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Each spring, Red knots travel more than 9,000 miles from their wintering areas in Tierra del Fuego, South America to their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic.

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Restoring Critical Delaware Bay Habitat for Rare Wildlife

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is a vital part of a cross-sector team that is leading the efforts to restore the local ecology and economy of New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore region.


Image of Photo Credit: Jan Van der KamPhoto Credit: Jan Van der Kam

On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey. Its devastating impact on the Atlantic coast was well-publicized, but the storm surge also destroyed most of the beaches on the Delaware Bay.

In response, a coalition of biologists, conservation groups, including Conserve Wildlife Foundation, and government agencies sprang into action, and in 2012, successfully restored five Delaware Bay beaches with nearly 30,000 tons of sand.

Additional work after 2012 restored another mile of shoreline, including two new beaches of poor quality even before Sandy. Our restoration work will continue over the coming years, but meanwhile, we, together with American Littoral Society, are pioneering new ways to create a more resilient Delaware Bay shoreline.

For the first time, all Bay communities are taking part in the protection of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds. Concerned citizens are also taking part alongside seasoned professionals with new and expanded volunteer programs like bird banding, horseshoe crab tagging, beach stewardship and the construction of protective oyster reefs.

Together, we can create a resilient Delaware Bayshore teaming with horseshoe crabs, shorebirds and a thriving natural ecosystem that benefits the local economy and Bayshore communities.


Delaware Bay is critical habitat for:


The time-honored migration of Red Knots to reach the eggs of ancient horseshoe crabs is a wildlife spectacle of global significance in Delaware Bay. Red Knots come to New Jersey’s Delaware Bay from as far away as the southernmost tip of South America to feed on horseshoe crab eggs. It is vital that we promote coastal resiliency projects to support the largest population of horseshoe crabs in the world, and the human communities of the Delaware Bayshore alike.


Learn More:


Download 2015 Beach Restoration Infographic

2015 Beach Restoration Infographic - 470.4KB
An infographic showcasing the success of our Delaware Bay beach restoration work to date.

Download 2015 Delaware Bay Shorebird Project Infographic

2015 Delaware Bay Shorebird Project Infographic - 198.3KB
An infographic highlighting the shorebirds of Delaware Bay.


Follow Conserve Wildlife Foundation for Breaking News and Updates:


Contacts:

David Wheeler, Executive Director

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There are many ways to support rare species conservation in New Jersey. Your gift benefits us all by helping to protect our precious natural heritage.

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Our Species

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Explore our online field guide that depicts over 200 species of rare wildlife in New Jersey and learn about how we are working to protect them.