COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Peter Manzelmann, Chair
John Dayton, Vice Chair
Katie Dayton, Secretary
Dustin Piccolo-Kinsey
Dale Schweitzer
Ken McGill
The Commission meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm at the Township Hall.
We review Land Use Board applications that impact the environment and make recommendations to Commercial Township. In addition, we are involved in many activities and projects to help educate our township on environmental issues and ways to reduce our impact on the fragile environment we live in.
For more information on the Environmental Commission please contact the Commercial Township Municipal Hall at (856) 785-3100 Ext 310 or 311 or via email at Hsparks@commercialtwp.com.
Facebook Link: Commercial-Township-Environmental-Commission
MEETING AGENDA
The next Environmental Commission meeting will be Thursday, December 10, 2024 at 7:00 pm
AGENDA- Environmental Commission February 11, 2025
FEBRUARY MEETING CANCELED DUE TO EXPECTED SNOW
OSPREY SIGN AND POLLINATOR GARDEN RIBBON CUTTING RIVERFEST
In April of 2023 a nesting pair of Osprey were relocated to Riverside Park by Atlantic City Electric after their original nesting location knocked power out of town. This sign will help to highlight the importance of the Osprey who make their homes in our town, as well as thank Atlantic City Electric for helping preserve these once endangered birds who are vital to our ecosystem.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/495CPyASrmiv1B39/
Projects the Environmental Commission is involved in are listed below:
SUSTAINABLE NEW JERSEY “BRONZE” Status
for Commercial Township
Click here to go to website for: Sustainable Jersey
MAURICETOWN RIVERFEST
September 14, 2024
An all-day festival in celebration of the Maurice River and the culture found along the river system. This day will be comprised of crafter and information booths, local artists, and nature walks.
Presentation of the Osprey Sign – Details to be announced.
SINGLE USE PLASTIC COLLECTION
What can you do with your plastic??
Recycle Collection sites at the following locations:
Port Norris and Mauricetown Post Offices; Lalli’s Liquor in Laurel Lake; and Haleyville Senior Center.
The plastic can then be made into benches for the community at various locations (ie. Veterans’ Park)
PLASTIC RECYCLING
The Commercial Township Environmental Commission’s
Personal Care Packaging Recycling Project via TerraCycle is still on full swing! So far, we have been able to keep about 20lbs of materials from entering our landfills!!
Items collected include:
Mouthwash bottles and caps, toothbrushes, deodorant containers and caps, soap packaging, floss containers, and toothpaste tubes and caps.
Drop off boxes are located at 3 locations- Port Norris and Mauricetown Post Offices and Township Hall!
BLUEBIRD Boxes and Banding of Chicks PURPLE MARTIN Houses
Mary Ella Morie Park, Mauricetown, NJ
Haleyville-Mauricetown Elementary School
Bluebird Boxes have been installed and are being maintained at the above locations. The chicks are banded before they fledge the box.
The Purple Martin large white gourd houses you may have seen, have also been cleaned and are being maintained as well. Peter Manzelmann, our chairman, and Allen Jackson, co-founder and president of the NJ Bluebird Society, have been an integral part of this program. Thank you, gentlemen, for your diligent and hard work!
OSPREY SIGNAGE PROJECT
The Commercial Township Environmental Commission was awarded an environmental stewardship grant from Sustainable Jersey and Atlantic City Electric. This grant will be used to help with park improvements and environmental education, starting with an informational sign about our local ospreys. We are very excited for this project and hope the community will enjoy the additions to the park and will take time to learn about our local thriving wildlife. Thank you, Sustainable Jersey and Atlantic City Electric, for providing opportunities to smaller municipalities to make meaningful environmental changes. Thank you to John and Katie Dayton for working so hard on this grant/project.
#sjgrants #sustainablecommunities
CUMBERLAND COUNTY EAGLE FEST
(yearly event in February)
Our Environmental Commission has worked the registration desk for several years in support of this wonderful event that brings in hundreds of birders each year.
Commercial Township has a dedicated and active Environmental Commission
GREEN TEAM GREEN TEAM that is increasingly engaged in resiliency issues.
Did you know….
Spotted Lantern Flies are a huge environmental and agricultural concern. The SLF hops from plant to plant, sucking out the fluid plants need to survive, which can cause devastating effects to crops and hardwood trees in the area. Please visit this website by Rutgers university that further explains why these insects can have such a detrimental impact on our environment, and what you can do to help!
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/spotted-lanternfly/
PROJECT MEDICINE DROP
Simple! Anonymous! No Questions Asked!
Click on the flyer for locations.
MILKWEED PROJECT
Project was funded through the Sustainable Jersey Program in 2018. The purpose was to Plant 500 Milkweeds providing food for the Monarch Butterflies on their migration as they pass through the township. Plants were place in Lake Audrey, the Entrance to Recycling Plant, adjacent to Paulies’ Park, and along the fence line of Ballfield in Haleyville. We expect an increase in monarchs in the years to come.