Beach Haven officials hope Native Garden will help residents be ‘more ecologically conscious’

Many helping hands took part in creating a Native Garden near the bay on Taylor Avenue in Beach Haven this past autumn. On Wednesday, May 27, borough officials held a special dedication for local residents in honor of the work.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Beach Haven officials and school
students gather in the Native Garden.

Created and built by Beach Haven resident Robert Jacobsen in connection with Rutgers University’s Environmental Stewardship program, the garden provides “a lovely spot to contemplate nature and learn how to be more ecologically conscious,” Mayor Nancy Taggart Davis announced.

“This garden was only planted in the fall, and as you can see, it survived a very harsh winter,” she noted. “Gardens, like this one, planted with native vegetation, need very little watering and no fertilizer. Water is a precious commodity, and fertilizer run-off ruins the plants and animals that live in the bay.”

Beach Haven School students, who made a special trip to the garden that day, added to the beauty of the plant life by placing down rocks they had painted with the names of the various native plants that grow in the garden: little bluestem, American holly, beach plum, purple coneflower and swamp milkweed, to name a few. The school students helped plant the trees and shrubs in the fall.

“The Beach Haven School students are learning many lessons from the Native Garden. For example, gardens like this one will soak up the rain and reduce flooding in the area caused by rain run-off,” Taggart Davis said. “The garden also demonstrates that you can grow many things in Beach Haven without fertilizer and irrigation. It teaches them that there are many plants that are resistant to salt. We hope this teaches residents, as well, that they can build a beautiful, ecologically friendly garden on the Island.”

The council members also placed two benches in the garden. One was dedicated to Jacobsen, who is also involved with the Taylor Avenue Dune Planting group. He is an active member of the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. and the borough’s Green Team, too.

The second bench was dedicated to George Gilbert, superintendent of public works, and his department members.

“George and his crew were a great help in building the garden. He helped during his free hours and supported the project in all respects,” Taggart Davis said. “We are so lucky to have such a dedicated Department of Public Works. They work hard to keep our town beautiful.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.