Have You Seen This Plant?

Jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens)

This member of the rose family is native to Japan. It is a deciduous shrub that grows about five feet high and seven feet wide in meadows and forests and along forest edges and roadsides. Jetbead prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soils, but it can grow in full shade.

Jetbead is not common in our watershed, but it has been sighted. If you see it in the springtime or in autumn, you'll recognize it easily because of its distinctive flowers and berries. In April and May, its beautiful four-petaled white flowers are attention getters, and at this time of year, its clusters of four black, single seeded fruits set it apart from other shrubs.

Although it is uncommon in our region, jetbead is a plant species that concerns us greatly. It can form thickets that displace native plants and prevent the growth of native trees, shrubs, and herbs. Our Central Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team has identified jetbead as one of the forest invasives that needs to be stopped in its tracks before it gains a foothold (roothold?) in this part of the state. If you see a plant that you think might be jetbead on your property, or on property that you walk or drive past, please let us know. Call (908) 234-1852 or email Melissa Almendinger, our Invasive Species Project Coordinator -- we'll help you confirm its identity and determine the best way to remove it.

For more information about exotic invasive plants and URWA's efforts to eliminate newly emerging species from our region, please visit our Central Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team web pages. You'll also find out how you can become involved in this important effort!

Photo: John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org

Happy World Water Monitoring Day!

Each year since 2002, thousands of people across the globe have participated in World Water Monitoring Day. This important annual outreach invites citizens throughout the world to monitor the quality of local streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and other water resources. The official World Water Monitoring Day is being observed today, September 18th, but citizens can test water anytime between March 22 and December 31 and report the results to an international database.

You don't have to be an experienced water monitor to participate. An easy-to-use test kit will enable everyone regardless of age or experience to sample for a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, pH (acidity), turbidity (clarity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Results can then be shared with participating communities around the globe through the World Water Monitoring Day Web site.

Here at URWA, we test the water in the pond at Fairview Farm as part of World Water Monitoring Day, and URWA volunteers conduct an extensive sampling program each spring and summer on the Rockaway Creak, Peapack Brook and North Branch of the Raritan River. Results of this year's sampling program will be posted on our web site soon.

We are going to start monitoring the Black (Lamington) River, and we invite all prospective river monitors to a training session on October 3rd:

Black River Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program Training
Saturday, October 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Purnell School, Pottersville Road, Pottersville
There is no cost to attend. Please email LTheis@urwa.org or call (908) 234-1852, ext. 12 to register by Wednesday, September 30th

To learn more about World Water Monitoring Day or URWA's Stream Monitoring Program, contact URWA at (908) 234-1852

Susan Brookman, Membership Program Director

Looking Back on a Year as a Watershed Ambassador

Last month I finished my term of service for AmeriCorps here at URWA since then I have been filling in as their intern. The specific AmeriCorps program that I was involved in was the NJ Watershed Ambassadors Program (NJWAP). There are twenty Watershed Ambassadors throughout NJ designated to each of New Jersey’s Watershed Management Areas (WMA) and I was lucky enough to fill out my term of service in WMA 8 at URWA. This program will be celebrating its 10th year in existence and URWA has been the host agency for this program from the beginning.

For the NJWAP I performed 52 stream assessments, educated about 1050 people about their watershed through 41 different presentations, trained 100 volunteers to perform their own stream assessments, helped to organize a stream clean up run through the South Branch Watershed Association with over 300 volunteers participating, and helped Randolph Middle School to plant a rain garden at their school all within 9 months! Looking back at it I can’t believe how much I accomplished in such a short time! I have to say that I have to contribute my successful completion to all the wonderful people who I have worked with within this watershed including the fantastic staff at URWA. I only wish I could stay longer!

I am grateful for the opportunity to have served this watershed and this term of service is the beginning of a lifetime of service for me. My plan for the future is to go back to school and become certified as a secondary education teacher for New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I also hope to keep a relationship with URWA through volunteering activities.

If this is the first time you have heard about the NJWAP I encourage you to contact my successor at URWA. There is a variety of educational and stewardship programs that the next ambassador can help you out with.

Suzanne Skrzenski, Watershed Ambassador