Environmental Commission

The EC Mission Statement

To protect and preserve Ridgefield's natural resources and instill community pride by creating awareness, understanding and appreciation of the environment through education and participation.

Click here to visit the Ridgefield Nature Center

Looking for weekend nature trips with the family.

Go to http://www.njwildlifetrails.org/
for an informative guide book on hiking, biking, fishing and paddling
in the meadowlands area and more. Come see the different habitats that
Ridgefield has to offer. The Ridgefield Nature Center (mature hardwood
forest and wetlands) and the Skeetkill Creek Marsh (tidal wetlands) are
prominently featured. Click on go to trails for NJ Meadowlands, then on list of sites. Directions are included.

Environmental News

* Did you know that the Monk Parakeets (Quaker Parrots) are the only parrots that make nests out of sticks. Some of the nests have been known to be as large as a small VW.

* For more information about the birds and wildlife in the meadowlands and for an update on Ridgefield's monk parakeet colony on Railroad Ave. go to meadowlandsblog.net.

* Congratulations to the Slocum Skewes School as being one of the recipients of the 2009 Environmental Awareness Challenge Grant from the BCUA thanks to the hard work of science teacher Joan Furman, advisor to the Slocum Skewes Environmental Club and Robotics Club. The grant monies will be used to build a koi pond in a courtyard area of the school.

*As many as 4 deer have been spotted around town. Witnesses have seen a doe with 2 fawns as well as the young buck that visited the Nature Center. Slideshow of that visit is on the website's homepage.

EC Grants

(1) The Ridgefield Environmental Commission was awarded a 2008 Smart Growth Planning Grant from ANJEC (the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions) in the amount of $3,500. The Borough provided matching funds which was used to complete an Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI) for all Borough-owned open spaces and parks, as well as other public open spaces in the Borough, including 200 acres of wetlands and marshes. Environmental Consultant Joan Hansen was hired and the data collection took 6-8 weeks. The ERI is an unbiased report which intergrates a variety of data from multiple sources to give the most complete picture possible on all the environmental features and characteristics in a municipality. A Public Information Session on the ERI findings was held at the 2/25/09 Environmental Commission meeting; this informative meeting was attended by members of the Borough Council and the public. At the June 16th Planning Board meeting, a adoption hearing was held and the Planning Board adopted the ERI into the Borough's Master Plan.

The EC thanks ANJEC and Executive Director Kerry Miller for making this important environmental study possible and to Consultant Joan Hansen for the excellent job on the ERI. Also, thanks to the Mayor and Council for their support with this project.

Click here to see the Ridgefield mapping prepared by the NJMC/GIS lab for the ERI

(2) The EC was awarded a 2nd grant in 2008 from the federal Recreation Trails Program in the amount of $20,000 to establish a proposed trails system in the Borough that would connect existing trails, parks, greenways, street and schools. A station with outdoor fitness equipment wil View/Edit Source l be established at the Slocum Path area.The project must be completed by July 1, 2010.

(3) A 2008 Community Incentive Stewardship Grant (CSIP) from the NJDEP/ Forest Service in the amount of $25,000 has been awarded to the Borough for its Community Forestry Management Plan (CFMP). This grant is earmarked for the following projects: 1) $5,000 for the purchase of a handheld computer with GPS for tree inventory of Borough trees 2) $15,000 for the planting of 60 trees by the NJ Tree Foundation 3) $5,000 for contracted tree work based on the Forest Management Plan for the Nature Center. The 25% cash match will be satisfied 100% by in-kind services by volunteers and the DPW.

EC Events / Upcoming Events

(1) The Fifth Annual Ridgefield Clean Up Day was held on Saturday, May 2nd. Thanks to the 81 volunteers from the following Ridgefield groups: Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Senior Citizens, Environmental Club from Slocum Skewes School (7-8 grades), Police Dept., DPW, Ambulance Corps., that participated to make the clean up day a success. Volunteers collected 28 bags of trash and 26 bags of recyclables in 2 hours and certainly enjoyed the refreshments after the clean up.

(2) Senior Citizen Walk For Your Health Day/ National Start! Walking Day was held at the Nature Center on Wednesday, April 29th from 10 am to 4 pm. There were 113 participants, mostly Slocum Skewes students from the 4th grade, that enjoyed walking and touring the Nature Center and surrounding areas.

(3) A Mother's Day Bird Walk co-sponsored by the NJ Meadowlands Commission (NJMC)and the Bergen County Audubon Society (BCAS) took place on Sunday, May 10th. The group of 20 started birding at the Nature Center and ended at the Skeetkill Creek Marsh with a stop to see the monk parakeets under the Hendricks Causeway Bridge.

Go to meadowlandsblog.net to see the write up of this event, a list of birds that were seen that day and the NY1 interview.

(4) Arbor Day / Tree City USA designation ceremony was held on Sat., June 27 at the Slocum Path on Shaler Blvd. NJ State Senator Bob Gordon, Assemblywoman Joan Voss, Mayor Suarez, Councilmen Angus Todd and Javier Acosta were in attendance along with members of Boy Scout Troop #96 and their troop leaders Rob Lecky and Tom Holland, and Girl Scout Daisy Troup #505 and their troop leader Catherine Suarez. Go to the home page to see photos of this event.

(5) Twenty-two participants enjoyed the good weather and plenty of birds on the Third-Tuesday-of-the-month Bird Walk with the Bergen County Audubon Society on Tues., Oct. 20. This free event started with a walk around the Ridgefield Nature Center, then onto the Skeetkill Creek Marsh on Pleasantview Terr. with a stop to see the monk parakeets on Railroad Ave.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

EC Projects / EC Contact Information

Volunteers are needed: to remove invasive plants and vines in the Nature Center and the Community Garden area.
Volunteers are always needed for small litter clean ups throughout the year.

Contact the Environmental Commission at 201-943-5215, ext. 353 if you are interested in volunteering or have any questions or concerns.

The EC now has an E-mail address: ec@ridgefieldnj.gov

EC Commissioner List- 2010

EC Commissioner List- 2010 Term Expiration Date

Karen Riede- Chairperson - 1/1/09 - 12/31/11
Dan Cavalli - 1/1/08 - 12/31/10
Marge Pescatore- Secretary - 1/1/08 - 12/31/10
Patty Pfaff - 1/1/09 - 12/31/11
Zoran Vukasovic - 1/1/10 - 12/31/12
Robert Wojtaszczyk - 1/1/10 - 12/31/12
Bruce Riede - Vice-Chairperson/ EC Member to Planning Board - 1/1/09 - 12/31/11
Donna O'Connor - Alternate #1 - 1/1/10 - 12/31/12
Willian Getreuer - Alternate #2 - 1/1/10 - 12/31/10
Councilman Angus Todd - Council Liaison

Environmental Commission Meetings

The Borough of Ridgefield Environmental Commission meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month (with the exception of March, July, August and December) at the Ridgefield Community Center, 725 Slocum Ave., Ridgefield, NJ at 7:00 pm.

2010 Meeting Dates:
1/27/10 Annual Reorganization Mtg.
2/24/10 ANJEC- Road Show Workshop; Please note meeting venue change: Ridgefield Ambulance Corps building, 403 Shaler Blvd.
3/31/10
4/28/10
5/26/10
6/23/10
No meetings July/August
9/22/10
10/27/10
November- TBD
December- TBD

All members of the public are welcome to attend.

NJDOT Plants 190 Trees In Ridgefield in 2008

The NJDOT, under the guidance of Landscape Architect Paul Pospiech, planted 190 trees along the Borough's state highways: Broad Ave. / Rt. 1&9 (spring planting plan); Bergen Blvd. / Rt.63 & Rt. 5 (fall planting plan). The Borough had input to the type of trees that were planted. All trees will be watered for one year from date of plantings, and will also include the replacement of any trees during that time. The EC thanks Paul and Councilman Warren Vincentz for helping to green Ridgefield.

2008 Earth Day Poster Contest Winners from the 3rd grade at Slocum Skewes School

L to R in back: Mayor Anthony R. Suarez, Karen Riede, Councilman Angus Todd

L to R in front: Ivana Jadrijev, Hyun Jee Jang, Yeo-Jin Oh, Sharon Heo.
Not pictured Gabriella Centrella.

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Back To RidgefieldNJ.gov Home page

Helpful Websites, Educational Resources and Upcoming Programs For Going Green

Websites:

State Recycling Association

NJ Clean Energy Program

Arbor Day Foundation

Bergen County Utilities Association

NJDEP Clean Water Program

Educational Information:

NJ Meadowlands Commission's Tips For Going Green

Home composting guide

School resources

"The NJ WasteWise Bulletin" Summer 2009 Edition

Primary Navigation

Environmental Commission

Environmental Commission

The EC Mission Statement

Looking for weekend nature trips with the family.

Environmental News

EC Grants

EC Events / Upcoming Events

EC Projects / EC Contact Information

EC Commissioner List- 2010

Environmental Commission Meetings

Environmental Commission Meetings Minutes 2009

Environmental Commission Meetings Minutes 2008-2007

Annual Report and Accomplishments for 2006

Environmental Commission By-Laws, CFMP, FMP, ERI

NJDOT Plants 190 Trees In Ridgefield in 2008

2008 Earth Day Poster Contest Winners from the 3rd grade at Slocum Skewes School

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Helpful Websites, Educational Resources and Upcoming Programs For Going Green