Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission

Spring is a great time to go out at night and look for moths. Moths are a diverse group flying insects, they are an important part of the eco-system, and many are as beautiful as their relatives, the butterflies. Seldom seen since they fly mostly at night, you can ovserve moths at Friends' Moth Nights taking place in East Brunswick parks, and at other moth parties in the area. 

Saturday May 26, 2012 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM- Planisboro Preserve is hosting a MOTH BALL. The Preserve has a diversity of habitats that are perfect for moths.  Specialized lighting equipment will be used to attract them.  Click for more information

Saturday, June 2, 8:30PM -11:00PM - The Friends invite you to the first Moth Night of 2012.  Meet us at Dallenback Lake [map], behind the Youth Center.  We will use several methods to see what is flying; an extremely bright 175 watt Entomology Mercury Vapor Light, UV or black light and a sweet fermented mixture painted on tree trunks. 

We will walk around the in the woods, so please wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight.                       Please check the website for updates! If the weather forecast is not  favorable we will reschedule.

See photos from past Moth Nights on the Friends' Gallery page.

Photo: Todd J. Dreyer

Join us for a Green Option presentation on Tuesday May 15, 2012 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

East Brunswick Public Library  

Dr. Stephanie Murphy, Director, Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory Rutgers University, will talk about the impotace of good soil for growing a successful garden.

Free and open to all.

On Thursday night, the Friendsof the East Brunswick Environmental Commission (www.friendsebec.com)welcomed Seabrooke Leckie to the East Brunswick Cultural Arts Center as part ofher east coast book tour. Seabrooke is the co-author of the amazing newPeterson Field Guide to the Moths of Eastern North America and this was heronly book tour stop in New Jersey. The Moth Field Guide has been long-awaitedand is certain to be a major force in generating a long-overdue interest inmoths. In the past century there have really only been four major field guidesto the moths of the eastern United States and the new Peterson Field Guide is avast improvement upon all of them. It belongs on the bookshelf of anyoneinterested in moths or nature. 

The evening began with an interesting presentation on moths by Seabrooke,followed by a book signing and then Seabrooke co-hosted a moth night event withthe Friends in the wildflower meadow behind the Cultural Arts Center. Therewere a variety of moth light setups to attract moths including Mercury Vaporand Ultraviolet blacklights. Despite the unseasonably cold temperatures, quitea few interesting moths flew into the light setups for everyone to see.Seabrooke identified each moth that was attracted to the lights and their wereample opportunities to photograph the moths as well. People came from near andfar for the event, including from Sussex and Bergen Counties. It was a specialnight and highly enjoyable.

Seabrooke is a co-sponsor of National Moth Week (www.nationalmothweek.org).National Moth Week was started by the Friends as an off-shoot of our highlysuccessful and award-winning local moth night events that we've been runningfor the past 6 years. National Moth Week now has more than 150 locations andevents in 31 states and six countries. The National Moth Week website is filledwith information about moth week events and moths. Consider participating inNational Moth Week this summer (July 23-29) and discover the incredible worldof moths. Also, join the Friends for our regular moth nights in our local parksduring the summer. Details and dates are on the Friends website at www.friendsebec.com.

Moths photo credit: Todd J. Dreyer

Moth Night with Seabrooke Leckie - co-author of the New Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America, tonight at 8pm, at the EB Cultural Arts Center.  This will be Seabrooke's only stop in NJ during her book tour.

click for more information 

A presentation will be followed by outdoor moth watching.  The weather looks good for mothing!

The field guide will be availble for purchase at a discounted price. Cash and checks only (make checks to: Friends EBEC).

Rutgers CooperativeExtension of Middlesex County

May 2012- Calendar of Events

Unless otherwise noted, thefollowing events take place at the

EARTH Center, in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park 42 Riva Ave. North Brunswick, NJ.

For more info on any programcontact 732-398-5262.

Get Your Garden StartedDay & Plant Sale   

This Sat., May5   10 - 4 PM CelebrateNational Herb Day

Consult with Master Gardeners, take home fact sheets.

Plants for sale include; heirloom tomatoes, perennials &annuals,

flowering vines, ornamental grasses;  culinary herbs& vegetables for your garden.

Don’t forget you plant wagon.  See you at the EARTH Center,in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park

42 Riva Ave. North Brunswick,NJ.

AttractingBird & Butterflies to Your Yard

Wed., May 9, 6:30 PM

Learn plants & features to make your yard a haven forwinged wildlife.

cost $20 register by May 7 at 732-398-5262

Master Gardeners Day atGiamarese Farm

Sat., May 12  10 am-2 pm  155Fresh Ponds Road, East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816

The Master Gardeners will answer questionsand provide fact sheets.

There will be lectures at 11am and Noon..

Yesterday’s Freecycle event was an incredible success! From the moment we opened at 8am until we closed at 3pm there was a constant stream of cars and people and stuff coming in and being exchanged and kept out of our landfill. Although we don’t have an estimate yet for yesterday, we are certain we exceeded the 29 tons we rescued from the landfill last year.

Many thanks are due to everyone that helped make this second Freecycling event such a success! Thanks to the Youth Council volunteers who helped throughout the day, Thanks to Friends’ members who came to help during the day. Special thanks to Raviv Mor (R.Mor enterprises)for keeping things organized during the event and picking up all that was leftover at the end of day, most of it to be recycled.

With the success once again ofthe event, we are planning on making this a regular program twice a year, once  in the spring and then again in the fall. Look forward to seeing everybodynext time. 

If you are not a Friends member – register and you will getnotification via email.

Here aresome of your comments:

“We enjoyedSunday’s event.  … it was a great day to be out doing something positivefor our environment.  Thank you for the event and all the volunteers.”

“I just wanted to "applaud" the Freecycle event.  It was my first Freecycle event ever and I didn'tknow what to expect.  I managed to gather lots together and made two tripsover to donate.  I was thrilled to see people walking away with stuff Ibrought.  What a great concept:  FREECYCLE. “

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If you have large items that can be recycled (appliances, yard equipment, cars, etc.) - contact R.MOR to arrange a pickup: 1-877-RUBISH2 or throught their website http://www.rmorjunk.com/contact.html.

Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped at the Butterfly Park this morning.  Thanks toall of you, the park looks beautiful! There are still a few beds that need weeding and mulching, so expect anemail with a date and a time for another work day.   

Pictures from the work day on the Friends Gallery workday album.

Freecycling event next sunday. Bring stuff... find stuff... meet your friends.... enjoy morning snacks, drinks and hotdogs...

You can bring almost anything - clothes, shoes, kitchen items, tools, toys, furniture....  but please no televisions, computer monitors, paint or any hazardous materials.

Click here for a complete list of items you can bring or find.

Join us tomorrow, Saturday April 21, at Butterfly Park, for weeding and mulching. 8:20-11am.

Butterfly Park is celebrating its 10th year in 2012 and has been maintned beartiful by volounteers all those years.

East Brunswick is sponsoring a shred event at trhe Recycling Center Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Identification will be required.

Read more

I just stumbled on this post. I'm disappointed I wasnt able to post it here sooner, but better late than never. This group was amazing and really helped to make the park look great!

Butterfly Park Service - Dara Monasch

This summer, the Sisters of the Xi Xi Chapter were determined to make a difference in the local community of one of their members, andeventually decided on the hometown of Soror Dara Monasch. Along withseveral friends, the Sisters got together and contacted the localbutterfly park in East Brunswick, NJ, to ask if the park had anyimmediate needs. It was discovered that the entire butterfly park ismaintained solely by the goodwill of Dave Moskowitz and his wife, andthe dedication of any volunteers they can wrangle.

After discovering this, the Sisters and their friends were determined to help and on August 20th, they were able to make this desire into a reality. The Sisters met with Dave and his wife andspent two hours weeding, planting, and gardening to help beautify thepark. The group had a great time completing this project and looksforward to coming back in the future and helping the park again, andhas hopes to increase their level of volunteerism by donating a benchand decorations to the park in the Spring of 2012. Did you miss out on this exciting event? Don’t miss any more! Contact our Membership Officer at membership@thetanujersey.org to find out how you can take part.

Check out the link and photos too:  http://thetanujersey.org/blog/?p=65

FREECYCLING

April 29, 8am-3pm

Crystal Springs Parking Lot

Bring your unwanted items to be reused by someone who needs them, instead of sending them to the landfill.

Get items you need.  FREE!

FREECYCLING is simply an opportunity to donate and recycle virtually anything by bringing it to the Crystal Springs parking lot. But that's only the half of it. The best part is that you can take away anything else you want that someone else left there. It's a big trading event and it's all FREE! It's a way for all of us to find something we need and keep as much stuff out of our landfill as possible in a fun way. We will have a vendor there who will take away anything that is remaining at the end of the day and will recycle it. A portion of the profits from his recycling effort will be donated to the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission.

Click here for information and a list of items

Many thanks to the volunteers that helped weed and mulch the beds at Butterfly Park on Saturday, March 31st. 

We continued the work we started last week... more beds are looking beautiful!

We got a lot done, but  Its a huge amount of work and there is still lots to do.     Join us next time!

On 20-21 April, 2012, we invite you to join Discover Life and help collect data on species and their interactions.

This spring survey is a stepping-stone towards building a permanent network of study sites to monitor target groups of organisms around the world.

We invite teachers, students and the general public to help scientists survey study sites around the world. Participants will use digital cameras and standard research protocols to collect high-quality data on ants, bees, moths, wildflowers and other groups. By also conducting a Fall Natural History Survey, our collective results will enable us to compare the diversity and seasonality of species across sites and better understand the impacts of climate, pollution, urbanization and invasive species on ecological communities.

This event is open to everyone. If you would liketo help organize study sites, refine research protocols, train participants, or collectdata at a site, please contact us. We will post details here as they become available.Organizers include Discover Life, Encyclopedia of Life, Nature Research Center and otherpartners.

For more information click here.

Note change of time for the workday due to the rain in the forecast for Saturday morning.

Join on  Saturday (3/31/12) at Butterfly Park to finish what we started...

mulching, weeding and general spring cleaning!

Butterfly Park work day 

Saturday, March 31,  2-4pm

Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County

April 2012

Calendar of Events

We are now on Facebook. Search “Earth Center of Middlesex County” then “LikeUs”.

Unless otherwise noted the following events take place at the EARTHCenter, in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave. North Brunswick, NJ.For more info on any program contact 732-398-5262.

 This month’s offerings are as follows.

Vermi-CompostingWorkshop  Wed.  April 4, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Don’thave a backyard, but would like to compost?

Let the wormsdo the work.

Free! Register at 732-745-4170

Builda Rain Barrel Workshop, Wed. April 18, 6:30 pm

$45/personpayment required one week in advance of workshop.

Nopayment accepted at the door. Call 732-398-5273 to register.

3 Sisters & Square Foot Garden Workshop Sat. April21, 1-3 pm

Discover these time-tested garden techniques.

$20 program fee. Taught by Rutgers MasterGardener Juanell Boyd.

Master Gardeners Plant Sale as part of RUTGERS Day, April 28  9am– 3pm

Rutgers CookCollege, Find us near the Marine Science Building

Builda Rain Barrel Workshop, Wed. May 2 - 6:30 pm

$45/personpayment required one week in advance of workshop.

Nopayment accepted at the door. Call 732-398-5273 to register.

GardenSeason Kick-Off & Plant Sale Sat., May 5, 10am- 5pm

Come meet ourMaster Gardeners and Ag Agent.

Get greatadvice from these experts and celebrate National Herb Day

With a hugeselection of quality starter plants.

Bring yourplant wagon.!  

4-HClothing Drive at the 4-H Center

645Cranbury Rd., East Brunswick

Dropoff donations on April 4, 5, 12, 18, & 19   7-9 PM

Participantsshould bring used clothing, shoes, handbags,

stuffedanimals and linens packed in sturdy plastic trash bags.

Allproceeds to benefit Middlesex Count 4-H Program

For moreinformation call the 4-H office at 732 398 5261.

Rutgers CooperativeExtension, a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station

is an equalopportunity program provider and employer.

Join us next saturday at Butterfly Park to finish what we started...

mulching, weeding and general spring cleaning!

Butterfly Park work day 

Saturday, March 31,  9-11AM

Many thanks to the volunteers that helped weed and mulch the beds at Butterfly Park on Saturday, March 24th.  We got a lot done, but  Its a huge amount of work and there is still lots to do.     Join us next time!

photo credit: Todd J.

Congratulation to Dave Moskowitz, President of the Friends of the EB Environmental Commission, EB Environmental Commission longtime member and co-founder of National Moth Week  for winning a Boogie, a.k.a. ‘NJ Green Award’.

The awards are named after the once abundant Bog turtle,which is now among 16 indigenous animals on the NJ endangered species list.

Honorees may have brought attention to a problem,pursued solutions, or inspired action. Honorees should have demonstrated thatwe can indeed “Save the Planet, One Person at a Time”.