Last week, teachers from around the state joined the Barnegat Bay Partnership’s Communication and Education Committee to explore new ways to bring the Barnegat Bay watershed into their classrooms.
Roughly fifteen teachers gathered at the Forest Resource Education Center (FREC), a NJ Forest Service facility in Jackson, NJ dedicated to promoting stewardship through education and outreach. The day began in the FREC’s interpretive center among exhibits of forests, wildlife, and ecology of the Pine Barrens and Barnegat Bay. Group introductions revealed the diversity of participants joining – from high school environmental teachers to informal educators from other statewide environmental centers.
The group was welcomed by Mary Evangelista, Resource Interpretive Specialist, who gave a history of the FREC property and introduced educators to the various programming available at the center.
Teachers were then introduced to the Trout in the Classroom program; an environmental education program where students raise trout from eggs to fingerlings throughout the year in the classrooms, before setting the young trout into a local stream. Teachers gained access to Trout in the Classroom resources, including lesson plans and the steps they need to take in order to have the program in their own schools. (psst – if you like the sound of this program, you could also check out ReClam the Bay’s Shellfish in the Classroom program and the Wetlands Institute’s Terrapins in the Classroom program).
From there, it was time to get a little messy. Teachers geared up and headed out to the FREC’s interpretive trails to collect benthic macroinvertebrates from the headwaters of the Toms River (yes- the Toms River starts all the way up in Jackson, NJ and runs right through the FREC property!). These little invertebrates (mostly insects) are indicators of water quality and teachers learned how they can collect, sort, and teach about these bio-indicators in their classrooms. Don’t have a stream on your school property? You can reach out to your watershed’s NJ Watershed Ambassador who will bring the macros to your classroom and provide lessons to your students for free!
The group was then guided along the FREC’s Sensory Awareness Trail which provides access to individuals of all abilities to the outdoors. Teachers closed their eyes to follow the tactile trail guides which lead visually impaired students along the path to interpretive signs that display information in both written and brail language. The trail has modifications throughout to introduce all types of learners to the wonders of NJ’s pinelands.
After a short lunch break, the teachers met with foresters from the NJ Forest Service Nursery who taught the educators how to core a tree with their students and how to use incorporate biology, chemistry, mathematics, and other principles in a lesson on the age of the tree. Teachers also learned about NJ’s Big Tree Program and were encouraged to use their classes to nominate big trees throughout NJ – empowering the students to continue stewardship practices both inside and out of their classrooms.
The day concluded with an engaging and exciting presentation from FREC’s resident educator McDuffy Barrow. Barrow, an expert on all things birds and NJ wildlife, introduced the teachers to the sounds of animals throughout the watershed – from white tailed deer to great blue heron. Teachers were challenged to create wildlife sounds on their own; many of which resulted in laughter. It was the perfect way to end the day.
The BBP’s Communication and Education Committee is committed to collaboratively creating outreach opportunities throughout the Barnegat Bay watershed. This teacher retreat is proudly organized each year, along with the Barnegat Bay Environmental Educator’s Roundtable (save the date- Earth Day 2026). If you are an educator and have new ways of connecting classrooms to the watershed, reach out any time with your ideas!
Remember – stay curious, have fun, and it’s always okay to get a little muddy.
