Scudder Preserve. Photo by Jena Cosimo | |
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Dear William,
We are truly abuzz as the weather heats up, and we enter the summer season. Several preservation projects have blossomed and borne fruit over the past few months.
This newsletter showcases the recent accomplishments that have resulted from the many private and public partners, grantors, and individual donors who work with us and support our efforts to #KeepMonmouthGreen. Continue to read more below about all our collective efforts and discover the many hidden gems that await you throughout Monmouth County.
May you have a splendid summer finding these many places of wonder and discovery that make our county a destination for visitors and a beautiful place to live and play.
Cordially,
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At the heart of our work is land preservation, and we are proud to work alongside our federal, state, county, and municipal partners, as well as our nonprofit peers to #KeepMonmouthGreen. Follow these news nuggets and delve into the process that can take time to bear fruit. |
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Driving through the hills of the Navesink section of Middletown, lies a hidden gem – the Scudder Preserve. The 90-acre property is split by Browns Dock Road, that leads to the ridge overlooking the Navesink River and including Huber Woods, a Monmouth County Park. Nestled on one side of Browns Dock Road are 60 acres and across the road are the remaining 30 acres.
Together, the two parcels include century forest, rolling hills, and meadows filled with numerous native plant and tree species, groves of laurels and rhododendrons, wetlands, ponds, and a variety of wildlife.
After overseeing the site’s conservation easements for decades, MCF took over ownership of the Scudder Preserve from New Jersey Audubon Society (NJA) in April 2024. An organizational first to possess our own land, Scudder Preserve provides a future home base and opportunities for continuing to share the bounty of nature with all residents. Click here to read more.
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“And they’re off!” These words start the Kentucky Derby each May and lead to the most exciting two minutes in sports. The Derby, run for the 150th time last month at Churchill Downs, is a race with a global following and local ties. Horses bred, raised, and trained right here in Monmouth County, New Jersey at the recently preserved Overbrook Farm in Colts Neck have taken part in the Derby. Most notable was Irish War Cry, who also had connections to Monmouth Park Racetrack.
We are proud to have played a key role in permanently preserving one of the many horse farms in Colts Neck that would otherwise offer prime real estate for 30 or more single family homes – Overbrook Farm, a 235-acre thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm. As we celebrated the Kentucky Derby and the opening of Monmouth Park Racetrack last month, join us for a closer look at this special farm.
Click here to read more
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MCF’s work is driven largely by the individuals, businesses, and foundations who make charitable contributions and put their mark on preserving open space. We are in the home stretch of our For Monmouth For Our Future $8.25 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, and we are so close to reaching our fundraising goal by June 30, 2024.
Donations received over the past nearly four years have brought several preservation projects to fruition, created new public parks, and allowed us to add to our staff and to revitalize our educational outreach programming. We have much more to do, and there is still time to donate or pledge your support, making an impact that will last forever.
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Intimate Wine-Tasting Celebration Hosted by the Taffins | |
The MCF team is grateful to our dear friends, Erin and Andy Taffin, for opening their home to friends and neighbors and hosting an evening wine-tasting competition on June 8, 2024. Guests enjoyed mystery wines from five regions curated by The Wine Academy paired with delicious food by Chef Big Mike of Saltwater Social, and then tried to guess the wines’ origins. The special evening, held overlooking the Taffins’ gorgeous Foreluck Farm in Middletown, was a celebration of MCF’s recent acquisition of the Scudder Preserve and successes enabled by our For Monmouth For Our Future comprehensive campaign thus far. Donations made in conjunction with the event were matched up to $250,000 by the Montecalvo Family. We wholeheartedly thank the Taffins, the Montecalvos, and everyone who contributed and simply came out in support of MCF. | |
L-R: MCF’s Karen Keene and Bill Kastning, Erin and Andy Taffin | |
L-R: Frank and Valerie Montecalvo, Paige and Frankie Montecalvo | |
Photos by Andrei Jackamets Photography | |
Over the past few years, we have made great headway in our park development efforts, which we prioritize in underserved communities. | |
Photo by Fred Yahn, Eagle Drone Solutions | |
In May we learned that MCF was awarded a $500,000 Brownfield Community-Wide Assessment grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The three-year funding will be used to assess Brownfield sites over a 210-acre area of Red Bank, New Jersey, including the Borough’s former landfill, to plan for remediation, and to develop plans for a new park, with community engagement being a key element of the work. This grant is a critical step in the lengthy process of developing a new park. With our partners, we have the plans and funding strategy in place to ensure we reach the finish line. | |
Click here for full details on the grant’s target area for revitalization, vision for the new green space, and the public-private partnership making it happen. | |
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Have you seen this beautiful Red-headed woodpecker? Unlike the cartoon Woody Woodpecker, these delightful woodpeckers are a bit more elusive, and we think far more remarkable. But where can you see such birds in their habitat?
This picture comes from what was once an overgrown, neglected property that the citizen-led Friends of Jackson Woods has transformed into a beautiful community park at the northern end of Long Branch. MCF proudly supported this effort and continues to facilitate partnerships and funding for further improvements at Jackson Woods, and the birds are clearly singing happily.
This Red-headed woodpecker was spotted during spring migration in May 2024 at Jackson Woods. A rarity for Monmouth County and a threatened species in New Jersey, its presence signifies the importance of pockets of preserved green space like Jackson Woods.
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This spring we gladly accepted the invitation to provide our kid-friendly farmer’s market stand, pollinator play, and #KeepMonmouthGreen collage activity to Tinton Falls’ Earth Day celebration, the Rally for the Rivers Eco-Fest at Victory Park in Rumson, and the Juneteenth celebration at Springwood Avenue Park in Asbury Park. We always look forward to meeting the community and the next generation of conservationists throughout the year. | |
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH NEWS | |
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As with many of MCF’s initiatives, we collaborate with both private and public institutions. Building on our partnership underway with Monmouth University to create a preK-12 curriculum, we are excited to be a sub-grantee for a NJ Department of Education grant awarded to the University: Expanding Access to Climate Change Education and the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) through Climate Change Learning Collaboratives (CCLC). The University will serve as a CCLC and offer training and professional development to New Jersey teachers, with MCF and New Jersey SeaGrant Consortium delivering experiential learning programs.
Read the full announcement here
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L-R: Dr. Joe Coyle, Interim Dean, Monmouth University School of Science; Dr. Doug Tallamy, best-selling author, Professor of Entomology at the University of Delaware, and Co-Founder of Homegrown National Park® ; Dr. Catherine Duckett, Associate Dean, Monmouth University School of Science; Karen Keene, Director of Development and Communications, MCF; Bill Kastning, Executive Director, MCF | |
MCF OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS | |
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Monmouth Conservation Foundation is proud to be an accredited land trust through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, since 2014.
Accredited land trusts meet the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence. MCF is one of 471 accredited land trusts out of 1,100 nationwide.
We are renewing our accreditation to maintain the highest standards throughout all aspects of our work. As our partners, friends, and supporters, we are seeking your comments as part of the application. To learn more and submit a comment, please continue reading here.
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Steven Denholtz .......................Dan Dirscherl | |
MCF is fortunate to have a dynamic and enthusiastic Board of Trustees. We have added two members who bring their varied economic and financial acumen to our board: Steven Denholtz, CEO of Denholtz Properties, and Dan Dirscherl, Managing Director in the Ares Management Credit Group. We appreciate each Trustee’s contribution of time and talent. To learn more about these two additions, please read our news announcement . | |
Our events raise awareness of our nonprofit mission and provide critical revenue for our operations and important preservation projects. | |
Celebrate summer and bring friends to learn about MCF at our second annual Summer Bash. Mix and mingle, dance and enjoy live music, cocktails and lite bites with the backdrop of Sandy Hook Bay on Thursday, July 11, 2024, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the waterfront Seafarer in Highlands. Click here for tickets | |
Photo by Jill Sahner Photography | |
More than 300 people of all ages came out to Bayonet Farm in Holmdel for MCF’s annual Spring for Conservation Family Day, held on May 11, 2024. The delightful weather made it easy to enjoy live music from The Black Ties, a barbecue buffet, dessert bar, and craft beer and wine for the adults. Guests of all ages had fun partaking in our petting zoo, face painting, arts and crafts, pony rides, hayrides, hands-on activities with the Nature on the Move van, nature and historic Harding House tours, running through the fields surrounding Bayonet, playing a variety of outdoor games and even some kite flying! The event raised $20,000 in net proceeds to support our work to preserve open space in Monmouth County. | |
Photo: Marcella Shook Photography | |
Photo: Marcella Shook Photography | |
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Your donation and attendance at our events supports Monmouth Conservation Foundation’s mission of acquiring and preserving open space and farmland and conserving natural habitats throughout Monmouth County in support of outdoor recreation, agriculture, clean water, and wildlife for long-term sustainability. | |
www.monmouthconservation.org _ 732.671.7000
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