Financial support will boost the Center’s plans to expand its coastal ecosystem enhancement and research operations; Builds on NJR’s expanded environmental stewardship efforts through the Coastal Climate Initiative®
WALL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR), the parent company of New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG), today marked Earth Day 2023 by announcing a $50,000 donation to the Natural Resource Education Foundation of New Jersey (NREF), a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to maintaining and enhancing The Lighthouse Center and its mission as a community environmental education and research facility.
The gift, made through NJR’s Coastal Climate Initiative (CCI), will support NREF as it expands its programs and operations to include hands-on coastal ecosystem enhancement, preservation and research.
“At The Lighthouse Center, the Natural Resource Education Foundation is making a difference to protect and enhance New Jersey’s precious coastal ecosystem, while educating future generations on the importance of these environmental treasures,” said Steve Westhoven, President and CEO of New Jersey Resources. “This work aligns with the mission of NJR’s Coastal Climate Initiative, and we are happy to provide this $50,000 donation to support the Center in protecting these habitats and making an impact against climate change.”
The NREF serves as the steward of The Lighthouse Center property which is owned by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Originally established as a camp for the blind, The Lighthouse Center site was rescued from development in 2000 and donated to the NJDEP, which in turn leases the property to the NREF, which provides educational programs for children and adults, as well as volunteer opportunities.
Located on 200 acres of diverse coastal habitat in Waretown, Ocean County, The Lighthouse Center is home to classrooms, dormitories and research facilities that are used to host educational camps and conferences, as well as natural laboratories for research at the property’s coastal mud flats, saltmarshes and living shoreline that hug the Barnegat Bay.
NREF is expanding its existing education operations to include more direct restoration, preservation, and research work at The Lighthouse Center, building upon its May 2022 installation of wave attenuation devices, the first in New Jersey. This work is expected to include:
In addition, NJR has selected The Lighthouse Center as the site for its 2023 NJR You Days – an annual, large-scale mobilization of NJR employees providing volunteer work to benefit nonprofits in local communities in its service territory. Over the course of two days in June, 200 employees from across NJR will provide over 1,000 hours of hands-on work to help restore, refurbish and enhance the resiliency of the Center’s buildings and facilities – many of which date back to the 1950s – as well as the trails, grounds, and other outdoor nature habitats on the Center’s property.
“This generous $50,000 donation and large-scale commitment of employee time is a tremendous show of support for our work that will have a significant positive impact at The Lighthouse Center,” said Nancy Eriksen, Chairman of the Natural Resources Education Foundation of New Jersey’s Board of Directors. “We are thankful to NJR and its employees for their commitment to the community and to the environment.”
The support builds on NJR’s growing environmental stewardship efforts through its CCI program. Launched in 2021, CCI is a comprehensive approach to delivering on NJR’s mission to advance environmental restoration, preservation and stewardship opportunities in the communities and areas in which it operates.
Recently, NJR expanded the scope and strategy of CCI with a pledge to spend up to $2 million over five years in support of projects and programs aimed at improving climate change resiliency and ecosystem services, community engagement and education. The CCI program works across the following pillars:
About New Jersey Resources
New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company that, through its subsidiaries, provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. NJR is composed of five primary businesses:
NJR and its nearly 1,300 employees are committed to helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency through Conserve to Preserve® and initiatives such as The SAVEGREEN Project® and The Sunlight Advantage®.
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Media: Mike Kinney 732-938-1031 mkinney@njresources.com
Investor: Adam Prior 732-938-1145 aprior@njresources.com
Source: New Jersey Resources