Entomologist Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, was the keynote speaker
Ron Hine | November 9, 2025
Several years ago, I read Doug Tallamy’s influential book, Bringing Nature Home. He has taught us that native plants and insect populations have co-evolved for millions of years and have developed mutually dependent relationships. Recently, Mr. Tallamy has had a profound influence on gardeners (that includes me) who are replacing much of their lawns with native plants. As a result, I was pleased to hear that he would give the keynote address at this year’s NY/NJ Harbor & Estuary (HEP) Conference.
The monarch butterfly caterpillar feeds exclusively on milkweed. About one-quarter of native bees in the eastern U.S. are specialists, meaning their larvae can only survive on the pollen from one plant family or even a single species. Doug Tallamy, an entomologist, rattled off the statistics on the precipitous decline in our insect, bird and other wildlife populations. He also proposed his solution, the concept of a Homegrown National Park to regenerate biodiversity.
Our National Parks, no matter how grand in scale, are too small and separated from one another to preserve (native) species to the levels needed. Thus, the concept for Homegrown National Park, a bottom-up call-to-action to restore habitat where we live and work, and to a lesser extent where we farm and graze, extending national parks to our yards and communities. – HomegrownNationalPark.org
In Hoboken, the greatest amount of green open space is not in our parks but in our backyards. Traditionally, buildings lined the perimeter of blocks, covering 50% of the lot, leaving a connected series of backyards at the interior of each block. If you are fortunate to own one of these properties, you have an opportunity to respond to Doug Tallamy’s call-to-action by restoring or preserving native plants and habitat.
The conference was held on the campus of Stevens Institute of Technology, making it convenient for many of us to attend. Kate Valenta, FBW Board Chair, and Carol Boncelet, FBW’s Development Director, were there. Jeff Train and Noelle Thurlow of Our Tern attended. Noelle brought her crew from Resilience Adventures. Carter Craft, who maintains the garden surrounding the Hoboken Community Church, came to hear Doug Tallamy.
Noelle Thurlow with Ron Hine & Carol Boncelet.
Philip Orton, a professor at Stevens Institute moderated a panel on Shoreline Strategies that Work. I first met him 12 years ago when he gave a presentation at a Waterfront Alliance event shortly after Superstorm Sandy stunned the region. He has been a great resource, having conducted studies on storm surges and written articles about the effectiveness of various strategies to mitigate flooding.
On his panel was Karen Appell of AECOM who gave a presentation on the Hudson River Rebuild by Design project that is being implemented in Hoboken, extending into Weehawken to the north and Jersey City to the south.
There was an afternoon panel entitled Building Waterfront Greenways. Francesca Giarratana from the Hudson County Department of Planning discussed the effort underway for a greenway, a pedestrian/bicycle public path, along the east side of the Hackensack River running through Bayonne, Jersey City and Secaucus. I was especially interested as FBW has followed the development of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway (HRWW) since the 1990s which, after some 40 years, is mostly complete. The HRWW will be fully connected in Hoboken once the park at the former Union Dry Dock site is completed sometime after 2028.
FBW has worked with NY/NJ HEP for a number of years. They have provided funding for our City of Water Day held each July in Maxwell Place Park. Last year, we hosted a Community Engagement Session for HEP at the Hoboken Public Library, convening individuals and groups in the lower Hudson River region to provide input for HEP’s 2025-2035 Action Agenda.
I have known Rob Pirani, HEP’s Senior Director for Engagement and Policy, since his days at the Regional Plan Association. In the 1990s, we both worked with a coalition of environmental organizations that intervened in a lawsuit to successfully defend the NJDEP’s Coastal Zone Management Regs that enforced the HRWW requirements. The New Jersey Builders Association mounted a legal challenge claiming it was an unconstitutional taking of property. Captain Hugh Carola of the Hackensack Riverkeeper was also at the conference. His organization also joined the interveners in this lawsuit defending the HRWW regulations.
The NY/NJ HEP program closely monitors the health of the estuary. Included with the conference materials was “The State of the Estuary 2025” that provided data on trends pertaining to water quality, habitat and ecology, contaminants, community engagement and public access. Water quality in the estuary has improved in most categories. Water temperature is the one indicator that has deteriorated and three indicators show no trend, including enterococcus pathogens. Habitat and ecology for the most part showed no trend but tidal wetlands were deteriorating. As far as contaminants are concerned the level of PCBs in fish is improving. For community engagement and public access, there are multiple categories showing improvement.
Related Links
Shorebirds of NJ Meadowlands & Hoboken waterfront are indicative of ecosystems’ resilience
Is a floating swimming pool in Hoboken’s future?
The Hudson River fishermen and the boat that began the Riverkeeper movement
Noelle Thurlow says Hoboken Cove is prime candidate for habitat restoration
Noelle Thurlow explains why the Hoboken Cove is so unique
Photos from City of Water Day 2025 in Hoboken
A plan to remove a colony of nesting terns on a Hoboken pier goes awry