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Woman’s Club Annual Flower Show

The Belmar Woman’s Club will host it’s 82nd Annual Flower Show and Luncheon

on Wednesday July 14th at The Waterview Pavilion.

Those who wish to participate in the flower show should register their entries between

9:00am and 10:am at the Waterview Pavilion on Wednesday morning.

Tickets are $30.00 each

For tickets contact Rita Lane at 732-681-7262

Event Date(s) and Time(s):

July 14, 2010 12:00 am to 2:30 pm

Belmar Cruise Nights

Vintage car enthusiasts have an opportunity to get their hot rod fix in Belmar,on

the third Thursday of every month from June to September.

Cruise nights take place from 6:30pm-8:00pm at Pyanoe Plaza Parking lot.

Event Date(s) and Time(s):

July 15, 2010 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Food Bank Fund Raiser @ Brandl

NJ Seafood Festival VIP Kick-off Cocktail Party at Brandl Restaurant will take place

on Tuesday, June 8, 2010 from 6pm-8pm.

Tickets are $50, all proceeds benefit The Foodbank of Monmouth& Ocean County

For tickets call the Foodbank 732-918-2600

Event Date(s) and Time(s):

June 8, 2010 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Local group counts Horseshoe Crabs

Did you know that the Shark River Bay is a haven for nesting Horseshoe Crabs?  Each spring and summer the Shark River Cleanup Coalition hosts a Horseshoe Crab count in Shark River and people are encouraged to come out and learn about these ancient and fascinating creatures.

The American horseshoe crab, Limulus Polyphemus, occupies a critical niche in both the ecology of the Atlantic Ocean and in human pharmacology. Each spring as the crab comes ashore to spawn, its eggs provide food for hundreds of thousands of shorebirds flying north from South America to breeding grounds in the Arctic.  There is an amazing documentary called A Tale of Two Species about the relationship between Horseshoe Crabs and the endangered shorebird the Red Knot. In human medicine, the crab is bled, with no apparent harmful effects, to procure a compound that is used by the pharmaceutical industry to test intravenous drugs for dangerous bacteria. Yet despite the horseshoe crab’s importance, no one knew much about its population status until recently.

In 1990, Delaware Sea Grant organized the first census of breeding horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay.   The Shark River Cleanup Coalition began surveying the Shark River Bay in  2006.  Now, every spring on several peak spawning days, volunteers donate their time to count crabs on key beaches in Delaware and New Jersey.

People interested in seeing this sight first hand can come and volunteer by meeting with the survey teams at the “L” St. Beach  in Belmar at the following dates and times:

Wednesday, May 12 6:45 pm
Friday, May 14 8:00 pm
Sunday, May 16  9:30 pm

Tuesday, May 25 6:00pm
Thursday, May 27 7:30pm

Saturday, May 29 9:00 pm

Thursday, June 10 6:30pm
Saturday, June 12 7:45 pm
Monday, June 14 9:30 pm

Thursday, June 24 6:30pm

Saturday, June 26 8:00pm

Monday, June 28 9:30pm

Volunteers will learn how to conduct the survey, how to properly record data and how to distinguish between male and female horseshoe crabs. For more information or to register for the training, please contact Ed Lippincott at chefed@mac.com or call 732-681-0059

Belmar Spring Fling & Kite Festival

NJ Kites will be flying their awesome display at the 5th Ave Beach on Saturday & Sunday

free kites to the first 50 kids.

Townwide Yard Sale- pick up a map at the Belmar Chamber Office 1005-1/2 Main St.

Free Scavenger Hunt from 10:00am-4:00pm, Childrens Activities in Pyanoe Plaza

Event Date(s) and Time(s):

May 15, 2010 10:00 am to May 16, 2010 4:00 pm

Dogs on the Beach

As the summer season approaches Belmar residents are reminded that the seasonal regulations for dog walking on the beach are about to change.   In Belmar,  dogs are not allowed on the boardwalk and dogs are prohibited year round on the Natural Beach between the Belmar Fishing Club and the Shark River Inlet.  All of these areas are clearly marked with signs.

You can read the Belmar Ordinances, Chapter XVIII section 2.7  here.    Belmar residents are still allowed to walk dogs on the beach until April 30th when the new seasonal rules take effect.  Of course,  all dog walkers are required to have a leash and a bag or device to remove droppings.  Until then, enjoy the beach with your best friend and then we all have to make room for our summer visitors.

Signs Point to Town’s Natural Treasures

The Treasure Trail in Belmar is an interactive educational initiative developed in 2005 by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium/New Jersey Sea Grant (NJMSC/NJSG) in partnership with the Belmar Environmental Commission (BEC) and is meant to educate beachgoers about coastal ecosystems and beach dynamics in Belmar. The Trail, funded in part by a matching grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, began with a series of four full-color interpretive signs showcasing interesting information about sections of Belmar beach that serve as natural habitats for countless plants and animals, and has grown each year since it’s inception. The trail was designed to provide an opportunity for residents and seasonal visitors to learn more about these natural areas and to serve as an outdoor classroom for local schools.

Jenny McCormick, Coastal Communities Agent for the NJMSC/NJSG Extension Program worked with the BEC to develop the Treasure Trail. Due to the popularity and success of the project, six additional signs were added in 2007. In 2009, Jenny worked with a local student to produce a sign for his Eagle Scout waterfront picnic area project about birds and waterfowl that has now been added to the Treasure Trail.

The project has also incorporated an interactive element that McCormick thinks makes it even more appealing, particularly with students: “After people visit the natural beach, known locally as ’shell beach’ [at First Avenue], they can log onto a special Treasure Trail website linked through Belmar.com to take a fun quiz about what they learned and can even win a ‘treasure’ for their effort,” McCormick said.  The Treasure Trail project has served as a model for other coastal communities around the state and several neighboring municipalities, including Shark River Hills and Bradley Beach, have since collaborated with NJMSC/NJSG on similar projects.

To access the interactive Treasure Trail online, click here.

Fit Walk Route planning

Belmar Recreation will be meeting interested persons on the boardwalk in front of the Belmar Fishing Club starting Monday March 15  at 11:00. The purpose will be to measure different routes with  Belmar residents using a Rolatape. This will assist people in setting goals and distances for walks or jogging and helping them keep accurate times and distances to mark improvement.

Our goal is to get you moving in a positive direction towards better health. The walks can start in Belmar and go in any reasonable direction and distance. If you have specific needs please plan ahead and call Michael Campbell at 732-681 3700 dial 9 then 211.

Weather permitting we will meet every weekday starting March 15 thru March 25th 2010.

Belmar Rain Garden makes Rutgers Calendar

Belmar’s Rain Garden is featured as “Miss November” in the Rutgers Water Resources Program Calendar for 2010.

The Belmar rain garden was a collaborative project between the Belmar
Borough Environmental Commission and Master Gardeners from Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County.   The rain garden is situated near the intersection of Eighth Avenue and North Lake Drive
by Silver Lake and is frequented by citizens of the adjacent
community.  The purpose of installing the rain garden was to divert a portion of the runoff from the road into a vegetative system rather than directly into the storm sewer that discharges into Silver Lake.  It is also intended to serve as an example for homeowners in the area to replicate on their own properties.

See more pictures and information  here.

This rain garden manages stormwater from a portion of North Lake Drive.  The
drainage area was estimated by observing the direction of flow over the road and along the curb/gutter system.  It was determined ahead of time that a curb cut would be required.

After obtaining support from Belmar’s Mayor and Council and being awarded a grant from Verizon, the Belmar Environmental
Commission worked alongside the Master Gardeners from Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County to plan and install the rain garden.  The first step of the rain garden installation was to perform the heavy excavation and curb cut.  A small stone-lined ditch was created to connect the curb cut with the rain garden.  A berm was formed on the side of the rain garden closest to the lake.  The final size of the rain garden was 275 square feet in area and 6 inches in depth.  The excavation was generously performed by the the Belmar Borough Public Works Department. Master Gardener  volunteers performed fine excavation by hand, planting, and mulching.  The Belmar Boy Scout Troop also assisted with the rain garden planting.

So if you’re walking around the lake one day, stop by the rain garden and check out the great work done by the volunteers who made this all possible.   Great job everyone and Thanks!

Silver Lake is a haven for winter birds

I have been an amateur bird watcher for over 20 years and I walk my dog near Silver Lake every morning.  Did you know Silver Lake is very attractive habitat for birds, especially in Winter?   I already posted about Atlantic Brant which use the lake and surrounding area, but if you pay attention there are other birds that use the lake all winter for feeding and shelter.

Most mornings the Atlantic Brant, which have spent the night roosting on the water in Shark River Bay, will fly in to Silver Lake in small flocks to bathe in the fresh water that Silver Lake has to offer.  There will sometimes be over 100 birds all thrashing around in the lake to keep their feathers clean.

There is also a small flock of ducks known as Hooded Mergansers that call the Lake their winter home.  These ducks dive in unison to probe the bottom for worms and other invertebrates.  The males have a beautiful white crest that they raise and lower when they are agitated.

Ruddy Ducks are another diving duck that feed in Silver Lake in the same fashion but they are usually in smaller numbers.  American Widgeons feed along the edges of the lake and Northern Shovelers will feed on the surface of the lake.   Occasionally a rarer species like a Canvasback or  a Redhead can be found.   Last winter birders came from all over to find a Drake Eurasian Widgeon that spent the winter here.

And don’t forget the island is a roosting spot for Great Blue Herons and Black Crowned Night Herons.  Look for them every morning sitting in the sun on the Southeast side of the Island.

I’ll post updates on individual species throughout the winter so keep posted, and when you’re walking around the lake pay attention to some of our unusual winter visitors.

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