Stylish Gifts that are Good for the Planet and Everyone on Your List!

November 28, 2018

We compiled a gift guide to help you find stylish and sustainable gifts for everyone on your list (including your pets). Amongst all the wrapping, ribbon, and lights of the holiday season, any earth conscious shopper will notice that the holidays can be a wasteful season. We are turning that around with this great list of gifts that stays true to the true intent of the season of giving by giving back to both our loved ones and Mother Nature!

FOR HIM AND HER

Recycled, Biodegradable Phone Case

Each year consumer’s swap out old cell phones and their cases for the latest option. Those cases take decades to break down. Pela created a phone case that offers protection for your phone, is made from plant-based materials and is 100% biodegradable in your backyard compost pile! They also come sans the unnecessary plastic packaging! Available here: https://pelacase.com/

Recycled Women’s Shoes

Rothy’s are stylish, comfortable shoes that go with everything. They are made from sustainable materials including recycled water bottles. The boxes are also biodegradable and re-sealable for easy returns. Every woman on your list will be sure to love these. Even the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle approves! Available here: https://rothys.com/

Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat

Most Yoga mats are made from PVC that ends up in landfills. Honey Feet yoga mats are made with 100% natural materials - sustainable cork and tree rubber. They are super absorbent, don’t hold odors and reviews state that the earthly materials provide a natural connection that enhances their yoga.

Available here: https://www.honeyfeetyoga.com

Farmerly Love
Public Market Goods creates super soft statement tees for adults and children, and tote bags that you can be proud to show off. They are made via sustainable manufacturing in the U.S., printed with environmentally-friendly ink and are shipped in 100% recycled mailers.

Available here: https://www.publicmarketgoods.com

Sustainable Fabric Clothing

Tent Tree creates stylish men’s and women’s apparel, and accessories made using blends of sustainable and recycled fabrics. For every item purchased they plant ten trees!

Available here: https://www.tentree.com/

Re-purposed Vinyl Billboard Products

Rareform repurposes 20,000 pounds a month of old vinyl billboards into one of a kind products ranging from backpacks, to wallets and laptop sleeves. They are durable, fun and help ease stress on the environment. Available here: https://www.rareform.com/

Eco-Friendly Home Goods

VivaTerra creates beautiful, eco-friendly decor without compromising natural resources or environmental health.Their items are fun and unique, like this upcycled glass cloche and reclaimed wood pedestal.

Available here:https://www.vivaterra.com

Recycled Plastic Bottle Towel

You can never have too many beach towels at the Jersey Shore! Nomadix creates stylish towels and blankets out of recycled plastic bottles. Available here: https://www.nomadix.co/

Wood Products that Inspire the Exploration of Nature

WOODCHUCK USA creates wood products that are a daily reminder of our connection with the Earth. They also plant a tree for every product sold! You’ll find a gift for everyone here and including large, custom orders. Our favorite is their bucket list planner. Available here: https://www.woodchuckusa.com/

Made-from-Scratch-Living Books

These books will help you cook from scratch, garden, preserve your own food, declutter your home, improve your family’s health with natural cooking and cleaning methods. They will help you to experience your own homesteading journey whether you live in the middle of the asphalt jungle or on the side of a mountain. Available here: www.amazon.com

Sustainably Made Outdoor Goods

United by Blue sells women’s, men’s and children’s clothing and accessories as well as items for camping and your home with uses responsible materials that keep our oceans, air and soil a little cleaner. For every product sold, they remove one pound of trash from waterways. Our favorite, these outdoors inspired copper shot glasses. Available here: https://unitedbyblue.com

Critter-Saving Pool Escape Ramp
Most pool owners dread the thought of finding dead animals in their pools. The FrogLog allows small animals to climb out of swimming pools – saving the animals, keeping the pool water clean and reducing pool maintenance! Available here: https://froglog.us

Reusable Smart Notebook
The pen and paper experience for the digital age, Rocketbook Everlast Notebook cuts down on paper waste while still using a notebook.

Available here: https://getrocketbook.com

FOR PETS

Upcycled Marine Rope Collars and Leashes

Found My Animal creates accessories for pets and their people, and supports animal welfare and adopted pets. Our favorite is the upcycled marine grade rope, adjustable dog leash that can be used multiple ways – including the hands free option that fastens around your waist or over your shoulder. Perfect for hiking! They even sell horse leads.

Available here: http://www.foundmyanimal.com/upcycled-dog-leash-Blue-jean

Eco-Friendly Pet Products

Harry Barker creates products from recycled rope dog leashes to toys made with recycled plastic bottle filling. You are sure to find something for your four legged friends here.

Available here: http://www.harrybarker.com

And here: https://www.earthdoggy.com/

FOR CHILDREN

Green Toys

Begin Again Toys

This eco-friendly toy company provide toys that teach, challenge, and let kids explore. Toys are made from plant-based materials, eco-friendly and recycled plastics, and reclaimed wood. They make toys, games and puzzles for children 0-5 and beyond.
Available here: beginagaintoys.com/
and here target.com/bp/beginagain

This eco-friendly toy company makes their products from 100% recycled plastic, like milk jugs and yogurt cups, in the U.S. and colors them with soy ink. The toys require no batteries, just imagination and are packaged in recycled cardboard.
Available here: greentoys.com

ONE STOP SHOPPING

Eco-Friendly Online Marketplace – Need a one stop shop? Earth Hero has already found products that are sourced, manufactured and shipped in a way that protects our earth’s future. You will find something unique for everyone on your list here! Available here: earthhero.com

LOCALLY GROWN GIFTS

Homemade Jams and Jellies

Jams and jellies made from local fruits are the perfect addition to almost any snack or meal! Visit the Facebook page of Holly Jolly Jams to contact for a purchase.

Available here: facebook.com/hollyjollyjams/

Who doesn’t love a bottle of wine?

Stop by the Cream Ridge Winery in Upper Freehold for the perfect bottle of wine for everyone on your list (except children and pets!). Shipping is not an option, they insist on seeing your smiling face in person, but the beautiful local scenery is worth the trip! Available here: https://www.creamridgewines.com

Beeswax Products

Support your local beekeepers! Most offer a variety of different honeys and honey products, such as beeswax candles. These candles burn longer, purify the air, and have a sweet honey aroma. E&M Gold Beekepers will ship to you, or you can pick up right in Tinton Falls. Available here: https://emgoldbeekeepers.com

Looking to DIY? Check out our Pinterest page for handmade, eco-friendly gift ideas.

Don’t forget to be mindful of your gift wrapping materials! We dispose of 25% more trash during the holiday season. Use old magazines, newspapers, re-useable boxes, tins, or recycled cloth ribbons as alternatives to single use wrapping paper and plastic wrapping materials.

More than just a Meadow - One Woman’s Path to Preservation

October 25, 2018

Valerie Montecalvo enjoying the pollinator meadow at her Spy Hill property in Middletown.

It was indeed “love at first sight” that made Valerie and her family “tie the knot” with the 22-acre Spy Hill property in Middletown. Growing up in the urban area of Middlesex County, Valerie Montecalvo, the Founder of Bayshore Recycling Corp, has always longed for a more bucolic setting although back then she didn’t know she would ever buy a farm.

The Montecalvo family owns and operates the largest industrial recycling facility on the East Coast and they are no strangers to the importance of sustainability and environmental protection. Valerie points out, “When I decided that I wanted acreage, I started looking for properties that would always hold their charms and barely change--thereby creating a legacy farm property for generations to come.” The location of Spy Hill, next door to the Scudder Preserve with 91 acres of permanently preserved land, made it the perfect match.

Not only Valerie’s childhood, but a lifetime of experiences such as operating Bayshore Recycling and serving as a Trustee for Monmouth Conservation Foundation, moved her to purchase Spy Hill and transform the land into a native plant meadow. “The property needed a lot of work when we purchased it and we could have built three houses and cut it all up, but we didn’t want this to be another development or all green lawn.”

Two of the bee hives situated next to the meadow.

Valerie understood what we know all too well. Development and overly manicured lawns are quickly replacing meadows with their benefits and breathtaking beauty. While meadows provide food and shelter for pollinators, lawn herbicides and over use of fertilizers threaten our open spaces and the busy bees which perpetuate floral growth and provide attractive habitats for animals and other insects. When meadows disappear, so do the pollinators as well as other beneficial insects, bats, birds and so much of Monmouth’s natural splendor.

In her heart, Valerie knew that Spy Hill could be her land of plenty. Though overrun with invasive plants, her vision was to transform the already open fields into native plant meadows, serving as a beautiful buzzing habitat pollinators and other wildlife could call home.

Some of the beautiful native flowers and grasses growing in the meadow this fall.

To give Spy Hill its much-needed makeover, Valerie enlisted Lorette Cheswick of Long Note Farm who specializes in establishing pollinator meadows. Over the past year, Valerie, Lorette, and the Montecalvo family have transformed part of the property into a 2.6 acre pollinator meadow with an array different native grass and an abundance of flowers. To bring the pollinator meadow into complete harmony, beehives were established, growing the colony from 3,000 to 25,000 bees in just the past year.

No doubt, establishing a meadow requires patience and perseverance. Looking back at the weeks of heavy machinery work to remove the invasive plants, Valerie admits, “conservation takes time.” In the end though, Spy Hill is the gold-star example of promise and conservation in Monmouth.

Beyond pollination, Valerie finds a special peace and tranquility in Spy Hill. “I sit there and meditate, giving thanks for all my blessings which really helps with the balancing of all of life’s obstacles” Valerie shared. “It was that commitment to taking time to enjoy the land that helped me to understand the role nature plays in healing our mind, body, and soul.”

Like so many of us, Spy Hill is a work in progress. As Valerie makes clear, “This transformation into a meadow is like fostering a little world and filling it with grasses, flowers, bees, and so many other insects – it’s all about coexisting with nature.”

For more information about pollinator plants and creating meadows, contact our office at (732) 671-7000 or email abrockwell@monmouthconservation.org.

Don’t spook Mother Nature – Have a Green Halloween!

September 25, 2018

Remember when the biggest Halloween hazard was razor blades in the candy? Or so we thought. We wore devilish masks and ran around the neighborhood collecting candy in our plastic pumpkins, returning home to stuff our faces with candy until our tummies hurt. When you’re a kid, ignorance is bliss. Now, we’re older, greener, and wiser, and we know better. Many masks are toxic PVC and those plastic pumpkins are still sitting in landfills years later.

A few simple swaps can guard the health of the planet, your family and your wallet without sacrificing a ghoulish good time.

1. Pass on the plastic pumpkin. Trick or Treat with Reusable Bags or decorate an old pillowcase or bucket that you can use every year.

DIY Pillowcase Trick or Treat Bags

2. Create a fabulously freaky costume. Vinyl costumes and masks smell like chemicals because they’re actually off-gassing toxic chemicals. Browse thrift shops, flea markets and your own closet for inspiration to DIY. You can masquerade into anything you can imagine - an old prom dress, broken umbrella, or toilet paper rolls are the beginnings of great costumes. You are sure to feed your children’s imagination, and their sense of achievement will far exceed any store bought creation. After Halloween, store your homemade costumes for future use, donate the clothing from which they were made, or recycle the items used.

Costumes you can make with a box

Toilet Paper Themed Costumes

Upcycled Snail Costume

Umbrella Bat Costume

Mr. Peanut Costume

If you want a more elaborate disguise, visit a costume rental shop. You may not avoid the chemical exposure, but your conscience will be greener knowing it will be re-used next year.

3. Mind the makeup. Choose face paint or make up without lead, that is cruelty free and contains no harmful toxins. Or make your own non-toxic Halloween makeup - you can even make your own fake blood!

4. Indulge in Green Goodies. When the neighborhood ghouls show up at your door, give them treats that also treat the environment gently. If your budget allows, purchase candy made from natural ingredients. If you stick with traditional candy, choose goodies that have minimal packaging. Consider giving out pencils, crayons, or temporary tattoos. You will reduce the amount of garbage produced from single-serve packages and will provide an alternative to unhealthy sweets.

5. Purchase organic, locally grown pumpkins or grow your own! Don't throw away all the goodies from inside your Jack-o-Lantern. Toast the seeds for tasty treats and use the flesh for delicious recipes like pumpkin brownies.

6. Ditch disposable decorations. Many decorations are made from non-recyclable plastics and the only thing scary about them is the amount of time they’ll take to decompose in a landfill! Use items already in your home for ghoulish decorations and natural products like pumpkins, gourds and corn to create an autumnal look.

Recycled and recyclable materials are great Halloween decorations. Hang bed sheetsfor ghosts, Make a scarecrow from old clothes stuffed with newspapers, use old stockings for spider webs, transform cardboard boxes into tombs and create a milk jug skeleton.

7. Make Your Halloween Party Eco-Friendly. Send electronic invites instead of paper. Cut down on waste byusing washable plates/cups/utensils and tablecloths or use recyclable or compostable single use items. Check out Susty Party for compostable party products. Put out recycling bins for bottles and cans. Buy locally grown seasonal produce and create fun/healthy party snacks. Check out this directory for places throughout Monmouth County

8. Compost your pumpkin, food scraps and other organic, biodegradable yard and household waste. A pumpkin may be all-natural, but send it to a sealed landfill and it will emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. No compost pile? Recycle pumpkins for wildlife. Avoid painted pumpkins - you don’t want the paint chemicals in your compost or being fed to wildlife! Composting is something you can do year-round and Halloween is a great time to start. It will transform your organic yard and household waste into fertilizer for your gardens and reduce the amount of garbage you send to the landfill.

9. Keep Halloween Clean – Prevent candy wrappers from becoming litter and teach kids to hold onto wrappers until they can dispose of them in trash cans. Bring an extra bag for yourself when trick or treating to pick up litter along the way. Encourage kids to get creative and upcycle their candy wrappers into jewelry, hair bows, wreaths or pumpkins! These make great DIY holiday gifts.

10. Keep it Going – Living an eco-friendly lifestyle and reducing waste and pollution should be a daily event, not a special occasion. Apply the strategies you used for a green Halloween to the way you live every day, both you and the environment will benefit.

Check out our Pinterest page for more tips to make your Halloween green!

A Farming Way of Life – Then, Now and Forever

August 16, 2018

When the Callan family first began farming their land on Everett Road in Holmdel it was a prosperous way of life. At that time, the late 1800’s, the landscape was farmland for as far as the eye could see.

The history of the land runs deep at this 12-acre farm. The Callan’s fondly remember the generations of their family that were born in the farm house that still stands at 153 Everett Road. A collection of arrowheads is prominently featured in the home to this day as a fascinating reminder of the Lenape history of the area. In fact, Everett Road, now a well-travelled thoroughfare, began as a Lenape Indian trail. The family has found multitudes of clam and oyster shells once gathered by Native Americans at the shore to be enjoyed along the trail and then tossed into the soil that would one day become the fertile farm fields of the Callan homestead, once known as Tare Away Farm.

However, the history of the farm is an increasingly distant part of the past now that the majority of farms in Holmdel have long since turned into residential or commercial developments. After WWII, one farm after another disappeared from the landscape to make way for streets, neighborhoods, and stores. Yet, this will not be the fate of the Callan Family Farm. Standing like a last remembrance of the areas agrarian past, the Callan’s knew they could never bear to see the land turn into another housing development and made the decision to permanently protect the land from development.

Margie and George Callan contacted Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) to inquire about preserving the farm. After many wonderful years of living on the farm, their wish was to see it preserved. After Margie’s passing in 2017, it became more important than ever to ensure the farm remained forever as a legacy to the Callan Family. That’s when MCF stepped in to bring the vision of preservation to reality by engaging funding partners and managing the due diligence work involved.

On August 2, 2018, Monmouth County permanently preserved the Callan propertyensuring the land will always remain as a farm. Monmouth Conservation Foundation provided technical assistance to facilitate the preservation of the land, while Holmdel Township, The Friends of Holmdel Open Space, and the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) were financial partners with Monmouth County on the preservation purchase.

Forever Green at Nevergreen Farm - A Family Dedicated to Keeping Their Farmland Preserved Forever!

March 30, 2018

“While we try and teach our children all about life, the farm teaches us what life’s all about.”

- Angela Schwindt (Home Schooling Mom)

At Nevergreen Farm in Howell Township, farming is a family affair, so there is no surprise that the farm is run by two generations of the family. The beautiful rolling landscape of Nevergreen Farm is dedicated towards the purchase, development, training and sales of both domestic and imported horses with a focus on Hunter and Equitation styles of riding. Barbara, a US Equestrian Federation Judge, husband Brad, and their children Laura and Brian, work together to keep the farm running smoothly. Brian’s well known success as a rider and trainer was spotlighted in a recent article in Sidelines News.

The family purchased the 22-acre farm on Casino Drive nearly ten years ago when their equestrian farm business needed more acreage to grow. The family made the decision to preserve the farm in March 2018, ensuring it will always remain a thriving part of the agricultural community. Yet again, they expanded their operation by purchasing a neighboring 43-acre farm, previously permanently preserved through the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program.

Within moments of walking through the barn door, it is apparent that the horses are not the only ones to call the farm home. Everyone here is family. Through the farm’s lesson programs, riders come to learn and sharpen riding skills, but leave with so much more – confidence, responsibility, patience and humility. Equestrians, young and old, are given the opportunity to connect with these magnificent four-legged creatures, who have the ability to open hearts and feed souls. Horses teach people about life and themselves, and most importantly, to get back up whenever you fall.

Possibly unbeknownst to them, riders are gifted with the opportunity to experience and appreciate what is left of Monmouth County’s scarce remaining rural landscape. The importance of lush green open pastures, the serenity of the woods, getting dirt under your fingernails and even the scent from fertilizing crops with horse manure. The preservation of this farm not only supports the rich agricultural history of our County, but also our deeply rooted equine heritage.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation is proud to have preserved Nevergreen Farm through funds provided by the State Agriculture Development Committee, the County of Monmouth and Howell Township.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation Helps to Bring Allentown a New Park

January 17, 2017

Allentown, New Jersey – Monmouth Conservation Foundation announces the purchase of 2.5 acres of land that will be transformed into Allentown’s newest park. The Borough of Allentown, County of Monmouth, and Monmouth Conservation Foundation partnered in the $250,000 purchase price.

Nestled amongst the vast open spaces and fertile farmland is the charming, historic Borough of Allentown, an enchanting village to stumble upon for friends and strangers alike. Although surrounded by open spaces and farmland, the Borough is nearly built out. Pressures from surrounding towns continue to threaten the character of the Borough, which is deeply cherished by residents. The 2.5 acre pocket of land was at risk of being lost forever to seven residential homes.

Allentown, a treasure trove of American history, first home to Lenape Indians, became a market village for the surrounding agricultural areas after being settled by Quakers. A central location for militia during the American Revolution, the village provided goods and services to the war effort. Its strategic location also played an important role in the Underground Railroad.

Today, a stroll down Main Street, dotted with quaint shops, raisesfeelings of nostalgia. Unbeknownst to many who frequent the charismatic village, a rare, hidden gem, sat nestled in the heart of the village, a short distance from Main Street. The parcel of land sat frozen in time, beholden to the history and the remaining natural resources of the village. Now that the land has been acquired by the Borough, it will become a place for passive recreation for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Allentown recognized the open space and historical importance of this rare property and was determined to transform the site into a park with assistance from the Monmouth Conservation Foundation and Monmouth County through their Municipal Open Space Grant Program. The Borough’s vision ensures that the property, one of the last large remaining tracts of land, will remain as it is and offer passive recreational opportunities.

This “pocket park”, within walking distance from all corners of this unique rural village, will offer members of the community and its visitors a place to visit frequently, as you would a friend, to intimately connect with nature and the history of the village of Allentown - forever.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation, founded in 1977 by Michael Huber and Judith Stanley-Coleman as a 501(c)(3), is an accredited land trust dedicated to preserving open space and farmland in Monmouth County. For the past 40 years the organization has been steadfast in saving land, creating parks, preserving ecosystems, and protecting the wildlife for your enjoyment and that of future generations.

For more information please visit www.monmouthconservation.org or call Monmouth Conservation Foundation at 732.671.7000. Please “like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter and Instagram.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation Leads Efforts to Preserve Conover’s Christmas Tree Farm

March 31, 2016

Wall Township – The Christmas season may have come and gone, but we have another reason to celebrate Christmas – trees specifically – this spring.

The Conover homestead, circa 1843, encompassed most of Wall Township’s Hurley Pond Road at one time. As the Conover Family expanded, smaller farm parcels were given to children to begin their own families. When John Conover Sr. began farming his 14-acre farmstead, the neighborhood was still predominately farmland. Over the years, the area around the Farm continued to develop and his Farm became an oasis, a hidden treasure nestled amongst a sea of development.

Almost 50 years ago, John Sr. made the decision to begin growing Christmas Trees. Today the Farm is home to over 3,000 beautiful Trees which require regular, hand tailored shearing. Each Christmas season, new and long withstanding family traditions bring families to the Farm to select and cut their perfect Christmas Tree.

In the early 90’s John Conover Jr. took over the business from his father and continues to run the business on the Farm that he grew up on. Having called this area home since the 1840’s, the family fondly recalls many stories that have been passed down through the generations. Local mobsters escapades, tall tales of prohibition, the Hindenburg casting its shadow over the Farm on route to Lakehurst that historic day and Calvary ammunition dating back to the Revolutionary War found in the Farm’s soil are just a few of the family tales that connect to the historical context of the area. The land with its fertile soil and rich history, cannot authenticate these stories, but the family’s decisions to preserve the Farm will ensure that the land will remain in perpetuity as a haven to the stories of the past, present and future.

The Foundation led the efforts to preserve Conover’s Christmas Tree Farm, working collaboratively with the State Agriculture Development Committee, Township of Wall and the Monmouth County Agriculture Development Board, all of whom contributed to the $242,630 cost to purchase the development rights to the 14 acre Farm.

In 2014, preservation partners preserved the 35-acre Conover Farm adjacent to the Christmas Tree Farm, once also part of the larger Conover homestead. With few remaining farms in Wall Township, the preservation of these 49-acres in total ensures the land will forever be available for farming and preserves the Township’s farming heritage. Each additional acre of preserved farmland further protects the quality of life in Monmouth County and sustains the environmental integrity of the area.

For more information on the Christmas Tree Farm located at 3105 Hurley Pond Road in Wall Township, visit their website at www.conoversfarm.com. Be sure to mark your calendars for the first Saturday in November to reserve your tree. Trees can be cut and purchased beginning on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation, founded in 1977 by Michael Huber and Judith Stanley-Coleman as a 501(c)(3), is an accredited land trust dedicated to preserving open space and farmland in Monmouth County. For the past 39 years the organization has been steadfast in saving land, creating parks, preserving ecosystems, and protecting the wildlife for your enjoyment and that of future generations.

For more information please visit www.monmouthconservation.org or call Monmouth Conservation Foundation at 732.671.7000. Please “like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter and Instagram.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation Brings You a New County Park

October 7, 2015

The Monmouth Conservation Foundation is pleased to announce the preservation of a 14-acre waterfront site to become Monmouth County’s newest Park

Middletown - Over a decade ago, the Monmouth Conservation Foundation began working to preserve Chris’ River Plaza Marina, located on West Front Street in the River Plaza section of Middletown. After many years of complex negotiations, MCF is happy to announce that the well-known site will soon be acquired and ultimately transformed into a new Monmouth County Park, called the Swimming River Park, that will be within walking distance to many Red Bank and Middletown residents.

Chris’ River Plaza Marina has been a local landmark to the River Plaza section of Middletown and has long served as a de-facto park for local residents and small boat enthusiasts. Locals often reminisce about using the site to watch Red Bank’s once famous Fourth of July fireworks, families launched small watercraft, canoes or kayaks to enjoy a day on the river in the summer months, and in the winter children spent their school snow days, snow sledding on the steep river bank.

Judith Stanley-Coleman, co-founder and long-time president of the Foundation, envisioned the property as an opportunity to bring open space and water amenities to an otherwise underserved neighborhood. With a potential to yield twenty plus townhomes, West Front Street, an already busy thoroughfare leading into the Borough of Red Bank, would have become even more congested with the additional traffic that increased infrastructure would bring.

The long-time vision of the Foundation only became a reality when the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders agreed to purchase the property as an addition to the Monmouth County Park System’s Swimming River Greenway. “The preservation of this property is an important location and rare opportunity to purchase a park that will be particularly accessible by bike and foot to many Monmouth County residents,” remarked Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, Freeholder liaison to the Monmouth County Parks System and member of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation Advisory Council.

The Monmouth County Park System and MCF partnered to purchase the land for $3,810,000. MCF contributed $200,000 towards the project including a $100,000 Green Acres grant to the Foundation. “This was a collaborative effort between the County of Monmouth and the Monmouth Conservation Foundation. This couldn’t have been accomplished without this partnership between non-profit and government entities,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone.

The property is situated at the confluence of the Navesink and Swimming Rivers. The upstream component of the Swimming River, has a Category 1 designation to prevent water quality degradation and discourages development where it would impair or destroy natural resources and water quality, and flows into the County’s critical water resource, the Swimming River Reservoir. The waterways and their wetlands create habitat for native and endangered marine, estuarine, avian and insect species forced by development into scarce remaining open space, water, and coastlands. Permanent protection of the site ensures that the natural habitat are better protected, allowing them to also be enjoyed by the community.

The property will need to undergo significant environmental clean-up and restoration. Once completed within two to three years, this property will become the site of a newest County park providing passive waterfront recreational opportunities – complete with parking (including boat trailers), and improved boat launch ramp and sledding hill – for the public to enjoy. Other amenities are planned as well. For the time being, and until the site work begins, the County plans to continue to allow boat launching. Hours and ramp fees are posted on the Park System’s web site at monmouthcountyparks.com.

MCF has directly preserved more than 6,500 acres while collaboratively preserving 16,000 acres throughout Monmouth County. MCF remains steadfast in its mission of saving invaluable farmland and open space, protecting waterways, preserving ecosystems, creating and/or extending parks and greenways for the past 38 years.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation and Monmouth County Park System Partner to Expand New County Park

October 7, 2015

30 acres purchased in Marlboro Township adding to Freneau Woods Park.

Marlboro and Aberdeen Townships – Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) announces the acquisition of a 30 acre parcel. The piece is the last in a set of properties acquired in furtherance of a new Monmouth County regional park called Freneau Woods Park. The property was purchased as a collaborative effort by the Monmouth County Park System and the Monmouth Conservation Foundation. To date, 154 acres have been purchased, being acquired like pieces of a puzzle, that with future acquisitions will one day become a 250-acre regional County Park.

The property was funded collaboratively by MCF and the County of Monmouth. MCF contributed $200,000 of the total purchase price of approximately $1.4 million, $100,000 of which is Green Acres funding awarded to MCF.

Located at the headwaters of Matawan Creek, including Lake Lefferts, this and surrounding properties are rich in both environmental and historical importance. Local non-profits and government officials have long touted the importance of protecting the land that surrounds this unique coastal wetland that also provides a habitat for a diverse set of local species. Keeping the headwaters safe from development is vital to the future water quality.

“MCF is proud to have facilitated this acquisition and its recent predecessor for Monmouth County and to have provided funding toward both these magnificent and ecologically significant additions to Freneau Woods Park.” Said MCF’s Executive Director, Bill Kastning.

During the American Revolutionary period, the land was part of a larger area owned by the Freneau family. Freneau was an influential poet and newspaper writer whose works were clearly influenced by the natural beauty of the area. In the July 4, 1795 edition of the Jersey Chronicle newspaper Freneau remarks, “I frequently walk into the fields over the cultivated farms and through the little forests that lay beyond the two rivers…What most of all disgusts me in these excursions is that men seem too much to have strayed from the grand simplicity of Nature…”

Monmouth Conservation Foundation, founded in 1977 by Michael Huber and Judith Stanley-Coleman as a 501(c)(3), is an accredited land trust dedicated to preserving open space and farmland in Monmouth County. Monmouth Conservation Foundation has directly preserved more than 6,500 acres while collaboratively preserving 16,000 acres throughout Monmouth County. MCF has been steadfast in saving invaluable farmland and open space, protecting waterways, preserving ecosystems, creating and/or extending parks and greenways for the past 38 years.

The Stone Foundation of New Jersey renews its support of Springwood Avenue Park

May 28, 2015

The Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) is deeply grateful to receive a renewal grant of $15,000 awarded by The Stone Foundation of New Jersey for the advancement of MCF’s Springwood Avenue Park project.

This timely and generous grant helps MCF to achieve the Board of Directors matching challenge grant of $25,000, and helps MCF meet the project’s fundraising goal of $150,000.

In making the grant, The Stone Foundation of New Jersey expressed “…enthusiasm for MCF’s move into the vital world of urban greening and open-space access in underserved areas of Monmouth County. It is a testament to our belief in the importance of this kind of work as part of the conservation portfolio.”

In partnership with Monmouth County, the City of Asbury Park, and Interfaith Neighbors, Monmouth Conservation Foundation is participating in the groundwork for a 1.3-acre park within the 16-block Springwood Avenue Redevelopment Area. The park will include a playground, courtyard, walking path, civic plaza, and recreational lawn panel. It also will feature an amphitheater and raised stage area, with a mural panel, for outdoor performances.

Springwood Avenue Park will be the first City-owned and City-maintained park ever established on the West Side of Asbury Park. A key goal of Springwood Avenue Park is to help spur development of vacant parcels in the Springwood Avenue Redevelopment Area. This grant awarded by The Stone Foundation of New Jersey is a major contribution to helping MCF and our partners achieve this long-term vision for this neighborhood.

triCityNews/ Monmouth's News & Arts Weekly: PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE

May 1, 2015

A must-go social event: Monmouth Conservation Foundation fundraiser for Asbury’s Springwood

BY DAN JACOBSON

Here’s a great sign of the growing cohesiveness and shared values of the triCity region of eastern Monmouth County.

It’s the new activism in Asbury Park of the once old-money Monmouth Conservation Foundation [MCF]. The group has committed to provide at least $150,000 toward the development of the Springwood Avenue Park in Asbury’s West Side.

The needs of urban areas are a new priority for MCF, and one which its board has enthusiastically embraced. This is indeed unity of progressive thought in our region. And you can be a part of the action by attending MCF’s annual fundraiser for the Springwood Park at Talula’s on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park on Sunday, May 3 at 6 p.m.

The fundraiser is billed as “Pizza and Pasta for a Purpose”, and Talula’s is one of this newspaper’s favorite places to write about. Tickets are $60 per person and children under 12 are $25. Visit the MCF website to reserve tickets at Monmouthconservation.org, and then click on events and then click Springwood Park. Or call MCF at 732-671-7000.

Last year’s MCF event for the Springwood Park at Porta — another triCity favorite — was shockingly well attended. Attendees were not your usual suspects at an Asbury Park fundraiser, but they were enthusiastic and positive about being here. It’s a great thing, as this is an organization with many connections in government and the private sector. Asbury now gets the benefit of that reach.

The Monmouth Conservation Foundation was founded about four decades ago by the late Judith Stanley, among the most prominent of local Republican royalty who lived in a spectacular mansion on the Navesink River off Navesink River Road. Cofounder was the late Michael Huber of Middletown, a gem of a philanthropist who was close with influential environmentalists of his generation. [The late Dery Bennett of the American Littoral Society — one of my role models — always spoke exceptionally well of Mike Huber.]

Since its founding in 1977, the MCF has done wonderful work in preserving tens of thousands of acres of open space in Monmouth County. Fun fact: This Publisher was on the board of trustees in my late twenties about twenty-five years ago.

Most of MCF’s work, however, was in blue-blooded horse country. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Such land was the most threatened, and you see the tragic results of overdevelopment in once beautiful places like Middletown, Holmdel, and Colts Neck. Hell, even Marlboro and Manalapan were, once up on a time, beautiful open land. All this didn’t have to go down exactly as it did — it’s a result of decades of political bullshit — and at times outright corruption — from influential development interests getting their way at the state and local levels. But I digress. The leadership and trustees of MCF have been a varied lot — like the Publisher of this wacko alternative weekly newspaper — but we’ve all had a strong commitment to open space preservation, and a willingness to fight the good fight against powerful developers.

But it’s time to direct part of MCF’s focus and resources to serving those in challenged urban neighborhoods who need open space — specifically, attractive and safe parks — as much, if not more, than the rest of the county needs open space in their towns.

MCF Executive Director Bill Kastning said that beyond the $150,000 committed to be provided by his organization, there’s a shortfall in available funds to do a remaining $100,000 worth of landscaping.

“We are now reaching out to nurseries and growers in Monmouth County and elsewhere, primarily those whose farmlands have been preserved through the use of state, county and nonprofit t moneys,” Kastning said. “We are hopeful through our outreach efforts to achieve the in-kind donations and thereby eliminate the remaining shortfall identified by the city.”

Lisa McKean, MCF’s Managing Director for marketing and development, said the new stress on urban areas is very much in the vision of MCF cofounder Mike Huber. [MCF is also working on a project at Chris’ Landing in Red Bank, she said.]

“Caroline Huber is a close, wonderful family friend of mine,” said McKean. “Caroline’s husband, Mike Huber, was co-founder of MCF in 1977. Caroline went to a meeting with Bill and me last week to hear more about Springwood. The meeting included Paul McEvily of Interfaith Neighbors. Caroline was very impressed with the Springwood Park project and plans for Asbury Park, overall.”

“Subsequent to that meeting, I had dinner with Caroline...she explained to me how she knows that these kinds of recent initiatives that MCF is pursuing are very much in line with what Mike had in mind when founding MCF,” McKean said.

“According to Caroline, the vision which Mike had for MCF included related projects in underserved areas where MCF could aid in creating pockets of open space and green...such as in the West Side of Asbury. [These projects are] for those who cannot readily access the parks and space MCF is also preserving in more traditional areas. It is about an even greater good,” she said.

McKean said the Springwood Avenue project is a turning point in the history of MCF. “The MCF board, until Springwood, did not actively pursue such projects, but they are realizing how important it is to broaden the scope of MCF’s work and are more willing to explore appropriate opportunities attached to social causes – in keeping with Mike Huber’s overall vision,” she said.

Asbury Park Press: Talula's to host a fundraising dinner

April 30, 2015

SARAH GRIESEMER

@SARAHEGRIESEMER

Sometimes, a simple meal can make a big difference.

This Sunday, the Monmouth Conservation Foundation will host its annual Sunday Supper at Talula’s in Asbury Park, and the evening will help raise funds for the construction of Springwood Avenue Park, a long-awaited community park on the city’s west side. The foundation is working to raise $150,000 for the park’s construction, said Lisa McKean, a foundation managing director, and they hope to achieve that goal at Talula’s.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person, and $25 for children younger than 12. The dinner will include pizza, pasta and salad, served family style.

Talula’s is at 550 Cookman Ave., Suite 108. McKean said seating is limited; to purchase tickets or for more information, call 732-671-7000 or visit MonmouthConservation. org.

Asbury Park Sun reports on progress at Springwood Park

April 23, 2015

SPRINGWOOD AVENUE PARK BACK ON TRACK

FUNDRAISER AT TALULAH'S TO HELP FUND LANDSCAPING COSTS

By Michelle Gladden

Thanks to a Monmouth Conservation Foundation grant, stalled development of the west-side Springwood Park is back on track, Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton said.

“We are going out to bid in two weeks and should have shovels in the ground by June 1,” Clayton said.

City Council members learned in February that the project had not only been stalled during the search for a contractor but that planned restrooms had been removed.

“This is a total embarrassment on everybody’s end,” Mayor John Moor said. “We were supposed to have a ribbon-cutting on March 15.”

The project’s development began six years ago, Moor said.

The 1.3 acres along Springwood Avenue between Atkins and Union avenues would serve as the west side’s first public park, officials said. Plans include a courtyard, playground, fountain, recreation field, chess tables, a civic plaza and stage, a walkway/jogging track, benches and additional trees.

The estimated $1.3 million project is funded in part by Monmouth County Municipal Open Space grants, Community Development funds, and by the city’s reserve fund.

Clayton said a $150,000 financial shortfall, preventing the project from moving forward, will be met by the Middletown-based Foundation and they will help in raising money for an estimated $100,000 landscape budget.

That effort begins with a local fundraising event at Asbury Park’s own Talula’s at Cookman Avenue. A “Pizza and Pasta for a Purpose” Sunday supper will begin at 6 p.m. May 3. Tickets are $60 per person; $25 for children under 12.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit Monmouth Conservation’s website or call (732) 671-7000, Ext. 101.

Paul R. Brown, President of Monmouth University, named to MCF's Board of Directors

April 23, 2015

Monmouth Conservation Foundation named Monmouth University President Paul R. Brown, Ph.D., to its board of trustees on April 19. The non-profit organization has collaboratively preserved more than 22,500 acres of open space and natural habitat throughout Monmouth County since its founding in 1977.

As a trustee, Brown will help set broad policies for the Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF), approve an annual budget, and help the Foundation succeed in its mission to create a permanent legacy of open space, farmland, woodlands, wetlands, wildlife and parks throughout Monmouth County, including establishing parks in under-served local neighborhoods for families who lack the resources and ability to access the land saved and parks created in other areas of Monmouth County.

Brown will work with his fellow board members to ensure the Foundation continues to implement its ongoing efforts to preserve and protect the county’s fragile ecosystem through partnerships between public and private entities.

“The mission of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation aligns well with the overarching goals of Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute (UCI),” Brown said. The UCI serves the public interest as a forum for research, education, and collaboration in the development and implementation of science-based policies and programs that support stewardship of healthy, productive, and resilient coastal ecosystems and communities.

Among the projects on the MCF agenda are the 62-acre former Aeromarine facility in Keyport Borough, and the 14.6 acre Chris’ Landing property in Middletown Township, which provides access to the Swimming and Navesink Rivers.

During his tenure at Monmouth, Brown has completed a comprehensive strategic plan, overseen substantial campus improvements, and recently led the university to its highest levels of outside financial support, including a $5 million Marine Science & Policy Challenge Grant for the UCI. In 2014 Monmouth University received the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award in the Clean Air category for its contributions to improving air quality in New Jersey.

The first independent university in New Jersey to sign a comprehensive green operation agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Monmouth University has distinguished itself as a leader in conservation and environmental stewardship among academic institutions. In 2006 the University installed a 454kW solar photovoltaic system—at the time, the largest solar array on any campus east of the Mississippi River. In 2012, the University installed an additional 600 kW solar panel system on seven University buildings under a Power Purchase agreement with Torcon Energy Services.

Monmouth was named the New Jersey Clean Energy School of the Year in 2006 by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and in 2007 received a Merit Award from the Monmouth County Planning Board for its Solar Panel Installation Project.

Brown is one of five new trustees elected to the Foundation’s board. The others include Meredyth R. Armitage, Mai Cleary, Mark Forrest Gilbertson and Bob Sickles.

William Kastning, executive director of Monmouth Conservation Foundation, commends the entire board of trustees for their commitment to Monmouth Conservation Foundation and for tirelessly carrying out its mission.

“The members of Monmouth Conservation Foundation’s Board of Trustees are outstanding individuals who are exceptionally accomplished and represent a range of professional, personal, and philanthropic fields,” Kastning stated. “The Foundation is especially thankful to the board for both their support and for the role they serve as ambassadors of Monmouth Conservation Foundation and its ongoing mission to acquire, hold, develop, save and protect land throughout Monmouth County.”

Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd

April 19, 2015

Click here to see how MCF celebrates Earth Day every day. Click here to see how our friends and peers around the world are recognizing Earth Day.

Join us!

April 17, 2015

TALULA'S: 550 COOKMAN AVE. #108 . ASBURY PARK
Talula's is the new, celebrated restaurant where
everyone gathers for fantastic food and fun!

$60 PER PERSON
CHILDREN UNDER 12 - $25 PER CHILD

TO PURCHASE TICKETS CLICK HERE:

For more information
CALL: CHRIS OR KIM AT 732.671.7000

Seating is limited.

March 16, 2015

Monmouth Conservation Foundation Unveils Preschool Winners of Kids for Conservation Contest

Preschool students earn grants for their conservation creativity

Click here for The Patch article.

By Heather Keefe (Open Post) March 16, 2015

Monmouth Conservation Foundation, a non-profit organization that collaboratively has preserved more than 22,500 acres of open space and farmland throughout Monmouth County, is proud to announce the young winners of its Kids for Conservation contest. As part of the contest, Monmouth Conservation Foundation provided $2,500 in academic grants for Monmouth County students.

Kids for Conservation is an academic enrichment program that Monmouth Conservation Foundation created for preschool and kindergarten students in Monmouth County. The program was funded, in part, with a Franklin Parker Conservation Excellence grant given by New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

The purpose of Kids for Conservation is to teach children and adults about their environment and how to care for it. The program emphasizes the importance of land conservation, wildlife protection, and the preservation of farms, farmland, and open space.

From September 3 to November 7, 2014, Kids for Conservation was open to all preschool and kindergarten students in Monmouth County. The schools were challenged to implement one of the lesson plans provided by Monmouth Conservation Foundation (pertaining to rainwater, wildlife, trees, and other topics) or develop their own lesson plan. They created projects and shared artwork demonstrating what they had learned about preserving and protecting a clean environment.

The first-place winner of Kids for Conservation is Janet Ford’s Midstreams class at Atlantis Prep School in Manasquan. The students (4½-5 years old) created an interactive water cycle project and earned a $1,500 academic grant from Monmouth Conservation Foundation.

The second-place winner is the Learning Experience of Wall. A “seasons tree” project, led by teachers KristyLyn Krais and Kelly Lord, incorporated nature into learning the alphabet. The preschool students earned a $500 grant from Monmouth Conservation Foundation for their school.

A second component of Kids for Conservation is Discovering Nature at Home. Monmouth Conservation Foundation encouraged preschool and kindergarten students to draw, paint, or photograph an aspect of nature that they discovered while outside. Richie Wagner, a four-year-old resident of Manalapan, earned a $500 academic scholarship from Monmouth Conservation Foundation for his depiction of a dinosaur as “nature from the past” and leaves as “nature from today.”

According to Lisa McKean, Managing Director of Marketing and Development for Monmouth Conservation Foundation, the foundation is eager to continue motivating children and adults to participate in environmental education.

“At Monmouth Conservation Foundation,” McKean explains, “we want to inspire children to engage in and become passionate about nature – to play outdoors and make their own discoveries about the environment.

“With the Kids for Conservation program,” McKean continues, “Monmouth Conservation Foundation educates young students and their families about the importance of land conservation, open space preservation, and wildlife protection. It is our goal to create an ongoing legacy of open space for our own families and all the families of future generations so everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of Monmouth County.”

William Kastning, Executive Director of Monmouth Conservation Foundation, reiterates this mission. “Engaging young children at any early age instills an appreciation for nature, conservation, and protecting the land,” Kastning states.

The late Michael Huber and Judith Stanley – longtime residents of Monmouth County – founded Monmouth Conservation Foundation in 1977. The mission of Monmouth Conservation Foundation is to create a permanent legacy of open space, parks, farmland, wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife throughout Monmouth County.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation is the only countywide land trust in Monmouth County. The organization achieved land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.

In the fall of 2015, Monmouth Conservation Foundation plans to offer the Kids for Conservation program once again. For more information, please contact Christine Horrigan at Monmouth Conservation Foundation (732-671-7000) or visit Monmouth Conservation Foundation on line: www.monmouthconservation.orgor www.facebook.com/MonmouthConservationFoundation.

Atlantis Prep wins MCF Conservation Contest!

March 8, 2015

A big congratulations to Mrs. Ford's Class at Atlantis Prep for winning our Kids for Conservation Contest with their beautiful rendition of the water cycle! The program was funded, in part, with a Franklin Parker Conservation Excellence grant given by New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

Gimbel family works with MCF to preserve property as farmland and open space

March 8, 2015

MCF purchased an agriculture easement on this 35 acre farm in Middletown Township with the help of the State Agriculture Development Committee and the Monmouth County Agricultural Development Board. The donation of a conservation easement on the remaining 6 acres of the farm from the Gimbel Family ensures that the property will forever remain as farmland and open space. The Gimbel tract is not only valuable to our farm community, but it also falls within the Foundation’s Navesink Highlands Greenway project area, which stretches from the shores of Atlantic Highlands to the inlets of the Navesink River and the farm landscapes of the Chapel Hill section of Middletown Township.