordpress.com.
If Bluebirds are considered symbols of happiness and progress, here is some happy news about New Jersey: we are first in the nation in expanding Bluebird population!
In 2018, five Bluebird nest boxes were installed at the historic Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick (the LRWP’s 2019 BioBlitz partner). Part of an Eagle Scout project, the nest boxes were placed and installed under the guidance of Laura Stone, a representative from the NJ Bluebird Society. Laura explains that a box that is not monitored may do more harm to bluebirds than good. “Monitoring increases the chances of success for bluebirds using the box. When good records are kept, it is also valuable for determining population trends”. Monitoring nest boxes is a way to understand problems birds may be having with predators and competitors, and to ensure that the boxes are safe and appropriately located. Without the proper habitat in appropriate locations, Bluebirds are not able to reestablish themselves in this area.
As a result of habitat loss and fragmentation, use of pesticides, and competition from aggressive non-native birds, starting in the early 1900s, populations of many native bird species like Bluebirds dropped precariously. In recent years, with human help in installing and monitoring nest boxes, these trends have reversed. Bluebirds are well suited to nesting in man-made boxes. They are what are known as “secondary cavity nesters,” meaning they historically build their nests in holes in trees left by woodpeckers. In the absence of woodpecker holes or other natural cavities, they will readily accept boxes. They also don’t mind being close to people, so boxes placed near homes won’t scare them away.
Bluebird nest boxes must be properly maintained and monitored weekly in order to increase the Bluebird population.
In order to participate in the Bluebird program, one is required to become certified through NestWatch.org. The certification is very simple. It only takes about 15 to 20 minutes to read through the information on the website and take an online certification test. Once certified, you will work with Elmwood Cemetery to schedule times to monitor weekly and report findings to NestWatch.org. The nest boxes are monitored for 10 months from March through the beginning of October. Anyone interested should contact Elmwood Cemetery Association President Eleanor Molloy emolloy@theelmwoodcemetery.com or at #732-545-1445.
Unlike some birds which lay only one clutch of eggs each year, bluebirds are prolific breeders, laying two or even three clutches of up to five eggs. This helps compensate for the low survival rate of fledglings due to predators, disease, and deadly cold and wet spells in spring. For more information on bluebirds and how to help them nest near you, visit the New Jersey Bluebird Society website at www.njbluebirdsociety.org. You can also see photos of bluebirds and hear recordings of their songs and sounds.
With volunteers having removed hundreds of tires from the riverbed over the years, perhaps there is now room for the “Ever Given” to displace some of the Lower Raritan? The Ever Given’s WNA (Winter North Atlantic mark) indicates she draws 48′ of water below her plimsoll (a plimsoll is the waterline reference mark located on a ship’s hull that indicates the maximum depth to which the vessel may be safely immersed). There’s just about enough flow in the deeper spots at high tide to accommodate this massive ship.
Here we see how nicely the ship’s 1/4 mile frame nestles in between the Raritan Avenue Bridge (Route 27) and the New Street exit off Route 18 in New Brunswick.
This FREE six-week woodworking class for women ages 13+ will take place at the Community Boat Shop downtown New Brunswick on Saturdays from 11am-12:30pm starting Saturday April 17 and running to Saturday May 22. Participants will learn several aspects of woodworking, including: preparing and laminating wood for construction; transferring the pattern and cutting the shape; shaping the shaft, grip and blade; sanding; and applying the finish. At the end of the session, participants will have a paddle to take home! Please do not sign up if you cannot commit to attending all class sessions. Registration is limited to six (6) participants. First come, first served.
Instructors for this session are Amber Hennes and Sarah Tomasello. Amber gained skills in woodworking through her work in theater design and scenic fabrication across the US. Sarah has taken classes in woodworking, and has been part of our community boat shop boat build since project inception.
Class sessions (registration for the April 17th session will enroll you in the rest of the series):
April 17
April 24
May 1
May 8
May 15
May 22
For more on the Community Boat Build. Many thanks to US Merchant Marine Naval Academy Crew Coach Derek Hartwick for project guidance.
Re: Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project – CP17-101 – Request for Extension of Time to complete construction and make the NESE facilities available for service by May 3, 2023, instead of May 3, 2021.
Dear Federal Energy Regulatory Commission:
On behalf of the non-profit Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, I am writing to express continued opposition to the NESE Project and to submit comments after Williams/Transco’s March 19, 2021 request for a two-year extension for the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity which was issued on May 3, 2019, and will expire on May 3, 2021.
Simply put, there is no good cause for FERC to grant this extension. This project will have devastating environmental consequences for our Lower Raritan Watershed and the Raritan River.
Williams/Transco did not demonstrate good faith efforts to meet deadlines. Williams/Transco did not encounter “unforeseeable circumstances” to begin construction.
Williams/Transco was denied the necessary permits from both New York and New Jersey due to inherent and fundamental shortcomings in their permit applications, applications which demonstrate their inability to comply with water quality standards. Williams/Transco’s applications were given careful consideration by the relevant agencies of both New York and New Jersey before being denied for cause.
After NYSDEC and NJDEP denied permits/certificates for the NESE Project on May 15, 2020, Williams/Transco did not appeal these denials, and they did not show any good faith effort to re-apply after addressing the deficiencies cited in their permit applications.
Simply put, there is simply no justification that warrants FERC’s consideration of this request for a time extension. Williams/Transco made inaccurate assertions by blaming market disruptions from COVID-19. Further, Williams/Transco inaccurately asserted that NYSDEC focused on the lack of need for NESE gas, then dismissed the “alleged alternative” to NESE that was proposed by National Grid. Additionally, there were no legal actions pertaining to these permit denials that could have been factors in Williams/Transco’s bad faith inaction.
Claiming that the denial was based on reduced demand for natural gas due to the impact of COVID-19 and not on Williams/Transco’s inability to demonstrate the Project’s compliance with all applicable water quality standards is simply not true. On May 15, 2020, NYSDEC denied the Water Quality Certificate for the NESE Project, noting that Williams/Transco’s NESE Project would not comply with applicable water quality standards. In NYSDEC’s denial, the section of Basis for Denial, which spans from page 3 to page 13, it is noted that:
-There was no demonstration that the construction and operation of NESE would comply with applicable water quality standards, particularly without the use of a 500-foot mixing zone for mercury, copper, PCBs, and other metals. -There would be significant water quality impacts from the resuspension of sediments and other contaminants. -There would be impacts to habitats due to disturbance of shellfish beds and other benthic resources. -There would be problematic impacts within a productive hard clam area in Raritan Bay between Mileposts 14 & 20 which is considered both a “sensitive habitat” and a “critical resource area”.
It is also extremely misleading to cite Winter Storm Uri (February 2021) as a reason to improve the reliability and resiliency of gas service to NYC since that storm did not have any significant impact on gas energy service to National Grid’s NYC service area.
Since Williams/Transco did not act in good faith during the past year to rectify the deficiencies in their applications for permits from New York and New Jersey; since there are circumstances that do not support granting this requested extension of time; and since there is no requirement to directly notify impacted residents or businesses of this request with a short comment period that includes many holidays, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership requests that you:
Reject this 3/19/2021 request for an extension of time; and grant the public an additional 90 days to submit comments about this request since the public has been highly engaged in opposing the NESE Project and would be impacted by your decision.
