Dear Friends of Sandy Hook,
The Osprey are back at Sandy Hook and working tirelessly to build up their nests and prepare for the new spring season. It's such a pleasure to hear their cries and watch as they return with the same mate to the same nest year after year, a true harbinger of spring! To learn more about these amazing birds view The Osprey of Sandy Hook video on our website here, or sign up to join the NPS Junior Ranger program Operation Osprey on April 23!
We are looking forward to welcoming our teams to Hunt the Hook on April 9. Please stop by the lighthouse to say hello to trustees and staff of The Sandy Hook Foundation.
Best of luck!
The Foundation is also looking forward to our Summer Soiree festive fundraiser on Friday, May 20. The party will be held at the newly restored Spermaceti Cove No. 2 Life-Saving Station, unopened for the last 12 years, and made available to us by the NPS for this special evening. Look for event details coming soon!
The Staff and Board of Trustees of the Sandy Hook Foundation
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Save the Date to Hunt the Hook!
A Scavenger Hunt
April 9 - 13, 2022
WHAT: HUNT the HOOK In early celebration of National Park Week. The Sandy Hook Foundation is pleased to present a scavenger hunt (of sorts) for all ages, meant to engage and inspire the public within the park in a safe, fun, and (slightly) competitive way.
WIN the GRAND PRIZE for YOUR TEAM:
- One Sandy Hook Summer Beach Parking Pass Voucher Valid Memorial Day - Labor Day 2022
- $100 Gift Certificate to The Lusty Lobster, Highlands, NJ
- Swag Basket from Sandy Hook Foundation
NEW this year, Team Leaders can invite friends, family and co-workers to join and fundraise for your team, to benefit SHF.
WHERE: Your home and Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway National Recreation Area
WHEN: Now through 4/7, register your group with one $15 donation; 4/8, 5pm Clues posted on The Sandy Hook Foundation website, or emailed to you upon request; 4/9 - 4/13 - You have 5 days, from dawn to dusk, to decipher clues, find the locations on Sandy Hook, and provide proof through submission of photos or sketches that depict the answer; 4/13, 5pm - Final answers and photos submitted; 4/15 Winner notified! In the event there are multiple teams with winning answers and proof, a raffle will take place to pull the winning name
WHY: Have fun, explore, and learn more about your National Park during National Park Week
HOW: Decipher the clues, determine which location on Sandy Hook is the answer, go to the location and take a picture with your HUNT the HOOK sign. Submit your answers (submission details provided upon registration).
* Clues best suited for 8+ years or with an adult
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Save the Date
STARS Astronomy Program; Stars of Sandy Hook
Join park rangers and the S.T.A.R. Astronomy Society to observe the waxing gibbous moon (77% full), Mercury in the western skies, and a variety of constellations.
Parking Lot E
Wednesday, May 11
8 pm - 10 pm
Scopes and experts will be on hand. No reservations required, open to all. For questions please call 732.872.5970
Summer Soiree
Join The Sandy Hook Foundation in support of our national park to help kick off the summer on Friday, May 20 from 5:30 - 8 PM for this festive occasion at the newly restored Spermaceti Cove No. 2 Life Saving Station at Sandy Hook. The National Park Service is making the space exclusively available to SHF and our guests for this special evening, Built in 1894, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The first life saving station in the country was located at Sandy Hook and artifacts from the park's collection will be on display.
Enjoy a fabulous raw bar by The Lusty Lobster; Lite bites, signature cocktails and wine selections by Chef David Burke & Red Horse by David Burke, and live music by The Danjos. The setting will be indoors and out.
Tickets begin at $150 and sponsorships are available. Tickets will be available online beginning April 13, space is limited. For more information please email The Sandy Hook Foundation's office today. See you at the beach!
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Earliest known photograph, ca. 1900, of the 1894 Spermaceti Cove Life-Saving Station, courtesy NPS |
Fishing this Year at Sandy Hook
Fishing permits are on sale now through REC.GOV
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Other Park Partner Programs
Monmouth County Audubon Society Bird Walk
Join this 2 hour walk with birding experts to look for Osprey, herons, egrets and arriving spring migrants. Remember to bring your binoculars.
Parking Lot E - South End
Saturday, April 10
10 AM - 12 Noon
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The Sandy Hook Foundation (SHF) has achieved the 2022 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Guidestar/Candid, the highest level of transparency. Guidestar's mission is to revolutionize philanthropy by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving. |
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April in the Park
Nature Rx Day
Explore the Holly Forest
Healthy Parks Healthy People
Some of the oldest American Holly trees in the country can be found among Sandy Hook’s nearly 300 acres of holly forest. Join a ranger on a prescribed walk through the forest and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of nature.
Spermaceti Cove Parking Lot (between Lots D & E)
Saturday, April 16
11 Am - 12:30 PM
Reservations required by calling 732-872-5970 ♥1 mile
Pink Moon - Full Moon Walk
April's pink moon represents rebirth and revitalization of all living things. The plants and flowers are blooming, signifying a new cycle of life has begun. Join a ranger for this full moon walk.
Spermaceti Cove Parking Lot (between Lots D & E)
Sunday, April 17
7 PM - 9 PM
Reservations required by calling 732-872-5970 ♥ 1 mile
Junior Ranger Angler
Looking for something fun over spring break? The National Park Service and the American Littoral Society are partnering to teach younger children how to fish. Join them for a day of surf fishing and instruction on the beach. Basics such as casting, knot tying, lure and bait selection, and how to "read" a beach will be covered. All skill levels are welcome. Rods, reels and tackle will be provided. Children between the ages of 7 - 13 are welcome with a supervising adult. Please bring your own lunch and snacks. Please register at the link NJDEP | NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program for the NJ Saltwater Fishing Registry, and complete, print, and bring the form with you to the in-person program. This program is free.
Officer's Row House #18, Fort Hancock
Wednesday, April 20
9 AM - 1 PM
Volunteer Beach Clean-up Day
Reducing pollution through beach clean-up is a critical way to protect beaches and marine animals. We are all part of the solution. Come and learn about the impacts of waste-related pollution while actively removing litter from the shoreline. Please bring your own gloves, and the park will provide buckets and pickers.
Beach Plaza C - Parking Lot C
Friday, April 22
5 PM - 7 PM
All are welcome, no reservations required.
Junior Ranger Day - Operation Osprey
Join a park ranger to learn about Osprey behavior and habitat. The program will be followed by up with a cleanup along Sod Banks, near Horseshoe Cove. Wear comfortable shoes.
Reservations required by calling 732-872-5970
Sunday, April 23
1 PM - 2:30 PM
Guardian Park - Fort Hancock
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Speaking of Birds ...
Meet Sandy Hook's Newest Community Volunteer Ambassador
Lloyd Crawford is thrilled to be doing something he loves. Originally from Hillside, New Jersey, Lloyd is the newest addition to the Interpretation & Education Team at Sandy Hook, and he is serving as the Community Volunteer Ambassador for one year. He hopes to recruit volunteers to help protect the habitats of threatened and endangered nesting shorebird species, specifically the Piping Plover.
Lloyd credits several influences in his life which helped lead him to begin his career path with the National Park Service and what a career with an environmental focus could be. Together with his dad, he loved to go on nature walks, work in the garden, and fish. This nurtured his love for the outdoors. In middle school, Lloyd was fortunate enough to have an inspirational teacher who taught environmental science and who sparked an interest in this field of work.
In high school, Lloyd was unsure of his future career goals. He decided to go to college for journalism to satisfy another passion of his, writing. After focusing on journalism, Lloyd knew it wasn’t what he was looking for, so he decided to transfer to Kane University, where he graduated with a degree in environmental biology. A recent graduate (December 2021), with an internship at the Meadowlands Institute under his belt, Lloyd came to the NPS with knowledge of bird banding, migration routes, and bird behaviors. Lloyd also participated in an internship related to spotted lantern flies where he performed genetic sequencing to determine whether northern flies were different from southern flies. The purpose behind the genetic sequencing was to find a piece of the puzzle for a solution to get rid of them.
Lloyd's position at Sandy Hook is a new one. It was a position in the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, which volunteer leader Chris Alieri turned into an independent nonprofit program called the NYC Plover Project. At Sandy Hook, the program is called the Shorebird Ecology Ambassador, Volunteers in Park (SEA-VIP) program.
Lloyd is hopeful that volunteers will consider joining the park’s team as a Shorebird Ecology Ambassador (SEA), so others can help preserve and protect the Piping Plover and other threatened and endangered nesting shorebirds. Volunteer opportunities include assistance with shorebird protection projects (Installing symbolic fencing/signs), monitoring beach use and nesting sites, educating beach users about dune and beach wildlife and habitat, and staffing an information booth in the beach plazas. Lloyd led one volunteer training event in March and has another in-person event coming up on April 10, Participants can expect to get educated about the piping plover, which is a federally-designated threatened species. The National Park Service is mandated by the federal government to protect these tiny, vulnerable birds.
Lloyd stresses the importance of having volunteers who will want to communicate directly with the public. He knows that community awareness is important. "Having as many people on board is what will be important to the success of the program," he says. As part of the program, some volunteers will be setting up exhibits outdoors and volunteering as assistant event coordinators. Lloyd is also looking for volunteers who can add other create ways to educate the public. Volunteers who have skills in virtual arts, like graphic designers and social media contributors, are also needed.
When not working, you can find Lloyd hiking and recreating on the Jersey Shore, or perhaps at his weekly meet up with friends to play Dungeons and Dragons.
Lloyd now lives on Sandy Hook. He says every single day is different, and more beautiful than the last. To volunteer with Lloyd to help protect the piping plover, please email him directly to get started with the National Park Service.
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The Sandy Hook Foundation Named Charity Partner for Jersey Shore Half Marathon
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The Sandy Hook Foundation is pleased to be named as the official Charity Partner of the 2022 Jersey Shore Half Marathon, produced by the Shore Athletic Club, (Shore A.C.). During registration, participants will have the option to make a tax-deductible donation to The Sandy Hook Foundation through the event website, to support our work within the park. The Foundation will also be present on race day.
For questions or more information about the Jersey Shore Half Marathon, contact race coordinator Erin O’Neill. Both groups look forward to seeing you at the beach on Sunday, October 2, 2022.
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The Sandy Hook Foundation, a designated
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the
Official Friends Group of the
National Park Service at Sandy Hook.
We rely on your support and
every donation is meaningful.
Please, consider your contribution today.
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