News

April 2018…

The Meadowlands Conservation Trust extends its thanks to the FEMA/AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program, whose members volunteered for a cleanup at the edge of the Kane Tract in South Hackensack on Saturday, April 21. They were joined by NJSEA staffer Colleen Mercado, her husband David Mercado, and MCT Consultant Don Smith.

Seven AmeriCorps NCCC members participated in the cleanup and helped fill 30 garbage bags with debris from the site. The Kane Tract is a critical wetlands restoration area and AmeriCorps NCCC’s help was greatly appreciated. Casey Godfrey of FEMA/AmeriCorps NCCC reached out to the MCT to help the environment as part of his group’s Global Youth Service Day. Casey’s team is currently serving at FEMA Region II Headquarters in New York City and is housed in Secaucus.

The AmeriCorps NCCC program focuses on a wide variety of service and project areas including direct response and recovery to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development.

April 2018…

LITTLE FERRY – A partnership of governmental and environmental groups today opened the Mehrhof Pond Wildlife Observation Area. The site features a fully accessible wildlife observation blind, interpretive wildlife and historical displays, and hundreds of new native plantings.
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March 2018 …
Congratulations to Trustee Greg Remaud, who was just named the Chief Executive Officer of the NY/NJ Baykeeper at the organization’s March 2018 Board meeting. Remaud, a member of the organization for over 20 years, had just recently been appointed its Acting Executive Director.

February 2018…
The Meadowlands Conservation Trust (MCT) is proud to congratulate Trustee Greg Remaud on his appointment as the Acting Executive Director of the NY/NJ Baykeeper. Remaud, a member of the organization for over 20 years, was previously its Deputy Director. The NY/NJ Baykeeper is a vital environmental advocacy group that has helped to preserve over 10,000 acres of open space in the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary. The Baykeeper Board of Trustees voted to name Remaud as Acting Executive Director this month.

“Greg Remaud has been a vigorous, unwavering advocate and fighter for the health of the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary and the protection of all of New Jersey’s critical natural resources for more than two decades,” said Bill Sheehan, Chairman of the MCT. “The Trust has experienced firsthand Greg’s incredible wealth of knowledge and tireless passion for environmental conservation. We are extremely proud of his well-deserved appointment.”

The NY/NJ Baykeeper’s mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the ecological integrity and productivity of the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary. Its efforts include helping to shape and enforce water quality, land use, and coastal policies; preserving  remaining wildlife habitat in the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary through land acquisition, innovation planning, and ecological restoration; and repopulating the New York and New Jersey bays with oysters and creating sustainable habitat in order to monitor and improve the health of the estuary’s ecosystem.

“I applaud the NY/NJ Baykeeper for its excellent decision to choose Greg Remaud as its Acting Executive Director,” said Christine Sanz, Chief Executive Officer of the MCT. “Greg’s dedication to the environment, excellent work on behalf of the Baykeeper, and proven leadership skills make him a tremendous asset to the NY/NJ Baykeeper, the MCT, and important ecosystems around the State of New Jersey.”

About Greg Remaud:

Greg Remaud has been an advocate for land preservation in the Meadowlands and densely developed communities for over 20 years. He helped draft the conceptual plan and legislation that created the Meadowlands Conservation Trust in 1999. Remaud has also led and partnered in numerous land acquisition, preservation and restoration projects in the Hackensack River Watershed and throughout the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Region. He serves on many non-profit conservation organization advisory boards and has presented on urban land preservation in a variety of forums. Remaud is a board member and past president of the Liberty State Park Conservancy.

The MCT would like to thank the Bergen County Audubon Society for its generous donation of $900 to produce interpretative signs with photos and descriptions of ducks that will be seen at Mehrhof Pond in Little Ferry. The signs will be part of the Mehrhof Pond Wildlife Observation Area, a project of the Trust, the Bergen County Utilities Authority and Bergen County. The project is currently underway and will also feature a new bird blind overlooking the pond, additional interpretative signage detailing the area’s rich history and new fencing.

Meadowlands Conservation Trust Chairman Bill Sheehan has been named the Waterkeeper Alliance Hero of the Year in recognition of his 20th year as the Hackensack Riverkeeper. The Waterkeeper Alliance is a global organization dedicated to fighting for every community’s right to clean, drinkable, fishable and swimmable water. Congratulations Chairman Sheehan on this prestigious honor!