June 30, 2025

2025’s Art x Science Workshop Series Connected Creativity with Environmental Stewardship

by Nina Sassano

artxs art x science

This spring, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Barnegat Bay Partnership teamed up to present the Art x Science Workshop Series. This free, hands-on program was designed to connect community members with the science and history of the Barnegat Bay through the lens of art.

From April to June, each Saturday workshop welcomed participants to explore the natural and cultural heritage of our coastal watershed. With registration maxing out for every session, it was clear that this creative fusion of art and environmental education piqued the interest with our community.

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Pine Barrens Ecology x Photography

Joel Mott of the Pinelands Commission kicked off the series with a guided hike through the pygmy pines, a globally rare forest community that has endured extreme fire history and is known as one of the most combustible habitats in the country. Joel was joined by photography professor Ariana Sanchez, who introduced participants – from novice to experienced – to photography techniques that captured the unique flora and fauna of the area along the hike.

Wetland Ecology x Block Printing

Dr. Thomas Grothues led the next workshop with a deep dive into the aquatic ecosystems of Barnegat Bay, Great Bay, and Little Egg Harbor. Attendees then transformed their newfound knowledge into art under the guidance of award-winning artist Jo Guscott. Each participant went home with a hand-carved, nature-inspired block print and a greater appreciation for the complex life below the bay’s surface.

Native Plants x Florestry

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Watershed Ambassador Cameron Shapiro shared her extensive knowledge as a former florist and current plant enthusiast to help attendees identify native and invasive plant species and forage responsibly. Inside, the group crafted stunning seasonal bouquets using the plants they had gathered, turning ecological insight into ephemeral floral art. Many participants said they’ll never look at beachside greenery the same way again.

History of Duck Hunting x Decoy Carving

The final workshop brought participants back in time at the Tuckerton Seaport, exploring the cultural history of duck hunting in the region with expert decoy carver Fred Reitmeyer. Attendees then got hands-on with decoy carving and painting, creating their own traditional-style “flatties” to take home — tangible connections to the region’s maritime past.

Art Meets Environmental Stewardship
The success of the Art x Science workshop series shows that when science is paired with creativity, it becomes not only more accessible but more memorable. Through a new lens, ink, flowers, and wood shavings, participants engaged with their local environment and came away inspired to learn more and do more to protect it.

Thank you to all who attended, our incredible presenters and artists, and the partners who made this unique series possible. We hope to offer more opportunities like this in the future, where science gets a little messy, and art gets a little wild.

Stay tuned for what’s next!

Explore More Insights from Barnegat Bay

Dive deeper into the ongoing efforts to protect and restore our environment with more updates and initiatives that you can take part in. Check out our latest blog posts for valuable tips and insights.

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UNKNOWN

There is limited data available to quantify Wetland and Riparian Buffer Preservation, or updated data to quantify Wetland Acreage. The BBP has obtained funding and will begin assessment efforts for both targets, in the next few years.

 

 Hard Clam abundance has not been updated since 2012. Recovery of the stock will be guided by the Fishery Management Plan for Hard Clams, which is under development with the NJDEP, BBP, and other organizations. Reclam the Bay and other partners have continued to plant clams for restoration purposes. Continued plantings in strategic locations which maximize survival and reproduction is one strategy to pursue in the coming years. This work can use a model developed by Rutgers with BBP funding which identified areas where planted clams could have the greatest dispersal of their larvae and thus potentially maximally contribute to the recovery of the stock.

 Water Withdrawals were over the target in the 2021 report; USGS has not yet completed its latest update, so a definitive determination of status is not available. However, additional NJDEP data show that it is likely that we continue to not meet the target. Per capita water use has gone down, demonstrating the effectiveness of water-saving appliances and practices, but that decrease has been offset by population gains. 


IN PROGRESS

New maps quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation extent were developed, but poor image clarity resulted in a high degree of uncertainty in the total acreage. NJDEP and Rutgers are working to resolve the uncertainty of these maps, and improve the total acreage estimate. Funding has also been obtained for further research and restoration activities. Several groups are developing potential restoration actions.

The USGS has completed the first phase of its study to identify minimum ecological flows in select Barnegat Bay tributaries. USGS scientists compared streamflow statistics between historical and current time periods to better understand trends in watershed flow conditions. This work provides a foundation for developing ecological flow targets in the Barnegat Bay watershed.  Similar to SAV extent, funding (approximately $450K) has been obtained by the BBP to complete the remaining phases necessary for threshold determination.

 

TARGETS ACHIEVED

No targets can be considered “Achieved” at this time.

 

NOT ACHIEVING

Several Public Swimming Beaches exceeded their safe swimming standards more frequently than during their baseline time period (2016-2018).

While most beaches are routinely safe for swimming, several problematic areas such as Beachwood, Hancock, Windward, and several lake beaches need track-down studies and restoration to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

Acres of Approved Shellfish Waters decreased from the last report. While this decrease was small, it represents a loss of previously approved waters. Similar to public beaches, track-down studies and restoration work are needed to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

 

2025’s Art x Science Workshop Series Connected Creativity with Environmental Stewardship

This spring, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Barnegat Bay Partnership teamed up to present the Art x Science Workshop Series. This free, hands-on program was designed to connect community members with the science and history of the Barnegat Bay through the lens of art.

From April to June, each Saturday workshop welcomed participants to explore the natural and cultural heritage of our coastal watershed. With registration maxing out for every session, it was clear that this creative fusion of art and environmental education piqued the interest with our community.

PXL 20250329 143938944.PORTRAIT 1024x1820

Pine Barrens Ecology x Photography

Joel Mott of the Pinelands Commission kicked off the series with a guided hike through the pygmy pines, a globally rare forest community that has endured extreme fire history and is known as one of the most combustible habitats in the country. Joel was joined by photography professor Ariana Sanchez, who introduced participants – from novice to experienced – to photography techniques that captured the unique flora and fauna of the area along the hike.

Wetland Ecology x Block Printing

Dr. Thomas Grothues led the next workshop with a deep dive into the aquatic ecosystems of Barnegat Bay, Great Bay, and Little Egg Harbor. Attendees then transformed their newfound knowledge into art under the guidance of award-winning artist Jo Guscott. Each participant went home with a hand-carved, nature-inspired block print and a greater appreciation for the complex life below the bay’s surface.

Native Plants x Florestry

PXL 20250531 160054942 1 1024x1820

Watershed Ambassador Cameron Shapiro shared her extensive knowledge as a former florist and current plant enthusiast to help attendees identify native and invasive plant species and forage responsibly. Inside, the group crafted stunning seasonal bouquets using the plants they had gathered, turning ecological insight into ephemeral floral art. Many participants said they’ll never look at beachside greenery the same way again.

History of Duck Hunting x Decoy Carving

The final workshop brought participants back in time at the Tuckerton Seaport, exploring the cultural history of duck hunting in the region with expert decoy carver Fred Reitmeyer. Attendees then got hands-on with decoy carving and painting, creating their own traditional-style “flatties” to take home — tangible connections to the region’s maritime past.

Art Meets Environmental Stewardship
The success of the Art x Science workshop series shows that when science is paired with creativity, it becomes not only more accessible but more memorable. Through a new lens, ink, flowers, and wood shavings, participants engaged with their local environment and came away inspired to learn more and do more to protect it.

Thank you to all who attended, our incredible presenters and artists, and the partners who made this unique series possible. We hope to offer more opportunities like this in the future, where science gets a little messy, and art gets a little wild.

Stay tuned for what’s next!

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