by: Larissa Smith Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Manager

Horseshoe crabs have been spawning since early May along Delaware Bay beaches.  This is good news for the shorebirds that have been coming to fill up on the eggs before their long flights.  Researchers have reported that the birds have been gaining the weight needed for their flights and a group of  birds have already left the area.

Horseshoe crabs spawning at Fortescue © Bob Bocci

An American kestrel nestling in my hands. Photo by M. Hall

CWF is partnering with the NJ State Federation of Sportsman’s Clubs to host a conference about wildlife conservation, looking at common areas of consern.
We would like to solicit your input so we can build a conference that is interesting, important and on topic for all those working to protect wildlife, recover species and restore habitat.

Please take 5 minutes to complete this survey and let us know what topics you would like to see at a wildlife conservation conference in 2013.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PCYW9S7

Thank you for your input.

Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission & National Moth Week are excited to host a Moth Night on Thursday, May 10th, beginning at 8pm.

Seabrooke Leckie is a freelance biologist and writer living in rural eastern Ontario.  She holds a B.Sc.H. in Zoology and has worked on field research contracts in many parts of the continent, from California to Quebec, British Columbia to Ohio.  She discovered moths quite by accident one summer while away on contract, and they’ve become her number one passion.  Ms. Leckie is the co-author of the new Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America.

Why moths? With more than 10,000 species in North America alone, moths offer endless options for study, education, photography, and fun. Moths can be found everywhere from inner cities and suburban backyards, to the most wild and remote places. The diversity of moths is simply astounding. Their colors and patterns range from bright and dazzling, to so cryptic that they define camouflage.

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ is excited to discover NJ’s moths and hope that you can attend this event on Thursday.

For more information, please visit,  http://www.friendsebec.com/.

The 2012 Women & Wildlife Inspiration Award Winner is Jackie Kashmer.  Jackie has been a wildlife rehabilitator for 20 years but her dedication to bats and her deeper understanding of their needs is an inspiration to all.  Join us to honor Jackie and other 2012 Women & Wildlife Award Winners on Sunday, April 15th beginning at 2pm.  Click here for tickets and more information.

Jackie cares for red bats.

What is the worst thing you have to do for your job?
Spend three hours every night feeding bats.

 What is the best thing you get to do?
Turn the lights off after all the bats are fed.

What has been your biggest success in your current job?
Saving white-nose syndrome bats.

What delights you in your daily work?
Seeing that all the bats have eaten all their worms.

What is the one tool or resource that makes your job easier?
My boyfriend.

If you couldn’t do what you are doing now, what profession would you attempt?
Psychiatry – I would want to figure out what makes people spend all their time and money caring for animals that bite them every day.

What is the best thing anyone ever taught you?
Life is the train ride, not the destination.

What is one thing you learned through your work that surprised you?
That ALL wildlife, large and small, have emotions and personalities.

What wildlife “lives” in your office?
Ants.

If you could be one animal (that lives in NJ of course!) what would you be and why?
A squirrel. They’re frisky, type A personality, like me.  Also, they smell nice!

Why did you decide to protect or educate people about NJ’s wildlife?
People are clueless about anything that doesn’t directly affect them and have very little common sense when it comes to wildlife.  Thank goodness human babies are so durable!!

What were you doing before you answered these questions?
Feeding bats, of course.

One thing most people don’t know about you?
I’m a court reporter in federal court, so most people don’t know that my “real” full-time job is rehabilitating bats.

Learn more about Jackie’s work by reading a recent blog post.

Larissa Smith accepts a check on behalf of CWF from Ed Depalma with the OD Marathon.

By; Larissa Smith,  Biologist/Volunteer Manager

The Conserve Wildlife Foundation is one of the beneficiaries of the Ocean Drive Marathon which took place in Cape May County on March 25th. This year CWF received a generous donation of $7,000!  We would like to thank the organizers of the marathon for their continual support of CWF.