Finding the woods in between houses is a task all animals in northern New Jersey must master. The deer are exceptional at this; finding the nooks and crannies humans cannot reach. Green Brook, located behind Liberty Field is a safe haven for these deer. Upon entering the forest, the senses become aware that there is something else. Frozen in the distance, stands a white-tail deer, eyes wide with fear. Another step, and the deer is gone- a flight response.
With the deer gone, the woods become lonesome again. When checking the brook for life, the only visible signs of it are plastic water bottles from parents too tired to walk across the park to recycle their waste. There are no fish. There are no frogs. There are no salamanders. The pool is still- breezes may shake it a little, but it is dead. It is a sad life for someone who cares for nature in New Jersey. Often those who care feel like the Lorax- seen but not heard.
Suddenly, rustling occurs in the Oak/Hickory stand. A rabbit, an eastern cottontail, jumps out of the brush and hops away. It is these small glimpses of nature that remind me New Jersey is not lost to overdevelopment. The life that lived here before humans lives on and it will live on after humans as well.