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PALMYRA
Palmyra Cove Nature Center Strikes Delicate Balance Between Nature and Development
By Daniel Wilkinson

Along the bank of the Delaware River and under the blue steel of the Tacony-Palmyra bridge lies the historic, tree-shaded town of Palmyra in Burlington County. The town was originally named Texas and later changed to Palmyra by a local landowner who found the name Texas undignified. The landowner, Isaiah Toy, was a stockholder in the Camden and Amboy Railroad, the first railroad in New Jersey and one of the first in the United States. The establishment of it helped fuel the population in Palmyra with railroad workers who settled and built homes in the town, changing it from a farming community.

And people aren’t the only animals stopping by: birds do too. At the Palmyra Cove Nature Center every year, over 200 species of birds stop and feed at the center in their annual migration. The 250-acre center is one of the town’s and the state’s environmental gems. And it’s no surprise it’s in Palmyra, a Tree City USA town in 2003, an honor bestowed upon communities passion for nature and the environment.

The Cove is home to both upland and wetland ecosystems, abuzz with insects, cottontail rabbits, whitetail deer, woodchucks, red foxes and over 250 bird species. The saw whet owl, a nocturnal nester about the size of a hand, makes the cove one of its two known homes in New Jersey. Hundreds of native and alien plant species dot the landscape as well making this a prime area for ecological education.

But what’s most remarkable about the cove is its educational emphasis on the fragile relationship between human development and the natural world. The cove has always balanced this delicate relationship—refrigerators and wash machines have washed ashore after floods and the cove fought for months to stop 70 acres of dredge deposits from being dumped in the heart of the park.

“We aren’t going to pretend that this is primal forest,” said Kristina Merola, the park naturalist. “I think the fact that you can find a brick from an old house is part of the allure. It’s interesting to try and understand how ecosystems survive with humans.”

Kids of all ages receive a crash course in ecology and area history in the interactive area just beyond the lobby. They guess which plant species are native and alien—wrong answers receive a piercing “ernt!”—and read about the history of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, which was originally a ferry crossing point carrying 2,000 commuters across the Delaware daily for a nickel each. The majority of the education still revolves around ecology though.

“The cove is a good exhibition for youngsters about nature—all her glories and problems,” said Catherine Nyikita, a receptionist. “Sometimes it rains too much, sometimes there are draughts. They can really see how weather affects ecosystems.”

Alicia Biegun, an educational intern, says the cove is a perfect opportunity for school-age kids to break away from their technology-dominated lives and learn about the ecological wonders that surround them.

“Most kids don’t really go out these days,” Biegun said. “They have their video games, digital cameras, and all these other digital things. So, they aren’t really exposed to nature.”

The park staff hopes to change that by providing interactive activities that place kids directly in the park’s thriving ecosystems. Weekly activities at the cove include two-hour family hikes with Merola, who points out local birds and fauna, and Cove Caterpillars, a $5 program for non-members that introduces preschoolers to nature.

“We go outside and find insects to identify,” Merola said. “Today, we played nature bingo with the kids.”

She said it was important to introduce kids to nature at a young age, because they would be more likely to continue to engage themselves in the natural world later in life.

The cove is open from 9a.m. to 4p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10a.m. to 4p.m. on the weekend. It is located right before the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge toll. Entry is free. For more information, call 856.829.1900 or visit www.palmyracove.org.

Daniel Wilkinson is a staff writer for Curious Parents. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and NJ Department of Education.