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Every corner of New Jersey harbors natural wildlife of such value that it attracts birders and other naturalists from around the world. From the barrier beaches and coastal marshes at the ocean’s edge, through the flood plain forests and pine barrens, across the fertile rolling hills of the piedmont, to the highlands, ridges, and valleys of northwestern New Jersey, the state is a cornucopia of wildlife. With over 500 species calling the state home, New Jersey ranks as one of the most diverse wildlife habitats in the country. The state’s importance doesn’t end at the borders¾ New Jersey provides critical food and shelter to hundreds of species that use the state as a stop along their migratory route. Yet, in the nation’s most densely populated state, the loss of habitat continues at a relentless pace. The race is on to save natural areas and the species dependent upon them for survival.

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife of New Jersey is a richly illustrated color guide to the state’s fifty-four most imperiled species, from bobcats to bobolinks, shortnosed sturgeons to loggerhead turtles, frosted elfins to triangle floaters, blue whales to American burying beetles. Here, the authors detail each animal’s natural history, reasons for its decline, what’s been done so far¾and what must be done¾to keep New Jersey’s wildlife flourishing.

Written primarily by the people who know these species best, the biologists of the New Jersey’s Endangered and Nongame Species program, the book is divided into seven sections¾ mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and bivalves. A chapter on individual species details animal identification, distribution, habitat, diet, life cycle, status and conservation, and limiting factors and threats, as well as recommendations for preservation. The authors also explore the particular characteristics of the species within New Jersey, including the species’ distribution, population status, and breeding and migration behaviors. Sixty-three detailed maps and more than one hundred spectacular color photos provide readers with a rare glimpse of these seldom-seen species.

Wildlife serves as a harbinger for our own environment: If the air, water, and earth aren’t healthy for animals, they surely can’t be healthy for humans. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife of New Jersey¾ an extraordinary resource and educational tool for anyone interested in preserving the state’s natural heritage¾provides a valuable wake-up call for us all.

 

Known as the Garden State, New Jersey could also be called the Fishing State. New Jersey boasts more than 6,000 miles of rivers and streams; 24,000 acres of public lakes, reservoirs and ponds; 420 square miles of open bay and estuary waters; and 120 miles of ocean coast — with nearly every gallon of water swimming with a remarkable variety of fish.

Using his more than 50 years of personal and academic observations, Glenn R. Piehler has written the perfect guidebook for new and proficient anglers, as well as students of fisheries science.

Piehler begins with the taxonomic origins and classification of almost 100 species of fresh and saltwater sport fishes described in the book, as well as “a number of creatures you might unwittingly hook into . . . with just enough technical jargon and information on the general biology of fishes to make the remaining chapters more winning,” he  writes. “In each case I have tried to capture the essence of each species or group of species—what they look like, how big they get, where they came from, what kind of waterbodies they live in, what they do for a living, generally how and when they may be caught, how they’ve fared over the years and are doing today, and where you can get more specific information about some of them.”

Exit Here for Fish examines the factors affecting the distribution and abundance of fish, probing the controversies surrounding preservation efforts, and the apportionment of fish among sport and commercial interests. Piehler looks at the seldom-examined history of fisheries and laws dealing with their management, habitats, and water quality. Finally, he lists a host of activities readers can enjoy, such as fish tagging and volunteering for the Wildlife Conservation Corps, to help preserve and protect the fun of fishing.

A completely revised edition of this classic guide! Exploring the Little Rivers of New Jersey—first published in 1942—has become a classic, every canoeist's traveling companion and a delight to countless other people who enjoy in imagination or memory the outdoor world of New Jersey. By the way of the little rivers, James and Margaret Cawley introduced generations of canoeists and armchair explorers to a quiet, beautiful world of forests and fields, songbirds and wildflowers, towpaths and villages rich in history. Today, you can still explore this "other New Jersey" via the state's little rivers and many miles of canal—through the Pine Barrens, state and county parks, farmlands, suburbs, and crowded cities.

In this fourth edition, the Little Rivers Club has brought the Cawleys' work up to date. This group of experienced canoeists dedicated themselves to re-exploring familiar waterways and adding new ones. Faithful to the Cawley spirit, this edition includes new maps, many new photographs, a directory of canoe liveries, tips of planning a trip, a loving portrait of the Cawleys, and, best of all, twenty-four beautiful waterways to discover.

Featuring 166 photos, 22 maps, and these rivers: