eco events

 Explore some of our bird feeders and trails at Freneau Woods Park, Aberdeen, in celebration of the Great American Backyard Bird Count. Meet at the Visitor Center. A limited number of binoculars will be available to borrow, if needed. Open to ages 14 and up, with adult. 

 Monmouth County Park System Calendar of Events 

As part of  the habitat restoration work at the northwestern corner of Shark River Island, the American Littoral Society is coordinating a living shoreline coconut fabric placement volunteer event to continue to restore a once eroding marsh and to prepare the site for a re-planting in April.  Dress to get wet and dirty. We will provide gloves and sledge hammers but you are allowed to bring your own. Funding provided by the Seaview Condo Association of Shark River.

Please RSVP so we know how many to expect: www.littoralsociety.org/shark-river-island-volunteer-event-feb-2025.html

 Seal and Winter Waterfowl Eco Cruise

Sat Mar 1st 1:00pm - 3:30pmSeastreak Ferry Terminal at Highlands, 326 Shore Dr, Highlands, NJ 07732, USA map directions

Join us for a Seal and Bird Eco-Cruise in partnership with Seastreak to explore the wildlife-rich waters of Sandy Hook Bay and the NY/NJ Bight. Winter is the perfect time to spot seals and migratory birds. A wildlife expert from the American Littoral Society will be on board to provide species identification, fascinating facts, and tips on where to find wildlife in their natural winter habitats.

The cruise departs from Highlands, NJ, and will take you past Sandy Hook, Hoffman and Swinburne Islands, and the Verrazano Bridge—prime spots for seals and a variety of seabirds.

Register now on Seastreak’s website. New Yorkers can travel to Highlands for free on Seastreak ferries with their Eco-Cruise ticket.

Contact: samantha@littoralsociety.org for more information

 Clean Ocean Action: Beach Sweeps 

New Jersey Coast

Waves of thanks to the 8,148 volunteers who helped to collect 379,969 items during just 6 hours of sweeping this past April 2024.  This past yea,r I was the assistant Beach Captain and my mom Victoria was the Beach Captain.

 Save the date for the 9th Annual Lobster Run 5k to Care for the Coast! Join your fellow crustaceans for a fun run/walk on the Asbury Park boardwalk, brunch buffet and drink specials at The Break, and live music at the after party. 

 Race Forum - The 8th Annual Lobster Run 

https://evite.me/xkw3BurkHg

 Gunning Island mso Clean up -- Earth Day is 4/22 & doing trash clean up  10:30am to noon - Trash Clean up (for kids). Bring your paddleboards, kayaks, & boats to Gunning Island with bags to collect trash.  12pm - 12:30pm Victoria Bowley will bring Jersey Mike's sandwiches & drinks for kids to have lunch on the island. 

Horseshoe crab tagging will resume in the Shark River estuary on Sunday, May 11, 2025 with a training/tagging event starting at Memorial Park in Neptune City NJ. Volunteers can participate in tagging and monitoring events through June 12, 2025. Space is limited to 30 people each event night so please register at the link below.

​Volunteers must be trained and learn about the biology and importance of horseshoe crabs prior to tagging live crabs. Training will be held each event night.

Tagging and monitoring crabs helps provide information on population trends and crab movement, which provides a small window of information into the health of an important and ancient species. The spawning season of the Horseshoe Crab is the only time they come ashore and the season is just a few short weeks in May and June. Data from the work is provided to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 

   Upcoming Events - Littoral​ Society 

Please join the American Littoral Society for 2024 Members Day, which includes awards and the annual Board of Trustees election. After the meeting, members will be treated to a BBQ picnic lunch from Local Smoke and live music from A Pair of Shoez, our own Julie Schumacher and her brother Jimmy.

Rain date: Saturday, June 29, 2024

 Upcoming Events - Littoral​ Society (littoralsociety.org) 

 Clean Ocean Action: Rally for the Rivers Eco-Fest 

Clean Ocean Action and Rumson Environmental Commission have a wonderful 7th annual Rally for the Rivers Eco-Fest. We are so grateful to everyone who joined us at Victory Park in Rumson to celebrate the Two Rivers watershed and experience all the eco-friendly activities, lively music, and enthusiasm from the 28 participating organizations. From river seining with the American Littoral Society to reading circles with Waterspirit, every moment was filled with learning and fun.

Those who attended Eco-Fest and filled up their Eco-Fest Passport with activity stamps will be able to unlock discounts and giveaways throughout the month of June from over 15 local businesses. For a complete list of all participants, see the 2024 Eco-Fest Passport!

Waves of thanks to our amazing sponsors, who make this event possible – Bayshore Recycling, Mazza Recycling, and Sea Bright Solar. You continued support is invaluable!

 Clean Ocean Action: Beach Sweeps 

New Jersey Coast

Waves of thanks to the 8,148 volunteers who helped to collect 379,969 items during just 6 hours of sweeping this past April 2024.  This past year, I was the assistant Beach Captain at Ocean Grove (my mom Victoria was Beach Captain).

Fall migration is on! Grab your favorite adventure buddy and join us for a bird walk. "Bird nerd” and Assistant Director Lindsay McNamara will lead the group, looking out for raptors, shorebirds, songbirds, and anyone else on the Hook. We will meet at Littoral Society Headquarters and then head out on the paved multi-use pathway. We will walk for about 2 miles. Please dress for the weather, wear closed-toe shoes, bring water and binoculars if you have them. The Society also has Nikon 8x42 binoculars for participants to borrow during the walk. Let’s get birdy!

Meet at Littoral Society Headquarters (18 Hartshorne Drive, Highlands NJ 07732)
Cost : $10 for members, $20 for nonmembers
Contact: lindsay@littoralsociety.org with any questions

 Next United Nations Water Conference hosted in 2026 | UN-Water 

  The United Nations 2026 Water Conference will be the first to be held since the launch of the UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation in July 2024. 

You can login virtually and watch all the interesting sessions that week!