So good. You painted the picture. Thanks for getting me to read more, too. I hope to keep that growing instead of throwing my precious time away in the non-constructive ways that have become bad habits.
One tiny editorial comment: the phrase "wounds teetering on irrecoverable" struck me as awkward. Yet, the idea was successfully conveyed, which is the point, after all.
Ps- when I was cast as a lead in a play at Rutgers they sent me to the Pine Barrens to learn how to spin. I was taught by a silent, kind woman who grew up in that wild place.
I was born in 1957 in Princeton, grew up in wild Lawrenceville in a farmhouse where we ran barefoot until it snowed. Unheated, we giggled when our hair froze after a bath, animals everywhere- foxes, bunnies, beavers, woodchucks, deer, bobcats. It was paradise, isolated, wild and lonely.
The 1991 comedy "Nothing but Trouble" set in NJ really woke me up to pollution in the USA. I didn't get to see it until 1994, but I think it's impact on me was because it was the first movie I watched after being in a warzone for >2 years. I'm gonna havta watch it again after reading this article.
This is one of your best and emotionally insightful articles, Mike. Anxiously awaiting Part 2
I live 65 miles north of Philadelphia on the Delaware River, in the 60s before the EPA we couldn't swim in the river because of pollution, the coal fired electric station upstream in Martins Creek dumped coal ash in the river.
A whole bunch of decades ago, I had the privilege to live in the upper western corner of NJ, in the winter of 1976, and again, in the fall of 1982 for about 3 months each time. I lived in the Delaware Water Gap National Park, through a college program called Artists for the Environment. I can't say that we did anything very environmental, beyond developing a great love for nature, for painting outside and recording the natural beauty. I credit my time there for my love of living in the midst of tall trees, for the will to listen for the flap of raven's wings as they fly overhead, and the sheer joy of hearing owls and coyotes singing in the dark.
I lived for some years in Philadelphia and until my time at the DWG, I didn't have much good to say about NJ. I know the rest of the state has problems and it breaks my heart to think that they have raveled into that beautiful corner of wilderness. I hope part 2 of your story brings some redemption. Not a week goes by without thinking about that place and time of my life.
We need to learn from the mistakes of the past - there are a lot of good people doing their bit, personally & in groups, to try to restore habitat & prevent further loss of species from their natural homes, but the best plan is to stop doing it in the first place, eh? We know enough now that it is inexcusable when it still happens IMHO.
Thank you for this. I'm looking forward to Part 2. In 2018, our younger son, DIL, and grandson moved to northern New Jersey from Brooklyn. We were supportive but dubious that they'd adapt well to suburban life. It turned out to be the best decision they could have made. They're only 14 miles from Manhattan as the crow flies, but they were able to afford to buy a house in a beautiful, liberal, artistic community with good schools and plenty of sports and other activities. Many of their weekends (especially when soccer isn't in season) and our spring and fall visits include outings to historic and scenic sites, as they continue to find more interesting areas to explore. Still, with all the gorgeous towns and natural beauty New Jersey has to offer, I'm always startled at how tiny it looks on a map--and it's devastating to learn of the environmental depredation that has occurred.
I've spent most of my life in NJ, the rest in the southwest. Thank you for bringing me "home" today. You portray NJ beautifully (even for someone from south Jersey, jk). My best veggie gardens have been in The Garden State. It's been good watching it recover thanks to the many caring citizens. I hope it continues to head in that direction.
My (adult) kids made a short documentary on the years-long effort and the amazing people who brought bald eagles back to New York. I think you'd really enjoy it. Look for Bringing Back Eagles (by Call of the Loon Productions) on YouTube. Worth the three minutes. A remarkable success story.
Even having visited New York and cities in California, I find it hard that a state that is 14 X smaller than my whole country (NZ) has 4 million more in population. Where do they all fit?
Part 1: I live right up against the Rocky Mountains in the shadow of Pikes Peak. I have never been to your fair state but we have the history of gold and silver mining so I have seen the destruction of gouging out the earth to extract those minerals and metals using acids that forever poison the water and land and habitat. They are forever scars put there by man on the sides of the mountains. I am pretty sure readers from any of the 50 states can share a similar story. And now we all face the realities of trying to repair the damage.
So good. You painted the picture. Thanks for getting me to read more, too. I hope to keep that growing instead of throwing my precious time away in the non-constructive ways that have become bad habits.
One tiny editorial comment: the phrase "wounds teetering on irrecoverable" struck me as awkward. Yet, the idea was successfully conveyed, which is the point, after all.
Ps- when I was cast as a lead in a play at Rutgers they sent me to the Pine Barrens to learn how to spin. I was taught by a silent, kind woman who grew up in that wild place.
I was born in 1957 in Princeton, grew up in wild Lawrenceville in a farmhouse where we ran barefoot until it snowed. Unheated, we giggled when our hair froze after a bath, animals everywhere- foxes, bunnies, beavers, woodchucks, deer, bobcats. It was paradise, isolated, wild and lonely.
The 1991 comedy "Nothing but Trouble" set in NJ really woke me up to pollution in the USA. I didn't get to see it until 1994, but I think it's impact on me was because it was the first movie I watched after being in a warzone for >2 years. I'm gonna havta watch it again after reading this article.
This is one of your best and emotionally insightful articles, Mike. Anxiously awaiting Part 2
I live 65 miles north of Philadelphia on the Delaware River, in the 60s before the EPA we couldn't swim in the river because of pollution, the coal fired electric station upstream in Martins Creek dumped coal ash in the river.
Then the EPA started regulations.
Now the river is swimmable, and wildlife is back.
Still won't eat
Mike, you’ve got a real knack for this writing stuff!
A whole bunch of decades ago, I had the privilege to live in the upper western corner of NJ, in the winter of 1976, and again, in the fall of 1982 for about 3 months each time. I lived in the Delaware Water Gap National Park, through a college program called Artists for the Environment. I can't say that we did anything very environmental, beyond developing a great love for nature, for painting outside and recording the natural beauty. I credit my time there for my love of living in the midst of tall trees, for the will to listen for the flap of raven's wings as they fly overhead, and the sheer joy of hearing owls and coyotes singing in the dark.
I lived for some years in Philadelphia and until my time at the DWG, I didn't have much good to say about NJ. I know the rest of the state has problems and it breaks my heart to think that they have raveled into that beautiful corner of wilderness. I hope part 2 of your story brings some redemption. Not a week goes by without thinking about that place and time of my life.
We need to learn from the mistakes of the past - there are a lot of good people doing their bit, personally & in groups, to try to restore habitat & prevent further loss of species from their natural homes, but the best plan is to stop doing it in the first place, eh? We know enough now that it is inexcusable when it still happens IMHO.
Thank you for this. I'm looking forward to Part 2. In 2018, our younger son, DIL, and grandson moved to northern New Jersey from Brooklyn. We were supportive but dubious that they'd adapt well to suburban life. It turned out to be the best decision they could have made. They're only 14 miles from Manhattan as the crow flies, but they were able to afford to buy a house in a beautiful, liberal, artistic community with good schools and plenty of sports and other activities. Many of their weekends (especially when soccer isn't in season) and our spring and fall visits include outings to historic and scenic sites, as they continue to find more interesting areas to explore. Still, with all the gorgeous towns and natural beauty New Jersey has to offer, I'm always startled at how tiny it looks on a map--and it's devastating to learn of the environmental depredation that has occurred.
I've spent most of my life in NJ, the rest in the southwest. Thank you for bringing me "home" today. You portray NJ beautifully (even for someone from south Jersey, jk). My best veggie gardens have been in The Garden State. It's been good watching it recover thanks to the many caring citizens. I hope it continues to head in that direction.
My (adult) kids made a short documentary on the years-long effort and the amazing people who brought bald eagles back to New York. I think you'd really enjoy it. Look for Bringing Back Eagles (by Call of the Loon Productions) on YouTube. Worth the three minutes. A remarkable success story.
And ps, environmentally, humans suck.
Even having visited New York and cities in California, I find it hard that a state that is 14 X smaller than my whole country (NZ) has 4 million more in population. Where do they all fit?
Part 1: I live right up against the Rocky Mountains in the shadow of Pikes Peak. I have never been to your fair state but we have the history of gold and silver mining so I have seen the destruction of gouging out the earth to extract those minerals and metals using acids that forever poison the water and land and habitat. They are forever scars put there by man on the sides of the mountains. I am pretty sure readers from any of the 50 states can share a similar story. And now we all face the realities of trying to repair the damage.
It’s not just NJ - it’s everywhere and we all need to be better custodians of the land. Thanks for this Mike, awaiting II
I've always wanted to visit the Pine Barrens. John McPhee's book about that area is just excellent.