September 2022
OCEAN COUNTY SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT PROGRAMS, PROJECTS & NEWS
Explore Our Projects - Visit Our Blog
OCSCD now has an active blog page on our website featuring the latest updates on our many activities, projects, programs and grants, as well as a closer look at the Soil Erosion & Sediment Control Standards. Click below and explore!
A subaqueous soil sample from Great Bay is split open for analysis on the boat.
In the Field with OCSCD Staff
Protect Mature Trees on Project Sites
Through continued new construction and redevelopment activity in Ocean County, many developers choose to protect mature trees on project sites for a variety of reasons. Trees provide many essential services including soil stability, aesthetics, wildlife habitat, noise abatement and oxygen production. Visit our blog and learn about the benefits of trees and how to protect mature trees on a construction site.

OCSCD's Aquaculture Initiative
COASTAL Aquaculture Project
In August, the Ocean County Soil Conservation District announced that along with their partners they were awarded funding for a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project from the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS or NRCS). Along with a diverse group of partners, the OCSCD has been awarded $961,227 for their NJ COASTAL Aquaculture Project (Conservation Opportunities Advancing Sustainable Technologies for Aquaculture Leases); of which 70% will go directly to shellfish aquaculture producers. Click here to read the full announcement. (Photo: Representatives from OCSCD (Kristin Adams), Stockton University (Dr. Christine Thompson & Steve Evert) and Jetty Rock Foundation (Julia Tomelden, Kyle Gronostajski, & Jackie Sweeney) discuss oyster restoration at Stockton University’s Mill Creek Reef – photo by Susan Allen)
SPARC Project
OCSCD continues to further our efforts on the Sustainable Practices for Aquaculture Resource Conservation grant project (SPARC). This past month District Erosion Control Specialist Kristin Adams joined Dr. Christine Thompson and Steve Evert from the Stockton University Marine Field Station as they witnessed the very first shell planting of Stockton University’s second oyster reef restoration site, the Mill Creek Reef.

With funding from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and support from the Jetty Rock Foundation, Stockton University contracted with Parsons Mariculture to remotely set roughly 40 million oyster larvae on over 1000 bushels of recycled shell. Learn more.
Also in August, the Ocean County Soil Conservation District was awarded a third year of funding through the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Technical Assistance Grants program. The District’s SPARC project will continue to build District capacity through two pathways that occur simultaneously. District staff, including Christine Raabe, District Director, and Kristin Adams, Erosion Control Specialist, along with a broad-based Advisory Committee Partnership will connect with local shellfish farmers, primarily within Barnegat and Great Bays, to gain a better understanding of their specific natural resource concerns. Ms. Adams will continue working towards NRCS Certified Conservation Planner status and the District will work to further develop the conservation practices of the NJ NRCS Aquaculture Initiative, while increasing funding opportunities for producer participation and involvement. Click here for more information.  (SPARC Photos: Top: From left to right: Steve Evert (Stockton Marine Field Station Director), Collen Heffernan (Stockton student), Isaac Cruz (Stockton student), Dr. Christine Thompson (Assistant Professor of Marine Science) & Kristin Adams (OCSCD Erosion Control Specialist) hold recycled shells with oyster larvae attached while Dale Parsons and staff from Parson's Mariculture deploy 1000 bushels of spat-on-shell in the background. Bottom: Kristin Adams adds spat-on-shell to the Mill Creek Reef. Photos by Susan Allen)
Education Programs
Jersey-Friendly Yards 2022 Webinar Series
Back to Basics: 8 Steps to a Jersey-Friendly Yard!
This year’s webinar series reminds us that a Jersey-Friendly Yard doesn’t have to be a monumental task. Start small and stick to the basics. Each program in this series ties-to one of the 8 Steps to a Jersey-Friendly Yard. Learn how to incorporate these basic components into our landscaping practices, resulting in a beautiful and healthy Jersey-Friendly Yard!
September 13 - Step 8: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in the Yard
Join us for our final 2022 webinar! Learn about how to compost your yard waste in place. Stop sending leaves, grass clippings, and spent plants to the curb. Composting at home gives you the power of nurturing the soil that will provide you with food, clean water, and air while treating yard waste right at the source. By practicing the art of composting, you can attract beautiful wildlife to your yard and create a healthy ecosystem. Composting can reduce greenhouse gases, preserve valuable landfill space, and save you time and money; in a few words, it is a great way to improve our environment and go on a path of sustainability. Pre-registration required. (Photo: Compost piles, by Becky Laboy, M.Ed., Education Outreach Specialist, OCSCD)
Jersey-Friendly Yards 2022 Conference
Welcoming Wildlife to Your Jersey-Friendly Yard!
Visit our website: www.SoilDistrict.org
In 2022 we celebrate the 70th year of the Ocean County Soil Conservation District. We remain committed to building and sustaining a conservation legacy by working with our partners and constituents to conserve, protect and restore our soil, water and natural resources by providing technical assistance, implementing restoration projects, and most importantly through education.
OCSCD's monthly newsletter is edited by Becky Laboy, M.Ed. Education Outreach Specialist. For information about education programs, events and projects pertaining to soil, water, native gardening and natural resource conservation, please contact Becky at education@soildistrict.org. For technical questions regarding soil disturbance and regulations pertaining to the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act, please call (609) 971-7002.