Ocean County College OceanViews Magazine 2026 Winter Volume 19 Issue 02 - Flipbook - Page 22
PARTNERSHIP
EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH
DONATION OF NATIVE PLANTS ENHANCES OCC CAMPUS
A generous late-season donation resulted in the addition of
hundreds of beneficial native plants to the Ocean County
College campus, a move that will help create a self-sustaining
environment for pollinators and other wildlife throughout the
year.
Barnegat Bay Partnership staff and volunteers from the OCC
community worked together to install the diverse mix of
plants in the ground during a special Native Planting Day held
on December 4.
In an article on the BBP’s website, Stewardship Specialist
Caroline McFarland wrote that while planting after the season’s first frost can be challenging, there was still an opportunity to successfully establish the donated plants. “December
might not seem like an ideal month to plant a garden,” she
explained, but “planting is not impossible. In fact, getting
plants into the ground rather than leaving them in containers
until spring can be surprisingly beneficial.”
According to McFarland, planting in late autumn can promote
strong root development, restrict weed competition, and
diminish the threat of pests and disease impacting the plants
in their vulnerable early stages of growth.
While the early blooms will provide essential nectar for
emerging bees, mid-summer and late-season flowers will
attract beneficial insects and help sustain them when food
sources are scarce. Native grasses will add structure, nesting
habitat, and natural weed control, creating a resilient landscape that will help support campus wildlife from early spring
through late fall.
The planting was the result of a gift from the Rutgers Master
Gardeners of Ocean County, who donated more than 400
young native plants to Jersey-Friendly Yards, the Barnegat
Bay Partnership, and Ocean County College in support of
native plant education. Eighty of the plants were installed
at Toms River High School South in November, enabling the
school to complete its Jersey-Friendly Yards certification,
while the remaining plants were added to the gardens around
OCC’s Bartlett Hall.
“The project supports the Barnegat Bay Partnership’s longterm stewardship goals and strengthens the Jersey-Friendly
Yards vision of teaching communities how small actions can
create big, lasting change,” said McFarland. “With every plant
in the ground, we are building a healthier landscape for the
entire Barnegat Bay watershed. Jersey-Friendly Yards is grateful to work alongside the Master Gardeners of Ocean County
and truly appreciates their support.”
Bay Partnership will continue to use the best science available to protect
“ TheandBarnegat
restore this unique ecosystem that we all treasure ... join us in these endeavors and help
build on the successes of the past years.
”
- Dr. Stan Hales, director of Barnegat Bay Partnership
22 Winter 2026
