The SER Mid-Atlantic Chapter Field Trip Program Presents

A Tour of the South Cape May Meadows Restoration Project

Saturday October 20, 2012 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Located on the Southwestern tip of Cape May, New Jersey, the South Cape May Meadows Preserve includes over 200 acres of critical habitat in the globally renowned birding hot spot of Cape May, NJ. From 1953 to 2004, the meadows experienced tremendous erosion, with a loss of 134 acres of wetland and 1,110 feet of shoreline. Starting in 2004, The Nature Conservancy teamed with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to restore the freshwater wetland and beach ecosystems of the South Cape May Meadows Preserve and the adjacent Cape May Point State Park. By 2007, the degraded landscape had been returned to a more productive and natural state, benefitting both the wildlife and local communities by adding protection from coastal flooding. The restoration process focused on replenishment of an eroded beach, re-building of the dunes, restoration of a freshwater flow through the wetlands, control of the invasive Phragmites, creation of shorebird foraging and resting areas within the wetland, and installation of water control structures. Bob Allen, TNC’s Director of Conservation Programs, who represented TNC throughout the restoration project, will be our guide.

Registration & Payment
Space is limited, so register early! (Please register before October 5, 2012)

$ 25.00 SER – SER-Mid-Atlantic Members (Lunch & bottle water provided)
$ 40.00 Non-Members (Lunch & bottle water provided)

To pay by check (made out to SER Mid-Atlantic): Mail it with this registration form to: David Robertson, SER Mid-Atlantic Chapter, c/o Pennypack Trust, 2955 Edge Hill Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006-5099

To pay by credit card: Call the Pennypack Trust at 215-657-0830 and indicate that you are registering for the SER Cape May Meadows Field Trip. Then, fax this form to 215-657-1679, mail it to the address above, or send it as an email attachment to drobertson@pennypacktrust.org.

Directions and Meeting Location
(We will meet in Cape May Meadows Preserve Parking Lot at 10:15 AM)  

From Points North: Take the Garden State Parkway (GSP) South to the end where it merges into Lafayette Street in Cape May. Continue straight on Lafayette Street. Bear right onto West Perry Street. This will turn into Sunset Boulevard, drive west for one mile. The preserve is on the left just past Bayshore Road. The parking area is well marked on the left.

From Wilmington, DE: Take Route 295 North to Route 40 E. Follow Route 40 E to Route 55 South. At the end of Route 55 South merge onto Route 47 S and follow Route 47 S to Route 83 E (a left turn). Then proceed to US Highway 9 and follow signs to the ramp to the GSP-South (Follow the directions above from the Garden State Parkway-South).

From Philadelphia, PA: Take Route 676 to Route 76 S and merge onto Route 42 E. Continue to the GSP-South. (Follow the directions above from the Garden State Parkway-South).

Mapping Alternative: Destination for those who plan to map their own route: Bayshore Road and Sunset Boulevard, Cape May, NJ. The preserve parking lot is on the left side of Sunset Boulevard, just passed the intersection with Bayshore Road.

For more information about Cape May Meadows Restoration, visit:  http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newjersey/placesweprotect/south-cape-may-meadows.xml.

For more information about the field trip, Contact Patti Burns at pburns.wetinc@gmail.com or (856) 686-9560.