SBY JEANINE BARONE
GSatradteen
With bird-watching and woodland
treks galore, New Jersey offers
visitors an unexpectedly close-to-the-earth experience. And
after a weekend (or a week)
exploring the array of nature-focused venues, you’ll appreciate
why New Jersey has earned its
leafy moniker
The Wetlands Institute
1075 Stone Harbor Blvd., Stone Harbor; 609-368-1211;
wetlandsinstitute.org
You’re sure to develop a greater appreciation for the
Simportance of salt marshes after visiting the Wetlands
Institute, a nonprofit organization that’s been protecting
the diamondback terrapin, a threatened turtle species,
and promoting an understanding of wetlands and coastal
ecosystems since 1969. Birds, including snowy egrets, are
just about everywhere as they feed on crabs and other
creatures in and around the marsh’s pools and creeks.
To get oriented, pick up the self-guided Salt Marsh Trail
brochure and walk the quarter-mile trail. Terrapins may
cross your path while fiddler crabs scurry about the mud
flats. The institute’s summer kayak trips meander to the
interior of nearby Ring Island where, in June, the sound
of laughing gulls—the largest North American colony—is
deafening. A guided Sunday morning bird walk provides
an education about the marsh’s winged inhabitants, as do
pontoon boat trips with a naturalist who navigates from
Scotch Bonnet Creek into the intercoastal waterways.
