UPDATE ON PROJECTS
By Marty Boa

 CJCPF Efforts Improve Habitat, Release Birds

             Recent activities undertaken by Central Jersey Chapter Pheasants Forever related to habitat improvement in north-central New Jersey are paying big dividends for wildlife

and will no doubt continue to do so for a long time, hopefully forever.

            Two well planned, ongoing projects in Hunterdon County, one on the Stickney Farm tract in Readington Township and another on the Stanton Ridge Golf Course are not only on schedule, but in one case providing a quality place for pheasants and other wildlife species to live.

Preliminary habitat improvement measures have been completed on 20 cultivated acres at Stickney Farm. A strict time schedule was adhered to in order to accomplish the following tasks: undesirable vegetation has been eliminated through Brush Hogging, herbicide applications including Roundup were completed, soil preparation has been done by disc, and native warm season grasses have been planted through no till drill seeding. 

            The Stickney Tract is a 60-acre farm owned by Readington Township and enrolled in the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) for Early Successional Habitat Management in coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Jersey.

            In May 2006 CJCPF volunteers released nine ringneck pheasants (seven hens, two cocks) of the blue back strain on selected areas of the Stanton Ridge Golf Club. As of

June 14 golf course superintendent Fred Reidel reported observing one pheasant pair and at least three, or four hens conveyed up.

Jim Horvath (left), resident overseer of the Stickney Farm project and Richard Toaldo, CJCPF president unload seed at Stickney Farm. In all 750 lbs. of warm season grass seed was delivered and planted at the end of May 2006.
Ken Sass photo

"CJCPF Team Stickney"

Front Row Left to Right: Rich Toaldo  (Pres CJCPF ), John Dgeronimo (farmer), Julia Allen (  Readington Township Committee Person), Jim Horvath (Readington Twnp resident and overseer of Stickney Farm), Ken Sass (Co-Habitat Chairman CJCPF)    Back Row Left To Right:  Amy Hollander( Curator of Museam Farm),Evan Madlinger(Hunterton Cty Biologist), Tim Dunne (USDA Northern Region Biologist).
Photo By Marty Boa
 

CJCPF Co-habitat chairman Ken Sass (left) and CJCPF President Richard Toaldo
post PF habitat management signs at Stickney Farm Tract, Readington Township,
Hunterdon County, NJ.
Photo by Marty Boa

From Left:
CJCPF Habitat Co-Chair Kenn Sass and CJCPF Publicity Chairman Marty Boa
post a PF habitat management sign on the Stickney Farm Tract in Readington Township, Hunterdon County, NJ.
Marty Boa Photo

"Team Stanton Ridge"
From left:
CJCPF President Richard Toaldo, Stanton Ridge Turf Intern Matt Castagna, Stanton Ridge Membership Director Joanne Toth, Golf Club Superintendent Fred Reidel, Golf Club Pro Jeff Rickenback.
Photo By Ken Sass

CJCPF President Richard Toaldo (left) and Co-habitat chairman Ken Sass with bags of assorted warm season grass seed at Stickney Farm Tract, Readington Township, NJ, May 2006.
Ken Sass photo.

A pheasant released by CJCPF finds a new home at the Stanton Ridge Golf Club, Hunterdon County, NJ.
Photo By Ken Sass