25 Nature Spectacles in New Jersey Format: Paperback

Join Joanna Burger and Michael Gochfeld as they guide readers to New Jersey’s most marvelous natural spectacles. From mating horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay to goldenclub and orchids at Web’s Mill Bog, the authors show us Garden State nature at its best.

While New Jersey boasts far more than 25 nature spectacles, the authors have selected those that are the most dramatic, predictable, and characteristic of the state so readers can easily enjoy them over and over again. Being in the right place at the right time makes all the difference, so the guidebook is organized by season to ensure the best viewing.

Each chapter begins with a photo and a brief description of the spectacle. A listing of key locations, directions, and the best time to visit follows. A prime habitat section provides a brief characterization of the appropriate surroundings to look for the plant or animal spectacle. The description provides ambiance, natural and life history information allowing readers to enjoy fully what they are observing. A final section lists an agency or organization where more information can be found.

The book contains maps as well as a calendar of recommended events, including the Lambertville Shad Festival and the Barnegat Bay Duck Decoy Festival. The authors also list a number of other spectacles that while they didn’t make the top 25 list, but are well-worth checking out—including a tongue-in-cheek look at what may be New Jersey’s best-known wildlife, humans at the shopping mall.

This book grows from the authors’ quarter century of exploring the state’s estuaries, bays, fields, and forests, observing and enjoying its natural habitats. They’ve written the perfect guidebook for everyone, whether you are ready to head off to the great outdoors or prefer to read about nature from the comfort of your armchair.

Joana Burger is a professor of ecology and evolution at Rutgers University as well as author of A Naturalist on the Jersey Shore, Oil Spills, and editor of Before and After an Oil Spill: The Arthur Kill (all available from Rutgers University Press). Michael Gochfeld is a professor at UWDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Burger and Gochfeld are coauthors of Butterflies of New Jersey: A Guide to Their Status, Distribution, Conservation, and Appreciation (available from Rutgers University Press).