Ecological Preserve

Please Observe the message on these signs. The EcoPreserve Deer Management Program has started. A group of carefully vetted bowhunters are permitted to hunt of the EcoPreserve to help us keep the deer population in check. An overpopulation of deer can lead to a severe impact on the overall health of the forest. Rutgers is working with the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife and neighboring municipalities on a regional deer management plan. Some of the venison harvested from the…

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Carmela Buono SEBS ‘2016 is now a graduate student at SUNY Binghamton. She is using the RU EcoPreserve as a study site for her research on ants’ role in seed dispersal. Below is a short write-up of her work. Fig 1. Ant of genus Aphaenogaster                               Fig 2. Experimental ant box “Most contemporary North American eastern deciduous forests are “secondary” or previously cleared for agriculture, that have…

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The EcoPreserve received a 1-2 punch of blowdowns. Back in late July there was a localized downburst that heavily affected the Blue and Yellow trails. Just when that got cleaned up, Isaias came through.  Luckily the Land Steward team of Katie Russell and Emelie Einhorn (and yours truly) have been on the job.  So bear with us as we continue to clean up after these storms.  Unfortunately, we lost some mature oaks, maples, basswood and sassafras.

New Jerseyans have been flocking to their open spaces for solace, exercise and fresh air during the COVID19 Pandemic. The usage counts from the main kiosk entrance record the dip in numbers during the weeks in April 2020 when the Ecopreserve was closed. The data then records the surge in visitation once the EcoPreserve, following state guidelines, was reopened. The peaks in the time series represent weekends.  The data shows how the EcoPreserve is a valued asset by the larger…

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