February 26, 2026

Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalist Class Registration Now Open!

by Nina Sassano

Individuals catching bivalves
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Are you passionate about the Barnegat Bay watershed and eager to learn more about its incredible ecosystem? Do you want to become an advocate for its protection and share your knowledge with others? Then the Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalist program is for you!

The Barnegat Bay Partnership, in collaboration with expert partners, is excited to announce that registration is now open for the upcoming Volunteer Master Naturalist training program. This comprehensive course is designed to educate participants about the diverse wildlife, natural resources, and environmental challenges facing the estuary. You’ll also gain valuable skills and techniques to help educate others and promote good stewardship of this vital natural resource.

What to Expect:

The program offers a dynamic blend of virtual classroom sessions and engaging in-person field trips. You’ll delve into a wide array of topics specific to the Barnegat Bay and its watershed, including:

  • Plants and animals of the bay and watershed
  • Fishes, shellfishes, and other marine life
  • Salt marshes, seagrasses, and other important habitats
  • Forest resources and Pine Barrens ecology
  • Local history, culture, and traditions
seining seine bbvmn master naturalist

Learn from the Experts:

We’re thrilled to have a fantastic lineup of presenters from leading organizations. In addition to the Barnegat Bay Partnership, you’ll learn from experts representing:

  • Wells Mills County Park
  • ReClam the Bay
  • NJ Watershed Ambassador Program
  • Double Trouble State Park
  • Pinelands Commission
  • NJ Natural Lands Trust
  • LBT Field Station
  • and more!

During the outdoor field sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to explore various bay and upland habitats throughout Ocean County at locations like Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center, Island Beach State Park, and Bass River State Forest. Activities will involve moderate physical activity, including hiking, kayaking, and seining.

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Course Schedule:

  • Virtual Classroom Sessions: Tuesdays from March 31 to June 9 (9:00 am – 11:00 am)
  • In-Person Field Sessions: Thursdays from April 2 to June 11 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm, with the Sedge Island trip on May 28th running until 3:00 pm)

Requirements:

Participants must have internet access for virtual sessions and be willing to drive to various locations throughout Ocean County for field sessions. Field trips will take place rain or shine, unless extreme weather dictates otherwise.

Ready to make a difference?

Don’t miss this chance to deepen your understanding of the Barnegat Bay and contribute to its preservation.

Register Today!

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.

View All

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.

 

Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalist Class Registration Now Open!

PXL 20250516 145750163.PORTRAIT 1024x1820

Are you passionate about the Barnegat Bay watershed and eager to learn more about its incredible ecosystem? Do you want to become an advocate for its protection and share your knowledge with others? Then the Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalist program is for you!

The Barnegat Bay Partnership, in collaboration with expert partners, is excited to announce that registration is now open for the upcoming Volunteer Master Naturalist training program. This comprehensive course is designed to educate participants about the diverse wildlife, natural resources, and environmental challenges facing the estuary. You’ll also gain valuable skills and techniques to help educate others and promote good stewardship of this vital natural resource.

What to Expect:

The program offers a dynamic blend of virtual classroom sessions and engaging in-person field trips. You’ll delve into a wide array of topics specific to the Barnegat Bay and its watershed, including:

  • Plants and animals of the bay and watershed
  • Fishes, shellfishes, and other marine life
  • Salt marshes, seagrasses, and other important habitats
  • Forest resources and Pine Barrens ecology
  • Local history, culture, and traditions
seining seine bbvmn master naturalist

Learn from the Experts:

We’re thrilled to have a fantastic lineup of presenters from leading organizations. In addition to the Barnegat Bay Partnership, you’ll learn from experts representing:

  • Wells Mills County Park
  • ReClam the Bay
  • NJ Watershed Ambassador Program
  • Double Trouble State Park
  • Pinelands Commission
  • NJ Natural Lands Trust
  • LBT Field Station
  • and more!

During the outdoor field sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to explore various bay and upland habitats throughout Ocean County at locations like Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center, Island Beach State Park, and Bass River State Forest. Activities will involve moderate physical activity, including hiking, kayaking, and seining.

pxl 20250618 135232402 portrait copy (2)

Course Schedule:

  • Virtual Classroom Sessions: Tuesdays from March 31 to June 9 (9:00 am – 11:00 am)
  • In-Person Field Sessions: Thursdays from April 2 to June 11 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm, with the Sedge Island trip on May 28th running until 3:00 pm)

Requirements:

Participants must have internet access for virtual sessions and be willing to drive to various locations throughout Ocean County for field sessions. Field trips will take place rain or shine, unless extreme weather dictates otherwise.

Ready to make a difference?

Don’t miss this chance to deepen your understanding of the Barnegat Bay and contribute to its preservation.

Register Today!

Contact Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalist Class Registration Now Open!Contact Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalist Class Registration Now Open!
Individuals catching bivalves