2 minute read
Taking Action
We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.
Albert Einstein
Previous chapters have highlighted the history and ecology of LBI. Our Island and surrounding waters are a unique habitat. Barnegat Bay, home to the last remaining eelgrass beds in NJ, needs our protection and immediate attention. Throughout this book, actions have been highlighted in the What You Can Do sections.
Several of our chapters discuss everyday Island activities and their impact on the health of the Bay. Whether you are a full-time or part-time resident, or on vacation, you are part of a long line of people who have treasured the beauties of our Island and Bay. A love of the Bay and sea experiences should instill in you a sense of stewardship.
By taking responsibility for the health of the Bay, you give a gift to others: leaving the Bay in a condition better than you found it. But nothing will change until YOU take action.
Let’s Get Started
The challenge is always the first step.
Become An Explorer!
Go to the Bay and ocean beaches and imagine you’re a Lenape Indian searching for wampum; or a Barnegat pirate looking for treasure; or a modern-day scientist researching marine life and how to preserve it.
• Walk along the shoreline and find things that live in the water and on the shore. Start a collection of shells or “found” items. Talk about what you find. Make your search into a game with prizes for the person who collects the most things or who can identify what they find.
• Talk to the people you see. Find out what they are catching and what wildlife they have seen. Ask whether they have spotted a dolphin, a whale, or a pelican.
• Help keep the shoreline beautiful. Pick up any trash or garbage you find.
Become a Student of the Environment
• Attend Science Saturday at the LBI Foundation of the Arts & Sciences to learn about LBI ecology, problems facing the Bay, and the many organizations that work together to monitor and improve our environment.
• Attend a nature camp or take an ecowalk at LBIF.
• Become a MATES marine scientist for a week or attend LBIF science camp.
• Take an ecocruise or kayak tour at one of the locations listed in the Resources chapter.
Participate In Bay-Related Activities
• Alliance for a Living Ocean has a program in which they cast nets into the Bay (seine) and identify all the neat stuff they catch. 609-492-0222
• ReClam the Bay welcomes visitors to the nurseries where they grow baby clams and oysters. They also offer the Clam Trail (a sort of treasure hunt). 732-349-1152
• Barnegat Light State Park and Nature Trail is a place to see many of the native creatures, trees, and shrubs mentioned in the Blue Pages. 609-494-2016
• The LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences (LBIF) has many science-related activities including nature day camps, Science Saturday lectures, and Barnegat Bay Day. 609-494-1241
• Viking Village has a behind-the-scenes tour showing how our fishing fleet (one of the last remaining) catches the seafood we eat. Fridays at 10:00. See their video about the fishing industry.
• The Barnegat Light Museum has displays showing and explaining early life on the Bay. 609-494-8578
• The New Jersey Maritime Museum has displays about ships, seafarers, and baymen. 609-492-0202
• The LBI Historical Museum has photos and memorabilia from the Island’s early days. 609-492-0700
LBI Neighbors
The hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), also known as the Northern quahog, is a bivalve mollusk. Bivalves have two shells that are joined at a hinge called the umbo. The shells are opened and closed by two pairs of muscles on the inside. You will find this clam just under the surface of the sand or mud. It has a foot, which it uses to dig its way under the surface. Hard clams are filter feeders. They feed by siphoning and filtering the small plants and animals (plankton) floating in the water.
