Go Clamming, Eat Seafood At Island Beach State Park's Harvest The Bay Celebration

ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, NJ — Lots of people love Island Beach State Park for its natural beach setting, but never really look much beyond the bathing beach while they're there.

State naturalists are encouraging people to delve a little deeper this weekend during Harvest the Bay Day, an eco-tourism event to raise awareness of the sustainability of the Barnegat Bay Estuary.

The event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Ocean Bathing Area 1 pavilion and is free with park admission, officials said. In case of inclement weather, the rain date is Saturday, Aug. 20.

Organizers hope that participants in Harvest the Bay Day will gain a greater appreciation of Barnegat Bay's natural environment, its role as a prime estuarine habitat and the various recreational as well as commercial fishing industries that depend upon the health and sustainability of the watershed.

"Harvest the Bay Day is a great opportunity to participate in interactive events and learn about Barnegat Bay's importance to the community and environment," said Mark Texel, director of the Division of Parks and Forestry.

Visitors to Harvest the Bay Day can attend free clamming and seining programs from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.; sample fresh seafood from noon to 12:30 p.m.; attend educational presentations from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.; and take a free kayak eco-tour of the Sedge Islands.

"While Island Beach State Park is mainly known for its beautiful beaches, the Barnegat Bay on the west side of the island is a rich fisheries habitat which can be enjoyed in a number of ways," said Jenifer Clayton, Island Beach State Park superintendent. "Harvest the Bay Day offers programs and activities for the family which highlight the importance of the health of the bay, the role it plays as the nursery for larger finfish, and what the public can do to help preserve this vital resource."

Island Beach State Park, one of the crown jewels of the state park system, offers a variety of interactive and educational nature programs, including Harvest the Bay, which was developed in 2013. Island Beach State Park interpretive programs are created and run through a partnership of the DEP's Division of Parks and Forestry, the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, and the Friends of Island Beach State Park.

To learn more about Island Beach State Park, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html

to learn more about educational programs at Island Beach State Park visit: www.islandbeachnatureprograms.org

Patch file photo