Jersey Shore Group

Volunteer with the Sierra Club Jersey Shore Group!

Are you a Monmouth County resident who's passionate about protecting our environment, natural spaces, and coastline, and social-media savvy? The Sierra Club Jersey Shore Group has multiple volunteer positions available!

These are great opportunities for college students, young grads, or anyone with an interest in the environment and technology. If you're interested in learning more, visit the “Contact Us” page and reach out via phone or email.

Join the “50 x 30 TEAM” to Meet New Jersey's 2030 Climate Goals!

Recent Climate Disasters:

Each year’s average earth temperature is hottest ever. June-August, 2024 world temperature was the highest ever recorded. Average NJ land temperature is currently 4 degrees F hotter than long term average. Offshore NJ Atlantic waters are up to 4 degrees F hotter than long term average. "Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years.” (Copernicus Climate Change Service). Scientists say we should all be alarmed.
Rapidly rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification Impacts sea life: lobsters and surf clams are declining; black sea bass (and other sea life) are moving northward. "Black sea bass are ending up in lobster traps. The evidence has been in their stomachs"
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation has slowed 15%; many models predict major interruption of circulation (summary).
Searing wildfires; New York City, Philadelphia, and the eastern seaboard shrouded in wildfire smoke
Historic flooding; due in part to accelerating loss of Greenland and West Antarctica ice sheets
July 1, 2024, Hurricane Beryl intensified into Cat 5. This is earlier, and stronger than anything recorded.

THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR: The U.S. "Fifth National Climate Assessment", Nov 13, 2023; the UN IPCC "Sixth Assessment Report" Mar 20, 2023; the Paris Agreement, and 1000s of scientists all agree we must achieve 50% Green House Gas (GHG) reduction by 2030, on the way to NetZero GHG emissions by 2050.

“ON A BUSINESS-AS-USUAL COURSE…OUR [NJ] 2050 GHG WOULD BE HIGHER THAN THEY ARE TODAY”, from an Oct 15, 2020, report by the NJ DEP. The report recommends additional strategies for policymakers to achieve GHG goals. See the Executive Summary here.

TAKE ACTIONABLE STEPS NOW. HELP ASK FOR CRITICAL POLICIES: join the “50 x 30 Team” to reduce GHG emissions 50% by 2030. Help guide reduction in GHG from New Jersey’s buildings (26% of total NJ GHG) and cooperate in reducing New Jersey’s additional biggest GHG sources: transportation (42% of NJ Total), and electricity generation (19% of total NJ), while supporting low- and moderate-income NJ residents.

THE NJ “50 x 30 TEAM” educates and advocates that households, municipalities, NJ, and the Federal Government set and track aggressive goals to reduce GHG emissions.

SIGN UP NOW for the “50 x 30 Team”! You will receive reports, agendas, and calls to action. Typical Zoom webinars are at 7PM, on the 3rd Thursday of each month, and as needed for those members working high-intensity projects. For more information, or questions about signup, contact stevemiller@comcast.net (Climate Chair, Sierra Club Jersey Shore Group and co-chair Building Electrification Committee, Sierra Club NJ Chapter).

Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter 2020 Appreciation Awards

View a special video tribute to say thank you to the volunteers and supporters who have dedicated themselves to a specific cause, and to those politicians who have made great strides through environmental legislation.

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is a member-supported, public interest organization that promotes conservation of the natural environment by influencing public policy decisions - legislative, administrative, legal, and electoral. The Jersey Shore Group is part of the New Jersey chapter and serves the entirety of Monmouth County. If you're a resident of Monmouth County and a Sierra Club member, you're automatically part of the Jersey Shore group. However, you don't have to be a Sierra Club member to join us in our range of activities and projects.

Our Mission

The Jersey Shore Group serves to fulfill the Sierra Club's mission and ensure a healthy environment for all those living in Monmouth County. We accomplish this through the following activities:

Educating the public about environmental and conservation science through regular meetings and presentations.
Protecting our water, land, and air through local conservation efforts, grassroots advocacy campaigns, and assisting local agencies.
Enjoying the natural world through community events, hikes, and canoeing.

If you'd like to receive information on our group, including invitations to our events and opportunities to take action, fill out the signup form at the top of this page!

Come to our Next In Person Meeting

To keep you aware of major environmental events, we will be using this website, monthly bulletins, "The Jersey Sierran" quarterly newletter, and the Sierra Club NJ Chapter Calendar. Attend our "Science Monday" speaker series, resuming this fall on the 4th Monday, at Brookdale Community College (BCC).

Directions to Science Mondays, held in Twin Lights Rooms, Student Life Center, Brookdale Community College: Enter the campus from Phalanx Road; OR enter the campus from Newman Springs Rd (County Rd 520) This puts you on Campus Drive.
-If enter from Phalanx Rd, make the first left onto Arena Drive
-If enter from Newman Springs Rd, make the last right onto Arena Drive
Follow Arena Drive past High Tech High (first building), Parking Lot 6 (has solar panels) and Collins Arena (dome top building) – all on right. Sports fields are on the left.
Turn left and park in Parking Lot 7. When you walk out of Parking Lot 7, cross road and turn left. Continue straight to last building on right, at the roundabout. Enter building (Student Life Center) and turn left. Walk to end of corridor and turn right. The room for Science Mondays will be on your left.

Note: If you or someone with you needs Handicap Parking, continue driving past Parking Lot 7, turn right into small lot before the last building at the roundabout. There will be some Handicap Parking spaces there.

Free pizza, subs, chips, and soft drinks are available at 6:30PM

Title: Native Plants and Wildlife: Wild in the Garden State
Date: Monday September 23, 2024 6:30 pm at Brookdale Community College
Speaker: Sarah Galloway (Film Director)
Description: view documentary short film "Wild in the Garden State", and join discussion with the Film Director. This screening will appeal to those who want to spend less time maintaining a pristine — and unhealthy —lawn and more time enjoying the natural world. Shot over ten years, it presents a story of gardening mis-steps, lessons and experiences that go far beyond replacing an area of lawn....a story of connecting to the natural world in suburban New Jersey.

Filmmaker Sarah Galloway has produced exhibit media for the American Museum of Natural History.
Wild in the Garden State premiered at the Garden State Film Festival, and has screened at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival, the Environmental Film Festival at Yale, the Princeton Environmental Film Festival, and more. A discussion with the director, Sarah Galloway and Q&A will follow the screening.

Title: The Ecology of Native Plants
Date: Monday October 28, 2024 6:30 pm at Brookdale Community College
Speaker: Jason Goldman
Description: Jason Goldman, of the Monmouth County Parks System, is a Naturalist, Garden Designer, and Ecological Presenter. With a degree in Ecology, Jason strives to empower others and help them become more environmentally conscious. Jason has presented and consulted with numerous groups as well as local government.

This lecture is a deep dive exploration on native plant gardening. It is a in-depth look into the ecology of plants and animals, driving home the importance of native plants and how they support so much life around us. It is forged out of a greater need for deeper understanding about native plant gardening. The Ecology of Native Plants will take the audience on an exploration of the natural world right here in our backyards. Audience members will walk away from this presentation with a better understanding of how animals and plants rely on each other, and why native plant gardening matters a great deal. You'll leave this talk wanting to plant native everywhere!

Title: Forever Chemicals, Pesticides and Other Contaminants in our Environment: Impact on Human and Wildlife Health
Date: Monday November 25, 2024 6:30 pm at Brookdale Community College
Speaker: Kelly Smalling
Description: "One Health" is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, wildlife, and ecosystems. Kelly Smalling will speak about the One Health perspective of her work at the US Geological Survey's New Jersey Water Science Center, where she has researched the presence of forever chemicals in tap water throughout the US, and implications of environmental contaminants for the health of humans and wildlife.

Kelly Smalling is a Research Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center. She is Co-lead, along with Paul Bradley of the USGS Environmental Health Program, Drinking-Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Integrated Science Team. Kelly’s research is focused on the actual versus perceived health risks of contaminant mixtures to human health and the environment (including fish and wildlife).

Please see the calendar below for information about upcoming meetings and other Jersey Shore Group events!