Every year the North American Sea Glass Association holds it’s annual North American Sea Glass Festival, and every year, the festival donates to a few local charitable organizations that focus on environmental concerns, shoreline protection and clean-ups, all which are also part of the NASGA mission.

This year, the NASGA Sea Glass Festival will be held September 27 and 28th at the Cape May Convention Hall in Cape May, New Jersey.   So, in keeping with past traditions, the NASGA Board of Directors wanted to make sure the donations would stay in New Jersey, to help local environmental efforts.  The Board of Directors voted on two organizations, this blog entry will introduce the second charitable organizations chosen, The Wetlands Institute located in Stone Harbor, New Jersey.
The Wetlands Institute is a hands on non-profit, focusing on the preservation of coastal waterways, wetlands and ecosystems through research, education, conservation and citizen action.   As their vision and mission statement suggests,  they strive for a world where wetlands and coastal ecosystems thrive, and educate people on how essential these systems are to life.   Their goals focus on promoting the appreciation, understanding & stewardship of the wetlands and coastal ecosystems through their programs and stewardship in research, education & conservation.

Since its foundation in 1969, The Wetlands Institute has actively engaged in a wide variety of research projects pertaining to the habitats, processes, and wildlife of the local barrier beach and wetland ecosystems. Each summer, The Wetlands Institute runs the Coastal Conservation Research Program (CCRP), which provides 5-10 student interns mentoring and supervised research opportunities with experienced research scientists.  The Wetlands Institute is a proud founding member of EarthShare New Jersey, the only environmental federation for workplace giving in the state.  To find out more about the history of The Wetlands Institute, visit their History page here.

To see upcoming events, festivals, class schedules, or to find out about volunteering or visiting The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, please visit their website.
The Wetlands Institute is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit organization.

written by Kim Hannon, NASGA Board Member