Can stewardship really work?
New Jersey has a long history of fostering the recovery of particular species such as the bald eagle, osprey and peregrine falcon. Populations of these birds had been severely reduced by the use of pesticides that weakened their egg shells. All of these species are now more common than they were 30 years ago due to the diligence of conservationists. Today, our forest ecosystems are gravely threatened by deer overabundance and invasive species. Many common native plants and animals have become uncommon and some rare species have begun to disappear under the onslaught of browsing deer and invasive species infestations. But, again, stewardship efforts are beginning to provide small but brilliant signs of hope. At places such as the Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain, implementation of a Deer Management Program is beginning to allow native plants to compete with invasive plants. At Duke Farms, a forest is recovering from severe deer overabundance – native trees, shrubs and herbs are
