Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards

General Category => Hackensack Discussion => Topic started by: Editor on June 12, 2004, 01:29:48 PM

Title: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on June 12, 2004, 01:29:48 PM
Hackensack Now is pleased to announce:

THE BORG'S WOODS PAGE (http://www.hackensacknow.com/Borgswoods.html) (click)

By Eric Martindale.

If you would like to create your own special interest page, please contact the editor (editor@hackensacknow.com).
 
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: wetochwink on June 14, 2004, 08:28:00 AM
I have sent the web link to appropriate leaders in Maywood and Hackensack regarding the proposed Eagle Scout project idea.

Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: midniteangel on January 29, 2005, 12:15:44 PM
I just viewed the great pics of Borgs woods and ponds...wow, it really brought back such great memories when my sister and 2 brothers explored and ice skated on every inch of it....our grandparents lived right accross Coles brook which we crossed to get to thier house on Fairmount Ave in Maywood.....The woods was such a fun place to go.....we were told that the owner was the owner of The Record and it was VERY private property and that we were not allowed there and that made it even more exciting! LOL....
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: BJRED on January 29, 2005, 08:47:49 PM
Borgs woods was great, and as a kid i too did my share of sledding...and ice skating.....we use to even go to the streams that run along south lake drive and ice skate and sleigh ride there all the time, boy if i could turn back time..... :'(
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: midniteangel on January 30, 2005, 12:53:02 PM
Hack has the best hills to sled...funny but it seems like it snowed more when i was a kid...
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: BJRED on February 02, 2005, 12:05:49 AM
nidniteangel i couldn't agree more, where in hackensack did or do you live, i use to live on wilson.............and use to go sledding down by the pond...........all those wacky hills....lol took us forever to get up to the top and 2 seconds to reach bottom but it was worth it every time....the good old days, not like that anymore.  :'(  hey do they still close all the roads like fairmount up by summit with cones so everyone can sled down them????
Title: new cars topic
Post by: Pattie on February 09, 2005, 05:13:49 PM
http://fslwetrk.com http://fslwetrk.com http://fslwetrk.com http://fslwetrk.com http://fslwetrk.com
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: Steve on February 09, 2005, 06:34:18 PM
I believe Charlie is now retired...

Isn't it so Johnny???
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: BJRED on February 09, 2005, 10:32:32 PM
Patty and Steve,
           He sure is retired, what is your last name patty....just curious if you dont'want to say its ok i understand...........so you had a crush on him huh lol lol thats cool...............
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: johnered66 on February 10, 2005, 10:34:20 PM
Oh yeah, he is taking it easy from now on....too many years on the beat....
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: Pattie on February 19, 2005, 03:41:10 PM
My maiden name is GANGEMI....Charlie is retired? so young? He was supposed to loan me his year book and i never got around to getting it....he was soooo gorgeous...tall, very blue eyes....i used to leave ribbons on his bike...LOL....
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: johnered66 on February 20, 2005, 07:53:28 AM
Yeah, thats my big brother...he's a hell of a guy....some say I look a tad like him, in case you wanted to put a few ribbons on my bike.... ;) LOL
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: Pattie on February 20, 2005, 01:36:34 PM
LOL....well it would be hard to do as i now live in gorgeous Port Saint Lucie, Fl....please tell your bro i said hi and give him a hug...he's a great guy! tell him to write to me at this addy....
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: johnered66 on February 21, 2005, 08:45:32 AM
I certainly will and you enjoy the sun, we just got more snow...
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: Kaffekat on March 18, 2005, 12:55:54 AM
That brings back memories.
Foschini Park, that little rink blocked off and iced off to ice skating. I learned to skate there.

I'd like to think it only seemed like it snowed more back when but it did.

I remember cutting thru Essex / Kaplan Ave. when I was a kid. The snow seemed solid, but a solid looking thin crust over nothing-
it wasn't. Next thing I knew, I was buried in snow up to my eyeballs.
A White Christmas was the norm, not the exception.

The only comparable storm I can even think of since then is the storm of Jan 1996.
The snowplows pushing the snow aside: Essex St was a tunnel!
Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: BJRED on April 03, 2005, 08:04:41 PM
Kaffekat..........gosh i remember foschini park and the ice skating......and i believe as a kid it did snow more, much more then it does now...... ;D but the January storm was indeed a big one, the drifts alone covered everything... :'( now did you live on Kaplan, all i can say about Kaplan was when it rained or the snow melted alot of basements got extremely wet...especially down by the dunkin donuts where you could cut threw, now it looks like you can't even cut threw and that big wall.............i suppose that helped the water problem.... ;D
Title: Action in Borg's Woods
Post by: Editor on August 29, 2005, 08:16:37 PM
The following is from a group called the "Junior Live Action Guild (http://talan187.tripod.com/)":

Enter into the world of Live Action Role Play (LARP), where the forces of magic and the thrill of combat decide your fate. It is here, where your imagination will be set free into reality. Come weary traveler, come and find yourself.

The group organizes role playing games.  Borg's Woods is one venue:
     
Our Season Begins September 10th 2005!  The Openeing event will be at Borgs Woods in Hackensack. Gameplay starts at 1pm and should end around 5 ...I ask that all game officers report to the woods at noon to set up the game.
 
I hope to see many new faces there, and with the recruiting thats been done, im sure there will be. We should all be looking forward to a wonderfull Larp season.


Click here for more information: Junior Live Action Guild (http://talan187.tripod.com/)
Title: iDpyQeKyQmvHpeM
Post by: ericmartindale on January 21, 2006, 10:49:27 PM
TXU2b9  obclvpvuvhzl (http://obclvpvuvhzl.com/), pzcnirydbcwc (http://pzcnirydbcwc.com/), [link=http://npcpsstsbrng.com/]npcpsstsbrng[/link], http://ekxqykxzswzb.com/
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Jeanne (Mascia)Eakland on February 24, 2006, 08:58:53 PM
I lived on Lookout Ave untill my late teens. Coles Brook ran thru my yard. We always said that our house was in Hackensack, but our yard, on the other side of the brook, was in Maywood. I played in Borgs Woods every chance I could as a child, skated on the pond, and sled the hills (often at risk to life and limb).
I remember once my brother caught a Snapping Turtle in the brook and we would often catch salamanders in the marshy area between the brook and the woods. I often tell my kids stories of those times.  It was a wonderful place to grow up in the 60's!
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: ericmartindale on October 06, 2006, 10:31:25 PM
Saturday, October 28, 2006, will be the First Annual Borg’s Woods Cleanup Day.  Volunteers are to meet for a FREE BREAKFAST at the Living Hope church (corner of Spring Valley Ave and Summit Ave) at 9:00 AM and a briefing on the project. 

The city is sponsoring “Make a Difference Day”, and Borg’s Woods will be one of several properties to be cleaned up.  Charlotte Paney is coordinating the event, and will ensure that a dumpster is provided at the corner of Fairmount Ave and Allen Street.  The dumpster will be promptly removed by the city DPW.

Also “onboard” and supporting the event is Paul Van Gendt, chair of the Hackensack Environmental Commission.  It is likely that scouting groups and volunteers associated with the Hackensack Riverkeeper will attend.

I will provide maps showing where litter and debris is located.  The area along Fairmount Ave has been the worst hit. Many nearby homeowners have recently taken to dumping debris and yard waste, despoiling the trail and entrance area.  I have actually witnessed a Fairmount Ave homeowner (one of the two new houses) dumping in the woods.

About half of a dilapidated fence encircling a former vegetable garden has already been removed by the County.  The remaining portions are an eyesore, and exist in various stages of collapse.  This will be one of the focal points of the cleanup effort.

Portions of the fence and nearby woods are covered with an invasive non-native ivy known as Purple-Leaved Wintercreeper. This species “escaped” from landscaping around the Borg mansion itself. It has despoiled about an acre of the woods. This is a parasitic species that KILLS TREES. It presents a grave threat to the woods, and if left alone it will eventually destroy the woods as we know it.  Volunteers will be asked to strip the vines off of trees.

In years past, naturalists have created arboretums in which native and foreign species are maintained in a partially wooded park-like setting. Considerable gardening efforts are expended to keep an arboretum in a pseudo-natural condition.   Instead, at Borg’s Woods, the concept is simply to maintain the ecosystem as one for native species only. This is the “natural arboretum” concept.  Borg’s Woods has been documented as one of the oldest woodlands in New Jersey, and has an amazing diversity of native plant and tree species. It’s unusually large vernal pond is also significant on a statewide basis.  The value of Borg’s Woods lies in representing the purest form of Bergen County’s native vegetation --- somewhere in Bergen County this must be preserved amidst the onslaught of invasive species throughout the region.

Planting species of ferns or wildflowers that are native to Bergen County, but are currently not present in Borg’s Woods, is consistent with the “natural arboretum” concept.  This will be done WITHOUT mulching, which serves to inhibit the reproduction of all plant species, including the good ones. We will benefit from the lessons learned at Staib Park, in which mulching has undermined the stated goals of establishing a wild ecosystem along the brook  Wildflower plantings could be a later phase of the cleanup, perhaps next year.

My goal is to see the restored area along Fairmount Ave becoming a “native wildflower garden” instead of being despoiled by dumping and a collapsed fence, and choked with invasive species such as Multiflora (a sticker bush), Japanese Knotweed, and Purple-Leafed Wintercreeper.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: ericmartindale on April 16, 2007, 12:49:50 PM
Charlotte Panny, Hackensack's Clean Communities Coordinator, has scheduled the SECOND Borg's Woods cleanup event.  It will be Saturday, April 28th, 9AM -12 Noon, at Borg's Woods.  Cleanup of city parks will occur the same day, and all volunteers will be treated to a free lunch at the Hackensack Civic Center at noon.  For more info, Charlotte can be reached at 201-646-3907.

The first event, held last fall, was a great success.  Over 50 people turned out, mostly kids from local schools.  The kids even created a new trail, under my supervision.  Large sections of dilapidated fence along Fairmount Avenue were removed, and a large dumpster provided by the city, was 2/3 full of debris, including fence sections, remains of an old grape trellis, cuttings of invasive species, and litter.  It was originally billed as the "first annual Borg's Woods cleanup", but the event was so popular with kids, and such an overall success that it will now be held twice a year.

I am seeking to get the County Dept of Parks to remove all the invasives from the former vegetable garden along Fairmount Ave. This is to provide "garden space" for kids to plant and maintain a native species wildflower garden. The existing tangle of invasive stickers, invasive vines, dilapidated fencing, and fallen Mulberry trees is so dense that volunteers can barely make a dent in it. Construction equipment is needed to clear it out. I'm willing to volunteer my time to help supervise this clearing. As envisioned, only species native to NJ will be planted in the garden.  I am also hoping to get the County to fill in some muddy holes along the first hundred feet of trail coming in off Allen Street.  This could be done in a few hours by a County crew. Anyone who has ever walked this section of trail knows exactly what I'm talking about.  It's a problem that can easily be fixed.

Linda Flynn, a science teacher at the 5ive6ix school, is organizing another "Green Team" for the Borg's Woods event.   She's a great believer in Borg's Woods, and the potential to be used by Hackensack and Maywood for outdoor environmental education programs.  The garden would be one component of the system.

Another project still on the back burner is a foot-bridge over Coles Brook from Woodland Avenue in Maywood.  There is a non-wetland mound on the Hackensack side, so the short span could be built without impacting wetlands. This would allow students from the Maywood Avenue school to walk straight down Elm Street to Borg's Woods. Borg's Woods is about 200 feet from the end of Elm Street. It's about 6 blocks, an acceptable distance to walk.  No need for a school bus.  In the past, students from the Nellie K. Parker School have walked a longer distance to Borg's Woods for 1/2 day field trips. 

Lack of adequate access from Maywood remains an issue 13 years after the preservation of the land.  And there was no shortage of supporters from Maywood during the campaign to preserve the land.  Their support should count for something.  More access means a greater constituency of people who care for the woods, and to look out for it's interests. 

Today's kids are tomorrow's homeowners, let's get them thinking about caring about the environment, and not just Borg's Woods.  These cleanup events and any future science programs established by the school systems are exactly what is needed to get kids to be concerned about the environment. Wasn't that the purpose of preserving Borg's Woods ? It was more than the animals and the trees, it was for our kids and for the future.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: ericmartindale on April 23, 2007, 02:02:27 PM
There’s been a minor change for “Cleanup Day”, set for Saturday 4/28.  The event is still to be held at 9 AM at Borg’s Woods and various parks, but the RECEPTION and FREE FOOD will be under a tent at Johnson Park.

The city will be dedicating the walkway at Johnson Park at 12:00, so this will be a good opportunity to gather residents who are doing the cleanup and let them participate in the walkway dedication.  The city’s section in Johnson Park was completed last year, and the County’s section running north from the end of Johnson Park is currently under construction !!!

The current weather forecast is for a high temperature of 49 degrees on Saturday, and partly to mostly cloudy. It should be in the 40’s for this event.

Charlotte Panny had set a meeting with the new County Parks director, Bruce Bonaventuro, to discuss the scope of work for this and future events at Borg’s Woods.  Bruce canceled the meeting, and another has not been set.

However, Bonaventura has spoken with and met the local residents on Brook Street who are DESTROYING the environment, and are advancing an agenda contrary to the interests of Borg’s Woods.  The Brook Street residents are draining the wetlands and lowering the profile of the stream that drains out of the central swamp, altering the fragile ecological balance.  The wetland is a vernal pond, which is typically fullest from November to mid-May, and usually bone dry in mid-summer. Over the past 20 years, the residents of Brook Street are responsible for a 1-foot drop in the water level.  They come in at night with shovels and do their work.  The Hackensack Riverkeeper Organization researched this, and it was determined that [name remove by Editor] is the primary responsible party.  [name remove by Editor] is a former advocate of Borg’s Woods who I know well.

As a result of the water level drop, Borg’s Woods has experienced LOCAL EXTINCTION of amphibian species. In addition, small trees are now growing in the open wetland, an area previously too wet for them to take root. The entire open marshy habitat is slowly being destroyed.  The swamp is NOT filling with organic matter through any natural process and become a forested wetland.  It’s being drained by residents, including one resident who wants to sell their house, and doesn’t want buyers to see standing water behind their property.

Is this a question of resident interests VERSUS environmental protection? Not at all. The entire premise of the residents view is faulted.. The residents complain about basement flooding, but the irony is that the swamp is NOT responsible, as follows:

(1)   the water table under Brook Street is MUCH HIGHER than it was before the street and the houses were built (1952 +/-) because a previously existing intermittent brook along the base of the hill was filled in when the area was landfilled and the houses were built. The street was named for this brook. Landfilling is known to cause water tables to rise, this is a classic case. Especially when a BROOK is landfilled.
(2)   Underground water flow around Brook Street is NORTH, not south. Nature wants to recreate the stream that used to flow north into the swamp.  The water in their basements is draining off the hill to the east, flowing north underground, and causing the water table to rise. It has nothing to do with the swamp or anything else downstream.
(3)   The bottom line is that northwards migration of groundwater ensures that THE WATER TABLE ON BROOK STREET WILL ALWAYS BE HIGHER THAN THE SURFACE LEVEL OF THE SWAMP no matter how much they drain the swamp, or they persuade the County to drain the swamp. 
(4)   Theoretically, the entire swamp could be dredged and the water table dropped 3 feet, and it wouldn’t stop their basements from flooding. 

These same residents would prefer not to have trail improvements either, as if the nature preserve is their big back yard and nobody is ever walking back there. The “big back yard syndrome” was Freeholder Richard Mola’ objection to purchasing the woods in 1994. Then to top it off, all 5 houses regularly dump all their leaves, branches, and yard waste in the woods, smothering native plants and wildflowers and despoiling the environment.

These people communicate with the County, and present themselves as the voices of reason, and the advocates of the woods.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

[Editor's note: I don't know the person ericmartindale accused.  I delete the name because as far as I know, this is only ericmartindale's opinion about the situation.  Since I do not (and will never) try to verify all the facts that other people assert, I will usually delete anything that I may consider defamatory.]

Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: ericmartindale on April 30, 2007, 01:07:27 AM
We had about 60 volunteers for the Borg’s Woods cleanup on Saturday, April 28, 2007, a few more than last time. Linda Flynn, a teacher at the 5ive6ix School, and her son, are already planning on taking on more responsibility and expanding this program.  Most of the volunteers were kids, and mostly new faces. At least half of the volunteers had never stepped foot in Borg’s Woods before, and were amazed that such a place exists in the most heavily developed community in Bergen County.

People came early, and were eager to start. A dozen people were there waiting when I arrived 10 minutes early to direct the scope of work. The group worked steady for 2.5 hours, more than last time.

The trails overall were as muddy as I've ever seen them, since it rained hard less than 24 hours earlier. I caught some flak from the city DPW when they saw more debris than they expected, including an 18-foot steel pipe, a rusted barrel, one tire, the hood from a 1970’s Chevy, a large extra-thick pane of glass, and cuttings from invasive species.

Officials from the city DPW say there is some discrepancy over whether or not the group should be pruning away invasive species.  Supposedly the County had not signed off on this aspect. This is regularly done by other environmental groups at other nature areas.  The Hackensack Riverkeeper holds an annual event at Staib Park in Hackensack and adjacent areas along Coles Brook in Paramus that includes invasives control.  Meanwhile, the Friends of the Teaneck Greenway are organizing their first invasives control project at Brett Park in Teaneck.

Any disagreement over the scope of work is due to poor communications with the County. The “scope of work meeting” I had set with the County was canceled before the event.  I have every reason to believe that the County Parks Department consists of intelligent and reasonable people who can be educated as to importance of controlling invasive species in their parks and preserves throughout Bergen County.  This is not going to be a problem when the event is held again this Fall.  Flynn says she is going to be in communications directly with the County Parks Department well before then.
 
The group got rid of all the yard waste dumped by local homeowners at the Allen Street entrance, plus an inflatable swimming pool and a pile of cinderblocks dumped near the end of Fairmount Ave, and one entire patch of English Ivy. They even started stripping the invasive Purple-Leaved Wintercreeper ivy off the trees.

The trail paralleling the rear of the former Borg estate was widened, and a huge fallen limb removed. One crew of volunteers worked hard at this project for 2 solid hours. This trail is believed to have been created over the last few months by local residents walking their dogs to and from the trail east of the central wetland. Evidently it was the cutting of a gigantic specimen of Burning Bush (an invasive species) along Fairmount Avenue during last Fall’s cleanup that opened up more direct access to the “upper trail”. This avoids the need for visitors and their dogs to walk through a privately owned back yard to reach the woods.
 
We had a one-woman fence demolition team working on the remaining sections of the former vegetable garden along Fairmount Avenue.  She ripped out 40 feet of ivy-infested fence by herself. This was tough work, but no big challenge for a 5' 2" Asian woman wielding a bolt cutter.  After two cleanup events, only about one-quarter of the original fence remains, most of which is fully collapsed and buried in ivy.
 
We had anticipated help from the Hackensack Riverkeeper and the city’s Environmental Commission, but neither produced any volunteers for the event.  Linda Flynn takes much of the credit for getting people there and she was awarded a “golden broom” at the 12:00 noon reception held at Johnson Park.  Most of the volunteers went to the reception, which included some political grandstanding and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the city’s riverfront walkway in Johnson Park.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on September 22, 2008, 11:18:56 PM
I found out that there was a film crew in Hackensack shooting a new movie called "Fight the Panda Syndicate".  They have a website, www.fighttthepandasyndicate.com (http://www.fighttthepandasyndicate.com).  Sounds like a B-movie with many hot-looking evil women in it.

They filmed a scene in Borg's Woods.  Unsure what type of scene was filmed or why this site was chosen. I guess we can all wait till the movie comes out.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on March 24, 2009, 02:23:13 PM
Borg's Woods, Lost in Jersey: http://lostinjersey.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/borg-woods/
Title: Coyote in Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on January 07, 2010, 07:04:06 PM
Coyote in Borgs Woods.

Photo courtesy John Labrosse.
Title: Buck and Turkey in Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on January 08, 2010, 04:17:33 PM
John also sent pictures of a buck and a turkey in Borgs Woods.  I wonder if they know about the Coyote. 
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Homer Jones on January 08, 2010, 04:45:19 PM
They will now if they read this blog.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on January 08, 2010, 10:49:17 PM
A coyote !!!  Time for the neighbors to start crying wolf.   Better keep your housecats inside.

A little Editor's discretion would have been appropriate to protect local wildlife.  Now the County is going to be called in to trap the Coyote.  I say let the Coyotes stay, they are just picking through garbage, eating squirrels, and maybe an occasional possum.  It's hard to believe that 20 acres of woods can sustain this kind of wildlife, they must be ranging wider and just using Borg's as a home base.
Title: Re: Buck and Turkey in Borgs Woods
Post by: BLeafe on January 08, 2010, 11:06:25 PM
a buck and a turkey in Borgs Woods.

Mmmm! Good eatin' in Borg's Woods! A cafe will probably pop up there any day now - maybe they can revive an old Rt 17 club name for it: Joint in the Woods.  ;)
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on January 08, 2010, 11:31:56 PM
Ahhh, just who I was thinking of, Mr. PhotoLeafe. 

The real challenge at Borg's is to photograph the red fox.  They are usually seen around the central swamp, especially in early mornings, or near the fenced area east of the swamp.  And the Blue-Ribbon Award goes to whoever can photograph a 20-lb Great-Horned Owl.

I wonder if Mr. Labrosse or Mr. Leafe is up to that challenge ???
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: BLeafe on January 09, 2010, 12:44:11 AM
The real challenge at Borg's is to photograph the red fox. And the Blue-Ribbon Award goes to whoever can photograph a 20-lb Great-Horned Owl. I wonder if Mr. Labrosse or Mr. Leafe is up to that challenge ???

Lemme get this straight: you want me to photograph a Great Horned Owl and then ask it to step on a scale and that it better tip 20 pounds or else I don't get..........a ribbon?

I'll pass. It's all yours, John.

And, yes, it would be a real challenge to photograph Redd Foxx, who's been dead for 18 years.



.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Homer Jones on January 09, 2010, 09:03:54 AM
Ol' Homer to the rescue here. If not in jail, Ms. Foxy Brown is/ may be a resident of Englewood. If we can get her to stop in at the central swamp early some morning, the big old red fox's libido may cause him to respond to her reggae crooning. Now if Mr. Leafe can dress as a Great Horned Owl and sit in a tree -- voila -- we have the picture.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on January 09, 2010, 09:47:48 AM
Or, we can just pretend this was taken at Borgs...

(http://www.itsnature.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/great-horned-owl.jpg)
(Great horned owl)
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: BLeafe on January 09, 2010, 12:10:01 PM
if Mr. Leafe can dress as a Great Horned Owl and sit in a tree

Been there, done that.


(http://i47.tinypic.com/33yoz6h.jpg)



In exchange for this childhood photo of me, Ol' Homer has agreed , in return, to pose in this costume:


(http://i46.tinypic.com/2hqa592.jpg)


That oughta be a real hoot! Can't wait to see THAT post!


Because of all the requests, I took my magic cellcam to Borg's Woods very early this morning and found a whole variety of owls there:


(http://i47.tinypic.com/ae0htt.jpg)



I even found one with justwatching's red fox:


(http://i49.tinypic.com/2j1n539.jpg)



As I was leaving, I captured a silhouette of the deer and turkeys against the light of the rising sun:


(http://i48.tinypic.com/2laebub.jpg)



That's it.........I'm done. I hope you're all happy now, because I'm not going back there until you all buy me dinner at the grand opening of the new Joint in the Woods Cafe.

Bon appétit!



.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Homer Jones on January 09, 2010, 12:49:17 PM
How about dinner and a show? We can start off with the Owl and the Pussycat.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: BLeafe on January 09, 2010, 01:51:55 PM
Gee thanks, but that's not my style. Opening night at the Joint in the Woods Cafe will do because they already booked someone to open the place that I prefer. The poster for it has already been made:

(http://i50.tinypic.com/2rcu2rc.jpg)



Correction: The old Joint in the Woods club was not on Rt 17 - it was in Parsippany.

I was thinking of the Hole in the Wall club on 17. Anyone remember the big painting of a hole in the wall on the front wall where you could "see" what was going on inside the club?

Great 70s club names. The worst local 70s club name? "The Cuss from Hoe" on Paramus Rd, Paramus.

.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Chief Oratam on January 09, 2010, 10:03:17 PM


I was thinking of the Hole in the Wall club on 17. Anyone remember the big painting of a hole in the wall on the front wall where you could "see" what was going on inside the club?

Great 70s club names. The worst local 70s club name? "The Cuss from Hoe" on Paramus Rd, Paramus.


They really packed them in at both of them.....some good Local Bands at The Cuss........

How about The Bears Nest.....The Library..... The Tow Path....Mothers....The Soap Factory...The Mouse Trap...The Ram's Horn.....so many places, to many places.....

As far as the Wild life in Borgs woods....it makes its way in following Streams and railroad tracks....see the story about Garrett Mountain....in the Record 2 weeks ago.....they say up to 600 deer live there.....they are opening up a hunt to thin the heard.....about 3 years ago there was a dead deer on 17 at Essex st....
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on January 10, 2010, 08:50:55 AM
Deer hunt foes protest (http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/81084077_Deer_hunt_foes_protest.html)
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on January 10, 2010, 11:00:48 PM

Thanks to Photoleafe for the pic's.  Good work.  Now if you had asked the Bullwinkle guy to pose in Borg's Woods for a photo, we could say there was a Moose siting.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on January 10, 2010, 11:20:54 PM
At the rate all these large animals are returning to Hackensack, care to guess when there will be a Black Bear siting ???  I recall several have invaded Paramus over the years, and one got as far as a tree in someone's back yard in Rochelle Park. They come down along the Saddle River, so eventually they'll reach Hackensack.

Could bear sitings be in our future. 

And why stop there, why not the legendary Sasquatch, aka the Bigfoot.  Hackensack old-timers called it "Oily Oliver", way back in the 1800's.  Old Oliver must have been bathing in that central swamp back there.

I read somewhere that there are more Sasquatch sitings east of the Mississippi than in the Pacific northwest, and that the Great Plains and Rockies is where they aren't seen so often.  Something to do with rainfall patterns and the availability of food.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: BLeafe on January 11, 2010, 01:07:47 AM
there was a Moose siting.

There WAS a moose SIGHTING:


(http://i45.tinypic.com/15d1f1z.jpg)





However, his pal Rocky wandered off and hooked up with the coyote that was sighted earlier.

Don't believe it? Here's proof:


(http://i47.tinypic.com/flep10.jpg)



.
Title: Red Fox in Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on January 11, 2010, 12:19:53 PM
For anyone who's counting, we have actual photos of a coyote, a turkey, a deer and a red fox in Borg's woods:

Thanks again John.

Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on January 12, 2010, 09:12:56 AM

Well, there's the proof for all the naysayers.  There are two canine species in Borg's Woods, and neither is an escaped domestic dog.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: hhscomets_alum on January 12, 2010, 12:51:52 PM
May Borg's Woods remain forever!!!   Beautiful!!!
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on January 19, 2010, 09:10:42 AM
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/science-updates/bucks-in-the-backyard-a-growing-phenomenon-in-nj-suburbs
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on January 22, 2010, 12:56:00 PM

Sounds like Ms. Violet Snow lives on Teaneck Road, because only Teaneck has what she calls "The Greenway along the Hackensack River".

I can remember as a child, say around 1970, my father being amazed to see Canada Geese in Van Saun Park, in the winter.  He couldn't believe that they were living here full-time. 

And now we have deer and turkeys.  I remember when there were no turkeys in NJ, and they had to capture and release some from New England to make a population here.  And deer also were nowhere to be found except in the largest preserves of Northern New Jersey.

Good chance that geese, turkey, and red fox are the mainstay on the menu for the coyotes. Venison could be on the menu as well, in the form of a lost fawn, roadkilled deer, and maybe a mature but sickly deer.  And of course the Coyotes eat house cats.
Title: Borgs Woods/Coyote meal
Post by: Editor on January 28, 2010, 08:00:20 PM
Another picture of a Coyote in Borgs.  Could be the same one posted previously. 

John took the picture but wasn't sure about the meal.  Looks like a raccoon.  Yum.  Click the image to enlarge/reduce.  I left it high-resolution so you can get a close-up with some scrolling.

Absolutely wild.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Homer Jones on January 28, 2010, 08:02:46 PM
Nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on January 29, 2010, 11:24:00 AM
On second look, I'm wondering if this could be one of her pups.  Compare with:

(http://www.nps.gov/wica/naturescience/images/Coyote-Pup.jpg)

(http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/data/media/1/coyote-mother-with-pup_10605.jpg)

Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on January 29, 2010, 08:48:01 PM

Coyote's are unlikely to bear pups in January.  Not impossible, just unlikely
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Chief Oratam on January 29, 2010, 08:49:30 PM




IMHO........I don't think there will be anymore sitings of a red fox

Great Pictures Editor
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: BLeafe on January 29, 2010, 11:28:35 PM
Just saw this on the news: local coyote sighting!

It turned out to be from Teaneck.

They're everywhere!



.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Homer Jones on January 30, 2010, 08:42:56 AM
 And on that same subject, police in Chatham, N.J. are warning residents not to leave food to feed them because of their potential danger, while in Greenburgh, N.Y. police are searching for a coyote who attacked a woman and her dog.

Maybe people living on streets surrounding Borg's Woods should be made aware that coyotes are not cute and cuddly playthings that people should want to domesticate by leaving food for them.

Just a thought.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Chief Oratam on January 30, 2010, 05:14:50 PM
After looking at some Pictures of a Red Fox....they have the black legs like whats in the coyotes mouth (zoom in) but the tail dosen't match up, The tail is skinny and tapers. Fox's are Fat and fluffy...

Sorry I dont know how to post pictures...But heres links to some..........  :-[


Fox Link:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=red+fox+pictures&aq=4&aqi=g-s1g9&oq=red+fox

Maybe, its a Ground Hog or a House Cat

Groundhogs come in all colors....I have a Jet Black one living near my house ....it looks like a mini Black Bear.....but his tail is much shorter then the coyotes meal....

Groundhog Link:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=groundhog+pictures&aq=0s&aqi=g-s1g-sx3g-msx3&oq=Ground+Hog+Pictures

Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on January 31, 2010, 10:19:47 AM

Let's see, was that Staten Island Chuck or Punxtetony Phil, poking his head out of ground a few days in advance of February 2nd. 

The poor little guy needs to be more worried about the Coyote's shadow than his own.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on January 31, 2010, 09:13:08 PM
John sent some more pictures:

Title: Re: BORGS WOODS
Post by: Alyssa on February 01, 2010, 01:54:12 PM
I know you posted this a long time ago, and probably know the answer already, but no, they do not close the roads for people to sled down, I mean unless of course the road is closed for some other reason. But for as long as I've lived here (23 years) this hasn't happened. If it did, I guess I didn't notice it but I live next door to the old Borg house, so I think I would have.


nidniteangel i couldn't agree more, where in hackensack did or do you live, i use to live on wilson.............and use to go sledding down by the pond...........all those wacky hills....lol took us forever to get up to the top and 2 seconds to reach bottom but it was worth it every time....the good old days, not like that anymore.  :'(  hey do they still close all the roads like fairmount up by summit with cones so everyone can sled down them????
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Alyssa on February 01, 2010, 02:05:41 PM
I have seen the red fox a few times. If the fenced area you are referring to is the yard that is fenced all the way down to the trail, this is where it has been spotted by myself, my father, and many other family members and friends. My grandmother (owner of the fenced house/yard along with my Grandfather) has yet to see any of the new friends in the woods since the deer and turkeys first appeared years ago. She still thinks we're trying to play a joke on her! But how can we see them at our house, but she can't! We live next door to each other!


The real challenge at Borg's is to photograph the red fox.  They are usually seen around the central swamp, especially in early mornings, or near the fenced area east of the swamp.  And the Blue-Ribbon Award goes to whoever can photograph a 20-lb Great-Horned Owl.

Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on February 02, 2010, 07:36:56 PM
In the early-to-mid 1970's, the city would close off the slope of Ross Ave with cones, and direct the DPW to not plow or salt the street.  This was for local kids to do sledding.   There was enough side streets reach Ross Ave, for local homeowners to park their cars on the street and walk to their houses, and those were thoroughly plowed.  Poplar and Euclid were plowed, it was only Ross that was for sledding.

There would be dozens of kids at a time, from all over the Fairmount Section, sledding on Ross Ave. I moved to Hackensack in 1973, and sledding down Ross Ave was a tradition at that time.  I can't remember when this stopped, but I'd say by 1976 or 1977 it was over, and they started plowing and salting. Most kids had wood sleds with metal rails; I think the plastic ones were something just coming out, and mostly for really young kids.  The plastic ones were slower and safer.

Also the back of the old Borg house was a popular sledding area, and even now it is occasionally used.  There was sledding down several hillside trails in the woods that have since overgrown.  Especially one that used to line up with the trail that crossed the back of the swamp area.  That was a steep drop from the wooded bluff, behind the house with the circle driveway and tulip garden. Actually that hillside was the property of that house, since sold to Bergen County to be included in the woods preserve.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Homer Jones on February 02, 2010, 08:01:33 PM
You are 100% correct on Ross Avenue and when the City stopped allowing the sleds etc.
It was around the same time, if not earlier, that the City had a sled run constructed at the Second Ward Park on Polifly Road.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on February 02, 2010, 08:45:42 PM
Hey Alyssa,

Why don't you whisper in your Grandparents' ears and tell them to donate that rear fenced lot to the Borg's Woods Preserve and make it a tax write-off.  I'm sure that Bergen County would accept the land, and I know quite a few environmental organizations that would have something to say in favor of this.

That rear fenced lot does them absolutely no good whatsoever.  And if they donated the land,  they wouldn't have to pay taxes on it.  I bet that would save them $1000 or $2000 a year.  Plus the tax write-off will be much larger, their accountant can figure it out.  You never know, they might be in the mood to do this.  It makes sense financially.

Sometimes when people get older, they become more charitable and more community-minded, and they do things that they might not have considered years earlier.  To give something back to the community.

It would be great to see that fence come down, it so much intrudes on the character of the nature trails.  The two neighbors to the south of your Grandparents both shed their rear lots to the County.  And their rear lots are now part of the preserved area.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods/Sledding/etc.
Post by: Editor on February 02, 2010, 10:51:10 PM
I remember when Ross was closed for sleds but I remember sledding down Euclid, whether it was closed or not.   

I still have my steel/wood Radio Flyer and have looked for the opportunity to sneak in a ride during the right conditions.  I have taken that "S" turn on sled and every mode of wheeled transportation imaginable.  I've wrecked several time before perfecting my run. On the "south fork", the trick is to hug that thin strip of asphalt between the curb and the manhole on the second bank.  If you lean too much, you might catch your knee on the curb or "kiss" the bumper of a parked car. Be careful.

It's snowing now.  Who's ready?
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: HHS72 on February 03, 2010, 10:48:09 AM
Ross, Euclid and Clinton were all closed off for sledding (late 50's to 60's). I guess back then they let kids have fun (no video games, limited TV, no computers).
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: njurbanforest on March 09, 2010, 07:06:19 PM
I have created a blog on Borg's Woods. Please see the link below:

http://njurbanforest.com/2010/02/25/borgs-woods-a-living-museum/
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on March 18, 2010, 10:26:11 PM
The devastation in Borg's Woods from the storm of March 13th is almost beyond imagination.  There was a massive blowout of trees in one part of the woods. 

It looks like about an acre of huge old trees was annihilated.  There's just a huge hole in the canopy with a few small trees stripped of all major limbs.  In that area, every single major tree fell.  It came crashing down from the top of the hill, one tree taking the next one down, and so on.  Stopped at the end only by someone's house, which was severely damaged.

Bad for the trees, but good for ferns and wildflowers. And probably a good place for ol' wiley coyote to hide. 

It's sad to see such huge old trees fallen, many over 100 feet tall and probably 300 years old.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on March 21, 2010, 12:36:18 AM

I never heard of such a thing as a TREE AVALANCHE, but that is basically what happened in the SE corner of Borg's Woods on March 13th.  A professional forester is visiting the woods on Sunday with Eric Martindale to document this rare event.  An event which is rare on a statewide basis, at the very least.

About 15 - 20 fully mature trees, each one pulling down the next in a widening front pushing downhill.  It's a frightening scenario that actually happened. 

Perhaps 100 tons of wood snapping and crashing down. I beg the roar must have been heard 1/2 mile away, and it may have gone on for a good 20 - 30 seconds.   It went downhill for over 300 feet, increasing in power as each tree fell on the next.  The latter trees fell so hard they were smashed flat to the forest floor.  If it wasn't for the fact that the tree avalanche left the woods, it would have gone on further.  The last tree to fall wasn't even uprooted, it snapped at the base.  Raw power, raw energy. The last tree and another oak then smashed across the southern end of the vernal pond, across the back yard of a house, and then directly into the same house on Brook Street.

The ruins are more than spectacular, more than tragic.  Where are our trusty photographers when we need them.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Chief Oratam on March 21, 2010, 07:24:56 AM






About 15 - 20 fully mature trees, each one pulling down the next in a widening front pushing downhill.  It's a frightening scenario that actually happened. 

Perhaps 100 tons of wood snapping and crashing down. I beg the roar must have been heard 1/2 mile away, and it may have gone on for a good 20 - 30 seconds.   It went downhill for over 300 feet, increasing in power as each tree fell on the next.  The latter trees fell so hard they were smashed flat to the forest floor.  If it wasn't for the fact that the tree avalanche left the woods, it would have gone on further.  The last tree to fall wasn't even uprooted, it snapped at the base.  Raw power, raw energy. The last tree and another oak then smashed across the southern end of the vernal pond, across the back yard of a house, and then directly into the same house on Brook Street.

The ruins are more than spectacular, more than tragic.  Where are our trusty photographers when we need them.

Justwatching.....You missed your calling......You should be an Adventure Novel Writer....But for all I know maybe you are..... :o
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on March 21, 2010, 09:10:24 AM

Thanks for the plug, but I take no credit................Sometimes the power of nature exceeds that of the imagination
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: njurbanforest on March 23, 2010, 10:20:55 PM
I visited Borg's Woods to see the damage first hand on Saturday March 20th. I took a lot of photos. I will be posting them on my blog www.njurbanforest soon.  I will let this forum know when.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: njurbanforest on March 23, 2010, 10:22:29 PM
Sorry the previous link to my blog was a dud it's http://njurbanforest.com/ Thank you
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: njurbanforest on March 23, 2010, 10:39:21 PM
Please click the link below for pictures of Borg's Woods after the storm.

http://njurbanforest.com/2010/03/23/borgs-woods-after-the-storm-pictures/
Title: Borg's Woods Statement from McNerney
Post by: njurbanforest on March 29, 2010, 10:38:00 PM
Please see below for McNerney's statement regarding the fallen trees at Borg's Woods

http://njurbanforest.com/2010/03/29/borgs-woods-statement-from-mcnerney/

Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on April 02, 2010, 09:58:26 AM
Today's Chronicle:

Clean-up in Borg's Woods debated
Friday, April 2, 2010
BY MARK J. BONAMO
Hackensack Chronicle
MANAGING EDITOR

HACKENSACK — Nature or nurture?

The question of whether to physically clear the landscape of Borg’s Woods in Hackensack following last month’s violent storm has stirred a familiar debate: should park enthusiasts support a clean-up effort following a destructive environmental event, or should nature simply be allowed to take its course?

Located just behind Summit Avenue where the municipalities of Hackensack, Maywood and Paramus come together, Borg’s Woods is named after John Borg, the grandfather of Malcolm Borg, chairman of the board for North Jersey Media Group, parent company of Hackensack Chronicle. Formerly owned by the Borg family, the 14.2 acre site, a unique old growth remnant of deciduous forest, became a part of the Bergen County park system in 1994.

During a March 13 storm that led to many downed trees and power outages throughout Bergen County, a large cluster of trees, mostly fully mature beech that were reportedly all over 200 years old, fell in the southeast corner of the park. Two trees also crashed into a house on adjacent Brook Street. Close to an acre of the park was all but leveled by the storm.

As is often the case following powerful storms in which a significant number of trees were downed, park authorities such as the Bergen County Department of Parks step in to clear the damage, work that includes chopping up large fallen trees into smaller logs.

But local environmentalists hope to thwart any such attempt at Borg’s Woods, believing that nature’s handiwork is all that is required.

"Trees blocking major trails should be cleared, but otherwise, fallen trees are characteristic of an old growth forest," said Eric Martindale, lead organizer of the former Borg’s Woods Preservation Coalition that helped transform the area into a park. "The trees aren’t blocking the trails. In addition, large fallen trees provide habitat niches for various types of wildlife."

"Any time that you bring heavy equipment into the woods, you risk creating further damage to shrubbery and wildflowers all over the area," added Martindale. "It also creates an unnecessary expense in a time of budgetary shortfall."

Raymond Dressler, acting director of the Bergen County Department of Parks, could not be reached immediately for comment. But Capt. Bill Sheehan, head of the Hackensack Riverkeeper environmental advocacy group, believed that from the storm’s damage comes needed regeneration.

"Bugs and other small critters will take care of the trees in good time, and that’s how you replenish the soil of the forest," Sheehan said. "Things die, they fall down, they biodegrade, and new things grow up. If a tree falls in the woods, it should probably stay there."

Sheehan’s Hackensack Riverkeeper colleague, development director Diane Saccoccia, concurred with his conclusion.

"That is Mother Nature cleaning house," Saccoccia said. "That is what she does."

E-mail: bonamo@northjersey.com
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: njurbanforest on April 10, 2010, 10:12:24 AM
Please see below regarding the cleanup of the March 13th storm at Borg's Woods:

http://njurbanforest.com/2010/04/10/borgs-woods-update-4-10-10/

Title: Re: Coyotes/Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on June 30, 2010, 11:42:31 PM
Today's Record:

N.J. officials: Coyotes no greater worry for residents
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Last updated: Wednesday June 30, 2010, 7:55 PM
BY ERIK SHILLING
The Record
STAFF WRITER

WOODCLIFF LAKE – State officials said Wednesday that despite the recent maulings by coyotes this week of two young girls in Rye, N.Y., residents in New Jersey shouldn’t be any more worried about the animals than before.

Coyotes, which are indigenous to North America, have proved resilient in suburbia, mostly feeding on rodents, dogs, and small deer, but despite their numbers, attacks on humans are rare, experts say, and attacks on two in four days even more of an oddity.

“What happened in Westchester County is a really rare exception,” said Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “You should be more concerned about stray dogs in your neighborhood. Coyotes tend to be very secretive animals.”

Police in Bergen County haven’t reported any attacks in recent years, but the Rye incident has prompted numerous Woodcliff Lake residents to report coyote sightings to police in recent days. Police, in turn, contact the DEP, who ordinarily respond only to aggressive or rabid animals.

Ragonese declined to put a number on the state’s population of coyotes, but he said that it was at least in the “hundreds,” and coyotes have been spotted in all 21 counties throughout the state.
“You’re allowed to harass them. Just let them know they’re not welcome,” he said.

In Rye, a team of 25 police officers tried to hunt down the animal responsible for Tuesday’s attack on a 3-year-old. Professional trappers were also engaged, but several attempts at capturing or killing the animal had failed as of late Wednesday.

Citizens don’t need to take such measures, Ragonese said.

“If people are seeing them, they shouldn’t be shooting them,” he said, noting that residents should instead simply phone police. The state also tells residents to keep pets inside at night, keep potential food sources stowed away and make sure stray garbage is collected.

For those not used to dealing with coyotes, this advice may not be of much use.

Frances Walker, a Woodcliff Lake resident for 35 years, said that she saw a grey coyote in her back yard Monday morning.

“It was laying there and it was feasting on another animal,” said Walker, 81. “It was probably a woodchuck.”

That sighting, combined with the attack in Rye, had Walker in for the day Wednesday and other neighbors on her street keeping their kids indoors. She said the coyote was the first she’d ever seen in Woodcliff Lake after more than three decades living there.

“If it wasn’t for this animal, I would be outside reading a book,” Walker said. “We’re scared.”

E-mail: Shilling@northjersey.com
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: njurbanforest on January 30, 2011, 11:19:19 PM
I was in Borg's Woods just a few weeks ago. While I didn't see the coyote, I did see plenty of Coyote tracts. Did see a red tail hawk looking for a meal.  ;D

http://njurbanforest.com/
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on March 11, 2011, 09:41:49 AM
please note that the following event is planned, in response to complaints about water table problems :

BORG’S WOODS TOUR AND WATER TABLE DISCUSSION: Eric Martindale will show up at the end of Byrne Street on Sunday March 13th at 2:00 PM to conduct a tour for local residents; to explain how the topography and landfilling of Brook Street has caused water table problems (explained in my 7:50 AM post today), and why the water table is higher than in Borg Swamp after a major storm. We will first walk to the southern end of the wetlands, right behind Brook St, and then we’ll look at the point of drainage. We’ll also discuss the definition of wetlands and vernal pools.

Readers of this blog, the blogsite editor, and any Hackensack, Maywood, or County officials are welcomed to attend.

I believe that the science behind the problem holds the answer, and I will simply offer an explanation of the problem. Other people who attend are welcomed to offer their views. And then people can decide on their own, after hearing everyone, what they believe. If people want to gripe and yell, that’s fine, but my goal is that discussions will proceed in a reasonable and calm manner.

And if nobody comes, I’ll enjoy my own walk in the woods.

Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on June 12, 2011, 04:13:45 PM
NASTY MOTHER COYOTE ALERT:   Visitors to Borg's Woods need to be watchful for the nasty coyote that barks, growls, and runs in circles around you at a distance of about 50 feet.  This happened to me twice in the past 2 weeks, most recently today.  The first incident was around all the fallen trees in the SE corner.

The second incident, today, I saw another animal scampering in the tall grasses of the open swamp only 10 feet from where I was walking.  I realized it was a coyote pup, OH S***.  I immediately ran in the opposite direction.  The nasty coyote was the mother just doing what comes natural to mother animals.  This was a potentially dangerous situation for me. If it was a kid, the mother coyote may have been even more aggressive than her confrontation with an adult.

So if anyone is walking in Borg's Woods, you could easily stumble into the coyote family without knowing it, especially where there is dense ground cover.  Just be on the lookout for the coyotes.  FYI, the pup was a uniform light brown color, without any markings of an adult coyote. I ran away so quickly I didn't have the chance to look and see if there was more than one pup.
Title: Re: Coyotes/Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on July 10, 2011, 09:05:13 AM
Coyote sightings put some residents on edge (http://www.northjersey.com/news/125282618_Coyote_sightings_put_some_residents_on_edge.html?page=all)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
BY MONSY ALVARADO
STAFF WRITER
The Record

Coyotes roaming Hackensack and Maywood streets have frightened residents and prompted calls to state officials to relocate the animals.

(http://media.northjersey.com/images/300*200/0710L_coyoteRST70p.jpg)
JOHN LABROSSE/SPECIAL TO THE RECORD
New Jersey officials say the state has an estimated 3,000 coyotes.

(http://media.northjersey.com/images/300*225/0710L_6coyotes_70p.jpg)
MONSY ALVARADO/STAFF
Jim Gilbert walking his two Great Danes in Hackensack. Gilbert used to walk his dogs in Borg's Woods until coyotes began following him.Residents who live near Borg's Woods nature preserve in Hackensack say they have been seeing the bushy-tailed canines regularly on the street and on private property.

"There's no certainty with these animals," said Hackensack resident Anne Picogna of Brook Street, who said that a coyote began to follow her while she was running on Summit Avenue about two months ago.

State officials only relocate coyotes when they become aggressive and will not take action in Hackensack or Maywood at this time, said Larry Hajna, spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection. He said residents can call the state Division of Fish & Wildlife with their concerns, but that coyotes are usually not hostile.

"If they were a threat in any way, they would be relocated, but by and large, coyotes are shy and reclusive and do not pose a threat," he said.

New Jersey has an estimated 3,000 coyotes, and they have been spotted in all counties, Hajna said. Sightings have also been reported in urban areas across the country, including Manhattan in the past year.

There haven't been reports of coyotes attacking humans in New Jersey since 2007, when a boy was bitten in Middletown, but last year a coyote was reportedly responsible for biting and scratching two children in Rye, N.Y.

The state's Division of Fish & Wildlife website says the coyote was never introduced or stocked in New Jersey, but has "firmly established itself in the state through its extremely adaptable nature." Coyotes, the site says, adjust well to their surroundings and can survive on whatever food is available.

They prey on rabbits, mice, birds and other small animals, as well as young and weakened deer, according to the state website.

In Hackensack, Brook Street homeowners blame the coyotes for the declining number of skunks, wild turkeys, raccoons and squirrels scurrying in their neighborhood.

Myrna Gotrell, who moved into her house 13 years ago, said she has seen coyotes walk from her front yard to her unfenced back yard, which abuts a wooded private property. Three years ago, when the coyote sightings were first reported, she said she stopped letting her three children play in the yard.

"My concern is if [the coyotes] run out of food, what are they going to do, come attack my kids?" she said.

Hackensack resident Jim Gilbert walks his two Great Danes along Byrne Street instead of nearby Borg's Woods. He used to take them for their morning and evening strolls through the wooded area, but after running into coyotes several times these last few months, he's now opting for pavement. One time, he said, he saw four coyotes standing together.

"They are not afraid," he said. "I would walk the two dogs in there, and I'd turn around and every time I would turn around I would have at least two following me, and I yelled at them, threw rocks, threw sticks, and finally I'd get them to stop," he said.

Jo Ann Iacono has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. She said that three years ago, one female coyote could always be seen near the woods behind her back yard. The coyote would entertain her during winter months when it would slip and slide on ice.

"She was very cute," Iacono said.

Then a male coyote came along, and they had pups.

"That was a little bit of a concern," she said.

But, she said, there is something appealing about having a coyote in her hometown.

"It's nice to be able to have something like this when you live in this metropolis," she said.

Before going out, Emily Chillino says she peers through her front and back windows to make sure coyotes aren't nearby, and she doesn't let her small dogs out in the yard. "They would be lunch for the coyotes," she said.

Chillino has called the state and local animal control numerous times in the past two years asking that officials trap and relocate the canines, to no avail. The last time she called, Chillino said she was told to place ammonia or mothballs near the coyotes' den, and even a radio or sound system. The noise is supposed to drive them away.

Maywood Police Chief David Pegg said that since the spring, police have received almost daily calls of coyote sightings. Last month, recess was moved indoors at Maywood Avenue school when a coyote was spotted near the school building, he said. And on Thursday, a police officer followed one toward woods off Briarcliff Avenue, he said.

Anyone observing a coyote that poses a threat can call New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Services at 908-735-7288. The department also has a 24-hour hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on August 02, 2011, 11:47:35 AM
From the City's website:

CITY OF HACKENSACK
Department of Health
215 State Street Hackensack, N.J. 07601
Phone (201) 646-3965 Fax (201) 646-3989
www.hackensack.org
John G. Christ Health Officer & Registrar

Living With Our Wild Neighbors – Coyotes

In response to reports of coyote sightings in the Borg’s Woods - northwest area of Hackensack, the city has scheduled an educational session to address resident concerns. The educational session will feature New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish and Wildlife’s, Wildlife Biologist, Anthony McBride, who will provide information on the history and habits of coyotes and strategies that residents can use to prevent attracting them to their property and strategies to discourage coyotes who may stray into residential areas.

The session will be held on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 8:00 PM in the Hackensack Civic Center, which is located in the City Hall Complex at the rear of 215 State Street.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Skipx219 on August 02, 2011, 12:10:38 PM
Perhaps the people from Maywood should also be invited...I've heard from people on the western edge of Maywood that said they are roaming their back yards.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on August 17, 2011, 12:30:31 PM
I didn't attend the coyote session last night but heard it went well with 40 or 50 people attending, about half from Maywood.  The rep from NJDEP was apparently knowledgable. 

From what I understand, coyotes are shy animals and will tend to keep to themselves.  Residents shouldn't feed them, obviously, or this will eliminate their fear of humans. They have a wide roaming range and will travel up to two miles from their dens.  I hear they may have dens at Staib Park.  Please report sightings here and let others know to do the same.  It would be good to know where they are.

I'm told that the last attack on a human in NJ was in 2007 and that is regarded as an anomaly.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on August 17, 2011, 03:02:55 PM
There was about 50 people there, about 30% from Maywood.  There is one den along the hillside in Borg's Woods, on county land.  Another is REPORTEDLY between Coles Brook and Lowes in the tiny wooded corner that is left after that whole area was bulldozed away.  I doubt there is more than 1 or 2 acres of woodland left along that section.  I was told where the den is by a "knowledgeable" person who lives on nearby Catalpa Ave and who sees the coyotes multiple times per week.  I will check out the site and see if there is a 2nd den.

The guy from the NJDEP Fish & Wildlife Service says that coyotes need 2000 acres of non-developed habitat.  There is only 21 or 22 acres in Borg's Woods, and only 15 of that is preserved open space.  I think they are just using Borg's Woods as a "base", and they are roaming around 2000 acres of developed suburban areas of Maywood and northern Hackensack.  Borg's Woods is considered good habitat because there are good den areas (hillside, and there is a water source (Coles Brook, and also the pond when it has water in it), and it is old forest that they instinctively prefer.

According to the graphs, about 1/4 of their food is rabbits, 1/4 carrion/roadkill, 1/4 other small mammals, and the remaining quarter is insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, vegetable matter, etc.  The speaker says they are known to hunt down cats and small breed dogs like Malteses, Pomeranians, and Bishon's.  Residents complained that there are no longer ducks in Coles Brook, or deer, fox, and turkey in Borg's Woods.  Pet food left outside (ie. cat food) and raiding garbage cans has been known.

Residents were told to be aggressive towards coyotes at all times, to yell at them, throw things, run at them.  The idea is to have the habituated to fear humans, and to NEVER look at humans as giving them food.

THe NJDEP says residents are allowed to trap and kill coyotes from 11/15 to 3/15, by law in the state of NJ. They will not proactively kill or relocate coyotes.  Originally a western USA species, they now live in every county of NJ, and almost every city and town in those counties.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Oratam_Weaping on August 20, 2011, 01:50:05 PM
I think your assessment as it being a base is correct. I know where other bases are, but since I used to have a pet Wolf based in Hackensack, I am not going to turn them in. I am hoping they relocate to One Essex Street so they can "pack-up" on the homeless who camp out in the woods there.  In fact, one of the homeless den's have been rehabilitated to accommodate a coyote or two. Add a black bear or better yet an Alaskan Brown Bear.. no, wait... I could see it now... a couple homeless guys sitting on the steps across from the court house with a bear drinking colt 45 Malt liquer and smoking cigarette baring the BCCAP or State Seal brand; butts rolled up in paper from their welfare check envelopes...


What to do with the homeless who are not likely to respond to treatment, and mentally ill who cannot cope within a city environment: what we need to do is make a nice country environment where they can farm, tend to the horses, or be close to nature and contribute to the economy. Far away from the drug deals, liquer stores, and handouts,... They will feel they are part of something as they dry out and be slowlty acclaimated into society from rural New Jersey, to smaller towns and eventually landing a job in the city... the culture shock from being institutionalized and being put back intop a city environment, can rarely be handled by even the most likely candidates from any of the classes of "mental Illness" classified as such by SAMSHA. These people all need therapy in an environment that is less confusing and less challenging until such time they are ready.

Bergen County Parks Dept., Bergen Regional, and County Public Works should employ those that are serious about rehabilitaion. Community services could help these people be productive in every city in the county, and they can contribute to the tax base while beautifying Bergen county towns. Then the distribution of housing would be fair and welcomed.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on August 20, 2011, 10:21:50 PM

Just a quick note.  I visited the Coles Brook corridor near Catalpa Ave today and found numerous small mammal dens, but definitely no coyote den.  Then I went to Borg's and again saw the coyote in his usual location, right behind 48 Brook Street.

I have previously looked at the Paramus side of Coles Brook adjacent to Staib Park.  Same result, and even more woodchuck holes on the hillside.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods/Coyotes
Post by: Editor on September 15, 2011, 08:30:12 AM
Coyote presence likely to stay
Last updated: Thursday September 15, 2011, 2:01 AM
BY SUSAN JOY CLARK
STAFF WRITER
Community News (Lodi Edition)

The coyotes in Maywood seem here to stay.

Maywood has coyotes in the area of the Borg's Woods.

At a public meeting on Aug. 18, Mayor Tim Eustace addressed the presence of coyotes in Maywood.

"Councilperson (Adrian) Febre, the administrator and I attended a joint meeting on coyotes in Hackensack with the Fish and Wildlife Department who came to brief us all on the coyote problem," said Eustace. "What they told us is that there's only one state in the United States presently that doesn't have a coyote problem. Coyotes are with us to stay. We've had coyotes since at least 2007. More than likely, they're not going to try and trap the coyotes. They do not kill the coyotes unless they are a threat to humans."

Eustace shared a few suggestions made by the Fish and Wildlife Department.

"I was in the area of Borg's Woods and went to 70 homes. At least 20 of those homes had cat food outside the door and cats. The main thing that the Fish and Wildlife Department told us was don't keep cats outside and don't feed feral cats, because that's part of the diet of the coyote population," said Eustace.

Eustace also said to put trash out the day it is to be picked up and to make sure it is secure.

"The other thing is coyotes are afraid of humans. If you yell, clap your hands, use air horns people use at sporting events, play loud music and be a louder presence, it will encourage the coyotes to leave," he said.

The mayor said there have been no complaints in the area of humans or pets being attacked by coyotes.

Eustace warned residents not to feed cats outdoors and to encourage their neighbors not to do so, especially in the area of the Borg's Woods.

"There is plenty of food for the coyotes in the woods and a rich assortment of squirrels and rats, and there's a lot of water in Borg's Woods. There is a giant tree root system in there that supports a population of rats, and the coyotes prefer that as a diet," he added.

E-mail: clarks@northjersey.com
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on September 15, 2011, 08:57:26 AM

I guess all rodents are "rats".

There's historically been a muskrat population in the central swamp area.  They especially lived under the hollow trunks and the roots of several trees at the edge of the water.  I've been visiting Borg's Woods for decades and have NEVER seen a common rat (aka Norway Rat). I suspect that the colony has been exterminated in recent years by fox and coyote, because in the winter there are telltale bubbles under the ice. Haven't seen these in years.  Muskrats also burrow into the embankment of Coles Brook just north of Elm Ave / Stelling Ave.

I'm told that Norway Rats live on the Maywood side of Coles Brook where residents have thrown chunks of concrete to "stabilize" the embankment.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on October 11, 2011, 09:23:32 AM
Neighbors in Hackensack and Maywood argue over damming of brook (http://www.northjersey.com/news/131498408_Neighbors_argue_over_dam_in_woods.html?page=all)
Last updated: Tuesday October 11, 2011, 8:02 AM
BY STEPHANIE AKIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record

A swampy, forested nature preserve on the Hackensack and Maywood border – a serene departure from the heavily developed areas that surround it – is becoming the focus of a decidedly agitated dispute among its neighbors.

(http://media.northjersey.com/images/300*199/MC_1011L_borgswoodJH_70.jpg)
STEVE HOCKSTEIN/SPECIAL TO THE RECORD
Adi and Kevin Madden in Hackensack at a dam built by a Borg's Woods neighbor to attract birds. They say it has caused flooding and drawn insects.

Residents on the Hackensack side of Borg's Woods claim that misguided preservationists have been repeatedly damming the brook that chortles through the 14-acre wetlands. They argue that the group is trying to increase the habitat for waterfowl and wetlands creatures but is instead creating an acrid, mosquito-infested pool that is flooding basements and encroaching on their back yards.

Meanwhile, preservationist Eric Martindale and his supporters — which include Maywood officials, a local wetlands conservation group and a Maywood resident who has been accused of sneaking into the woods to block the water flow — say the only people disrupting the water are residents. The preservationists argue residents are trying to widen the brook with shovels because they want to direct water away from their houses.

The back story
Bergen County bought the 14-acre wetlands area known as Borg's Woods in 1994. The $1.74 million purchase — from the parent company of The Record — came after years of pressure from local preservationists. The conservation group organized in response to a proposal to build condominiums on the property.
 
Whatever the truth about the water, the situation has muddied the rare experience of living at the edge of one of the county's most pristine places, residents said.

"It's a quality-of-life issue," said Beverly Miller, who has lived on Brook Street in Hackensack since 1999. "We bought the house because of those trees, and now we can't enjoy them."

The preserve is surrounded by some of the most densely developed land in the state – only 60 acres in the entire 4-mile radius of Hackensack were listed as open space in the city's most recent master plan, in 2001. But on a recent afternoon in the woods — technically county land and not part of either Hackensack or Maywood – the sounds were limited to cracking twigs and chirping birds.

Just a short walk, however, revealed signs of recent human disturbance: a rocky dam seemed to block the brook at the base of an area considered a seasonal pond. Beyond it, the sunlight glinted on a pool of still water slightly larger than a soccer field. Downstream, near the Maywood border, a collection of sticks and other debris seemed to clog the brook again, creating a smaller pool. The origin of those two pools, and the role of the dams and the debris in creating it, is at the heart of the dispute surrounding Borg's Woods.

Because the park is protected under the state freshwater wetlands act, any disturbance of the water without a permit can be punishable by a fine – in extreme cases as high as $25,000 a day.

Kevin and Adi Madden — a Maywood police officer and a Hackensack schoolteacher who live on the Hackensack border — say they have filmed their Maywood neighbor Bill Jerlinski building dams and throwing sticks and rocks into the stream.

The Maddens claim Jerlinski, a friend of Martindale's and a member of the Maywood Democratic Club, has used his political weight to garner support. The couple's appeals to the two men to stop were rebuffed, and Jerlinski and Martindale filed numerous harassment complaints against them, according to the Maddens.

The Maddens circulated a petition, signed by 32 residents of Brook Street, Byrne Street and other nearby roads, asking Maywood and Bergen County officials to stop the flooding.

Hackensack Councilman John Labrosse,who has lived across the street for 32 years and signed the petition, said he had seen the dams, although he had never seen anyone building them.

"I can't say it's causing all the problems," he said. "I can just say, since those dams have been there, the problems have gotten worse."

But officials declined to intervene in what they described as a dispute among neighbors, and Kevin Madden was pulled aside by his supervisor at the police station and told to stay away from Jerlinski, an encounter Maywood Mayor Tim Eustace confirmed.

Madden said they won't back down.

"This is a legal issue," he said. "We shouldn't have to petition local residents to have the law enforced. It's the law."

Jerlinski and Martindale deny building any dams — the one that was there was likely constructed by neighbors who wanted to incriminate them, Martindale said.

'Go away'

Jerlinski declined to comment for this article, beyond saying that he wanted to preserve the integrity of the woods.

"I don't want to address these people," he said. "I want them to go away."

Martindale, who no longer lives in the area, said the problem is that residents bought their houses without realizing what it meant to live next to a wetlands. He said neighbors and Bergen County Mosquito Commissioners routinely go into the woods with shovels and dredge the brook.

Martindale spent years petitioning state officials to recognize part of the area as a vernal pool — a temporary ecosystem that forms a natural habitat for several species of amphibians and other wildlife. But he said he would have no reason to build a dam.

"There is no need for a dam back there because groundwater upwells and pools there naturally," he wrote in an e-mail.

Their accounts were supported by Eustace and Hugh Carola, program director for the Hackensack Riverkeeper conservation organization. Eustace said it was impossible for water to travel uphill from Jerlinski's property and cause flooding in Hackensack.

"It's been a vernal pool for decades," Carola said. "These people [residents] would love to see it filled in and gone."

County and state officials said they have received multiple complaints from both sides, and several officials said they have asked both sides not to divert the water.

The state Department of Environmental Protection sent a letter informing residents around the park that the area is regulated. County parks officials met with Jerlinski and asked him to stop damming the water, County Landscape Architect Al Koenig said. "Our understanding is, he no longer dams it up," Koenig said.

Peter Pluchino, the director of the county mosquito patrol program, said workers periodically remove dams from the area and regularly spray the water for mosquito larvae, but the complaints are too numerous to respond every time.

"You've got two groups there, two individuals that are constantly battling," he said. "One is diverting the water into the Borg's Woods and the other is trying to drain it out. Every time one of them does something, they blame the county."

Hackensack residents, meanwhile, petitioned the City Council last week to intervene on their behalf, a request City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono said he is researching.

E-mail: akin@northjersey.com
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on October 12, 2011, 07:59:52 AM

The primary conflict between Jerlinski and a Brook Street resident was in 2009, in terms of one person digging out of the water channel to drain the vernal pool, and one person throwing rocks at the point of drainage to stop the environmental damage. (For the record, the Brook Street residents refer to this as one person destroying dams and one person building dams). And the latter was the perspective taken by the newspaper reporter.  In 2010 and early 2011, the "battle" was mostly limited to a single small log being moved back and forth. And Jerlinksi was building his dam very far downstream, on his property, where the drainage stream reaches Coles Brook.

In early 2011, Martindale met and discussed the matter with a Brook Street resident, and he promised to make Jerlinski stop doing any and all activity in the drainage channel.  This was accomplished.

Since then, there have since been 6 major rainfall events, each of which was larger than any expected in a single calendar year. The approximate dates are:

- March 8, 2011
- April 16, 2011
- June 23, 2011
- August 8, 2011 (7")
- August 29, 2011 (9.5" Hurricane Irene)
- September 8, 2011 (5" remnants of Tropical Storm Lee)

During this entire time period, there were absolutely no dams or obstructions on the stream draining out of Borg Swamp. The water pooled and filled back there, naturally.  It extended all the way back to the southern end of Borg's Woods, adjacent to the Brook Street homes.

The amount of dishonesty associated with this issue is very distressing. Jerlinski has been implicated, but he has done nothing back there during any of these 6 major storms. Meanwhile instead of appreciating Martindale's help in ending the back-and-forth battle between Jerlinski and a Brook Street resident, there is nothing coming from the Brook Street crowd but personal attacks and vendetta's made against Martindale to the newspaper reporters and to local and county officials.

The dam pictured in the newspaper article evidently was built a few days before the article came out, and I have every reason to believe that it was built for the specific intent of calling in the newspaper reporter and photographer.  I say this because it was so loosely constructed at the base that water could easily pass beneath. Whoever built it wanted something that would look imposing in a photograph, but not actually raise the water level.  The ultimate goal of the Brook Street residents is not to "remove dams", it is to eliminate all standing water back there.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on November 01, 2011, 03:29:14 PM
Storm Damage Report - Borg's Woods.

This rare October snowstorm was extremely selective in what size and species trees were killed.  Only trees between 8" and 18" diameter were lost.  None were large trees or old growth trees, and no trees smaller than 6" diameter were killed. The total count = 9 trees were killed, and countless major limbs down everywhere.

The losses were primarily in the wetland areas where certain trees species were hit hard. Areas along Coles Brook, especially Silver Maples, were very hard hit. 

The stepping stone trail crossing over Coles Brook to Washington Ave, Maywood, is out indefinitely, possibly for years, due to a downed Mulberry with many vines and stickers all over it.  There is no impact to the water flow, but the trail crossing is ruined on the woods side.

Most of the Mulberry (an invasive) in Borg's Woods were lost.  One mulberry fell directly over Fairmount Ave. Another Mulberry, the only one in the middle of the woods, fell directly over the deepest part of the vernal pool.  Nearby a Pin Oak trunk snapped and also fell directly over the deepest water.  The vernal pool has lost some aesthetic appeal, at least temporarily.

Trails are blocked in many spots by major limbs.  A huge amount of major limbs were sheared off trees all around the vernal pool.  Now I know why the vernal pool is open and not forested --- this must happen every few decades.

The damage actually looks worse than it really is, since only 9 trees died, and all were small ones.  Beech have very springy branches and they faired well.  Ash and Cottonwood were not affected at all because they already lost their leaves.  Hardest hit were Red Maple, Mulberry, and Sweetgum.

As always, the recommendation is to clear the trails of fallen trees or limbs, but otherwise leave everything in place.This is a natural event. Also there are large limbs in the creek that drains out of the vernal pool, potentially blocking the water flow. No, Mr. Jerlinski didn't throw them there. It happened naturally. I suppose it would be OK to pull them out.
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on February 10, 2012, 11:08:56 AM
Warm weather could aid coyote comeback in Hackensack
Last updated: Friday February 10, 2012, 1:24 AM
BY MARK J. BONAMO
MANAGING EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle

The warm temperatures that hovered around 60 degrees last week might have brought city residents out of their homes. But this year’s relatively mild winter might also be a boon to some of Hackensack’s four-legged denizens: the coyote population.

Residents who live near the Borg’s Woods nature preserve in the northwest corner of the city were alarmed last summer by a noticeable rise in coyote sightings. The coyote comeback is part of a statewide influx attributed in part to stricter hunting laws and the removal of the animals’ natural habitats by development.

The overall warmer pattern in the weather could also boost the coyote population in Hackensack.

After a brutal 2011 winter, this year has seen unseasonably mild temperatures. According to state climatologists, the average temperature last month was 35.1 degrees — approximately four degrees above the average for all Januarys over the past 30 years. A temporary change in the position of the jet stream in recent weeks has contributed to the past 12 months being all above average temperature, ranking as the third warmest of any consecutive 12-month period since 1895, according to climatologists.

Capt. Bill Sheehan, head of the Hackensack Riverkeeper environmental advocacy group, noted that the warmer temperatures should enhance the coyote population’s chances of continued expansion.

"In weather like this, coyotes don’t have to hunker down so much," Sheehan said. "It gives them more opportunity to hunt, and probably to mate. All the mice and other small critters that coyotes eat that would usually be hibernating are also out there running around."

Sheehan, however, pointed out that although nature seems to be stepping outside its normal weather boundaries lately, it also corrects itself.

"There might be a minor explosion in the coyote population, but nature will level that very quickly," Sheehan said. "When there is an overpopulation of any animal within a confined environment, including one like Borg’s Woods, it happens. When there was a boom in the fox population in Overpeck Park, mange set in. Mange is one of nature’s diseases that corrects the course of overpopulation."

Sheehan warned that the effect of dramatic shifts in the weather could continue to have a significant impact on humans and coyotes alike in the years ahead.

"Last year, we were dealing with flooding issues up and down the Hackensack and Passaic rivers. This year, we may be talking about not enough water to go around," Sheehan said. "This is all an indication that the climate is changing. It’s not just happening here in Bergen County. It’s not just happening in Hackensack. It’s happening all over the world."

Email: bonamo@northjersey.com
Title: Re: Borgs Woods/Coyotes
Post by: Editor on December 16, 2012, 09:42:14 PM
Coyote advocate defends the predator's presence in suburbia (http://www.northjersey.com/maywood/Coyote_advocate_defends_the_predators_presence_in_suburbia.html?page=all)
Sunday December 16, 2012, 8:33 PM
BY  LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER
The Record

(http://media.northjersey.com/images/300*232/121612coyote_dngnk.jpg)
MAYWOOD — Frank Vincenti pleaded the case in defense of coyotes Sunday, but not everyone in his audience was buying it.
MITSU YASUKAWA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Frank Vincent discusses coyotes at the Maywood Public Library.

Vincenti, founder of the non-profit Wild Dog Foundation, is a strong advocate for predators such as coyotes all over the United States, including New Jersey. He credited coyotes with being intelligent and “highly adaptable,” able to survive and thrive in suburban and urban environments, such as the Bronx and Queens.

Vincenti had just begun his talk on “The Coyotes Problem” at the Maywood Public Library when a borough resident interrupted him. She complained about the host of coyotes that she said are on her land 24 hours a day.

“I’m used to seeing a lot of baby coyotes, but now I saw one the other day, maybe two days ago, that was as big as a mountain lion,” said the woman, who declined to identify herself. “I don’t live in New Mexico. I pay over $12,000 a year in taxes in Maywood. I think I can sit out on my patio in peace, without encouraging people [about] how to live with coyotes.”

“Well, that’s certainly your right,” said Vincenti, who volunteered to visit the women’s property once he finished his lecture. “Let me at least garner some understanding for them. I’m not looking to win everybody over, because I know that’s impossible.”

Last year, residents voiced concern about the coyotes that were then inhabiting the Borg’s Woods nature preserve in Hackensack. The residents were fearful of the coyotes, and claimed that they were preying on local fauna such as squirrels. Vincenti was involved with residents on the issue, and coyotes are no longer “denning” in that area.

“Rest assured, they’re not in Borg’s Woods anymore,” Vincenti said, but he added that they may have just moved to neighboring towns such as Maywood.

Vincenti started the Mineola, N.Y.-based Wild Dogs education foundation, and for the past two decades has lectured about coyotes. He offers his assistance to towns that are trying to find ways to co-exist with the wild animals.

Coyotes don’t’ just reside in the Southwest, or Hackensack and Maywood for that matter. Vincenti said they now have found homes as far north as Alaska and as far south as Panama, as well as Bergen County. In the audience of roughly 30, people told Vincenti that they had seen coyotes in not only Maywood and Hackensack but towns such as Saddle Brook and Rochelle Park.

There are about 3,000 coyotes in the Garden State, Vincenti said, citing figures from the state.

“New Jersey has a healthy coyote population,” he said.

The way to deal with pesky coyotes is to confront them when you see them, without fear, according to Vincenti. Coyotes are really scaredy-cats who will learn to stay away if you intimidate them, Vincenti said.

“Coyotes are really innately fearful of humans: You can reinforce that,” he added. “They’re really easily frightened.”

He also portrayed coyotes as natural exterminators for vermin, adding that they don’t like human trash, the way a raccoon or bear does. Up to half of their diet are small rodents called voles, as they also like to feast on other pests.

“Coyotes are attracted to the rat population,” Vincenti said.

As for their sometimes chilling howling, it isn’t aimed at human ears, Vincenti said. It’s meant for their fellow coyotes, to mark their territory.

“Coyotes are highly vocal,” he said. “Howling has nothing to do with us.”

Vincenti’s slide show included a picture of Wile E. Coyote, the Warner Bros. cartoon that immortalized the lean wolf-like creatures.

“Warner Bros, really nailed the coyote perfectly,” Vincenti, referring to the animal’s tenacity and adaptability.

“I always was a fan of Wile E.,” he said. “I hated the Road Runner.”

Email: moss@northjersey.com
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: Editor on March 03, 2013, 06:37:44 PM
I received this email today:

****** ACTION ALERT ******

EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTACTS WITH BERGEN COUNTY OFFICIALS NEEDS TO VOICE THEIR CONCERN TO STOP THIS DISASTER

I was astonished and horrified today to see that the Bergen County Parks has begun cutting down mature old-growth trees, some hundreds of years old, along the Main Trail in Borg's Woods.  They started at the south entrance, Byrne Street.  First cut was a perfectly healthy immature Red Oak that was slightly leaning towards Byrne Street. Then a mature Beech was cut, presumably because it was hollow at the base. 4 other trees have been marked with foot-high numbers, in yellow spray paint, to indicate that they are to be cut. They were also ringed with orange tape.  One of the trees marked to be cut is one of the largest trees in Borg's Woods, an immense Tuliptree about 11 feet in circumference, because it is slightly leaning and has some dead upper branches.

This is a NATURE PRESERVE.  This is an OLD-GROWTH FOREST.  If they continue this work, and keep going all the way to Fairmount Ave, there will be essentially nothing left of Borg's Woods. 3/4 of the mature trees in Borg's Woods are either leaning slightly, they have some dead upper branches, or they are hollow at the base. 

Of note:  Not yet cut is the one of landmark trees in Borg's Woods, the leaning Sycamore, which is located where the main path crosses the stream. It's been leaning like that since at least the 1950's, and it has survived all the storms. There are only 4 Sycamore in the entire woods.

I would imagine that the County was alarmed because 14 mature trees, out of hundreds, uprooted or split during Hurricane Sandy.  And now they think they need to "manage" how nature decides which trees dies and when they die.  The old standing trees are also part of the ecosystem; the old limbs can be hollowed out for nests, and woodpeckers need them as a food source.

What we don't know is how Borg's Woods will change and evolve over the decades.  I have maintained tree census since 1987, and despite severe the storm losses in 2010, 2011, and 2012, there are now many more trees over 8 feet in circumference, and over 10 feet in circumference, than in 1987. This indicates that tree growth is outpacing tree mortality. I don't know if this will continue into the future.

Borg's Woods in Hackensack and Beechwood Park (Harrington Park) are the oldest woodlands in Bergen County.  There are no older woodlands in Bergen County or the State of New Jersey; therefore there are no other examples or models to look at to predict the future of Borg's Woods.  We just don't know if most of the mature trees will blow down over the next 30 or 40 years, if a few will become incredibly large, or as I suspect that the woods will be filled with more and more fallen logs even as tree growth outpaces tree mortality. We don't know if Hurricane Sandy was a rare event that won't happen again for 100 years, or if there will be another one this year.  That's the point of Borg's Woods, that is why it is valuable. It has been preserved as an old-growth forest, and we will see how it changes, grows, and develops over time.  The County Parks Department cannot be allowed to micromanage the woods with selective cutting.  If they want to cut something, they should go after the invasives.

- Eric Martindale
  Coordinator of the Borg's Woods Preservation Coaliton, 1986 - 1995
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: just watching on March 04, 2013, 04:23:06 AM
Word has reached me that the County was over-reacting to the hysterical concerns of a homeowner about an old-growth Beech tree leaning towards her house. 

Instead of cutting that ONE tree, the County has instead decided to wipe out a much larger area, basically every tree that would reach her yard if it fell in that direction.  And other trees even further away.  The trees cut are old-growth Beech over 200 years old, and the one leaning towards her house has been doing that since before her house was built.

The Tuliptree spray-painted "5" is 150' deep into the woods, and probably close to 200' from her house.  Sure, it's old and a little sick and the crown has diminished over the years by small branches dying, but it survived Sandy.  When it's ready, it will fall. We don't need the County helping that along.

To see the trees that were cut, go onto this website's INFORMATION RESOURCES page, and Click on the Borg's Woods Page.  In the upper right area is "Landmarks of Borg's Woods".  The first picture is the entrance trees at Byrne Street, and the second picture is the Tuliptree "5" scheduled to be cut.

http://www.hackensacknow.org/Borgslandmarks.html
Title: Re: Borgs Woods
Post by: njurbanforest on March 07, 2013, 10:00:31 PM
This is sad news. I need to pay a visit to the preserve (my last visit was in 2011)