Julia Somers, Executive Director of the Highlands Coalition, welcomes attendees of the Northwest New Jersey Rivers Conference at the beautiful David & Carol Lackland Center, at Centenary University, in Hackettstown, this past weekend.

Allamuchy Township’s Open Space Program donated 147 photos of Wildlife, Historic Sites, Natural settings, along with Northwest N.J. River Conference’s Partners in action in the field for this event. All the photos came within the beautiful Highlands of New Jersey.

It should be noted that the Delaware River Watershed Initiative is working across four states to protect one source of clean water — the Delaware River. According to information provided at the conference, in northern New Jersey, the Initiative is active in the Highlands and the Ridge and Valley regions, impacting several tributaries to the Delaware and the communities through which they flow. Together we all have an opportunity to ensure clean water for generations.

Across the Delaware Basin, homeowners, farmers, students, scientists and community leaders are working together to clean up streams, conserve forests and farms, and green our communities. You can help by volunteering for a stream cleanup, tree planting or citizen science project; creating a rain garden; landscaping with native plants; and being careful to use and dispose of harmful substances properly, including motor oil, road salt, fertilizer, paints and pesticides. To get involved with clean water efforts in your area, please contact your local Delaware River Watershed Initiative partner.​

The conference was coordinated by the NJ Highlands Coalition with support of partner organizations in the Highlands and Ridge and Valley Region of N.J. The keynote address was delivered by Daniel J. Van Abs, Associate Professor at Rutgers University. In all, it was a great event, very informative and something to look forward to get again.

​Please visit my Flickr site for photos from the Conference – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157704343901062

For more info about the Sponsors and Partner Organizations please follow this link – https://www.northwestnewjerseyrivers.org/

Enjoy Your Open Space, Charlie Fineran, Allamuchy Township