Out Enjoying the Winter Woods in EcoPreserve This winter’s heavy snows brought with it a great opportunity to enjoy the EcoPreserve’s trails on cross-country skis or by snowshoe. With its varied terrain and many trails, the EcoPreserve is one of the better places to cross-country ski in Central New Jersey. One memorable ski this winter had a pair of great-horned owls hooting a duet while a near full moon rose in the east.
Several students in the Principles of Natural Resource Management class conducted a month-long survey of wildlife using motion-activated digital cameras stationed at various locations in the RU EcoPreserve. The resulting images revealed an abundance of deer (Odocoileus virginianus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), feral cats (Felis catus) and raccoon (Procyon lotor) throughout the Preserve. They also captured photos of a pair of coyotes (Canis latrans) at one of the camera stations (see photo above).
A deer damage management program that will take place within the Rutgers Ecological Preserve and nearby lands on Livingston Campus from December 21, 2013 to January 19, 2014. The intent is to reduce the overpopulation of deer in the EcoPreserve through a managed bow hunt. We would like you to be aware of the following: · The deer damage management program is coordinated by Rutgers natural resource and wildlife conservation professionals with the participation of the Rutgers University…
The 2013 trail crew/land stewards have been hard at work at a number of projects this summer. Highlights include: constructing a new boardwalk on the green trail; clearing a new gateway trailhead and trail linking the EcoPreserve to Livingston Campus; interpretative sign installation and invasive plant control. In the photo above, the crew is helping to reopen a remnant little bluestem meadow and black haw shrub thicket in the southeastern portion of the Preserve. The objective is to maintain a…