New Jersey

October is Monarch Butterflies Month in NJ thanks to local teen’s efforts

Published

7 months ago

October 6, 2024

October is Monarch Butterflies Month in NJ thanks to local teen’s efforts

Over the last few years, a North Jersey Girl Scout has turned a pandemic project into a statewide effort to promote awareness for monarch butterflies as well as protect and improve wildlife habitats in her town and around the state.

The monarch butterfly, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, is the most iconic butterfly in North America. Monarchs hold scientific and environmental value as well as economic and cultural value in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Tourists once flocked to Cape May to see the monarchs fly through New Jersey on their annual fall migration to Mexico. However, over several decades, the monarch population has steeply declined.

Monarch butterflies are currently listed by the NJDEP as a species of interest.

During the pandemic in 2020, Elizabeth Gillen, 17, of Mountain Lakes joined a competition with her friends to improve something within the community. Although it was challenging as much of life was still virtual, they decided to turn to social media and connect with butterfly enthusiasts around the state.

The group created a Facebook page called Morris Monarchs and shared a survey in online gardening groups, offering free milkweed seeds to anyone who wanted to plant them before the winter of 2021.

Milkweed is vital to monarch butterflies as it is the only plant upon which monarch caterpillars can live and feed, according to the NJDEP.

Over 1,000 people responded, and Gillen and her friends began sending out seeds and tracking the seeds’ location on a map. This effort won them first place in New Jersey in the competition.

As June 2023 approached, it was time for Gillen to start working on her gold award, the most prestigious award that a Girl Scout can receive.

“My gold award was a natural continuation of the seed giveaway,” said Gillen, who is a senior at the Morris County School of Technology. “I wanted to continue to raise awareness for monarch butterflies.”

In obtaining her gold award, Gillen worked with Mountain Lakes local leadership to connect the borough with the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. According to the National Wildlife Federation’s website, by taking the pledge you are “committing to both restore habitat in your community and encourage your residents to do the same.”

Mountain Lakes Mayor Khizar Sheikh signed the pledge in 2023.

Gillen also connected the borough to the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitats program, which partners with “communities of all kinds to become healthier, sustainable, and more wildlife friendly.” Gillen is the community manager for the Mountain Lakes Certified Wildlife Community.

“I am fortunate that Mountain Lakes is a borough that has a strong history of protecting wildlife and maintaining the natural beauty of the area,” said Gillen. “Everyone I approached in the borough supported my proposal.”

October is Monarch Butterflies Month in New Jersey

Another goal that Gillen set out to accomplish while obtaining her gold award was to dedicate a month to monarch butterflies in New Jersey.

“I researched existing town and county proclamations for monarchs across … I could not find any state dedicating a month to monarchs and wanted New Jersey to be the first,” said Gillen.

At the beginning of the year, Gillen wrote a detailed letter to Gov. Phil Murphy, sharing what she had accomplished with her friends during the pandemic and the work she has been doing since then in Mountain Lakes.

She described how a proclamation would complement the many existing conservation efforts in the state by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, the New Jersey Audubon, and many other organizations dedicated to preserving land for the benefit of native plants and insects like the monarch.

Gillen submitted her request to the state in early 2024 and it was signed by Murphy on Sept. 13, proclaiming October of 2024 as Monarch Butterflies Month in New Jersey.

“I hope New Jersey’s proclamation inspires monarch lovers in other states to request similar proclamations. Proclamations show symbolic support for monarchs and raises awareness of their importance,” said Gillen, who hopes that her project will help create more appreciation for monarchs and other pollinators and will encourage people to experience monarchs first-hand.

Gillen was awarded her gold award in August.

Going forward, Gillen plans to continue managing her Facebook pages, Morris Monarchs and Mountain Lakes Wildlife, and connecting with butterfly enthusiasts.

She will be giving away milkweed seeds to plant through the end of October. If you are interested, you can contact girlscoutgold7707@gmail.com.

Monarch butterfly population in decline

Monarch butterflies have a large habitat range, according to the NJDEP, spanning across the entire North American continent.

In the Garden State, they are among the group of native pollinators that assist in the reproduction of crops, playing a crucial role in the success of New Jersey’s agriculture and economy.

Every fall, migratory monarch butterflies fly through the state on their trek to Mexico for the winter, stopping in Cape May to rest before continuing their journey across the Delaware Bay.

“Cape May, New Jersey is a crucial stopover for monarch butterflies during their migration. Cape May is perfectly situated along the monarchs’ migration path,” said Suzanne Tilton, also known as the Butterfly Lady. “The peninsula acts like a natural funnel at the southern tip of New Jersey, drawing thousands of butterflies as they travel from Canada to Mexico.”

Cape May is home to the New Jersey Audubon’s Monarch Monitoring Project, which has been tracking and studying monarchs for over three decades, helping scientists understand their migration patterns and the challenges that they face.

Unfortunately, monarchs currently face many challenges including habitat loss, extreme weather, predators, toxic pesticides and climate change, which have all taken a toll on fragile populations, according to the New Jersey Audubon.

“The destruction of milkweed plants, which are essential for monarch caterpillars, is a significant threat. Urban development and agricultural practices, especially the use of herbicides, have reduced the availability of milkweed which is the only plant monarchs use to lay their eggs,” said Tilton. “Changes in climate affect the migratory patterns and breeding grounds of monarchs.”

She continued, “Extreme weather events and shifting temperatures can disrupt their life cycle and migration routes. Perfect example is Hurricane Helene wreaking damage along important migrating routes monarchs use along the Appalachian Mountains.”

Tilton also pointed out the fact that pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids can be harmful to monarchs, killing them or reducing the availability of nectar plants and milkweed.

Finally, Tilton said that deforestation in their wintering grounds in Central Mexico reduces the areas that monarchs cluster for warmth and protection.

According to the NJDEP, the monarch population is estimated to have declined some 90% between 1990 and 2014, dropping from approximately one billion butterflies to 35 million butterflies.

“The monarch is an umbrella species, it tells us how other pollinators are struggling,” said Tilton. “The monarch butterfly is a great indicator, and we need to start paying attention. If the monarch butterfly is struggling, other pollinators and insects are struggling too.”

According to Tilton, the most important thing that people can do to help is to create a habitat in their yards for monarchs by planting milkweed for the caterpillars and flowers for the adults to feed on. It is also extremely important to stop using pesticides in our gardens.

“People need to realize the importance of protecting and creating habitat for monarchs,” said Tilton. “Projects like Lizzie’s help bring awareness to the public.”

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New Jersey

Best place to dine with a view at the NJ shore? This one among top 10 in U.S.; see where

Published

8 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Press Room

Best place to dine with a view at the NJ shore? This one among top 10 in U.S.; see where

New Jersey has its fair share of eateries with breathtaking views and diverse dishes — no arguing there — but one has earned a spot among the best waterfront restaurants in the country, according to a recent ranking on USA TODAY’s 10BEST 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Through flooding and fire damage, this historic, family-owned Jersey Shore restaurant has stood the test of time, dating back three centuries and drawing crowds year-round. Readers of USA TODAY voted to crown the nation’s top 10 best restaurants with exceptional views, whittling down a nomination list crafted by 20 experts who weighed heavily on “outstanding service, meals with high-quality, fresh ingredients and stunning views.”

Here’s what to know about New Jersey’s top waterfront restaurant down the Jersey Shore. Would you recommend it?

The Lobster House, Cape May

There’s nothing like enjoying some freshly caught seafood at the Jersey Shore, and The Lobster House in Cape May is just the place to be, according to readers. The “legendary” eatery was top ranked for its picturesque views of the Cape May Harbor.

The family-owned business is renowned for their whole lobsters and signature seafood pasta, embracing “a casual yet festive vibe, ideal for seafood aficionados of all ages,” according to USA TODAY. Their dockside is usually bustling with its own fleet of fishing boats, serving millions of pounds of fresh catches year-round.

Tourists and locals have dined there for decades; the restaurant was established around the 1950s and its operation includes a dining room, raw bar and a deck, with diners also fond of sipping cocktails aboard The Schooner American, a 130-foot sailing vessel moored alongside the restaurant since 1965.

Do you need a reservation at The Lobster House in Cape May? Here’s how to eat at The Lobster House

The Lobster House’s main dining room is open for lunch and dinner, and its Raw Bar opened for the season on Friday, April 25. The Lobster House has a coffee shop open early that serves breakfast on the weekends and also has a fish market and take-out. The website indicates the Schooner is closed for the season, so best to check with the restaurant.

Go: 906 Schellengers Landing Road; 609-884-8296, thelobsterhouse.com. They do not take reservations.

Top 10 waterfront restaurants in the U.S.

More a fan of American fare and headed to Florida, or taking in the views of Niagara Falls this summer? Here are the 10BEST waterfront restaurants ranked in the U.S.

Beach House Grill: Chatham, Massachusetts
Moshulu: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Strand House: Manhattan Beach, California
Canoe – Atlanta, Georgia
Top of the Falls – Niagara Falls, New York
The Lobster House – Cape May, New Jersey
Six Seven Restaurant – Seattle, Washington
Jetty’s Waterfront Restaurant – Jupiter, Florida
Angèle Restaurant & Bar – Napa, California
Prost Haus – San Antonio, Texas

Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.

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New Jersey

NJ high court to hear case between Catholic diocese, prosecutor over investigating sex abuse claims

Published

1 day ago

April 28, 2025

Press Room

NJ high court to hear case between Catholic diocese, prosecutor over investigating sex abuse claims

TRENTON, N.J. — A Catholic diocese wants to stop New Jersey from trying to empanel a grand jury to investigate allegations of clergy sexual abuse, with arguments before the state’s high court set for Monday.

After a Pennsylvania grand jury report found over 1,000 children had been abused since the 1940s, New Jersey formed a task force in 2018 and intended to empanel its own grand jury to investigate allegations of abuse there. But the Diocese of Camden pushed back in court in 2021, arguing that state law doesn’t permit having a grand jury investigate possible abuse by private church officials.

That legal battle has happened away from public view for years, as courts had sealed the proceedings in New Jersey and the attorney general’s office didn’t share updates. But last month, the state Supreme Court unsealed a handful of documents between the diocese and the attorney general after the Bergen Record obtained records detailing the court battle.

The diocese argues that such grand jury investigations are only for governments and public officials.

In 2023, a trial court judge sided with the diocese, finding that such a grand jury would lack authority because it would be focused on “private conduct,” rather than a government agency’s actions. An appeals court affirmed that judgment last year, and Attorney General Matt Platkin appealed to the state Supreme Court.

The documents that the high court unsealed in March sketch out some of what the state’s task force has found so far but don’t include specific allegations. The papers show that 550 phone calls alleging abuse from the 1940s to the “recent past” came into a hotline the state had set up.

The diocese argues a grand jury isn’t needed in large part because of a 2002 memorandum of understanding between New Jersey Catholic dioceses and prosecutors. The memorandum required church officials to report abuse and said authorities would be provided with all relevant information about the allegations. One of the court documents says abuse had been “effectively eradicated” in the church.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden, N.J., Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke

But the Pennsylvania grand jury report in 2018 touched off a reexamination of statute of limitations law in New Jersey, which overhauled its civil statute of limitations on childhood sex abuse claims in 2019. The new law allows child victims to sue until they turn 55 or within seven years of their first realization that the abuse caused them harm. The previous statute of limitations was age 20 or two years after first realizing the abuse caused harm.

Also in 2019, New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses listed more than 180 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over a span of several decades, joining more than two dozen other states that have named suspects of abuse in the wake of the landmark Pennsylvania grand jury report.

Many priests on the lists were deceased; others were removed from ministry.

The Camden diocese, like others across the country, filed for bankruptcy amid a torrent of lawsuits — up to 55, according to court records — stemming from the relaxed statute of limitations.

Then in 2022, the diocese agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle claims involving clergy sex abuse with some 300 accusers in one of the largest cash settlements involving the Catholic church in the United States.

The agreement by the diocese, which encompasses six counties in southern New Jersey on the outskirts of Philadelphia, exceeded the nearly $85 million settlement in 2003 in the clergy abuse scandal in Boston, but was less than other settlements in California and Oregon.

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New Jersey

Somerset County resort named best new hotel in New Jersey, according to Esquire

Published

2 days ago

April 27, 2025

Press Room

Somerset County resort named best new hotel in New Jersey, according to Esquire

Looking for a staycation that pulls out all the stops?

It can be attained right here in the Garden State.

According to Esquire.com’s list The Best New Hotels in the World 2025, Pendry Natirar in Peapack is the best hotel in New Jersey and among the best around the world.

The popular gentlemen’s magazine list only contains 42 properties in which writer’s of the publication reviewed themselves by becoming guests at each entity.

Here is what the popular magazine said about Pendry Natirar:

“Did I expect my favorite hotel stay of the year to be in I-don’t-know-where New Jersey? (Peapack, formally.) Absolutely not. Am I still thinking about it? All the time. Perched on top of a towering hill, the hotel grounds boast a gorgeous wellness spa, a cozy restaurant, and a lobby that looks like it belongs somewhere in the Biltmore. The kicker: Pendry Natirar is fueled by the sprawling farm on the property, which you can tour, and where you can say hi to the chickens and pick up goodies. (I’m still using the honey they gave me.) It all makes for an intimate, Hudson-esque adventure — but without the hike upstate. Rooms from $675.” — Brady Langmann

Pendry Natirar is a stately escape on 500 rolling acres in Somerset County, constructed with 68 guestrooms and 21 suites. The hotel has luxurious and comfortable amenities with a combination of rich traditional and contemporary country influence and style. The location has a winery, afternoon teas and offers pilates classes to guests.

Pendry Natirar is where daily life is laced with inspiration and where nature guides us from season to season in splendor. A haven from the bustling tempo of the city’s pace, and located just an hour outside of New York City, we have reimagined Natirar’s historic grounds into an idyllic retreat layered with luxury, comfort and endless allure, according to Pendry.com.

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