The first Parks in Focus New Jersey program (PIFNJ) was led by Marcos Orozco, a 2003 and 2004 Udall Scholar, who served
as the naturalist for Parks in Focus Arizona in 2005. Now a high-school science teacher in New Jersey, Marcos took eight
children from the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County, New Jersey to some of the Garden State’s most scenic locales:
Bass River State Park, Wharton State Forest, Pygmy Forest, Jenny Jump State Forest, and Sandy Hook National Recreation Area.
Twin Lights Historic Site
Participants snacked on wild blueberries as they hiked the unfamiliar trails, and each day brought new, unforgettable
experiences, from learning about the native species of New Jersey, to watching a snake swallow a bat from only a few feet
Coneflowers (Jasmir, 2007 participant)
The 2007 PIFNJ trip offered a diverse assortment of natural and historical experiences. At Allaire Historic Village,
participants engaged in a photo scavenger hunt, an exercise which encouraged the development of their photographic skills.
The group went seining for fish and crabs at Sandy Hook Bay, where they also enjoyed eating wild beach plums, and swam in a
mountain-fed pool in VanCampens Glen. The most anticipated part of PIFNJ was a nighttime excursion to the Voorhees
Observatory for a look at the stars.
Seining for crabs in Sandy Hook Bay