The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County and The Watershed Institute will host a program about the plants and animals of the Pine Barrens on Tuesday, Feb. 26.
New Jersey environmental advocate Emile DeVito will present “New Jersey Ecosystems at Risk; Saving the Plants and Animals of the Pine Barrens” at the The Watershed Institute in Pennington.
DeVito will identify the rare and endangered plants and animals of the Pine Barrens and outline their importance to the ecosystem. He will also share his experiences with the decades long efforts to protect this critical area, identify the continuing threats, including those to the water supply, and explain the actions that are necessary to protect this important ecosystem.
DeVito has been the manager of science and stewardship at the New Jersey Conservation Foundation since 1989. He educates government officials, advocacy groups, land trusts, teachers and students on conservation biology and temperate forest ecology.
In his capacity as a land manager for NJCF, he has been responsible for protecting more than 30,000 acres of open space throughout New Jersey, much of it located within the Pine Barrens.
The Watershed Institute is located at 31 Titus Mill Road, Pennington. The talk is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and registration is recommended. To register, email programs@mgofmc.org or call (609) 989-6830.
Emile DeVito,
