Join Rutgers experts at Burnham Park for hands-on environmental training, June 28

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? Protective vegetation has been removed from the shoreline of Burnham Pond...but by whom? Local environmentalists are pressing Morristown officials to find out. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
The shoreline of Burnham Pond, 2010. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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From the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee:

Rutgers Cooperative Extension students and faculty kick off Burnham Park improvements with Town of Morristown Department of Public Works and volunteers on June 28, 2018 

On Thursday, June 28, 2018, at 10 a.m. in Morristown’s Burnham Park, Rutgers University faculty will give hands-on training to Rutgers students, public officials, and volunteers.

This training event is free and open to the public. Volunteers are welcome to participate in the training, which is being conducted by Dr. Christopher Obropta, a nationally known water quality expert and Rutgers Faculty Member.

Individual volunteers, families, or groups that wish to participate should wear protective clothing, gloves, and boots.

There will be photo opportunities as students and volunteers begin to restore and beautify the vegetation at Burnham Park’s pond that flows into a tributary of the Whippany River to help improve water quality.

The Rutgers University training kicks off a project to restore and maintain a vegetated “Riparian Buffer Zone” that was constructed around the lower pond in Morristown’s Burnham Park almost two decades ago.

Town of Morristown Department of Public Works Supervisor Rich Fernicola, Town Administrator Jillian Barrick, and Town Engineer Anthony DeVizio are current leaders in this project, which will protect water quality, beautify the park, and enhance fishing access. 

Other Rutgers University and faculty members participating in the project are Peter Nitzsche, horticulturist and Pat Rector-Woods, county agent.

The water quality buffer was constructed in two phases after the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection awarded $150,000 in 319(h) grants to the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee.

Both the Town of Morristown and Morris Township are members of WRWAC and participated in the design, funding, and implementation of the original 319(h) project.

Whippany River Watershed Action Committee Facilitator Sergio Capozzi, Brian Marshall, environmental engineer and Morristown Environmental Commission Chair Maureen Denman are also participating in the project restoration.

The project is a state model “Riparian Buffer” project. The attached Rutgers University fact sheets describe one of aspect of the training that will be part of the June 28th event.

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