Tags: Long Beach Island

Michele N. Siekerka, Esq. who is the Assistant Commissioner for Economic Growth and Green Energy at the Department of Environmental Protection will speak at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies, NJ. She will discuss how DEP is advancing sustainability initiatives for the future of our shore communities. "It is important that DEP be seen as an advocate, not an impediment, to sustainable growth at the shore," says Siekerka.

Speaking at 7 pm, Assistant Commissioner Siekerka is coming to the LBI Foundation as part of the Barnegat Bay Day & Go Green Expo two day event-an issue of importance to the LBI community is presented at a gathering open to the public the evening before the actual Barnegat Bay Day which is a celebration of the Bay and environmentally friendly living for adults and children of all ages. It is held from 12 noon to 4 pm at the LBI Foundation on July 7th.

Prior to joining the Department of Environmental Protection as its first Assistant Commissioner for Economic Growth and Green Energy, an office newly established by DEP Commissioner Bob Martin, Michele Sierkerka was president and CEO of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce. Commissioner Martin's vision statement for the Department recognizes that a healthy environment and healthy economy go hand and hand. Siekerka's experience with New Jersey's business community coupled with her legal background provide the foundation for understanding the economic impact of regulatory processes, especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Siekerka's new role is designed to work with all stakeholders- residents, local governments, environmental organizations and businesses and industry- to identify and create opportunities for economic growth while maintaining the highest standards of protection for the environment. She is the DEP's point person to help New Jersey tap the full potential of renewable energy by coordinating efforts with other state agencies and working to help businesses develop more opportunities for wind and solar power.

Learning about the DEP's proactive stand on sustainability at the shore will be both enlightening and new. The community is welcome to attend at no charge. For more information about Michele Siekerka's talk or about Barnegat Bay Day or for directions to the LBI Foundation, call 609-494-1241.

Bring the whole family to the Long Beach Island Foundation, where you can learn about conservation and the environment. Kids can participate in hands-on activities that include all of the
LBIF's resources, from a rain garden and terrapin hatchery to solar panels and a
wetlands walk. Meanwhile, adults can discuss energy-saving tips, organic garden
techniques, and more with local business owners and non-profit organizations.
FREE

Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences
120 Long Beach Blvd.
Loveladies, NJ 08008
Phone: 609.494.1241
Fax: 609.494.0662
www.lbifoundation.org

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Discover LBI with the whole family on these eco-tours led by local environmental groups and organizations. Learn about the bay and its inhabitants, gardens and their insect allies, and other useful information through hands-on experiences using the LBIF property as a living classroom. Topics include: rain gardens, alternative energy, bird watching, raising shellfish, and terrapin turtles. Meet in the LBIF main gallery.
FREE

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Discover LBI with the whole family on these eco-tours led by local environmental groups and organizations. Learn about the bay and its inhabitants, gardens and their insect allies, and other useful information through hands-on experiences using the LBIF property as a living classroom. Topics include: rain gardens, alternative energy, bird watching, raising shellfish, and terrapin turtles. Meet in the LBIF main gallery.
FREE

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Discover LBI with the whole family on these eco-tours led by local environmental groups and organizations. Learn about the bay and its inhabitants, gardens and their insect allies, and other useful information through hands-on experiences using the LBIF property as a living classroom. Topics include: rain gardens, alternative energy, bird watching, raising shellfish, and terrapin turtles. Meet in the LBIF main gallery.
FREE

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Discover LBI with the whole family on these eco-tours led by local environmental groups and organizations. Learn about the bay and its inhabitants, gardens and their insect allies, and other useful information through hands-on experiences using the LBIF property as a living classroom. Topics include: rain gardens, alternative energy, bird watching, raising shellfish, and terrapin turtles. Meet in the LBIF main gallery.
FREE

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Discover LBI with the whole family on these eco-tours led by local environmental groups and organizations. Learn about the bay and its inhabitants, gardens and their insect allies, and other useful information through hands-on experiences using the LBIF property as a living classroom. Topics include: rain gardens, alternative energy, bird watching, raising shellfish, and terrapin turtles. Meet in the LBIF main gallery.
FREE

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Discover LBI with the whole family on these eco-tours led by local environmental groups and organizations. Learn about the bay and its inhabitants, gardens and their insect allies, and other useful information through hands-on experiences using the LBIF property as a living classroom. Topics include: rain gardens, alternative energy, bird watching, raising shellfish, and terrapin turtles. Meet in the LBIF main gallery.
FREE

Presented in an easy-to understand format, talks by experts in their fields are scheduled from 11:00 am to 12 noon at the LBIF's main building in Loveladies, NJ, at 120 Long Beach Boulevard. These lectures which are supported by a grant from Clean Air-Cool Planet (www.cleanair-coolplanet.org) are scheduled each Saturday through April 7 at the LBIF.

On Saturday, February 11, Frank Zalvino a five year volunteer with Defenders of Wildlife (www.defenders.org) and also with The Alaska Wilderness League (www.alaskawild.org), will speak about the protection of native animal and plant species in their natural communities, including the threats of extinction for many of our states most at-risk residents. Frank is in charge of the volunteer teams in New Jersey and he is well qualified to detail Defenders of Wildlife's work in protecting and restoring native wildlife, safeguarding habitats, resolving conflicts and educating and mobilizing the public.

The Alaska Wilderness League's mission is to lead the effort to preserve Alaska's wild lands and waters by engaging citizens and decision makers. To that end, Frank will also discuss how oil drilling in New Jersey and in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska could have an affect on each other.

For more information, contact the LBIF at (609) 494-1241 or visit the LBIF Science Committee's website at www.LBIFScience.org. You can also stay up-to-the minute with all of the LBIF's happenings by joining its Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/LBIFAS and following its Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/LBIF.

On Saturday, February 25, Roland Hagen, Operations Coordinator of the Marine Field Station at Rutgers University, will share with us what actually happens at the field station and talk about the projects which are underway there. The field station is uniquely located across from the Little Egg inlet in the Mulica River- Great Bay estuary, one of the most pristine estuaries on the east coast. This is sure to be an eye opening session for most of us.

Roland Hagan's diverse interests include the life history and ecology of estuarine fishes. Studies utilizing his technical skills have occurred in salt waters from the western edge of the Atlantic to the high seas of the Pacific on a diverse array of species. Most recently, these studies have been focused on an enhanced understanding of estuarine ecosystems and migrations of economically and ecologically important fishes.

For more information, contact the LBIF at (609) 494-1241 or visit the LBIF Science Committee's website at www.LBIFScience.org. You can also stay up-to-the minute with all of the LBIF's happenings by joining its Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/LBIFAS and following its Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/LBIF.

On Saturday, Mach 10, Sue Puder, President of the Southern Ocean Birding Group, and Linda Gangi, Southern Ocean Birding Group Vice President, will be our presenters. Join Susan and Linda to learn about ways to identify birds; why New Jersey is such a wonderful place to view birds; where the local birding hot spots are; and why bird watching is such an exciting and growing outdoor activity.

This program is part of Wings Over LBI Day, an annual bird watching celebration that takes place at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and the LBI Foundation.

Susan Puder is the founder of the Southern Ocean Birding Group which meets the second Thursday of the month at the Hunting Shanty, Tuckerton Seaport. She is a serious nature and wildlife photographer and has been an avid birder since moving to Barnegat in 2004. Her first book, combining photography and birding, "New Jersey Birds and Beyond", will be published in Spring 2012 by Schiffer Publishing.

Linda Gangi is a master naturalist and has been an avid birder for over 20 years. She was the Project Manager for the NJ Audubon Society's Birding and Wildlife Guides for the Skylands and the Meadowlands regions. She also writes a blog, Linda's for the Birds, for WildNewJersey.tv.

For more information, contact the LBIF at (609) 494-1241 or visit the LBIF Science Committee's website at www.LBIFScience.org. You can also stay up-to-the minute with all of the LBIF's happenings by joining its Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/LBIFAS and following its Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/LBIF.

For the sixth consecutive winter, the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences (LBIF) will host "Science Saturdays," free, interactive lectures which tackle todays' most pressing and interesting environmental and sustainability issues. Presented in an easy-to understand format, talks by experts in their fields are scheduled from 11:00 am to 12 noon at the LBIF's main building in Loveladies, NJ, at 120 Long Beach Boulevard. These lectures which are supported by a grant from Clean Air-Cool Planet (www.cleanair-coolplanet.org) are scheduled each Saturday through April 14 at the LBIF.

On Saturday, April 7, John Wnek, Supervisor at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES), will bring us some live terrapins to visit with as he tells us about our local turtle species with an emphasis on the Diamondback Terrapin. Emphasizing the nesting and the decline in the number of nesting areas, John will share with us the initiatives to increase nesting success of terrapins including the hatchery program at the LBIF and High Bar Harbor through Project Terrapin which is an initiative to conserve and educate about Diamondback Terrapins led by Wnek and the students at MATES.

MATES is a specialized math and science school which is part of the Ocean County Vocational Technical School District. A graduate of Monmouth College, Wnek holds a Masters in Science Education from Monmouth College and a Ph. D. from Drexel University.

For more information, contact the LBIF at (609) 494-1241 or visit the LBIF Science Committee's website at www.LBIFScience.org. You can also stay up-to-the minute with all of the LBIF's happenings by joining its Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/LBIFAS and following its Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/LBIF.