Storm proofers: Preparing a New Jersey refuge for the next big event

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

When Hurricane Sandy hit at the end of October, 2012, the refuge staff at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Basking Ridge, N.J., just 26 miles west of Manhattan’s Times Square, thought they were prepared. Winter hadn’t yet fully kicked in, and most of its buildings were equipped with generators that would provide backup power.

But no one expected that the severity of damage to the regional power grid would leave the refuge and general area without electricity for nearly two weeks. With numerous blocked roads and regional fuel shortages, trucks scheduled to deliver propane and diesel fuel were delayed, adding additional stress to an already difficult situation.

“We had to go as far as Pennsylvania to get fuel for the generators,” says refuge manager Bill Koch. “Some local gas stations that had fuel and the power to pump it were rationing at limits insufficient to our needs.”

A tree blown down by the storm falls on electrical power lines at the refuge. (Credit: David Sagan/USFWS)

Faced with the likelihood that there will be more frequent, intense storms like Hurricane Sandy in years to come, Koch and his staff have been planning and preparing the refuge for the next big one. Thanks to funding from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, a propane tank at the refuge’s visitor center will be replaced by a permanent natural gas pipeline that will feed furnaces and generators. Solar-powered systems will be installed at headquarters and the visitor center. A gas line and generators will also be installed at the refuge’s dormitory and one of the living quarters. These measures will assure both uninterrupted heat and emergency electricity for headquarters, the dormitory, staff housing and the visitor center.

A rooftop solar array similar to the one pictured here is being designed and installed at the Great Swamp visitor center, which will make its electrical system more resilient to future storms. (Credit: USFWS)

The headquarters and visitor center solar-powered systems will be installed on new metal roofs which will be more durable, longer-lasting and recyclable. A small diesel generator will be installed at a heated public restroom, to prevent the recurrence of frozen pipes.

“We are in the planning and design stage of doing everything we can to become more self-sufficient,” says Koch.

To learn more about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Hurricane Sandy recovery and resilience projects, visit our Hurricane Sandy Recovery page. For more about Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, click here.

A professional photographer at 12 years old

Ashleigh’s photo of a red fox kit at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Copyright by Ashleigh Scully.

Ashleigh’s photo of a rufous morph of an eastern screech owl near her home. Copyright by Ashleigh Scully.

Ashleigh’s dad, Gerry, showed us some of her photos of wildlife at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in northern New Jersey, and we just had to share them with you and introduce you to Ashleigh!

In addition to wildlife photography, Ashleigh says she enjoys riding horses, going on trips with her family, skiing and hanging out with friends. Photo courtesy of Gerry Scully.

How did you get interested in photography? I started taking photographs when I was 8 years old after I received an Olympus point-and-click camera for my birthday. I have always enjoyed wildlife, but with my camera I realized that I could get closer to them and capture really cool details on things like frogs and butterflies. When my family moved to the country, I started becoming more interested in capturing hawks, owls and foxes, and my hobby just progressed from there.

Do you have a favorite species to photograph? How about a favorite location? My favorite species to photograph is foxes and owls. We have foxes that live around my home, and it’s always a fun challenge to try to photograph their behavior, like catching voles, mousing in a field, or napping in the sun.

The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Millington, N.J., has also given me a lot of opportunities to photograph foxes, too. I also like photographing in Grand Teton National Park, W.Y.

Ashleigh’s photo of an American kestrel at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Copyright by Ashleigh Scully.

I started having an interest in owls after an eastern screech owl box we put up in our backyard was occupied and two little owlets were raised there. I was very fortunate to watch and photograph the owlets fledge one day, and ever since then, I look for opportunities to photograph owls.

My family and friends call me the “Owl Whisperer” because I always seem to find and photograph this awesome species. In the last year I’ve photographed snowy owls, screech owls, barred owls, great horned owls and great gray owls.

My favorite location is definitely the Great Swamp. Everyone there is so nice, and it’s where I started photographing. It’s really incredible how many different species you can see there throughout the year.

What do you think is most challenging about wildlife photography? This is a hard question to answer. Being a wildlife photographer definitely requires a lot of patience and an understanding of lots of camera specifications, like shutter speed, depth of field, and using light.

Ashleigh’s photo of a barred owl at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Copyright by Ashleigh Scully.

Most importantly, though, you need to be an observer of wildlife to understand patterns and behavior that may help you when you set out to photograph a certain species.

If anything is challenging, it’s that sometimes things just don’t work out for you – it could be too dark, too bright, or your subject just doesn’t cooperate. When this happens, just learn to put your camera down and observe instead!

What suggestions do you have for other people interested in taking photos of wildilfe? Start small. Taking photographs of amphibians and reptiles can be very exciting and challenging, too. Also, go to your local camera store and talk to the experts there – they can help you choose equipment and may even offer instruction, too. Be patient, think creatively and respect your subject!

In June of this year, National Geographic Kids Magazine will publish a photo Ashleigh took of a red fox kit at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in a new feature called “Be the Animal.” Last year, she sold some of her photos in an auction and donated the proceeds to benefit The Raptor Trust, a raptor rehabilitation center in Millington, N.J., that she loves to visit. Photo courtesy of Gerry Scully.

Do you know what you’d like to do when you’re older? Do you think you’ll still be taking photos of wildlife? Yes, I want to be a professional wildlife photographer! A lot of my photos are of animals showing emotion. I think if I can continue to photograph the expressions and behaviors of wildlife then maybe it can teach people to respect and appreciate the natural world more. I hope I can continue to photograph more as I get older, and one day I would like to have my own gallery and be a naturalist.

Which photo of Ashleigh’s is your favorite? Tell us in your comment below, and head over to her Flickr page to see more photos!