Tag Archives: rutgers

You too can be a New Jersey Environmental Steward

Would you like to understand the relationship between pollution, grass nutrients, construction, flooding, deer, wildlife, denuded forests and Lyme disease in New Jersey? You can learn all this and more in Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s New Jersey Environmental Steward program. It will be offered this year in Atlantic, Warren, and Somerset counties from January through June at a cost of $280.

Duke Farms Environmental Steward sign with antique carWhen my son Ivan and I took the training in 2011, we happily made the trip once a week for 20 weeks to amazing Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ (Somerset County). We took classes in a beautiful, high-ceilinged carriage house in the estate’s administration building. Learning and being at Duke Farms made those weeks some of the most special of my life. I’d gladly do it again at the drop of a hat – except I’m too busy now doing environmental steward work!

Imagine being able to discuss climate change first hand with New Jersey’s State Climatologist and learn about the importance of native species from a specialist with national recognition? Stewards in training learn about the way soils affect plant growth and cause environmental conditions from the person who runs Rutgers’ Soil Testing laboratory. They also get a crash course on how local environmental decisions are made and how land preservation laws work in our state.

Rutgers Environmental Stewardship program brochureRegistration is already open for the 2013 Environmental Stewardship program. It will be held at locations in Warren, Somerset and Atlantic Counties, and you register by directly contacting the coordinator at the location of your choice. I wish everyone could have the chance to enjoy this extraordinary opportunity to learn about environmental challenges and the conservation measures that can solve them with some of New Jersey’s finest environmental scientists and advocates. I hope that I will be congratulating at least a few of my friends at next year’s graduation. If you have any questions, just ask.

Warren/North Training Location
RCE of Warren County, 165 Rt 519 South, Belvidere, NJ 07823

Normal Class Time: Thursdays, January to May, 2011; 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Cost: $280

Contact: Milly Rice, marnavy@hotmail.com
Ag and Resource Mgmt. Secretary, 908-475-6505

Central/Duke Training Location
Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ

Normal Class Time: Tuesdays, January to May, 2008; 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Cost: $280
Contact: Rosalie Kelly rkelly@ddcf.org
Duke Farms Foundation, 80 Route 206, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 908-243-3602

Coastal Region Training Location
Atlantic County Utility Authority, 6700 Delilah Road , Egg Harbor Twp NJ

Normal Class Time: Wednesdays, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Cost: $280
Contact: Amy Menzel, amenzel@acua.com
PO join 996 Pleasantville, NJ 08232, 609.272.6950 ext 6934