Summer School in the Drew Forest!
Drew Forest nature walks have kicked off in the Forest starting with the 19 high school students from the Urban Scholars Upward Bound program at CUNY. The students loved learning about trees, wetlands and glacial dells. Ducks and turtles shared a log, herons and egrets showed their magnificence and the Forest cast the spell it always does.
"The curiosity and philosophical reflection of these urban teenagers was spontaneous and heartfelt," said Kate Bartley, Friends of the Drew Forest board member and naturalist with New Jersey Audubon. "It was very eye opening for the group and prompted thoughts of future career opportunities in medicine, biology, ecology, technology and mathematics."
How do healthy forests keep us so cool?
The first half of 2024 has been the second hottest on record in New Jersey and the summer heat is not letting up. We are all familiar with the relief we feel when taking refuge under a shade tree after walking down a hot sidewalk. A big reason trees are so cooling is that they prevent the sun’s rays from reaching and warming surfaces below. In addition to shade, trees lower temperatures through “evapotranspiration” releasing water vapor from their leaves when solar rays hit them.
If you guessed the answer “C - Healthy, Protected Forested Area,” you are correct! Of course, any green area is better than pavement. In its study Cooling Cities, the Natural Areas Conservancy found that forested natural areas are significantly cooler than landscaped areas, with healthy forested areas like the Drew Forest lowering temperatures the most. Forested areas in some cities like New York and Billings MT recorded temperatures over 13 degrees cooler!
Testing the cooling effect of the Drew Forest
On a 99-degree summer day, we took a walk into the Drew Forest and experienced the power of nature’s air conditioning. The temperature dropped 5 degrees under the tree canopy. The Drew Forest provides cooling help for students, athletes and our communities.
Gratitude to Forest Supporter Joan Maloof
Speaking of cool things…Look who made a video for us! We are HUGE admirers of Joan Maloof’s books and her ground-breaking work with the Old-Growth Forest Network. It is the only national network of protected, old-growth, native forests where people can experience biodiversity and the beauty of nature. And we intend to be part of it (as soon as a conservation sale goes through). Thanks, Joan, for being a Drew Forest supporter. We are grateful that you’ve called into council meetings, and written letters to the town and Drew University. And now a video!
Finally, a daily dose of nature to give your health a boost. Friends of Drew Forest board member, Kate Bartley, captured this photo in the Drew Forest reminding us of why we keep fighting to protect this beautiful place.
