NJ Highlands partners with academia for the first time

Staff Report
@MyCentralJersey
New Jersey needs a group of the best and brightest to protect its environment… and the New Jersey Highlands Coalition is forming a relationship with Seton Hall University and the Newark Environmental Sustainability Institute of Rutgers to do just that.

New Jersey needs a group of the best and brightest to protect its environment — and the New Jersey Highlands Coalition is forming a relationship with Seton Hall University and the Newark Environmental Sustainability Institute of Rutgers to do just that. 

In October, the coalition formally expanded its member base to include colleges and universities of New Jersey, according to a news release. 

Seton Hall University and Newark Environmental Sustainability Institute of Rutgers are the first academic members to join the coalition which was previously made up of grassroots and community groups, governmental bodies, outdoor recreation groups, professionals and local businesses, all of whom depend on Highlands water. 

READ:EDITORIAL: Too quiet on the Highlands front

READ:Autumn blooms with horticultural therapy and community connections

READ:Hunterdon getting 'serious' about economic development

On Oct. 25, the formal membership of Seton Hall to the New Jersey Highlands Coalition’s group of more than 100 member organizations was celebrated during the New Jersey Environmental Lobby’s Annual Meeting. The N.J. Environmental Lobby is also a New Jersey Highlands Coalition member.

According to a news release, these partnerships help highlight and promote discussion and learning about the critical resource and policy issues of the Highlands and New Jersey. 

The collaboration aims to create a pathway to introduce these issues to environmental programs and classrooms participated in by thousands of New Jersey students and academics. By encouraging students to use their training to study New Jersey environmental issues and policies, the coalition hopes future environmental and community leaders will more effectively promote preservation of the Highlands, according to the news release.

“Learning about the hydrology, geology and biodiversity of the Highlands region has opened the students’ eyes and hearts to the beauty and abundance of New Jersey’s delicate ecosystems. We are grateful to have the NJ Highlands Coalition participate on our campus in Earth Week events and in Environmental Studies classes, keeping us informed on critical local issues and leading us to a brighter future by preserving the beautiful forests and water sources of the NJ Highlands,” said Wanda Knapik, assistant professor of environmental studies at Seton Hall University

The coalition's recent Highlands programs have been welcomed into the academic space, including at a Highlands Conference presented by the Coalition at Montclair State University, several green fairs and presentations at William Paterson University, MSU, Drew University, and Centenary University, and by teaming up with staff from NJIT to assist Ringwood community groups with sampling and research.

"Rutgers University Newark and the Newark Environmental Sustainability Institute are thrilled to be joining the NJ Highlands Coalition in order to foster and contribute to the preservation and advancing research on water resources in the state. It is pivotal to work together to solve the issues of our times and in our state. We hope to be able to contribute with our faculty research and expertise to preserving the Highlands and protecting its vital resources," said  Karina V.R. Schäfer, an ecosystem ecologist at Rutgers University.

The coalition is seeking to further these important bonds and grow its academic member base to include all of the state’s colleges and universities.  

“Working with these enthusiastic young minds and their mentors gives us great opportunities to study critical Highlands resource issues and policies," said Julia Somers, with the New Jersey Highlands Coalition. "We are very excited by these new connections and look forward to strengthening these relationships.” 

About the New Jersey Highlands Coalition

The New Jersey Highlands Coalition (www.njhighlandscoalition.org) is the only non-profit organization whose entire focus is on protecting the pristine aquifers, lakes and rivers, rugged forested ridges, rolling farmlands, abundant wildlife, historic treasures and diverse recreational opportunities found in the New Jersey Highlands, the state’s piece of the Appalachian Mountain chain. It is made up of more than 90 member organizations, small and large, local, regional, statewide and national, as well as more than 700 individual members. The coalition is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.