Week 03: A Field Trip Through the Meadowlands

Today work took us out onto the water for a guided pontoon boat trip through the Meadowlands, leaving from River Barge Park and Marina in Carlstadt. The tour was with the NJSEA, which now carries on the work of the former New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.

Passengers aboard a New Jersey Meadowlands Commission pontoon boat as a guide points toward shore — Out on the water with the Meadowlands tour crew.

We are working on headstarting terrapins at Liberty Science Center, so my boss thought this would be a good opportunity to get out into the habitat and learn more about the conservation work happening nearby. Rich from SEA LIFE and some of his crew joined us for the trip.

A pontoon boat traveling through a channel bordered by marsh grasses — Following the marsh channels and learning about the landscape around us.

As we rode along the Hackensack River and through the marshes, our guides walked us through roughly twenty years of restoration work. We heard about efforts to restore habitat for migratory birds, tree planting, and the long-term care involved in helping this landscape recover. Seeing the places they were talking about from the boat made that history much more tangible.

A heron standing on an exposed mudflat beside marsh grasses — A heron along the marsh edge, photographed from the boat.

It was a chance to connect our terrapin work with the larger habitat around us, and to spend a workday learning from people who have been looking after these wetlands for years. I brought my camera along, too. Between the marsh scenery and the birds, there was plenty to point it at.

A road bridge on tall concrete supports beside the river and marsh — A view of the riverbank beneath the surrounding infrastructure.

The Manhattan skyline beyond the river and developed shoreline — The Manhattan skyline in the distance: this habitat sits right alongside the city.

More about the Meadowlands boat tours