Allentown NJ Environmental Commission

05/20/2026

Stream Assessment at Indian Run with our Watershed Ambassador last Saturday. The Allentown Environmental Commission helping to monitor the health of our streams!

04/26/2026

Another fantastic rain barrel workshop with our Watershed Ambassador, Felicity Cruz. We love our WMA20 Americorps Watershed Ambassadors!

03/27/2026

Number 4 in New Jersey's most invasive species - Oriental Bittersweet!

Prospers in New Jersey’s sunny edges and disturbed sites, with shade tolerance allowing forest infiltration.
Overproducer: Produces 200 times more pollen than native bittersweet, hybridizing and outcompeting it in NJ.
Vines grow up to 60 feet, dispersed by birds eating colorful fruits, leading to rapid colonization.
Oriental Bittersweet, brought from Asia in the 1860s as an ornamental, aggressively invades New Jersey fields, forests, and roadsides, girdling trees with heavy vines that cause breakage during storms.

Its rapid growth (up to 12 feet yearly) and prolific seeds (up to 370 per vine) enable dominance.

In NJ, it alters habitats in places like the Delaware Water Gap, reducing wildlife value.

Tolerant of varied soils, it spreads via birds and humans. Control requires cutting vines and treating stumps; prevention includes avoiding the decorative use of these plants in wreaths.

03/03/2026

https://pirg.org/edfund/take-action/tell-epa-count-the-lives-lost-to-air-pollution/?akid=14377.627859.S2q7TN&email_blast=-103614377&rd=1&reference=USP3-FAIR%3ACLEANAIRACT-0226%2BEM5%3A00L%3A0GH-APP%20USP%20EPA%20count%20lives%20air%20pollution%20lives&t=61&utm_campaign=USP3-FAIR%3ASTANDARDS-0226&utm_content=EM9%3A00C%3A0HH-DPP&utm_medium=email&utm_source=salsa

The EPA is weakening rules that protect the air we breathe.

03/02/2026

Have you ever checked your home for radon? Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas that is generated by the breakdown of naturally occurring uranium in soils and rocks. Exposure to high concentrations of radon can cause various adverse health effects in people. To learn more about radon, and how you can test for radon exposure in your home, check out this infographic created by the NJDEP’s Bureau of Sustainability.

02/20/2026

From Burlington County, but applicable to everyone!

02/19/2026

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1), or “bird flu,” is a respiratory disease of birds caused by influenza A viruses. Wild birds, such as ducks, gulls, and shorebirds, can carry and spread these viruses but may show no signs of illness. However, avian influenza can kill domestic poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese). Typical clinical signs of H5N1 include diarrhea, discharge from the nose, coughing, sneezing, and incoordination, but some birds may show no signs before death. There may be multiple sick or dead animals in a single location.
Lancaster County in PA has culled over 3,000,000 chickens already.
What Do You Do if You See a Group of Sick or Dead Wild Birds?
Please fill out the Wild Bird Disease Reporting Form in the link below:

NJDEP| Fish & Wildlife | H5N1 - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza | Page Description

02/02/2026

Part 3 of NJ's Invasive species (this one is (or was) a common landscape plant).
3. Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Succeeds in New Jersey’s varied soils and partial shade, with deer resistance enabling survival where natives are eaten.
Interesting fact: dense thickets raise soil pH and create microhabitats, boosting tick populations, increasing Lyme disease risk in NJ.
Prevalent in 29% of northern NJ forest plots, escaping landscaping to invade open fields and edges.
Japanese Barberry, introduced from Asia in 1875 for hedges, has overrun New Jersey forests, forming spiny thickets that exclude native shrubs like blueberry.

Its bright red berries, dispersed by birds, aid in spread, while roots alter soil chemistry. In NJ, studies link it to higher tick densities, exacerbating Lyme cases in areas like the Highlands.

Tolerant of poor soils and drought, it thrives post-disturbance.

Removal involves digging or herbicides; replacing with natives like Inkberry reduces risks.

01/22/2026

Part 2 of Invasive Species
2. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Flourishes in New Jersey’s moist, shaded woodlands, outpacing natives with a biennial life cycle and prolific seed production.
Did you know? Releases allelochemicals that disrupt beneficial soil fungi, harming tree regeneration in NJ forests.
Avoided by deer, allowing unchecked spread while natives are browsed, leading to dense patches.
Garlic Mustard, a European biennial herb, invades New Jersey’s wooded areas, forming dense stands that displace spring wildflowers like trillium.

First-year rosettes overwinter, bolting to flower in year two and producing up to 8,000 seeds per plant, viable for five years.

Its allelopathy alters soil, reducing mycorrhizal associations essential for natives. In NJ, it’s widespread in parks like the Pinelands, threatening biodiversity.

Edible to humans, but pulling before seeding is key. Community “pulls” in spring help control, though roots must be fully removed to prevent regrowth.

01/19/2026

The convenience of plastic comes with a hidden cost to our health.
That's because plastic can contain thousands of chemicals. Of the 16,000 chemicals used in plastic materials, more than 4,200 may be hazardous to people.1
Are some of these chemicals in your kitchen right now? If they are, what can you do?
Let's take a look at some of the most problematic kitchen items -- as well as some healthier, plastic-free alternatives:

CANNED FOOD
While cans themselves are usually made of aluminum or steel, most cans are lined with plastic.2 And despite some manufacturer phaseouts, many cans are still lined with plastic polymers that contain the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA. BPA has been linked to obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and other adverse health impacts.3
You can still stock your pantry without exposing you or your loved ones to BPA. For beans, vegetables and fruits, use dried, frozen or fresh whenever possible. And when you must purchase a can, opt for one that's labeled BPA-free.

BLACK PLASTIC CONTAINERS
Black plastic containers are a staple at many takeout restaurants. But black plastic often contains high levels of brominated flame retardants, which are linked to lowered IQs in children.4,5
When storing leftovers, opt for glass or ceramic storage containers over black plastic. And when you reheat those leftovers, make sure you're microwaving in a container that's plastic-free.

PLASTIC CUTTING BOARDS
When your knife hits a plastic cutting board, it creates grooves that shed microplastics directly into your food.6 And while the science is still emerging, there is some evidence that eating microplastics can potentially lead to inflammation, immune system impairment, heart attacks and even strokes.7
Keep microplastics out of your meals by swapping your plastic cutting board for one made from wood.
While we hope these tips will help you make safer choices for you and your family, to truly protect ourselves and our loved ones, we must move beyond plastic and create fewer plastic items in the first place.
That's why PIRG is urging major retailers to slash unnecessary plastic packaging. We're also advocating for state laws that limit the most dangerous uses of single-use plastics and calling out industry misinformation that downplays these risks.
Thanks for being part of the solution to end plastic waste and pollution,

1. Will Sullivan, "Plastics Contain Thousands More Chemicals Than Thought, and Most Are Unregulated, Report Finds," Smithsonian Magazine, March 19, 2024.
2. "Are There Plastic Liners in Your Aluminum Cans and Other Packaging?" Glass Packaging Institute, last accessed January 7, 2026.
3. Priyadarshini Mirmira and Carmella Evans-Molina, "Bisphenol A, Obesity, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Genuine Concern or Unnecessary Preoccupation?" National Library of Medicine, March 13, 2014.
4. Steve Inskeep, "The dangers and health risks associated with black plastic," National Public Radio, December 16, 2024.
5. Ann M Vuong, "Flame retardants and neurodevelopment: An updated review of epidemiological literature," National Library of Medicine, last accessed Jan. 5, 2026.
6. Matt Fuchs, "Are Plastic Cutting Boards Safe?" TIME, November 24, 2025.
7. Katia Savchuk, "Microplastics and our health: What the science says," Stanford Medicine, January 29, 2025.
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