Get Wild...Inside
Stuck Inside? Get Wild! As we are forced to spend more time than ever inside, we are fortunate that technology allows us to enjoy nature right on our computer or mobile device. Connecting with the natural world reminds us of the resilience of life and helps us find hope for the future.
Here in New Jersey we witnessed one of the great All-American comebacks - the amazing resurgence of bald eagles in our state. On the verge of being wiped out 40 years ago, bald eagles made a remarkable comeback, and more than 200 pairs now live in New Jersey. While reality can feel overwhelming right now, stories of perseverance, like the bald eagle's, offer us strength and inspiration.
We've collected all kinds of wonderful stories on our new Get Wild Inside web page to help you connect to wildlife and the promise of better times to come.
Brighten up your day with this collection of webcams, podcasts, educational lessons, videos, Wild New Jersey blog posts, and news stories.
Enjoy the Bird's Eye View
Check out our popular wildlife webcams. But remember - they can be addictive!
- Union County Falcon Cam
- Long Beach Island Osprey Cam
- Duke Farms Bald Eagle Cam
- Jersey City Falcon Cam
Listen to our Engaging Climate Change & Wildlife Podcasts
Our monthly series, State of Change, releases a new episode every month focusing on different species impacted by climate change, each featuring experts in that field.
Catch up on our prior entries if you haven't yet listened to them.
- Episode 1: Saving Beach Nesting Birds
- Episode 2: The Red Knot's Journey
- Episode 3: Pollinators in Peril
- Episode 4: The Terrapin's Trouble
- Episode 5: The Bat's Misunderstood Identity
- Episode 6: Covid-19 and Wildlife
- Episode 7: Ancient Sturgeon Faces Modern Threats
Subscribe to State of Change from Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox or Deezer.
New episodes will be posted here and on our blog.
Kick Back and Savor our Professionally Produced Wildlife Videos!
CWF has worked with a number of professional filmmakers to reveal the stories of wildlife and the people who work or live alongside them.
 | New Jersey's Ospreys: A Symbol of a Healthy CoastCWF has been engaged in the conservation and management of ospreys in New Jersey for the past decade. This video highlights our work surveing nests and managing man-made nest platforms. |
 | Fishing for a Cleaner Barnegat BayDerelict fishing gear continues to plague the depths of Barnegat Bay. Often lost in storms or due to boat traffic, lost or abandoned crab pots (ghost pots) become an unintentional deathtrap for a variety of marine species and reduce otherwise harvestable resources. |
 | The Creature Show: Birds of MayOn the sandy beaches of the Delaware Bay, in New Jersey, a visitor arrives each May from the southernmost tip of South America. Name: Calidris canutus rufa. The rufa red knot. For two crucial weeks, the birds gorge on the eggs of horseshoe crabs as they refuel for the next leg of their journey to the Arctic. The problem is, horseshoe crab eggs are nowhere near as plentiful as they once were... Directed by Jared Flesher, Running time: 28 minutes |
 | Rare Wildlife Revealed Art ShowA unique partnership between Conserve Wildlife Foundation NJ and artist James Fiorentino to save the most endangered creatures of NJ. Conserve Wildlife Foundation is a non-profit organization focusing on threatened, endangered, and imperiled species of mammales, birds, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates with a scientific mission and engaging the public through education. |
 | New Jersey's Hidden CoastDiscover New Jersey’s “other” coastline, a Hidden Coast, the Delaware Bayshore. |
Backyard Safari Series
You don't have to travel to see amazing wildlife. New Jersey is home to many amazing species. Go on safari in your own back yard! We'll add a new video adventure here and on our YouTube channel weekly.
 | Backyard Safari The Antlion's TrapA garden can seem like a haven for an ant but straying into the wrong corner could prove to be a deadly mistake. |
 | Backyard Safari Cricket CombatCrickets are not often thought of as fierce fighters but when two males encounter each other they prove otherwise. |
 | Backyard Safari Wood Frogs: Rites of SpringWood frogs are among the first animals to become active after a long winter. They all converge on one pool with the goal of finding a mate. |
 | Backyard Safari Fiddler CrabsFiddler crabs are one of the most common species in New Jersey's salt marshes but not many people know the fascinating and complex life history that they have evolved. |
Check out our YouTube Channel for more videos.
Zoom With Our Experts On Special Wildlife Panels
CWF and our partners are livestreaming in depth panels on New Jersey's wildlife. We'll collect those livestreams here so you don't miss out!
 | Eyes on Eagles with Mercer County Parks, June 7thCheck back in with the young eagles in their last week before fledging. |
 | Living with Urban Coyotes with Mercer County Parks, June 16thDr. Jon Way and CWF director David Wheeler discuss the Eastern coyote. |
 | Eyes on Eagles with Mercer County Parks, May 10thVisit with the young eagles in their earliest weeks. |
Attention, Educators and Students - Enjoy our Hands-on Wildlife Lessons!
Urban Wildlife Activities
 | Urban Wildlife - 42.3KB |
| City Scavenger Hunt - 50.5KB |
Education Videos
We're launching a new series of education videos designed specifically for these challenging times. Our educators will explore both backyard and in-home activities that you can do on your own.
Check back here for new installments!
 | Backyard BirdingJoin CWF educator Melody as she goes birding in her own backyard. You'll learn how to use the Merlin Bird ID app by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as a tool to identify any birds you may see in your backyard, on a walk through the neighborhood, or even right through your windows at home! Happy birding! |
 | Rosy BoaSpecial guest Rozzy the Rosy Boa joins CWF biologist Allegra Mitchell. Watch with our video about Rachel the corn snake and use the venn diagram template to track the differences and similarities between the two. |
 | Corn SnakesSpecial guest Rachel the corn snake joins CWF Director of Education Stephanie Dalessio. Get to know this native New Jersey species. |
 | Raptor Education VideoCWF Director of Education Stephanie DAlessio makes raptors on our webcams come alive. Students, educators and bird lovers will learn about raptor adaptations and how to use the CWF webcams to observe and collect data on the raptors that we help to protect. |
 | Animal TrackingJoin CWF educator Melody on her walk through her own backyard! We'll be learning about how to identify animal tracks and scat to find out what animals we are sharing our backyards with! Use the provided identification sheet from the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife to fill in the blanks and find out what types of tracks our local species leave behind! |
 | Raptor TalonsJoin CWF Director of Education Stephanie DAlessio to learn all about raptor talons. Make your own talons using a plain sheet of paper you have at home. |
 | Animal AdaptationsGet ready to put your imaginations to work! CWF educator Melody Walkiewicz talks all things animal adaptations and includes a fun activity for parents and kids alike to create their very own unique animals. Not sure what an adaptation is? Watch to find out and see some hands-on examples! |
 | Living LogsWatch as CWF educator Melody explores the world of creatures living in, on, and under fallen logs. Learn about why these things use decaying logs as their homes and how they themselves help the logs through the process of decomposition. |
 | Backyard CompostJoin CWF educator Melody as she covers the ins and outs of having your very own backyard compost! Learn the essentials for starting a compost as well as why composting is a beneficial practice. A perfect activity to get into to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! |
CWF's Educator Resources are perfect for teachers and educators looking to bring science alive. Use our Soaring with STEAM Classroom Programs to share stories of New Jersey’s rare wildlife with students throughout the state and beyond.
Our partners at the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network have put together an amazing list of STEM Activities you can do at home.
Explore Outdoor Adventures in Wild New Jersey!
Nature can feel like our one saving grace during these times stuck indoors. CWF Executive Director David Wheeler shares weekly stories highlighting places you can go to explore nature and wildlife this spring.
- Exploring Wild New Jersey in these Wild Times
- Savoring Springtime at Sandy Hook
- Spring Awakens at Rutgers Gardens
Check back here or on our blog each week for new installments!
For Your Reading and Viewing Pleasure...
CWF has been fortunate to see our exciting wildlife and education projects covered regularly by a range of media. Enjoy some of these stories below!
- One sign of spring in New Jersey: The return of the ospreys, NJ101.5
- Bird watching: See eagles and more on NJ's nest cams, NorthJersey.com
- This plant species disappeared from NJ's coast between 1913 and 2000. It's roaring back, NorthJersey.com
- Soaring with STEAM, New Jersey Education Association Review
- State's bald eagle and falcon populations soar, NJTV
- Tracking The Fastest Animal On Earth: Wildlife Officials Band Peregrine Falcon Chicks Living Above NJ Courthouse, CBS New York 2
- NJ’s endangered piping plover population increased in 2019, but researchers are cautiously optimistic, WHYY
- Rare Herps, Skylands Visitor
- New use found for old crab pots on Barnegat Bay, ABC6