Conserve Wildlife Blog

Posts Tagged ‘2021’

Conserve Wildlife Foundation Appoints New Executive Director

Friday, October 8th, 2021

The Board of Trustees of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Liz Silvernail to Executive Director. In this role, Silvernail will guide the organization in its work to preserve rare and at-risk wildlife in New Jersey through field science, habitat restoration, public engagement, and education.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to lead CWF as executive director,” said Silvernail. “With the support of our dedicated and hard-working biologists, the leadership of our board, and the commitment of our supporters and volunteers, we’re ready to take on the daunting challenges facing our rare wildlife and the habitats on which they depend.”

A part of CWF for nearly 12 years, Silvernail was most recently Acting Executive Director. Previously, she was Director of Development where she formed strong corporate and donor partnerships to build organizational capacity and impact. Through her leadership, CWF developed and implemented highly successful STEAM educational programs throughout New Jersey schools as well as the annual Women & Wildlife Awards and a host of outreach initiatives to promote public awareness of at-risk wildlife.

“Liz is uniquely qualified to lead CWF in the implementation of our strategic plan,” stated Steve Neumann, President of the Board of Trustees for CWF. “Her passion for environmental causes, depth of experience, vision and collaborative approach will be instrumental in our partnerships and donor support.”

Silvernail brings over 30 years of non-profit experience to the role. Prior to joining CWF, she championed environmental advocacy for both Scenic Hudson and NJ Keep it Green. A graduate of Boston College, she serves on the board of EarthShare New Jersey and has volunteered with the Garden Club of America, Junior League of Greater Princeton, and Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Amy Greene of Amy Greene Environmental and a CWF Trustee offered, “Liz’s deep understanding of the organization’s mission, her strong relationship with CWF and NJDEP staff and donors, her commitment to restoring New Jersey’s rare species populations, and her compassion for educating its human inhabitants about the importance of rare species protection makes her a natural to lead CWF to continue to help New Jersey’s most threatened wildlife thrive.”

>> Learn more about Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

Two are sometimes better than three

Thursday, October 7th, 2021
A season of change and hope at the Barnegat Light Osprey Cam.

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

The “new” female at the BL Osprey Cam. April 5, 2021. Note the small dark fleck on her right iris.

By far, this was the most viewed season of the Barnegat Light Osprey Cam, with over 360,000 views and 111,000 hours watched! It was a season of change. Viewers throughout the world watched as the mated pair successfully fledged two healthy young. We witnessed the trials and tribulations of a new pair, especially the female, who we believe attempted reproduction for the first time in her life. We saw that life as a young osprey was not always guaranteed, which is something we rarely get to witness but know is quite common at many nests throughout the world; however, with an experienced male and plentiful prey, the surviving young thrived. As we work on a season long highlight video, here is a brief summary of their nesting season.

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Dark Star, the Oiled Osprey

Thursday, June 3rd, 2021

A couple weeks ago colleagues with NJ Fish & Wildlife shared a video clip of a dark osprey who landed on a nest platform along the Maurice River near Leesburg, NJ. “Looks like an oiled bird” the text read. Indeed it looked like the bird was exposed to some form of petroleum product, which stained its feathers a dark color. At the time, there was no oil spill reported to NJDEP (this was on May 10) and the video shows that the bird was observed on the nest on May 1, 2021.

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Survival of the Fittest Falcons

Thursday, May 27th, 2021
Female falcon 02/AN. She originated from a coastal nest in Bass River in 2011. Here she was photographed at her nest in May 2020 at Sedge Island.

Just imagine having to defend your home from an invader who wants to steal your home and mate. All you have to protect yourself and home are your bare hands (or talons). You fought this same battle several years ago and staked your claim here. It was a hard won battle that could have been the end.

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Photo From the Field: #213

Tuesday, May 18th, 2021
Ben Wurst, CWF Habitat Program Manager (right) with local volunteers, AC Electric and DuBois Environmental Staff who helped install this osprey nest platform in Atlantic City.
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