Ongoing help needed with trail maintenance
With the arrival of cooler temperatures we are getting back to regular trail maintenance throughout the Refuge, and we could use your help. Trail maintenance can be light (using loppers to clear overgrowth, painting blazes, etc.), or more entailed (assisting with the removal/relocation of larger fallen trees and debris, installing signs, etc.). Groups and individuals are welcome, and we can work around your schedule and preferred intensity level.

If you would like to assist with trail maintenance, while enjoying the fresh air and beauty of the Refuge, please call 856-697-3541 or email manager@unexpectedwildliferefuge.org to let us know how you can help.

Call for 2021 hunting 'season' patrol volunteers
Volunteers are still needed to patrol the Refuge to help keep wildlife safe during the annual hunting 'season'. We will be patrolling through at least the end of January 2022.

Trail maps, orange safety vests, and refreshments will be available. Call 856-697-3541 or email manager@unexpectedwildliferefuge.org to let us know which days and times you can patrol and we will add you to the calendar.

If you are already scheduled (or have already volunteered) for a shift or shifts, thank you!

Here are some recent news media articles concerning beavers. You can see our entire list, a tribute to this wonderful keystone species, on our Beavers in the News page. If you come across a news item on beavers, please send us the link so that we can consider it for inclusion.

How Britain’s beavers can help the UK’s conservation efforts, Teresa Levonian Cole

By building dams, beavers regulate water flow, thereby reducing risk of flood and drought,” explains Chris. “They slow the flow of water and improve water quality as harmful nitrates and phosphates settle into the sediment. The wetlands they create also capture three times more carbon than drier meadows – and can create natural fire-breaks.

Could ‘Smokey Beaver’ help fight wildfires?, by Aaron Scott.

When you think of preventing wildfires, you probably think of Smokey Bear. But there’s another animal that plays a much bigger role in fighting and recovering from fire: beavers.

Save the bees. Urge New Jersey lawmakers to approve A2070/S1016 now.
Take action to protect pollinators and our water supply from dangerous neonicotinoid (“neonic”) pesticides by passing Assembly Bill 2070 today. This bill will ban use of neonics by lawn care companies and homeowners. Neonics are neurotoxins that not only harm our pollinators such as bees, but they also pollute our waterways and can negatively impact public health.

Neonics persist in soil for a long time and can remain toxic to insects for years. This bill will help stop and reverse the decline of bees and other pollinators by banning unnecessary neonics from being applied to lawns and gardens in New Jersey.

Help give bees a chance. Please sign and share this petition: Urge New Jersey lawmakers to approve A2070/S1016 now

Good news! Governor Murphy signed the Humane Cosmetics Act.
The New Jersey Humane Cosmetics Act (S1726/A795) is now law! See Insider NJ article listing the signed bills here.

S1726/A795 prohibits the sale of cosmetics that were developed or manufactured using animal tests after January 1, 2020--and the law goes into effect on March 1, 2022.

Your calls, tweets, and emails helped usher this over the finish line.

River otter family active day and night
River otters are one of the most elusive mammal species in New Jersey, and can be found in fresh, brackish, and saltwater habitats. Members of the mustelid family (Mustelidae), they are known to be highly social animals forming family groups centered around the female. Both male and female river otters care for the young, with litters consisting of one to three pups. Otters generally live nocturnal lives spring through fall, switching to a diurnal schedule in the colder months while preparing for their breeding season. The photographs here illustrate their broad range of activity across time of day and time of year.

Spider crickets are neither spiders nor crickets
This spider cricket (AKA camel cricket) was photographed in the Miller House in late November. Part of the insect order Orthoptera, they are not actually spiders; they’re related to grasshoppers, locusts, and other crickets. The “spider” part of their name comes from the way their long legs make them look, but as with all insects, they have six legs, not eight like arachnids. And though they’re not spiders, they’re not technically crickets, either. They are strong jumpers, but they don’t have wings, and most species of spider cricket also lack inner ears, both of which true crickets have. Getting back to those long limbs, spider crickets leap when they are frightened, as a defense mechanism to scare off predators, or to simply jump into darker corners for safety.

Snail trails and travels
This snail was photographed on a decaying log near Headquarters this past spring. Snails are decomposers, specifically detritivores—animals who feed on dead organic material, especially plant detritus. Having evolved to eat just about anything, they also eat fungus, animal waste, and small insects. There are over 100 species of terrestrial snails in the state of NJ. Snails are a type of gastropod mollusk--lacking internal bones and a skeleton--leaving their shell to protect their vital organs and provide a place of refuge. They secrete a sticky mucous, which creates a trail, aiding in their travel over assorted terrain, allowing them to move without harming their delicate skin.

Autumn meadowhawk dragonfly active into late fall
This autumn meadowhawk dragonfly was seen flying around at the viewing area on the main pond. Autumn meadowhawks are a common late-season dragonfly found throughout NJ, usually near permanent bodies of water, often in wooded habitats. As their name suggests, they are an abundant autumn species. One of the most cold-hardy dragonflies in North America, they frequently persist into November or December during milder weather, provided nights don't drop far below freezing. Although this individual was photographed in November, in keeping with their flight record, we have observed these dragonflies around the Refuge as recently as mid December.

Secretive salamander spotted among debris
This red-backed salamander was spotted among the leaf litter off of the boundary trail after removing a Mylar® balloon to be discarded. Members of the family Plethodontidae, they lack lungs, which means they need to live in damp or moist habitats to breathe. They are native to the eastern United States and Canada, and can occur in two color phases, lead-back and red-back. The lead-back phase salamanders are a consistent gray to black color while the red-back phase is characterized by an orange to red stripe down the length of their body and tail. They are often found in or under logs, leaf-litter and burrows of deciduous forests. In colder months, they burrow under the frozen ground surface.

Great blue heron displays powder downs
This great blue heron, likely a resident of the Refuge, was observed wading in--and eventually taking off from--the main pond. Great blue herons are the largest of the North American herons with long legs, and a thick, daggerlike bill. They have specialized feathers on their chest (which can be seen in the first photo) that continually grow and fray, and are never molted. Their tips disintegrate into tiny particles of keratin forming a very fine powder somewhat like talcum powder. This powder is slightly oily, and adheres to the feathers. Herons comb these "powder downs" with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the down like a washcloth to remove fish slime and other oils from their feathers as they preen.

An array of beaver construction around the Refuge
The south side of our main pond has an active beaver population with at least three lodges, and numerous dams. Beavers build dams to slow the flow of water in streams and rivers, they then build stable lodges for shelter in the ponds created. They are quite selective when choosing a location for a lodge, usually settling close to a food source. Lodges consist of walls made of sticks and mud, a floor, and an access door. Water depth of up to five feet is preferred below the lodge, allowing them to exit safely into the water without being seen. Lodges can vary in size, sometimes housing up to nine beavers in one dwelling. Each year they will add sticks and mud to the walls, helping to fortify its construction and add proper insulation for the cold months.

A potpourri of plant life at the Refuge Our diverse habitat provides for a great variety of plants. They range from those that live on the ground, thrive in swamps or in open water to those that make other plants their home. We continue to add to our growing list of photographs, including those of newly identified plants as well for those already in our records, but for which we did not have images. The photos here represent just a few examples of the diversity of species. You can see the full list of the hundreds of species seen at the Refuge in our Plants at the Refuge page on our Web site.

Continuing reminder about helping us help wildlife today
This Refuge, and its nearly 800 acres of rigorously protected habitat, is home and sanctuary for hundreds of animal and plant species; many of the animal species have been here for generations. We depend entirely on the support of our donors for our day-to-day expenses! As the year draws to a close, we still have not received sufficient donations to cover our nominal budget for the year. We know that you have limited resources and need to consider which of numerous worthwhile causes to support. We hope, however, that you can again find it possible to give us a donation – today – of any amount. We and the wildlife need your support now.

Simple ways to help the Refuge
Do you have a birthday coming up? Instead of buying presents for you, you could ask your friends to make a donation to the Refuge. Or, what about that stuff in your garage you have been meaning to get rid of through a yard sale? Why not pledge to give the proceeds to the Refuge, letting the public know that their purchase price will go to help wildlife and the environment.

Unexpected Wildlife Refuge
Mailing address: P.O. Box 765, Newfield, New Jersey 08344-0765
Web site: http://unexpectedwildliferefuge.org/
E-mail: info@unexpectedwildliferefuge.org
Telephone: 856.697.3541