DelAtlantic Conservation District

06/01/2026

This past Friday, we spent the day at the Galloway Township Public Schools Nature Fest and met with so many young people eager to explore our soil tunnel and answer questions based on the tunnel. A beautiful day was had by everyone.

06/01/2026

Agriculture & Natural Resources and Family & Community Health Sciences will present the workshop, Eat What You Grow: Summer, on June 25 from 6 to 8pm at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County. Participants will tour the herb and teaching gardens, learn about season extension, how to make quick and easy meals from the garden, and canning for food preservation. Also, each person will make their own grain bowl. The cost is $20. Register by June 22 at https://go.rutgers.edu/6pgjcum9.

05/27/2026

Field Trip to Montclair Community Farms
Saturday, June 13, 2026
10:00am - 12:00 pm
Fee: $5
You can register at: https://go.rutgers.edu/lxjqrrv7

05/26/2026

Cape May County Family & Community Health Sciences and Agriculture & Natural Resources Departments will present the workshop, Eat What You Grow: Summer, on Thursday, June 25, 2026. The program will take place from 6 to 8pm at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County.
The presenters of Eat What You Grow: Summer are RCE of Cape May County’s Anneliese Kuemmerle, MS, RDN, FCHS Program Associate II and Jen Sawyer Caraballo, ANR Program Associate II.
Participants will tour the herb and teaching gardens, learn about season extension, how to make quick and easy meals from the garden, and canning for food preservation. Also, each person will make their own grain bowl.
The cost to attend this class is $20. Please register by June 22 at https://go.rutgers.edu/6pgjcum9.
For more information, please call 609-465-5115, ext. 3609.

05/22/2026

The Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) Team 1 has emerged as the winner of the 2026 New Jersey State Envirothon and will proudly represent New Jersey at the International NCF-Envirothon this summer in Starkville, Mississippi. The event was hosted by the Ocean County Soil Conservation District at the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education in Waretown, NJ. Each of the five team members will receive a $1,000 scholarship for their outstanding achievement and will now compete against teams from the United States, China, Singapore, and Canada.

Students from across the state participated in this dynamic, one-day environmental competition, which included hands-on challenges in areas such as soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatics, and the special topic, “Nonpoint Source Pollution: It Begins at Home.” Richard Dovey, President of the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts, commended all participants for their hard work and dedication to environmental science.

Held every May, the New Jersey State Envirothon brings together high school teams from grades 9 through 12 to compete in environmental science and natural resource management disciplines. Students rigorously prepare throughout the school year with the help of their advisors, using study materials and attending outdoor training sessions. This year, 17 teams competed, with the Ocean County STEM school securing the title of New Jersey State Champion. Metuchen High School Team 1 earned second place, while Lawrenceville Team 1 took third place. Cedar Creek High School from Atlantic County sent two teams which finished very respectably in the competition.

The International NCF-Envirothon will take place July 19-25, 2026 at Mississippi State University, featuring field tests on soils, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and non-point source pollution.
Students will also deliver presentations incorporating traditional and innovative approaches to tackle environmental challenges. Envirothon promotes both academic achievement and career paths in environmental science and resource management, preparing students with essential skills for future challenges.

The 2026 New Jersey State Envirothon is organized by the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts. The competition was made possible through the contributions of several sponsors and partnering federal and state environmental agencies, County Soil Conservation Districts, and higher education institutions providing expertise to organize the event. Volunteers help the day of competition proctoring tests, judging team presentations, timekeeping and serving breakfast and lunch to over 180 attendees.

Additional information about the program and sponsorship opportunities can be found at www.njenvirothon.org

Sponsors of the 2026 New Jersey State Envirothon include:
PSE & G Foundation
Wakefern Foods
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service
New Jersey Department of Agriculture
Atlantic County Utilities Authority
New Jersey Conservation Districts
Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation
New Jersey Water Supply Authority
Ocean First Bank
Lomax Consulting Group
Pinelands Nursery
Atlantic County Board of Agriculture
Herrs Foods
Wegmans
Sam’s Club

05/22/2026

Summer planters fail when you grab three pretty plants from different greenhouse tables and force them to share a pot.

A shade-loving begonia and a sun-baking petunia have nothing in common except the checkout line. In the same container, one crisps while the other rots. The grouping matters more than the pot.

🌿 Nine flower trios grouped by what they actually need:

- Geranium, petunia, sweet potato vine — full sun, heavy drinkers. These can handle an afternoon on a south-facing porch that would wilt most other annuals. Water daily in peak summer — they burn through moisture fast

- Begonia, impatiens, lobelia — morning sun only, consistent moisture. They fade in afternoon heat. A spot with eastern exposure and a glazed or plastic pot that holds moisture suits them best

- Caladium, coleus, English ivy — deep shade, moist soil. The color comes from foliage, not flowers, which is why they work where nothing else blooms. A porch that never sees direct sun is their ideal spot

- Lantana, portulaca, blue fescue — extreme heat, low water. These survive the baking pot on a concrete patio that kills everything else. Use a porous pot — terracotta or stone — that dries fast between waterings

- Canna lily, marigold, creeping Jenny — the classic thriller-filler-spiller combination. Canna gives height, marigold fills the middle, creeping Jenny trails over the edge. Use a tall pot so the proportions work

- Fuchsia, coral bells, bacopa — cool temperatures, dappled light. These struggle in heat and direct afternoon sun. A hanging basket in a covered porch or under a tree canopy is where they perform best

- Salvia, verbena, calibrachoa — constant bloomers in full sun. These three flower nonstop from planting to frost with regular feeding. They're the highest-output combination on this list for a sunny front step

- Snapdragon, pansy, sweet alyssum — tolerate light frost, fade in summer heat. Plant them early and again in fall. They're the spring and autumn planter while the heat-lovers take the summer shift

- Fountain grass, African daisy, dusty miller — full sun, drought tolerant. The silver foliage of dusty miller cools the palette and makes the daisy colors pop. Low water needs mean this combination forgives the week you forget to water

🌱 The grouping rule that prevents most planter failures:

- Before combining anything, check two things: light needs and water needs. If all three plants want the same sun exposure and the same moisture level, the pot works. If one wants shade while the others want sun, no container material fixes that mismatch

Three plants. Same light. Same water. That's the whole formula 🌿

05/20/2026

05/20/2026

Strawberry picking season is back in New Jersey

05/18/2026

On May 9th, DelAtlantic employees and supervisors helped to run this year's New Jersey Envirothon competition. Here are just a few of the photos from that day; more to follow.