Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

SANDY HOOK: CRABWALKING COVES ‘N GROVES

horseshoecrabs-1482926Our favorite “living fossil” (and fellow Jersey Shore oldtimer), the horseshoe crab is the center of attention during a free Wednesday evening event…just one of many activities sponsored by the Littoral Society on the Hook in the days and weeks to come. (Photos by Michael Doyle) 

The native flora, fauna, fish and (living) fossils of Sandy Hook are the stars of a low-key (and seasonally spectacular) show on the beaches, bayside, marshes and maritime forests of the peninsula — all part of a slate of public-welcome educational and recreational activities, brought to you by the Hook-based regional chapter of the American Littoral Society.

Making up for time lost in the Sandy-scarred season of 2013 — and enjoying some relatively peaceful opportunities ahead of the summer-season influx — the busy interlude begins this morning with the first in a three-week Coastal Naturalist subscription series (and continues on Wednesday evening with a great free-of-charge walkaround) that allows educators and amateur enthusiasts alike a close-up look at the diverse natural treasures of the Gateway National Recreational Area.

Classes meet 8:30 am on three consecutive Tuesdays (May 13, 17, 20) inside the Littoral Society’s headquarters on the northern, Fort Hancock end of the peninsula (18 Hartshorne Drive). From there, participants will explore the various features of Sandy Hook, learning to recognize the plants and animals of the local habitat — with special emphasis on coastal botany, birding for beginners (binoculars provided), and estuarine fish and invertebrate identification. There’s still time to reserve a place in the three-part program ($99), by calling (732)291-0055 — and there’s still time, also, to “get up close and personal with a living fossil,” right around the corner.

In his excellent Science Teacher blog, Middletown native Michael Doyle writes with plainspeak poetry of the horseshoe crab — its “crazy with life” spawning season; the smell of a beached and dying crustacean, the cash value of its copper-laced blue blood, and the “mad, exuberant spinning” of embryos in tiny translucent eggs.

On Wednesday evening, May 14, the Littoral Society invites budding naturalists of all ages to join in a free Horseshoe Crab Walk that’s designed to acquaint our species with a neighbor who’s survived virtually unchanged for some 400 million years. Meet 6 pm at the ALS building, then proceed to nearby Plum Island to search for spawning crabs in the magic-light twilight hours. Call (732)291-0055 to reserve and get directions — and remember to “wear foot gear that can wet.”

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
THEY’RE BACK!
Ospreys returned to the skies over Red Bank this week for the first time since they migrated to warmer climes in late fall. With temperature ...
SPRING IS SPRUNG
RED BANK: Spring 2024 arrives on the Greater Red Bank Green with the vernal equinox at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday.
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.
SOGGY NOTION
RED BANK: Breezeway sculpture captured the mood downtown as heavy rains fell Saturday morning.
HOME DELIVERY
RED BANK: After a subdivision, an instant house rises on a new Catherine Street lot.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
For Black History Month, Red Bank's Community Engagement and Equity Advisory Committee has been running a series of local profiles on Facebo ...
HEARTY FAREWELL FOR HARDY
RED BANK: Council to honor DPU supervisor Rich Hardy, who retired recently after almost 39 years of keeping things running.
HOMEBOUND? READ ON…
RED BANK: Can't get to the public library? It's now offering free delivery and pickups for homebound borough residents.
TAMING A BEAST OF A WEEK
RED BANK: After the second snowfall of the week, a borough family finds the perfect use for it – a Godzilla snow sculpture.
RED BANK: LIBRARY CLOSED, BUT THE HILL’S OPEN
RED BANK: Though the library was closed by a snowstorm, kids got to enjoy the riverfront property's steep slope Tuesday.
LIGHT(HOUSE) MAKEOVER
This year, getting ready for spring means a midwinter makeover for Strollo's Lighthouse in Red Bank.
TODAY: LOCAL PUPPY COMPETES ON ANIMAL PLANET’S “PUPPY BOWL”
Red Bank’s very own rescue puppy, Biscuit, is set to compete in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl this Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM. Th ...
WHAT? NO redbankgreen NEWSLETTER?
Apologies to redbankgreen newsletter subscribers: the daily email hasn’t gone out for two days because of technical issues.
RED BANK: TIRED OF SKEETERS?
RED BANK: Tired of mosquito bites every summer? Monmouth County has a free program to help eliminate skeeter breeding grounds.