Main Content
Invasive vines such as Wisteria spp. can kill healthy, mature trees. Simple actions like controlling invasive vines can help save trees, which are vital for capturing greenhouse gases and reducing the impact of climate change.
Getting Involved to Make a Difference for the Environment
Main Content
Many people are committed to implementing more sustainable practices at home. But often people also want to do more for their community by participating in organizations or groups that may have a larger impact, offer opportunities for challenges and growth, or simply provide more social interaction with like-minded people. Reasons why people may want to […]
Eco-grief got you down? Here’s what you can do about it
Main Content
I spent the past year watching as beech leaf disease ravaged through some of my favorite forests in New Jersey. Seeing these majestic beech trees suddenly dying around me, has brought me sorrow in a way that I have never felt before about the natural world. I go to the woods to escape and heal. […]
Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH)
Main Content
The Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) course is offered annually via webinar by Rutgers Cooperative Extension to educate stakeholders of New Jersey’s marine fisheries on the science, management, and responsible stewardship of fishery resources so that they are better prepared to make progress on and get involved with issues impacting their industries. Most stakeholders […]
Casting a Wide Net for Improved Fisheries Management
Main Content
The Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS) bridge netting survey is the second longest ongoing study of its kind on the east coast with this year marking 35 years. It provides a valuable time series for studying fish biology and species’ shifts in response to climate change, which are useful for informing fisheries management. The […]
November Invasive Species of the Month: Round-Leaved Bittersweet
Main Content
Round-leaved bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus, is an invasive vine that climbs, strangles, and smothers live trees.
Don’t Blow Life Away – Leave the Leaves
Main Content
Photo Credit: Jean Epiphan Have you heard about all the benefits leaves provide to our landscapes? There are also many downsides to removing leaves. The wide-spread practices of blowing and transporting leaves degrade our environment and quality of life. They pose serious threats to human health, soil health, plant health, insect and ecosystem health, as […]
From Sea to Shining Sea: Microplastics in the Marine Environment
Main Content
A hot topic and important environmental issue is the increasing prevalence of microplastics in our marine environments. Microplastics, which are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in size (Figure 1), are often broken down from larger plastic debris that find their way into our marine environments. There are many pathways by which plastic […]
July Invasive Species of the Month: Privet
Main Content
Privet, Ligustrum species, is an invasive, flowering, deciduous shrub. Various privet species are commonly used as hedges in residential and commercial landscapes. Some privet species have spread into understory forests and roadsides and are considered invasive plants in New Jersey.
Beech Leaf Disease & Experimental Management Options
Main Content
BLD causes rapid decline and mortality of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and European beech (F. sylvatica); mortality can occur between 2 to 10 years depending on size. BLD is caused by an invasive nematode Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii, a microscopic roundworm that cannot be seen with the naked eye.