Friends & Forest Advocacy: Join Us on Wed. Sept. 6
RSVP for Sept. 6: A Menu of Options
FINALLY. The Forest is up for $10 million in county funding and that’s a Big Deal. We need to show the members of the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund Committee that there’s a regional movement behind Madison’s request for funding. Live outside Madison in another Morris County town? We especially need you.
Let us know how you can join!
SUPER HERO RSVP: Join us at the Open Space Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 6pm, 30 Schuyler Place, Morristown. Wear your tee and RSVP for parking and meetup details.
BUSY PERSON RSVP: Zoom into the the meeting. The number of attendees is important so, dial even if you’re feeding your kids dinner. RSVP for the Zoom link (it’s not published yet).
MOST FUN RSVP: Go to the hearing—and join us for pizza afterward. After two years of advocacy, it’s time to have some fun. RSVP and make us super happy.
We’re firming up details about parking, meetup location, pizza party location, Zoom links. If you RSVP, we’ll follow up with all the good stuff.
Keeping up the good fight: Ed Lloyd remembered as Drew Forest advocate in Madison
MADISON - Environmental legend Ed Lloyd, who passed away on Aug. 5, has been lauded as a “crusading public interest lawyer” by Columbia Law School, “dedicated champion of climate action” by Gov. Phil Murphy and "open space protector" by the Pinelands Commission.
But right here in Madison, Lloyd was known for “keeping up the good fight.”
What’s more scary than bats? A Forest with no bats.
Why care about bats? Besides being intelligent and adaptable creatures, bats are the only major predators of night-flying insects. A single little brown bat will eat up to 3000 mosquitoes (or mosquito-sized insects) a night. That means hundreds of bats provide the Drew Forest with this invaluable ecosystem service.
Recently, the Friends commissioned a study by a specialized company who used acoustic bat detectors, recording for 6 nights in 5 sites in the Drew Forest. 11,734 bat calls were recorded! These included big brown, silver-haired, eastern, hoary and evening species of bats. A 2021 Drew University study also recorded tri-colored bats that are close to being listed as federally endangered.
When you walk through the Drew Forest, you won’t be able to tell that it is home to thousands of bats. But you can see very old Silver Maples with shaggy bark that provide great roosting spots. Bats are at risk—so we need to protect one of Madison’s top bat habitats by preserving the Drew Forest.
Forest Flowers: What’s Blooming Now
With Fall approaching, Forest blooms are shifting as plants’ sensory pigments detect shorter days and longer nights. Summer bloomers are taller and more robust than early spring wildflowers, but are also in steep decline today because of deer and invasive vegetation. Protected by 15 years of Forest restoration, these species have returned along with butterflies, moths, other pollinators, and seed-eating birds.
Joepye weed reaches 6’ tall or more. Large round or flat-topped clusters of small dusty pink or white flowers teaming with pollinators tower over the gardens.
Jewelweed, with its lovely orange trumpet-shaped flowers, is a favorite with hummingbirds. This rare native bloom is an annual plant that grows anew from seed every year – an uncommon lifecycle in forests. Once abundant in New Jersey, jewelweed had all but disappeared. To our great surprise and delight, jewelweed has returned with protection from deer and invasive plants.
Native Plant Sale in Madison, Sept. 10, 12-4pm
Support the Forest’s ecosystem by planting native species in your yard. On Sept. 10, the Madison Environmental Commission is hosting a plant sale with Toadshade Wildflower Farm. Owner Randi Eckel (below), is the president of the New Jersey Native Plant Society and has answers to all your questions. Location: 12 Fairwood Rd. Our tip: Preorder for the best selection. Learn more here.
