Joe Reynolds' Blog

3:30pm, the last Saturday of April. It has been an unusually harsh, wet, and long winter. In spite of that, the start of this weekend has been delightful with the sun shining brightly in my backyard and air temperatures up near 70 degrees. It was a perfect time to take inventory of any damage the winter snow, wind, and ice may have caused to tree limbs and shrubs on my property.  Read more »

Certainly, you can put your snow shovel and heavy winter coast away, spring has arrived! How do I know? Well, the first weekend of April was delightfully warm, sunny, and dry with air temperatures in the mid 60s to low 70s. It was a gorgeous spring weekend with not a storm cloud in sight!  Read more »

Last weekend, at the same time as winds were whipping up to over 70 miles per hour and rain was coming down in buckets over the Jersey Shore, a large group of dedicated environmentalists and scientists were spending the day at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft to gain some insight and inspiration on better ways to combat the growing amount of beach litter.  Read more »

It has been a very unusual spring so far. On top of everything, wildflowers seem  to be blooming a few weeks earlier than usual this year, a perception of mine based on past averages.  Read more »

Wow, talk about some atypically weather in and around the Sandy Hook Bay region. Most of the area just put up with the wettest March on record, with over 10 inches of rain drenching lots of coastal communities. Now we just finished  a record-breaking "mini" heat wave during the first full week of April.  Read more »

Last week, residents of the Sandy Hook Bay region were once again reminded that it is still winter. For a time in February, it seemed as if every few days another epic winter storm would arrive to pound the shore with wind, sleet and snow. The latest storm came in the form of a classic nor'easter that spun around for three days to bury the northern Jersey Shore under roughly a foot of fresh snow.  Read more »

With heavy snow still covering many parts of the Jersey Shore from a series of wicked winter storms, I tried to gladden my spirits from overlooking a predominantly lifeless landscape by heading down to Atlantic City. No, not to the casinos. Instead, with sunny skies and temperatures reaching up around 50 degrees, it was a beautiful day to go out and check out the Atlantic City Aquarium.  Read more »

February 7, 2010. It didn't take long for winter to return to the Jersey Shore. It was just a few weeks ago I could almost feel winter lose its grip on Sandy Hook Bay. There was a mild mid-winter thaw and a few days of near record warmth with highs in the 50s. Then just as if someone had turned on a switch. Wham! Winter is back.\  Read more »

Choosing quality child care for a youngster is a difficult decision, especially if you want a young person to grow up to appreciate nature and the outdoors. A really good place should be one that is small and warm, where a child will not get lost or become just a number.

Let's face it, the first five years of a child's life are critical for her or his well-being. During these formative years, young children must be loved and nurtured, both in their social and physical environments. If these needs are met, children will grow up eager to explore and learn the natural environment.  Read more »

As a boy growing up in the Barnegat Bay watershed region, I knew my local environment. I could tell you the best trees to climb, the best creeks to swim, seine, or catch a fish, the best trails to hike or ride a bike, and the best forests and fields to explore, wander, or just back lay back and dream. I knew my woods, water, and local fields.  Read more »