by Meaghan Lyon, Wildlife Biologist
Recently the service recognized Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) for their collaborative conservation work alongside the New Jersey Field Office and other partners in the region. The Military Conservation Partnership Award was presented to JB MDL on January 21 to acknowledge their efforts in conservation and research.
Through CWFNJ’s partnership with the USFWS New Jersey Field Office, there has been years of effort restoring native grassland habitat for Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, and Grasshopper Sparrow at the JB MDL. Roughly 400 acres have been restored to date and will continue into future years. Additional work with Northern long-eared bats at JB MDL has been really successful and insightful in recent years.
The service writes, “the JB MDL demonstrates an exceptional commitment to cooperative partnerships, protection of rare species, and provides high value outdoor recreation programs to the public and our veterans, all while achieving military readiness”.