Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education

10/14/2026

Please give a warm welcome to our first ever cohort of NREF Student Ambassadors! 👏

Alexandra Kanterezhi-Gatto is a junior at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES). She can’t wait to work among her fellow ambassadors in the Natural Resource Education Foundation as it represents the work she wants to do in the future as an Environmental Scientist. Alexandra is most excited for carrying out her project regarding the reduction of bay nettles in the Barnegat Bay! Her favorite place within Barnegat Bay is the Cattus Island County Park because of the beautiful scenic areas and exotic animals! For fun, Alexandra enjoys hanging out with her friends and conducting small, enjoyable experiments. She can’t wait for the NREF ambassadorship and all that she can accomplish with it!

Max Betsch is a senior at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES). Max is interested in environmental science and research, particularly how human activity and environmental changes affect local ecosystems. Through the NREF Student Ambassador Program, Max is excited to gain hands-on field research experience at the Lighthouse Center and learn more about the natural resources in our local environment.

As Student Ambassadors, these superb scholars will spread the word about NREF's programs and help us learn more about the environment through their very own research projects. We're excited to work with you, Alexandra and Max!

10/09/2026

Come and join iNaturalist ambassadors Josh Gant and Jason Nargiz for a Bio Blitz at the Lighthouse Center!

A bioblitz is a biological survey done to record as many species as possible within an area in just one day. It's a great opportunity to chat with scientists, naturalists, and other community members while learning about the plants, mushrooms, and wildlife that call the Lighthouse Center home!

Location: 140 Camp Lighthouse Rd, Waretown, NJ
(Entrance to driveway at 7th St & Navajo Dr)

09/30/2026

Volunteer to help us and our project partners with restoring the marshes at the Lighthouse Center! Please note that this is a labor intensive opportunity conducting ditch remediation.

Sign up here: https://m.signupgenius.com/ #!/showSignUp/10C054CA4A822A7F8C70-65309121-lighthouse?useFullSite=false

09/21/2026

Happy National Estuaries Week! This week serves to increase awareness of estuaries and encourage people to engage in their protection. These incredible ecosystems provide extremely valuable benefits to people, including recreation opportunities, seafood, carbon sequestration, and protection against destructive storm surges.

Everyone say, "thank you!" to your nearest estuary! ❤️

09/17/2026

Do you like the outdoors? Check out our call for volunteers to help restore our local wetlands!

09/17/2026

Do you have a boat and need winter storage, consider the Lighthouse Center! See below for more details.

09/13/2026

🏡 New housing development alert! 🐦

We recently installed some brand new nest boxes at the Lighthouse Center, including specialized homes for bluebirds and wood ducks! Due to deforestation and urban development, natural tree cavities are in short supply. These manmade boxes act as critical replacement habitats so local birds have a safe place to rest and raise their young.

If you'd like to help us monitor these boxes or volunteer at our next event, tap the link in our bio to get involved!

08/25/2026

NREF co-sponsored the 2026 Fish Hawks Youth Fishing Seminar at our facility in Waretown. Check out what some local boys and girls learned!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjCApw-Ys-k

And if you need a large site for your next event, conference, or environmental education class contact us at ......https://naturalresourceeducationfoundation.org/contact-us

Highlights of the Fish Hawks 2026 Youth Fishing Seminar held at the...

08/03/2026

Surveying vegetation and sinking in marsh mud are my two favorite activities 💞

Scientists from NREF, the Nature Conservancy, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, and Duke Farms spent this past week performing in-depth vegetation surveys on the Lighthouse Center salt marsh. The data collected from these surveys will help us determine how to best restore it to be a better habitat for wildlife and a better protective buffer against coastal storm surges.

07/09/2026

These first few weeks of Nature Discovery Camp at the Lighthouse Center have been so much fun! From immersive presentations on wildlife to creating imaginative structures and crafts, campers have been making lifelong memories while discovering the natural wonders of Barnegat Bay. 🐠🐢🌱🐚
Registration for Weeks 4-9 is still open! Visit nrefnj.org for more information and to register now!