Stockton Professor, Students to Lead Two Bird Walks at Forsythe Wildlife Refuge

With the arrival of spring comes the return of beach-nesting shorebirds and raptor migrants, such as the osprey, to South Jersey. Nature enthusiasts will have the opportunity to get a closer look at these species during two guided bird walks offered by the Stockton Center on Successful Aging in April.

Daniel Hernandez, associate professor of Biology, and students in his Service-Learning course will lead two guided bird walks titled “Birding for Life” at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on two Wednesdays, April 20 and 27, from 9 – 10:30 a.m. The refuge is located at 800 Great Creek Road in Galloway.

Participants should wear comfortable shoes and clothes appropriate for the outdoors.  Personal binoculars are not mandatory, but recommended. The group will meet in the parking lot at 9 a.m. and will be required to drive a vehicle for a caravan tour of the refuge with stops at various trails.

Walks consist of Akers Woodland Trail (0.25 miles on flat, easy terrain) and Jen’s Trail (0.75 miles with a 35-ft. elevation gain and wooded, uneven terrain) along with a stop on the 400-ft. boardwalk of the Leeds Eco-Trail for a total walk of about 1 mile. If the distance or terrain poses a problem, the Akers trail is very short and easy, as is the boardwalk.

Register online or call 609-626-3591. Visit the SCOSA website at Stockton.edu/scosa for more information, updates and cancellation procedures.