Pete Izzo, Sandy Hook Foundation President of the Board, his wife Marian and their daughters

MARCH Programs in the Park

The “Haul Out” Hang Out

Fort Hancock, Officer Row House #7

Monday, March 6, 1 PM – 3 PM

AND

Monday, March 20

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Join a park ranger to search for seal activity during their annual migration. Learn about the species of seals and why they prefer Sandy Hook’s coastline during the winter months, and how to safely view them to ensure their protection.

Photo: Conserve Coastal Wildlife

Worm Moon – Full Moon Walk

Beach Plaza C 

Tuesday, March 7 

7 PM – 8:30 PM

The Worm Moon is the last full moon of the winter equinox. It is often named the worm moon because of the abundance of earthworms emerging from the ground, leaving trails in the thawed frost. Join a park ranger on this trek along the bay and enjoy the opportunity to view the beautiful landscape by the light of the moon. Call 732-872-5970 to make a reservation. ♥ 1 mile

Restoring Battery Gunnison/New Battery Peck

Saturday, March 11

12 PM – 5 PM

The Army Ground Forces Association is a volunteer group in WWII era uniform performing restoration projects and interpreting Battery Gunnison/New Peck. Visitors are invited to stop by to chat and learn more about the historic time period of 1943 at Fort Hancock.

Holly Forest Walk

Parking Lot L

Friday, March 24

4 PM – 6 PM

Some of the oldest American Holly trees in the country can be found among Sandy Hook’s nearly 300 acres of holly forest. The ranger will hike through the maritime forest and explain how this dominant species has adapted to wind and salt spray in the rugged terrain. Waterproof footwear is recommended. Call 732-872-5970 to make a reservation. ♥1 mile

Sandy Hook Visitor Center (Lighthouse Keepers Quarters) & Park Store

Saturdays and Sundays

10 AM – 4 PM 

Visit the Lighthouse Keepers' Quarters exhibits on New Jersey lighthouses, a rotating art exhibit, and please visit the park store.

Call (732) 872-5970 for more information

Gateway National Recreation Area Celebrates 50 Years as a National Park in 2022-2023

Get Your Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Commemorative Poster Today!

Receive a high-quality print of Erick Sahler’s WPA-style Gateway National Recreation Area 50th Anniversary print. The prints measure 8.5” x 11”, ready to be displayed or framed.

Your donation supports the work of The Sandy Hook Foundation, to preserve and protect Sandy Hook's natural and cultural resources. Limited quantity. $40.00 each, includes shipping.

Order Today!

Camp Gateway Open for Reservations!

Visit the campsite reservation link HERE and book your spring or summer camping trip on Sandy Hook today!

The Sandy Hook Foundation (SHF) achieved the 2022 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Guidestar/Candid which is 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.

March Means Return of the Ospreys to Sandy Hook

Watch the OSPREYS of SANDY HOOK, an educational film from The Sandy Hook Foundation!

The osprey, formally known as the fish hawk, is one of New Jersey’s largest raptors, and is well known along coastal marshes. The bird is distinguished by its dark underwing patches and the crook at the wrist joint of the long, narrow wing. The female is slightly larger than the male and exhibits a more prominent “necklace” of dark feathers on its chest. An osprey’s average wingspan is 63 inches, and they weigh about 3 pounds. 

In New Jersey, ospreys nest along the Atlantic Coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May, and along the Delaware Bay and River in Cumberland, Salem, and Gloucester counties. As a result of reintroduction efforts on northern New Jersey lakes, ospreys also nest along the upper Delaware River. Ospreys prefer to build their large stick nests close to water on tall, dead trees, live trees, channel markers, old duck blinds, and telephone poles. At Sandy Hook, look upwards to chimneys on houses along Officer's Row. Man-made structures placed on the marsh for their nesting have replaced trees and are largely responsible for the recovery of ospreys in the state. 

Special adaptations make the osprey exceptional at fishing. Most notable is the bird’s outer toe, which can reverse to oppose the other two (most birds grip with three toes in front, and one in back. The osprey can, however, reverse its outer third toe—which means it can grab prey with two toes forward, and two toes back, ensuring a better grip). Its toes are equipped with tiny spines, or spicules, that enable them to grasp slippery fish. The osprey will dive several feet into the water, feet first, after fish. When carrying a fish, the bird keeps the fish’s head forward to reduce wind resistance. An osprey’s diet consists almost entirely of fish, although occasionally during the breeding season some bird carcasses have been observed near the nest. 

In New Jersey, ospreys arrive on breeding grounds in late March, usually to the same nests each year. Pairs begin courtship and nest building in early April. Eggs are laid in mid-April to early May, usually three buff colored, brown spotted eggs. Incubation lasts 32- 42 days, and most young hatch in late May. The chicks are helpless and require close parental care. Young birds fledge the nest at 7-8 weeks of age in mid-late July. Adults continue to feed young in the area of the nest for several weeks while young ospreys learn flying and hunting skills. In late August and early September, ospreys leave New Jersey for their winter habitat. 

Information thanks to Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

Speaking of Birds ...

Sandy Hook is getting ready for another season of piping plover protection and we need your help! 

Volunteers will assist staff with installing

symbolic fencing perpendicular to the shoreline in response to the returning nesting shorebirds on Saturday, March 11 & Sunday, March 12. 

In preparation for the symbolic fencing dates, the park will host a virtual training session on Monday, March 6 at 6:00 p.m.

If interested in this opportunity or future projects to protect Sandy Hook’s shorebirds, please contact Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Jonathon Ahl.

jonathon_ahl@partner.nps.gov or call him at 732-962-2336.

SAVE the DATES!

EVERY KID OUTDOORS

April 22, 2023

Celebrate National Park Week and

Earth Day

Saturday, April 22

2 pm - 4 pm

Scavenger Hunt

Start at the Lighthouse Keepers Quarters and win a special coin when you visit each correct location after you've solved the clue. Clues pertain to Revolutionary History on Sandy Hook.

Falcon and Hawk Demonstration

Visit with a live hawk and falcon on the arm of a trained handler and learn more about these birds of prey.

7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Beach Lot E

STARS Astronomy Program

Join members of the STARS Astronomy Club and look through their high powered telescopes at the observable waxing crescent moon.

The Sandy Hook Foundation and the National Park Service at Sandy Hook are pleased to invite one and all to this day of free, fun and engaging outdoor activities for kids of all ages! Join us in celebration of our beautiful planet earth at your beautiful national park, Sandy Hook!

Call the Sandy Hook Visitors Center at 732-872-5970 to learn more or with questions.

Spring Soiree

Saturday, May 20, 5:30pm - 8 pm

Spermaceti Cove Lifesaving Station No. 2

Sandy Hook

Please save the date to join us at this festive event in an exclusive location on Sandy Hook. The event will feature light bites by Chef David Burke and Red Horse Rumson, raw bar by The Lusty Lobster, and an auction filled with experiences and activities only available to our guests. Details to follow, see you at the beach!

FISH ON

Fishing Access Permits will be available for purchase, 

online only, through recreation.gov between March 1 and May 15 and again between September 15 and November 15.

Permits will not be available before 10 am on March 1, and payment will not be accepted in person. Information about when and where to pick up vehicle decals will be available on recreation.gov at the time of purchase. 

You can find out more about fishing access permits (as well as some of the other permits available throughout the park) on Gateway's website. Click HERE to learn more about permits.

The Sandy Hook Foundation Named Charity Partner of Jersey Shore Half Marathon on Sandy Hook for 2023

JOIN OUR TEAM!

The Sandy Hook Foundation is very pleased to again be named the official Charity Partner of the 2023 Jersey Shore Half Marathon. The race will take place on Sunday, October 1 on Sandy Hook and will be produced by the Shore Athletic Club (Shore A.C.), with support from the National Park Service at Sandy Hook. 

This year, we invite you to be a part of The Sandy Hook Foundation Team in this 2-mile run or half marathon race, as we raise funds for our work in the park. Early Bird discounts for signing up soon. Please, join us!

The National Park Service is Hiring for the Summer!

SCA Resource Interpretation Interns assist park rangers and volunteers with the park’s Shorebird Ecology Ambassador Volunteer Program (SEA-VIP). The SEA-VIP interns educate New Jersey beachgoers about the importance of sharing the shore with threatened and sensitive beach nesting birds that call Gateway NRA home. Interns help to staff visitor contact stations throughout Sandy Hook, while guiding visitors to some of the premier swimming beaches in the NYC metropolitan area, and educate beachgoers about the abundance of natural, cultural, and recreational resources within the park. 

Position dates: May 22 - August 12, 2023 (12 week paid internship)

Compensation: $600/week living allowance; $1,718 AmeriCorps Education Award (requires successful completion of position/ required total hours of service) 

Learn more and apply today at the SCA. 

Contact Supervisory Park Ranger Jennifer Cox for more information: jennifer_cox@nps.gov

​Resource Interpretation Intern (PO-00728117) - Student Conservation Association (thesca.org)

SCA Bilingual Water Safety Interns educate visitors in both English and Spanish about the dangers of swimming in non-guarded beaches and how to recognize characteristics of water depth, changes in currents & tides, and man-made hazards in the water. Interns will provide instruction to visitors about what to do when encountering danger in the water and how to get help. Interns promote and educate the public about Water Safety and Leave No Trace through photos and videos to be posted on park social media forums and the park website. The intern will assist the park rangers with all water-based programs and events, such as canoeing, seining, Junior Ranger Lifeguard, Latino Conservation Weekend and World Oceans Day. 

Position dates: May 22 - August 12, 2023 (12-week paid internship)

Weekly living allowance: $350/week

Travel Grant: $650

AmeriCorps Education Award: $1,718 (based upon successful completion of the position).

Housing Provided on site.

Bilingual Water Safety Intern (Fluent in Spanish) (PO-00733977) - Student Conservation Association (thesca.org)

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.