02/24/26 SustainableEHC Meeting

Hello.
>> I can't see. Can you see me?
>> No.
>> You just see a blank screen, right?
>> I can see a No, I'm not sure I can see
anything. Just looks like a slight haze
at the bottom of the screen, but it's
mostly black.
>> Yeah, I can't.
>> Now I see your name.
And I have my laptop at home adjusted so
that it prints out everything that's
said at the bottom.
>> Oh, that's cool.
>> But nothing is recorded. Now I can see
light.
Now I can see your name again.
And Samantha is now I can see you.
>> Oh, here I am. [laughter]
>> It's um
is is got her audio blocked.
And you may have seen a message very
recently from Amy saying she presumes
it's at 7:00.
>> No, I emailed her back and said it was
at 6.
>> Oh, good. I I didn't see that.
>> Yeah.
And Samantha, you on here?
This is Samantha.
>> She was unmuted. Now she's Now she's
unmuted.
>> Say hello. There she is.
>> Hi everyone.
>> Hi.
>> Hello.
>> You know Dick Colby?
>> I think I met him briefly um in passing
but no. But hello Dick.
>> Hello. Hello.
>> Hey, Samantha is uh uh Councilman
Timber's wife.
>> Oh. Oh. Well, she lives behind me.
[laughter]
>> Yeah. In your neighborhood on the other
side.
>> I see her kitchen light on it every
night.
>> Oh, yes.
>> Through my back through my back door
window.
Okay.
Hope more people show up.
>> It's exactly six o'clock.
>> I didn't prepare much of an agenda. I
was really swamped with the storm and
all with work, writing stories three
times a day.
And I'm trying to get the newsletter
done. And
>> yes, I need to hear from Hazel about
what the haz the historical society has
on for for um
February for March. Women's history.
>> Yeah. So, if you could get that to me.
>> Okay. I'll try to get her.
>> I'm I'm trying to Well, let's see. It's
Tuesday
and uh it comes out I got to have it
done by um Saturday.
>> Usually usually comes out right on the
first.
>> Yeah. So I don't have too much
and plus I have a council meeting. It's
like and I have to work this like I'm
really swamped with stuff and I haven't
had too much time to work on this stuff
organizing these spring environmental
series and that's what I was hoping we
could just talk about it tonight and get
some things ironed out but you know I we
need more people to um
>> I don't see your by line anymore.
>> Who are you working for?
>> I work for
>> I don't see your by line. I work for a
company called Fedair and I'm still
doing downbe.com. That's my website and
uh
you know it's it's I am 247.
I don't work a lot of hours in a day,
but I have to work every day. And you
know, council takes a lot of time away,
especially with the finance committee
because they they meet usually on
Mondays and it's like the meetings are a
minimum four hours long.
>> Wow.
>> Friday, we had three meetings in one
day. And I was like, I can't do this to
I need need a couple hours to do my job.
[laughter]
So, all right. So, we worked out um I
sent you a list. I didn't Let me pull up
the email and see what I printed out
here.
Um
some ideas.
Let me just print this out.
some ideas and dates um that are
available
um
and I we can't it's too late I think to
do anything in March
um and because we have uh the Easter egg
hunt is on at the end of the month on a
Saturday morning. So, I figured let's
stay away from um March and start doing
our programs in April
and uh April and May. So, the first
thing I have up here is um I wanted to
concentrate on bees and um butterflies,
monarch butterflies.
And [clears throat]
and of course we have Arbor Day too. So
we need to talk about what we want to
do. Uh for bees, we had the idea last
month. We talked about the show in the
movie Be Movie, which is a it's a
cartoon for kids so we could get the
kids involved and that would be good to,
you know, show it at the high at the
middle school. I I contacted the um uh
economic development committee to ask
them how they do their movies in the
park and it seems kind of complicated
like we have to um we would have to get
a projector from them and we'd have to
get the movie pay for the movie. She
said it's expensive.
So, I was uh wondering if we could do it
at the school at in the multi-purpose
room, which is a great facility, and you
know, they they're pretty they let us
have events there before, so I don't
think it would be a big deal. Uh to, but
it requires filling out paperwork and it
has to get approved by the board and all
that stuff. Uh, and then if we could do
a program [snorts] ahead of that m movie
for the adults and it would be uh I
found something online called um build a
bee abode and basically what it is is a
little box that you would post on a
fence in your yard or on your garage
wall or something and it's a square box
with no lid facing out and you would put
like um pipe
or um uh you could even use toilet paper
rolls, things like that, little circle,
things that have a circle and depth to
them. And what happens is the bees go
inside and they set up a congregation in
there. So that's like, so that was one
idea that I came up with. Um and the
best day to do that would be early. We
also have a fellow called um I don't
know if anybody knows David Upner.
Um he used to be the um
fire chief in
Cologne,
Cologne fire chief, volunteer fire
chief, and he uh raises bees. So he said
that he would do a program for us. So if
we could get him to bring the bees,
bring a stack of bees. I don't know
about um timeline for when the bees are
active. Early April might be too cold
for them. I don't know. Anybody have any
idea?
>> So, usually they're they're active
around the same time that cherry
blossoms go into bloom. Um, so right now
it's too cold for them. So, it's like
early April when the weather is
consistently above like I want to say 55
is usually when they start to come out
of hibernation. Um, and it's usually
when the sun is like at the highest
point in the sky for the springtime,
like the spring equinox. So,
>> so, so April 4th would be a good day,
you think?
>> Yeah, it depends like if it's still cold
like this or a little bit if the weather
fluctuates a little bit too much, they
may not he may be able to bring some in
because he, you know, like a warmer to
get them active. So,
>> all right. Well, well, I I um Amy said
she she had a call into him, but she
didn't hear back from him. He's supposed
to be on vacation, so I'm wondering he
might be in Florida or something like
that. So, we'll have to get working on
that. And if if if we have to, we could
push it back to um the 11th, which would
be the following week, or the uh 25th.
So
>> I mean there their dates Saturday and
these events usually are in Saturday
mornings you know because so the kids
can attend and families can attend. So
that's good to know about the cherry
blossoms. I I didn't realize that. But
um and then the um so right there we
need somebody to do make a beode like if
somebody could actually
do it, demonstrate it or teach it
somehow and maybe we could in the
meantime collect some
you know materials to make these things.
I have something um online that I could
share um
to show how to do it. Um I uh what else?
And I and that again we would have to do
it at the community school. They have a
patio in front of the multi-purpose
room. That might be a good spot to do
the demonstration and the um um
[clears throat]
the uh demon uh the be his name is Be
Cool. Michael David
pollination thing. He he would do that
outdoors. I don't think you would want
to bring the bees inside, but [laughter]
that out there.
>> Definitely want to keep them outside
>> and then show the movie afterwards. And
that might be a long night, but um I'm
sure that it's probably a Disney movie
and it's probably only about an hour and
10 or 15 minutes. Not real long.
>> And the other thing we would need for
that would be u popcorn
>> and and maybe um soft drinks.
>> Yes.
Yes.
>> Right.
Um and then the next event would be uh
we agreed to do Arbor Day a week earlier
because it's really hard to get um
vendors like environmental groups to
come because the following week, the
26th is Earth Day and they're all um
getting ready for that big weekend. they
they have um native plant sales and
things like that all over the place. But
>> so we decided to do it one week week
earlier. Instead of the 24th, do it on
the 17th, which is a Friday night. Uh we
could do it at Peace Pilgrim Park like
we always have. Um we have uh Jerry
agreed that he will
do a tree planting there in Peace Pil
Park and do a demonstration and um talk
talk to people about how to properly
prepare a tree and so forth. So we have
uh we also will be giving away trees
like we did in prior years. Um, I put a
little survey on Facebook and asked
people what type of trees they would
like for their yards and the it was the
majority of them agreed they want
smaller trees that flower and um or or
fruit trees, which we never did before,
but we might be able to do a couple
maybe peach trees or apple trees or
something like that. And we'll get the
trees and pay for it out of the grant.
um which would require us going up to
the um to the nursery that week earlier
that week. So probably last time um Rick
Rick Dovy drove me up to um
[clears throat]
the the nursery and we picked up the
trees. So we'll probably do that again.
Um, we Brenda Ruth um is agreed to do
the photo contest again and I was
working on flyers and the rules and
regulations today. I will get them
uploaded to the website this week and I
want to put it into the U newsletter on
the first that people could start if
they haven't already start taking
pictures of trees and submitting them.
um they would email them to the green
team and I'll post them on the website
as they come in and on our Facebook
page. And so we'll give out um I have
ribbons left over from last year,
second or third place. And I think I
have a I might have to order one a best
show ribbon. Uh and we give prizes. Um,
I'm going to cut the cost of the prizes
because Brenda says it's a lot to give.
Uh, we'll do 75,
50, and 100. Um, so we we have some
money in a trust fund that we could use
for that.
Um, and I'm inviting people to come and
do a native plant sale. So, I did hear
from um the Pinelands Preservation
Alliance, which they changed their name
to Pinelands Alliance. Um and they
suggested coming after Earth Day
weekend, but I that would be too late.
It I'm trying to like time these things
so that it's at the right time for doing
that activity. For in other words, if
you're going to take in native plants,
you want to plant them early in the
season because they're usually uh
perennials. So, earlier the better for
that. And um so [snorts] we'll see what
happens with that.
Um
then in May, I have three weeks in a row
before Memorial Day. Um the first one is
um tomato basics and I talked to Belinda
Chester
at the um master gardeners
>> and she's willing to do a program on
tomato basics and they also uh have
tomato plants that they grow for their
native plant sale where there's they
have a plant sale. I don't know exactly
when, but
um we didn't agree on any dates. She
said she would do it and um hopefully we
could do that on the 5th. Was that the
9th of May? Um they say you should put
your tomatoes in around Mother's Day.
>> So I I that's why I said it timing isn't
important. So if we could get little
tomato plants we could give away the
people can plant them over the weekend
and I would do that program at city hall
um indoors at city hall. Um she probably
she might need to do a PowerPoint or
something so we have the monitor in the
in the room. Um then the following week
um is the 16th
and um
that I wanted to see if we could do. We
tried to do it last year and it didn't
get off the ground, but do a walk down
the nature trail to the um where the
nutmilkweed. What's that other plant
that grows back there?
>> Oh, mountain laurel. the mountain laurel
when the mountain laurel is blooming.
So I know it blooms in May. I don't know
if blooms that early in May the 16th.
>> Sounds right.
>> Yeah.
>> And that's a week before Memorial Day
weekend.
And um and we could do the nature trail
and maybe a scavenger hunt along the
trail like hide stuff in the in in the
brush or you know say find this plant or
fi find that plant and we could do that
for the kids or whatever and
>> no prizes. I got lots of junk in the um
box there that we could give away.
And that would be at City Lake Park. Um,
and then the following week is um,
Memorial Day weekend and the lake opens
um, on the 23rd.
I was thinking that might be a good day
to do the potting party uh, because you
want to get your plants in be around
that time like your flowering plants,
your annuals and things like that. So,
um, we had we did the potting party
before. It was a lot of fun. People
loved it. Uh we provide the dirt at the
soil and the um plants and they people
bring their own pots and Okay.
>> They actually do the planting there and
we could do that um in near the um
the g not the gazebo the uh um
>> the pavilion.
>> No, the greenhouse greenhouse is there.
So, um, because there's a long bench
inside
way inside the greenhouse and it makes
it a lot easier to put the dirt over
anything. So, we could fill that up with
the dirt and and do the planting. Now,
for that one, I wanted to get plants
that would attract butterflies, like a
lot of parsley, par the swallowtail, the
black ones, they they like parsley and
milkweed. So, the big push is to find
milkweed plants that would be um
planted that that they could plant in a
pot for for the first year and then
replant it. Um if not, they could put it
into the ground, but I don't know where
to get milkweed plants that are any
good. Um they you know we need to um
plant the proper type of milkweed and
[clears throat] uh it should be common
common milkeed which is the pale pink
flower.
>> Uh because the others there's swamp
milkweed that's native to this area too
which I believe is orange.
So if we could get those two types of
milkweed that would be great. Uh if not,
I could also order
seeds. They're starting to advertise now
for uh milkweed seeds availability, but
they need to be stratified [snorts] for
uh four to six weeks. In other words,
they need to be uh put into a
refrigerator.
>> Yep.
>> Before they to for them, you know all
about this stuff, huh?
>> Yeah. Well, I'm part of the green
coalition in Atlantic City. So,
>> well, we have maybe you can [laughter]
offer it like am I am I on the right
trail here?
>> Yeah, you're doing you're doing good.
>> All right, good. So, um that would be on
the 23rd. That would be Saturday of
Memorial Day weekend and we could do
that at Peace Pilgrim Park.
Um,
and then the final one
would be, oh, Belinda Chester, also of
the Master Gardeners, said she does a
fabulous program on preserving the
harvest with canning and uh, freezing
your vegetables and things like that.
So, I figured we could do that in June.
That could be our last program because
people are just starting to, you know,
get their plants into the ground and
their vegetable plants. and so forth.
And of course, they won't actually be
doing the harvesting until
July and August, maybe August and
September. So, this would be done and
then we could take the rest of the
summer off. So, that's what I had lined
up and I'm open to suggestions. And you
know, if anybody has has any other ideas
of things we can do,
I uh I have a list of native plant
sellers. Not a long list, but
and there is there's Xers society. Do
anybody know about that is? Xer is X rs
society and they um they're all about
the monarch butterflies. M
>> so we might be able to contact them and
see what they have to offer. Um
>> suggestion for you, Nette.
>> Yes.
>> Um the former blueberry farm in Galloway
Township
that was owned by the guy who's the who
was for a long time that New Jersey
Secretary of Agriculture. You probably
know who I mean.
>> Yes, I do.
that has turned into a very interesting
um project under new ownership that
deals with a lot of Samantha must know
about it too because they bring people
from Atlantic City. Um [clears throat]
>> um somehow getting them involved would
be might might be an interesting thing
to do.
>> Yeah, they turn their stuff into like a
what they call a co-op. So um they have
like various farmers come out there. Um,
for instance, I know the guy who runs
Coastal Cousins. Um, so they are very
involved in that project where it's like
it's almost like a almost like a
community
>> Brown was the name.
>> Yes. Yeah.
>> Yeah. Right. His daughter farm now. It's
an organic farm.
>> What do they call it? Community
supported agriculture.
>> Yes.
>> ESA. And you sign up um in advance and
you pay I guess a couple hundred dollars
and you get a box of food every week
delivered. Some of them deliver or some
of them you have to go pick it up at the
farm
>> but they'll they'll put boxes of food
together from what they're harvesting.
That might be a good um person or um
thing.
>> Well, they also have
>> Sorry, I'm sorry. They also specialize
in certain ethnic foods.
>> Yes, they do.
>> They African foods and stuff. Yes.
>> Yes.
>> What is it? Uh CSA. What is I don't
remember what it's Art Brown was the
His daughter runs. I have her uh contact
information somewhere, but they would be
a good vendor to have at our Arbor Day
if they could come and set up a table.
They could sell their CSA
um chairs at during the event. You know,
I always wanted to do that, but you
know, I I'm a cheapy and I go to like
Protest Junction and get a lot of
vegetables for real cheap. [laughter]
Getting more expensive these days and I
can't get out of there without spending
like $30, $40, whereas I would spend 20.
>> Yes. Everything is becoming expensive.
CSA co-op at uh Arbor Day.
That's a good idea. I like that idea.
All right, I'll I'll send them an email
and see if they're interested. Um any
any others? Sammy, what do you got for
us? What do you do at Atlantic City?
>> So, um we're we have something going on
with the with a hydrangeanger uh trail.
>> Yes.
>> Yeah, we're planning some we're getting
ready. We're preparing the kids to um
start planting their hydrangeas to
attract uh bees and butterflies. Um
>> they're not very good plants to do that.
You know,
>> they're not
>> they're they offer no benefits.
>> They're pretty, but they're pretty to
look at. [laughter]
>> So, and plus it's like um this it's more
urbanized, so it's kind of like more
citywide there for the beautifification
purposes of that. So we um are also
doing a uh community plant like a
community grow. So we have like um one
location where the community comes out
they it's like a community garden and we
have it for right now we're doing it at
the Boys and Girls Club because we have
a um a a greenhouse that was donated to
us was built for our um our work there.
So yeah. Well, I did write a story about
the hydrangeia trail like I think two
summers ago and uh we do have several
community gardens here in town.
>> Okay.
>> I don't know who runs them. Um, the
mayor might know, but there's one behind
the senior citizen center.
And uh,
where else?
There you there used to be gardens at
Peace Pilgrim Park, but they took them
out because nobody was maintaining them.
That's
>> that's the problem with community
gardens.
>> Yeah.
>> You really need committed people to run
them
>> and take care of them, you know, and
that it didn't work out. We we had
gardens all over town and they looked
terrible.
>> The only one that was really kept was
the one at the senior center. So, I
think that might be the only one that we
have, but they might be able to come to
Arbor Day, too. Uh,
>> another involved in maintaining it, you
know.
>> So, what Dick?
>> Another thought that um
I used to I still go picking blueberries
every year and I'm currently doing it at
a place called I forget I forget the
name. It's right around the corner from
the Browns Farm on Jim Le's Road. uh
legendary blueberries I think is the
name of the place and they have enormous
amounts and and it's they you usually
you do it on the honor system but it
might be interesting to ask if they
would be willing to put up anybody who
wants to come from me harbor city at a
reduced price on a particular day um
they're they're really good stuff there
>> when when do they uh
>> depends on when the blueberries are ripe
which is different every year.
>> What time of year?
>> Oh, blueberries are always in June.
>> In June?
>> Yes.
>> All right.
>> Usually the whole month of June.
>> Um
>> it's a nice family. Like maybe we can do
a blueberry picking session where you
know
>> Yes.
>> We we go out as a as a town and go pick
blueberries.
>> Yes.
>> I remember um I did a story years back
um with Senator the guy who went to jail
was our senator our state senator
our
>> our state senator Bill Gormley.
>> No. Uh, not state. Uh, it was, uh, he
went to jail with the co. He had the
gold bars in his
>> Oh. Um, I know who you're talking about.
>> Oh, that's Mendez.
>> Menendez. [snorts] And I I was working
for the u news back then. And he came to
Galleta's blueberry farm
>> biggest in the world.
>> Yeah. I got I got a tour of the farm. It
was amazing facility. It's huge.
>> And wrote a story about how they picked
the blueberries and
>> he was get he got them money or
something, you know, like a grant or
something that he was there and
>> keep up with him. He he was walking too
fast [laughter]
trying to write interview him and walk
at the same time.
>> It was tough.
All right. Anything else? What else are
you guys doing over there? What about
that um
that organization that's um
is bringing more fresh foods to Atlantic
City?
What's it called?
>> Oh yeah, we we're doing that. They have
a fresh food truck that comes out.
>> Yeah, a month.
>> I wonder if they would come here.
>> She's frozen.
You're frozen, Sam
>> County. The name for the
>> Oh, am I back?
>> You're back.
>> Okay. So, I can get you the name um
because they do it once a month in
Atlantic City for um everyone. They come
up with their fresh fruit and that's I
want to say
Oh, I forgot.
>> Crops. Crops.
>> I have all my notes. Crops. Yes, crops.
>> [snorts]
>> So they're they also teamed up.
>> Yep, they do. They have a fruit truck or
vegetable truck um that they come out
and serve the community.
>> Do they they sell it or they give it
away?
>> No, they give it away.
>> Oh, really?
>> I wonder if they're working that early.
Like it would be good to do I I need
vendors to come to Arbor Day.
>> Okay.
>> You know, different types of
organizations. they would come. And I
also need a food truck operator and I
have a friend who has a hot dog truck uh
cart. Um I'm going to contact him
because it's it's only a short period of
time. It's three hours. It goes by
really fast, but it'd be great to have
like hot dogs and maybe the Mr. Softy
guy in the [clears throat] truck come by
for the kids because they're always
hungry around five. They get hungry
about four or five o'clock. And it'll
get more people out if we have something
there to feed them. So, I got great hot
dogs.
>> So, yep.
>> Ice cream.
>> My favorite um food truck isn't a truck
at all, but it's a table set up by the
local um Mexican restaurant that's next
to Inolingo's Market. They usually come
out on Philadelphia Avenue when there's
a festival. Uh, but it's
>> Which one is that?
>> Tamales and tacos and stuff like that.
>> Get somebody local.
>> Yep.
>> Yeah. Well, do you know the name of that
the restaurant?
>> No, but I know it's like right in
between Domino's and
>> and the Chinese restaurant Tuking Ching
or some Tuking City.
Yes.
An incolling
um
All right, that's a good idea.
All right, who wants to tackle what?
I need help.
Yep. You got a whole group there with
only three of us attending. So maybe you
should [laughter] send out a list of
tasks.
>> Yeah, I will. I'll do that. I'll send a
list out. I thought Hazel was going to
be here and um Amy, I hope she probably
thinks it's at seven. Maybe she didn't
get her email. Um
>> so I'll do the beode.
>> All right, I'll send you that.
>> And I'll reach out to some of the
vendors that come to our green
coalition.
>> Okay. um to see if they would come to
our Arbor Day. So, I'll send you
>> the Arbor Day is the only one that is
definitely set timewise,
>> right?
>> Date.
>> So, it's the uh 17th. It's a Friday
evening, 3 to 6:00 p.m.
>> Okay.
>> So, anything we could get for that, they
would it's free. They don't have to, you
know, unless they're serving or cutting
into food. Uh if they are going to be a
food truck, that type of thing where
they're going to
uh sell food. We have to get um
um Meg. We have to fill out an
application with Meg. They have to be
certified by the county and so but we
have to do that. But there's no fee to
come
>> show up at
>> I will reach out to some of those
vendors.
>> Yeah. like [laughter] if you could get
if you could get the crops and um
you're going to do the to be abode I'll
send you the um instructions.
>> There's a couple videos on
>> Yes. I'll reach out to crops and also uh
coastal cousins too.
>> What's it called?
>> Coastal cousins.
And what's Coastal Cousins?
>> Coastal Cousins.
>> What is What do they do?
>> Um, sustainable gardening information
workshops. They have their own farms in
Vinand. So, they do a lot of our
workshops especially like to to the
community. Um,
>> yeah, we reach out to them for a lot of
that.
>> Do they they do anything with trees?
Because it's arbor diet. more about
geared towards trees.
>> Yes. Yeah, they do. They provided us
with some trees that we did plant. We
planted a couple near for the school for
New York Avenue school. We planted some
near the PAL building and two in front
of their school. So, they do do trees.
>> Okay.
What do you do, Samantha?
>> You work for Atlantic here. I heard
>> I'm a program specialist.
>> So, you you run programs all the time,
right? Cool.
Could use your help.
>> So yeah,
>> we do this for a couple weeks in the
spring and then we don't do anything
else for the rest of the year. So this
is basically it. And uh we did it
several years in a row and it was really
successful
especially when we did like the potting
party and things like that. People loved
it, but we didn't get a whole lot of
people out. And my goal was to say it'll
we'll grow it every year. We'll get more
and more people. And basically the the
Arbor Day event is people come for the
trees to take trees home. And we usually
get 15 trees. So
>> they they do that. And um
um the other one that was really
successful was doing the uh the hike at
nature trail. people people come out for
that.
>> Okay,
>> that's that's a good one. So, I'm hoping
that um since it's um
closer to Memorial Day
um
Mother's Day, Memorial Day, uh that
maybe um Mike Sheridan would would lead
that. I tried to get to do it last year,
but he wasn't available. And last year,
we did do the try to do the potting
party, but it got rained out. So, you
know, we we're we left with the dirt. We
had a Jerry brought a big pile of dirt
and he then had to card it away later,
but um All right. All right. So, this is
what we're going to have to do. Uh we're
going to have to like communicate by
phone.
So, whenever you get time, I'm usually
home all day. Uh or if I'm not here, I'm
in meetings with the city, but um I have
access to my phone and email. So, um, if
you, you know, if in your days, you
know, you're making contacts, let me
know what's going on. I, I, you know,
want to, I want to keep up on this. I
want to get pretty much everything
ironed out as quickly as possible
with the master gardeners and all. I've
been communicating via email, but I just
cannot get people to call me and I need
to discuss it, you know, with that
person. And, uh, is that Carl behind
you?
Hi, Carl. I
>> can't find my glasses.
>> He can't find his glasses. [laughter]
>> So, uh, we'll be in touch. All right. I
don't There's no sense hanging on any
longer. You know what my plans are. Any
way you could help out, appreciate it.
Um, and like I said, we could do this
over the phone. I do have to get most of
this stuff or at least the a um the
March the April stuff into the March u
uh newsletter. I don't [clears throat]
want to wait too long. I I'll I think
basically the um Arbor Day celebration
should go in the newsletter. So,
>> okay.
>> All right. And um if I can firm up the
bee
pollination program, I'll I'll set that
up um and put that into the newsletter.
In fact, we got to work on those two
right now. So, I I'm going I was
energetic today and yesterday.
I made some phone calls, but um it's
tough to get people with the weather,
you know, they're not working. They're
not at their office and um everybody's
kind of laidback right now. It's hard to
get things done, but [snorts]
>> I have a question for you, Nette.
>> Yes.
>> Has Steve Feedler approached you about
his concept of making the Mullica River
wild and scenic federally?
>> Yes.
He was supposed to he was supposed to
present last month at our meeting and he
canled because I he had an he had a
health issue and I was going to have him
here tonight but I didn't hear from him
again. Um so it's on the it's on the
radar and I think it's a great idea.
>> Thank you.
>> I think it's a great idea. I don't know
if it would uh The other thing we're
doing that
you might uh be interested in is we're
um
I applied for that grant last month,
another sustainable Jersey grant to pay
for a um forestry management plan for
the land beyond the lake. Uh so all of
the forested area, we we don't even know
who owns it.
>> [clears throat]
>> We did some research on it and found out
that it's either city- owned land.
There's a whole section of it there
that's city-owned and another huge
section that says it's under state
control.
However,
we get no tax revenue from the state
like uh Washington Township does for uh
Wharton forest. So, [clears throat] we
want to create a forestry management
plan to present to the community to see
if they want to um
thin out the forest, you know, clean up
some dead trees, uh remove some invasive
species. So, the grant will pay for a
state approved forester to come in and
do a study of that land and then we'll
present it to the public and see what
they want to do because it's, you know,
it's a hard cell to say, "I'm taking
your land and we're going to cut down
trees." But [clears throat] it's, you
can't build on it. It's all unbuildable
land,
>> right? So, it's important, I think, that
we preserve it and keep it in good shape
and protect the city from forest fires
because that seems to be um a big
problem these days.
>> Yes,
>> we're back in a drought, believe it or
not, with all this snow that we're
having. Um we're still in a drought. So
that's it's bad for our type of um
trees and our type of forest because
it's sandy soil and [clears throat] the
water just percolates into the ground.
So if we're in a drought, the surface is
very dry. It there might be water below
the surface, but at the at the top where
the trees need to drink their water and
all that, it's very dry. So, I think
we're at high we're at um we did do a an
preliminary investigation and this uh
forestry service said that we are very
high risk like second from the top. So,
um
>> sounds like you might be interested in
coming to the next meeting of the Iron
Hoff land preserve.
>> Um what's his name knows about it? Um
>> Todd Walker.
>> Not Todd the other fella. John Gar.
>> John Gar is one of them. And Phil
Sartorio.
>> And so he G knows that I applied for and
also
>> he knows the fellow we're going to hire
to do the study.
>> Okay.
>> And [clears throat] he he was really
gung-ho for it. So I don't know.
>> So when do you have your meetings?
>> On the third Monday of the month at the
Roundhouse Museum. every other month
generally and there was none in February
this month. So there will be one in
March.
>> Okay. So it's third Monday of March.
>> Third Monday 7 o'clock. Yes.
>> That would be the 18th.
>> Yes. Roundhouse Museum.
>> Roundhouse
Monday.
>> And what do you what do you what are
they are they working on anything?
Is there anything to do with anything
these days?
>> Interesting question and I think not
much.
>> Yeah.
Well, this might be good for them to get
involved in this and to about it and
all. And
>> we have actual contracts with the city
to manage certain properties.
>> Yeah. But do they actually go out there
and do anything?
Um, not much.
>> Okay. They I know they
>> they post it
>> and I do some trail work.
>> And then the other thing too that um
pertains to the lake area is the fact
that we're um going to have a contract
with um Renault Winery to do manage
manage the lake. um you know like the
the camp the lake and the campground.
>> But when we had first sat down with
them,
>> they said that they were really
interested in health and wellness and
they would love to do love to work on
the trails and do you know be able to go
hiking in the woods and things like have
their people who come and stay at their
hotel have access to that. So, we may
need more trail cleanups like we did
with the nature trail.
>> And uh I know there some of them are
probably really bad, but
>> I don't walk back there. So, I don't
know for sure, but you know, I mean, I
know the intermediate area of the lake
and that's about it. [laughter]
>> You guys go.
>> Someone and I'm curious to know if you
know anything has rebuilt the bridge
over Elliot's Creek on the Antworp
railed. Yeah, I think
>> into a beautiful
>> professional job.
>> Boy Scouts did that.
>> Yeah.
When
>> last year
>> Okay, I'll tell them. Thank you. That's
interesting.
>> Was the Boy Scouts.
>> There was another bridge out there
somewhere that was all dilapidated and
this the county had to fix it.
That's the only bridge I know about.
>> Oh, that maybe it was the county. Maybe
I'm wrong, but
>> it is technically a county road,
>> but the county refuses to acknowledge
that.
>> What road is it on?
>> We're talking about the Antwerp railed.
>> Okay.
>> Behind the Renault Winery
>> behind Tuscany house.
Okay.
Yeah. I uh I never go back in the woods
like that. I mean, someday one day I
I'll get somebody to take me out there,
but
>> I'm sorry. I'm scared [laughter]
by myself.
>> Got to go a group.
>> All right. Anybody else have anything to
offer?
All right. Let me give you my number.
It's 457. Well, I guess I I texted you,
so you have my number, right?
Okay. All right. It was good talking,
folks. Have a good night and uh enjoy
the state of the union. [laughter]
>> Right. Byebye.
>> Try not to get too aggravated.
[laughter]
See you.
All right, guys.
Bye. Bye, guys.