20 www.sparkexploreocean.com Ecotourism in Ocean County If you’ve ever enjoyed the simple pleasures of collecting shells on a quiet beach or crabbing off a dock with a scoop net, you’re an ecotourism natural. Ecotourism focuses on activities that have low or no impact on the environment, helps educate participants and encourages them to be proactive about protecting our natural resources. Heightened environmental awareness and the growing trend to “go green” have more and more shore residents and visitors looking for new recreation and vacation experiences that embrace ecotourism. Home to habitats that range from sandy beaches to dynamic salt marshes to dense forests and all the cultural treasures nestled within its borders, Ocean County offers opportunities for everyone to enjoy unique eco-experiences. These can involve birding, hiking, biking, fishing, whale watching, meeting marine life up-close in an aquarium, touring lighthouses, harbors and historic cultural landmarks and dozens of other activities that take people beyond the beaten beach path. With 44 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline and 120 maritime-rich square miles that include Barnegat Bay and the northernmost entry point of the famous Pine Barrens, Ocean County is a natural choice for exploring more of the shore. Photo courtesy of Ocean County Parks and Recreation Island Beach State Park www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/ parks/island.html There’s no doubt that Island Beach State Park is the epicenter for ecotourism activities in Ocean County. This is New Jersey’s last significant remnant of a pristine barrier island ecosystem, and it remains almost untouched since Henry Hudson first described New Jersey’s coast in 1609. The park offers naturalist-conducted activities, an interpretive center, the Emily Decamp Herbarium, a nature center, self-guided trails, guided kayak tours through the Sedge Islands, birding (the state’s largest osprey colony, peregrine falcons, wading birds and shorebirds perch here), canoeing, fishing, horseback riding and picnicking on the beach. A “beach to bay” boardwalk trail provides a unique transect of a barrier island. Ecotourism on the Go Today’s mobile technology offers travelers a virtual world of information and apps at the click of a button while on-the-go. These websites can help pave the way for visitors to access directions, details and other information when they’re on the road exploring Ocean County. nature.org | njaudubon.org | nps.gov | www.oceancountytourism.com visitlbiregion.com | visitnj.org Ocean County Parks System www.oceancountyparks.org Ocean County’s Parks System boasts more than 4,000 acres of land including 20 parks and 4 conservation areas. One of the system’s showcase parks is Cattus Island, where the unspoiled beauty of nature is the main attraction. This environmentally sensitive park spans just over 500 acres and maintains several miles of trails, many offering vistas of the adjacent Barnegat Bay. Cattus Island is home to the Cooper Environmental Center, where visitors of all ages can enjoy hands-on displays along with collections of live reptiles and fish. The park also contains a beautiful Butterfly Garden. Barnegat National Wildlife Refuge www.stateparks.com/barnegat_national_ wildlife_refuge_in_new_jersey.html This section of the E. B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge offers wildlife observation and photography, fresh- and saltwater fishing and crabbing. Located in one of the Atlantic Flyway’s most active flight paths, this is a favorite perch for birding enthusiasts and an important link in the vast network of national wildlife refuges administered nationwide by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve www.jcnerr.org The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) is one of 28 national estuarine reserves created to promote the responsible use and management of the nation’s estuaries through a cooperative program that combines research, education and stewardship. The Reserve houses exhibits, conducts special tours and hands-on activities and offers something for everyone with a natural interest in learning more about the environment. Ocean County offers access to acres of natural recreational destinations that provide eco-friendly opportunities for outdoor adventure. Municipal parks, interpretive trails, national reserves, local preserves, boardwalk biking and walking paths along the oceans and bays—the options are endless. Photo by M. Motsay Photo by R. Yeager Parks and Reserves
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